Last weekend, an estimated 70 million Americans, and millions of Canadians, bet on the NFL’s Super Bowl. Altogether, they gambled about $1.3 billion.

And that money wasn’t wagered just on the game itself, but also on who won the coin toss, the total score, individual player stats and if Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce might have proposed to his girlfriend Taylor Swift when the game was over.

Of course, hockey fans in this country are no strangers to sports betting, what with the plethora of gambling ads during televised NHL games. Research in January found viewers saw over 4,000 ads about betting during just seven hockey and basketball games, including ads on the boards and playing surfaces.

The huge emphasis on gambling in sports got me thinking about religion and betting; what do the major religions say about it?

As it turns out, all have reservations about it but only Islam prohibits it outright. Judaism has no explicit teachings against it, although the rabbis of the Talmud did not have a positive view of the practice. Buddhism holds varying perspectives on gambling, with some considering it acceptable as a recreational activity while others caution against its dangers. Hindus are not forbidden to gamble, but the religion teaches that the goal of living a righteous life can be compromised by gambling’s potential negative consequences.

When it comes to Christianity, only the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints seems to ban it outright. However, a recent study by Lifeway Research in the U.S. found a majority of Christian clergy — 55 per cent — believes it is wrong.

“Most pastors see moral hazards in sports betting and believe American society would be better off without it,” said Lifeway Research executive director Scott McConnell.

While there are no verses in the Bible speaking against gambling, “pastors see gambling as violating numerous biblical principles,” said McConnell, pointing to how the Bible teaches against materialism and coveting wealth.

While many clergy oppose it, it’s hard to preach against it according to Boston College professor and Jesuit priest Richard McGowan.

In an article in Religion News Service, McGowan — who has been nicknamed “the Odds Father” because of his research on gambling — suggested wagering is hard to oppose today due to what he called the “ethics of tolerance.”

“The ethical theory a lot of people go by is you should be able to do what you want as long as you don’t harm somebody else,” he said, adding that makes it hard to argue against activities like gambling which many people see as harmless entertainment.

Added to that is how states and provinces see gambling as a source of revenue they use for popular social causes. That, he said, also makes it difficult to raise ethical questions about gambling.

“People have been doing it for years and years and years illegally, and now the government is basically saying, ‘All right, it’s fine to do it legally, and by the way, we’ll make lots of money,’” said McGowan.

I reached out to some local faith leaders for their perspectives on gambling.

Mennonite Church Canada, which is headquartered in Winnipeg, doesn’t have any official statements against it, although it warns about the dangers of excessive gambling, said executive minister Doug Klassen.

The denomination talked about it around 14 years ago, he said, “but we haven’t had a lot of discussion since. All of us know that our hospitals and other social services are partially funded by gambling revenue, and we know it is problematic. But how does one extract oneself from such an entangled system?”

Michael Wilson, minister at Charleswood United Church, noted gambling “is an issue of great concern” in his denomination, even if it is a tradition that “typically doesn’t dictate what churches should or should not say on a particular issue.”

According to Wilson, there is a consensus in the United Church that the negatives of the gambling industry far exceed the positives. This includes how vulnerable people can fall prey to gambling addiction.

“During a time in which we seem to agree that mental health is a crisis, expanding something as addictive as gambling can only have terrible social consequences,” he said.

Ken Esau is director of the National Faith and Life Team of the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, also headquartered in Winnipeg.

He noted that while gambling is mentioned in a list of evils in that denomination’s Confession of Faith, it’s hard to take a stand against it because it conflicts “with the current values of the society and of the state.”

Mark Hughes is pastor of the Church of the Rock. “I make reference to it from time to time, usually in the broader context of wealth and greed,” he said. “I think it is more than anything else, a sin against ourselves. I see it as a sad commentary on our fallen and broken culture. Governments rely on it for their coffers. They promote gambling on one hand, and then sponsor ad campaigns encouraging people to do it in moderation. I put the shame on our governments, and pity those that fall prey — almost always the people who can afford it least.”

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John Longhurst
Faith reporter

John Longhurst has been writing for Winnipeg’s faith pages since 2003. He also writes for Religion News Service in the U.S., and blogs about the media, marketing and communications at Making the News.

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