5 Misconceptions about Sports Betting
It’s the best time of year for sports fans.
Major League Baseball and Soccer seasons are ending just as professional basketball and hockey seasons are getting started, but most people are occupied with the NFL season—which boasts more viewers than all other sports combined!
The NFL is a massive $20 billion industry–and that doesn’t include the projected $35 billion that American adults (mostly men) are projected to bet with legal sportsbooks throughout the 2024 NFL season.1
Professional sports generate huge profits, but sports betting takes it to a whole new level, and it’s growing at a remarkably rapid pace with wide acceptance. What are some of the most common misconceptions about sports betting and why is this important for Christian dads to consider?
Misconceptions about sports betting
1. It involves less risk
The wide availability of in-depth sports statistics combined with the endless options for bet customization have led some to conclude that the risks for sports betting are low and manageable. Because of their extensive knowledge of teams and players, men can tend to view their bets as guided by expertise and skill rather than luck. However, this perception can actually lead to greater risk. According to one study in the journal Addictive Behaviors, “Sports betting, relative to non-sports betting, has been more strongly linked to gambling problems and cognitive distortions related to illusion of control, probability control and interpretive control.”2
2. It’s another form of investment.
Whereas wise investments in the stock market or real estate often involve a long-term strategy and represent holdings with actual companies, commodities, or properties, sports betting is short-term and fundamentally based on speculation. It’s certainly possible to make a profit with sports betting, but this doesn’t move it into the same category as traditional investments (stocks, bonds, real estate, mutual funds, etc.).
3. It’s harmless fun.
Although sports betting can be a fun activity for friends and coworkers, the commercialization of sports betting is undeniably leading to financial and familial misery, often falling disproportionately on the most economically precarious households.3 A recent edition of the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual lists “gambling disorder” in the same category as heroin and opioid addictions. If the calls to states’ gambling problem hotline are any indication, the fact that calls in Virginia climbed 387 percent in the first year after sports betting was legalized should serve as a harrowing example.4 Sports betting has been devastating for many individuals and families.
4. It helps to boost the economy.
It is true that sports betting has generated significant tax revenue. This is precisely why since the Supreme Court’s ruling in 2018, so many states have jumped at the opportunity. However, the windfall for states comes at significant social costs. One recent study found that sports betting legalization increased the risk that a household goes bankrupt by 25 to 30 percent, and increased debt delinquency.5 The financial gain for states is insignificant when compared to the damage caused to society.
5. It’s not addressed in the Bible.
The Bible is the sole source of authority for Christian faith and practice. Christians who have concluded that God’s Word doesn’t address gambling are denying a series of key principles listed below.
Bible Principles on Sports Betting
1. It violates the command to love your neighbor.
The essence of gambling is fairly simple—one person benefits at the loss of someone else. Enjoying entertainment at the financial expense of others is unloving (Rom. 13:8-10) and directly opposes Jesus’ Golden Rule (Matt. 7:12). Furthermore, taking advantage of the poor (though indirectly) is a serious offense before God (Pr. 13:23; 14:31).
2. It undermines a Christian work ethic.
Sports betting is essentially an attempt to gain something for nothing, hoping for easy money rather than pursuing wise investments and diligent labor (Pr. 13:4, 11). God created man in his image and commissioned him to take dominion and participate in creative and restorative endeavors (Gen. 1:27-28). However, sports betting involves neither creativity nor restoration.
3. It is poor stewardship.
Ultimately, we are stewards of God’s resources—our wealth is not our own (Ps. 24:1). Since God has designed us to lay up treasure in heaven, not on earth, we must be wary of dishonorable get-rich-quick schemes that prioritize earthly wealth (Matt. 6:19-21).
4. It feeds discontentment.
For many, sports betting appeals to the love of money, which is the root of all kinds of evil (1 Tim. 6:10). As Christians, we are called to be free from the love of money, to not put our hope in riches, and to be content with the things that we have (1 Tim. 6:17). This is possible because we have Jesus’ ongoing presence with us (Heb. 13:5).
5. It competes for Lordship in our lives
Jesus is very clear that we cannot serve God and money (Matt. 6:24). When a man becomes a slave to sports betting or allows it to take a primary role in his life, it is becoming his master. Sports betting tempts us to trust chance rather than to trust God with our finances. By God’s grace, Christian men must strive “to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share.” (1 Tim. 6:18)
Conclusion
In less than 10 years since the Supreme Court ruling which has led to the legalization of sports betting in many states, we have already seen the onset of an epidemic in our country. The dangers and devastation of sports betting are ravaging marriages and families. Regardless of whether or not your participation results in personal addiction or financial loss, sports betting is hurting real people.
As followers of Christ, we are called to love others, work hard, steward wisely, be content, and serve God, not money. So then, brothers, let’s not settle for risky short-term gains, but set our eyes on long-term heavenly rewards.