Southern Baptist Church Votes To Condemn Sports Betting And Ban Porn

At the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) on Tuesday, the church voted to condemn sports betting, as well as denouncing online pornography, gay marriage, and abortion.

It said the industry “fosters a culture of greed while specifically exploiting and preying upon young adults, the impoverished, and those with addictive personality traits.”

Sports betting a target for Christians

With a growing number of states legalizing sports betting, Americans have wagered over $500 billion since 2018. Last year, sportsbooks generated $13.6 billion in revenue, almost double the $7.6 billion generated in 2022. Missouri will open its market later this year, and there are now just a handful of states that do not offer some form of legal sports betting.

The spread of online gambling, in particular, is a concern for Christian leaders. Kyle Worley, a Southern Baptist pastor from Texas, wrote last year, “Gambling is not a new temptation, but I believe that the advent of online sports gambling raises the stakes considerably on how seriously Christian leaders should address questions around the moral and theological nature of gambling.”

Smartphones making casino gambling too easy

Adding in online casinos, Americans lost a total of over $40 billion on gambling last year. The losses may have been even greater on unregulated gambling platforms. Estimates suggest losses there could be as much as $67 billion, which would take the total to well over $100 billion in losses.

As well as decrying the rise of sports betting and casinos, the SBC also voted to push for bans on online pornography, gay marriage, and abortion.

Adam Roarty

Adam is an experienced writer with years of experience in the gambling industry. He has worked as a content writer and editor for five years on sites such as Oddschecker, CoinTelegraph and Gambling Industry News, bringing excellent knowledge of the world of sports betting and online gambling. Adam focuses on emerging stories in the ever changing landscape of betting in the US. Read the latest on prediction markets, changing legislation, and sweepstakes.