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Writer's pictureBryce Johnson

Sports Betting

"I bet you $20 my team beats your team tonight...I take that deal" is a common interaction among sports fans. Over the years, people have regularly bet on games with friends, under the table with bookies, and through legalized gambling in Nevada.

According to 2017 figures released by the Nevada Gaming Control Board, the state's sports books took in $4.8 billion in wagers. Additionally, The American Gaming Association claims there are close to $150 billion illegal sports wagers made each year.

Now that the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 against the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, the door is wide open for more states to allow legalized gambling. This decision hugely affects the sports industry, as leagues, owners, and media networks will end up with the opportunity to make more money.

So what does this mean for us as sports fans? If gambling is legal in our state, why not join in on the fun? If we know a lot about sports, this can be a solid revenue stream, right?

There is a temptation to convince ourselves that gambling is harmless and would never be a problem if we just dabbled in it. But we have to ask ourselves, why bother in the first place? Is it really worth it? What is our motivation? Is this how God wants us to spend the money He loans us?

When making daily decisions, they can either be viewed through the lens of the Bible...or from the perspective of society. If we do go down a path like gambling, what will we open ourselves up to and how will it glorify God?

When choosing how to make or spend money, we should consider what the Bible says in 1 Timothy 6:10 (AMP), "For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.”

Proverbs 13:11 (NLT) gives us this wisdom: “Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows over time.”

With yesterday's announcement regarding the future of sports betting, we need to seek the Lord's guidance on how to respond to the pressure, desires, and opportunities involving gambling on sporting events.

When surrendering our lives to Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are made free and rest in His grace. We aren’t saved by our works or required to live a perfect life, but if we truly love God, we won’t take that freedom as an excuse for selfish pleasures.

Keeping that in mind, let's unpack 1 Corinthians 6:12 (AMP) as we consider sports betting: "Everything is permissible for me, but not all things are beneficial. Everything is permissible for me, but I will not be enslaved by anything .”

I’m Bryce Johnson and you can unpack that!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I desire to do Your will and honor You with my life. I pray I’d be a good steward of the money You provide. Please give me guidance on how to spend it, and help me view all decisions through the lens of pleasing You. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

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