Calvin Ridley, star receiver for the Atlanta Falcons, was suspended for an entire season in 2022 for gambling on NFL games. The following year, 10 NFL and one NHL athlete were suspended for gambling-related infractions.
The Secret Prayers of Gamblers
When I walk into an Appalachian casino on a Friday evening, every sense in my body dilates with the onslaught of stimulation. Outside the casino, it was cool, with dusk descending over a quiet parking lot of pickups and sedans…
What would 10-year-old me think of Pete Rose now?
I was going through a box of my things while I was home a few months ago, and it was a reminder of how my obsession with baseball goes back to my childhood. Through the years, I have collected countless…
The fear driving Trump’s grift
Shortly after the 2024 presidential election, I dreamed a dream. I was on a sidewalk in what appeared to be a seedy part of town. Weeds were pushing through sidewalk cracks. Volunteer bushes were brushing up against the gigantic wall…
How has gambling become a glittering virtue?
A vice is a vice until it’s not. How did gambling, once called by Walter Rauschenbusch “the vice of the savage,” become a glittering virtue of the American dream? Gambling, particularly for Baptists, has long been condemned. From Billy Sunday…
Is sports gambling any more immoral or risky than the stock market?
I love a good side hustle. I have a job I enjoy, but one of my favorite things about it is that I often have the flexibility to explore other opportunities in my free time, such as writing for Baptist…
Religion Notes: Pastors oppose sports gambling; Gardner-Webb featured in March Madness broadcast
Most Protestant pastors oppose sports gambling and its legalization, a position placing them at odds with much of society and even with their own congregations. “The large majority of pastors oppose sports betting,” Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research,…
Proposed Ala. law targets illegal casinos
By Bob Allen A Baptist minister who leads an interdenominational ministry that self-describes as “Alabama’s moral compass” is urging voters to support legislation to deter illegal casinos from popping up across the state. State Sen. Bryan Taylor (R-Prattville) introduced legislation…