We seem to be becoming a nation of gamblers instead of investors. Can you help me explain the dangers of this trend from God’s perspective? I have been asked a similar question in a variety of ways, so I hope to give you more data and tools to help your loved ones and friends avoid this trap.
This is a very serious trend because what looks like easy money is actually a road to ruin. Share this article with anyone who needs to see the facts of what they are caught up in. Many defend betting as harmless entertainment. Others consider it an ongoing part of their long-term financial strategy. Both of these justifications are wrong. Believe it or not, Gen Z investors are redirecting money intended for investing into sports betting.
How many millions of Americans see money as something to wager rather than God’s provision for wisely giving, saving, investing and providing for their families? Let’s take a deeper look. An article at finance.yahoo.com reports that legal sportsbooks kept about $430 million in 2018. That number jumped to $17 billion in 2025 due to the staggering amount of money wagered. That is about a 400% increase in just eight years!
According to Fortune, Americans legally wagered about $166 billion on sports alone. That is more than twice the combined revenue of movies, music, books, concerts and museums. The broader danger is normalization. Gambling has moved from an occasional trip to a casino to something available on a phone during sporting events. Research reveals how expanded online betting is associated with increased debt, delinquencies, reduced investing and other signs of financial distress.
Resources, which ultimately belong to God, are being used contrary to the way He instructed in His Word. Many have yet to understand how destructive that can