The Hidden Addiction Epidemic on Campus For Men

A Christian Response to the Online Sports Gambling Boom

With its 24/7 accessibility and potential for rapid financial ruin, sports gambling is becoming a more insidious threat to students than pornography for young men.

Folks, a seismic shift has occurred in the American cultural landscape since the Supreme Court opened the floodgates to sports betting in 2018. Online sports gambling (OSG) has exploded into a multi-billion dollar industry, and its most coveted target is young men between 18 and 28—the very demographic filling our college campuses. In their June 14, 2025 article, “Online Sports Gambling and College Students: A Christian Response to a Growing Industry,” Kimberly M. Reeve and Jared Pincin dissect this growing phenomenon, providing a crucial Christian framework for understanding and responding to an industry that, while normalized, poses a significant threat to the well-being of students.

The New Gold Rush and Its Human Cost

The numbers are staggering. Since 2018, over $486 billion has been legally wagered on sports in the U.S. States, eager for new revenue streams, have embraced OSG, collecting a combined $6.3 billion in taxes. New York alone saw $63 billion in wagers between January 2022 and March 2025. This legalization was often sold as a way to regulate an existing black market and capture lost tax revenue.

However, Reeve and Pincin argue this revenue comes at a steep price. The industry’s marketing is aggressive and pervasive, embedding itself in the very fabric of sports culture through team partnerships, celebrity endorsements, and constant advertising. This has effectively normalized gambling, framing it not as a risky vice but as a harmless extension of being a sports fan.

The marketing overwhelmingly targets young men, portraying OSG as an activity for "tech-savvy young men living a glamorous high-stakes lifestyle." This message is dangerously effective for several reasons:

• The Lure of Easy Money: College students, often financially strained, are susceptible to the idea that OSG is a quick way to make cash.

• The Thrill of the Game: For many, the excitement of having "skin in the game" is more compelling than the actual winnings.

• A Seamless Transition from Gaming: OSG feels like a natural next step for a generation raised on video games and esports, which often include their own in-game betting mechanics.

• Aggressive Promotions: Free bets, bonuses, and loyalty rewards are powerful incentives that keep young gamblers coming back.

The consequences are severe. Research from countries with more established OSG markets, like the U.K. and Australia, shows a clear link between online betting and gambling disorders. Online gamblers are far more likely to develop addiction issues than those who gamble offline. The 24/7 accessibility of mobile apps, combined with the psychological disconnect of betting with digital money instead of physical cash, creates a potent cocktail for addiction, financial distress, mental health decline, and damaged relationships.

A Christian Ethical Framework

The Bible doesn't contain the word "gambling," leading to two main camps within Christianity: one that sees it as inherently sinful and another that views it as permissible in moderation.

Reeve and Pincin navigate this debate by proposing a framework based on core biblical principles, asking key questions to assess the morality of the activity:

1. Motivation: Is the goal harmless entertainment or is it driven by greed? Proverbs warns against the desire to get rich quickly.

2. Love of Neighbor: Since gambling is a zero-sum game (for one to win, others must lose), how does it align with the command to love your neighbor as yourself? Even when betting against a corporate sportsbook, the house ultimately pays winners with the money from losers.

3. Christian Witness: Does the practice harm one's witness or cause a fellow believer to stumble?

4. Stewardship: Is gambling a wise use of God-given resources? It’s a short-term, high-risk venture, not a form of productive labor or sound investment, which Scripture praises.

The authors argue that OSG, in particular, fails these tests. It's designed to be addictive and is marketed with messages that stoke greed and the illusion of control. While bettors may believe they are using skill, the reality is that chance plays an overwhelming role. As one study noted, the mix of knowledge and chance in sports betting makes gamblers overestimate their own skill, creating a dangerous cognitive bias.

A Call to Action for Christian Educators

Given the unique vulnerability of college students, Reeve and Pincin insist that Christian faculty and staff have a crucial role to play in countering this trend. They offer four practical recommendations:

1. Integrate the Topic into the Curriculum: Use OSG as a case study across disciplines. Economics classes can analyze the shaky foundation of state budgets built on gambling revenue. Ethics and theology classes can debate its morality. Psychology courses can explore addiction, and personal finance classes can illustrate its devastating impact.

2. Foster Purposeful Mentoring: Mentors should be aware of the connection between fantasy sports—often seen as harmless—and a higher likelihood of developing gambling problems. Universities should host open forums and equip staff with resources to help students struggling with addiction.

3. Encourage Local Church Involvement: Strong religious adherence and social networks, like those found in a local church, are proven to reduce the likelihood of gambling dependency among young adults.

4. Advocate for Change: Faculty and students can work to counter the pervasive marketing by promoting social media campaigns that highlight the harms of OSG. They can also advocate for more stringent regulations on gambling advertisements, similar to those placed on tobacco and alcohol.

Ultimately, the authors conclude that OSG is not a harmless pastime; it is a "moral disaster" that is "ruining lives." Christian higher education has a responsibility to engage students in frank conversations about its dangers and equip them to resist a culture that increasingly promotes a vice that can devastate their finances, relationships, and faith.

If churches, Christian schools, and Christian colleges aren’t talking to teens about sports betting, they’re leaving them unprepared for the world they actually live in. Too many Christian institutions train students for the past instead of equipping them for the future their students—and their kids—will face.

⚠️ Warning for Parents:
Many online platforms let students create accounts to bet on sports using fake “Monopoly” money. But don’t be fooled—this can pave the way toward real-money sports gambling. If your son is into sports, assume he’ll be exposed to sports betting, because all his friends probably will be too.

Title: Online Sports Gambling and College Students: A Christian Response to a Growing Industry

Authors: Kimberly M. Reeve & Jared Pincin

Journal: Christian Higher Education