Dear Governor DeWine and Members of the Ohio General Assembly,

As pastors from across Ohio, we write to express our firm opposition to the proposed legislation that would expand gambling by legalizing online poker and virtual casino gambling in our state.

This legislation is not just harmful—it is deeply unjust. It preys on our state’s most vulnerable citizens by promoting addictive gambling as a means of generating state revenue. As Christian leaders, we know Jesus has a special heart for the poor (Psalm 140:12) and has called on those in governing authority to reject “unjust decrees” (Isaiah 10:1). The data is undeniable that expanded predatory gaming in the state is an exponential wealth transfer, exploiting low-income Ohioans to play addictive games stacked against them, and sending the money to wealthy out-of-state gambling corporations.

What’s more, expanding access to 24/7 online gambling—especially through smartphones and computers—turns every living room into a casino and every struggling Ohioan into a potential target for financial exploitation. This is especially dangerous with the mental health crisis our state is facing because, according to the Ohio Casino Control Commission, gambling addiction results in the greatest rates of suicide compared to other forms of addiction.

Lastly, this proposal will have incredibly harmful effects on young men. As Ohio deals with lower participation in the workforce by young men, expanded online gaming is especially harmful. A Rutgers University study on legalized gambling in New Jersey found that a third of this population were now gambling in some form online—four times as many as when the center last surveyed the state’s population in 2017—and 19 percent were at “high risk for problem gambling.”

Ohio needs these young men leading in our communities and raising families, not wasting their time, talent, and financial futures on games they can’t win.

From our pulpits and in our counseling rooms, we have seen the real cost of gambling addiction: broken marriages, lost homes, mental health crises, and children left behind. It is morally indefensible for the state to rely on the losses of its own people, particularly the poor and the young, to fund government operations.

We urge you to reject this legislation and instead pursue policies that promote economic dignity, strengthen families, and uphold justice. Proverbs 31:8–9 says, “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves… defend the rights of the poor and needy.” Ohio should not be in the business of exploiting its most vulnerable—it should be in the business of creating opportunities for them to thrive.

Sincerely,