BREAKING: Over 100 Pastors, Leaders Sign Letter to Lawmakers Opposing Expansion of iGaming
COLUMBUS—More than 100 pastors and key leaders from across Ohio have signed a joint letter to Governor Mike DeWine and members of the Ohio General Assembly opposing legislation that would legalize online poker and virtual casino gambling. Coordinated by Center for Christian Virtue (CCV), this statewide coalition of pastors and ministry leaders is calling on lawmakers to reject the proposals that would dramatically expand predatory gambling and harm Ohio families, particularly the poor.
"This legislation is not just harmful—it is deeply unjust," the letter states. "It preys on our state's most vulnerable citizens by promoting addictive gambling as a means of generating state revenue."
The pastors and other ministry leaders call on elected officials to reject "unjust decrees" and instead "defend the rights of the poor and needy," highlighting the devastating toll gambling takes on families, marriages, mental health, and economic mobility, especially among low-income Ohioans and young men.
"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," the letter continues. "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."
Because, as they share, "Ohio needs these young men to lead in our communities and raise families, not waste their time, talent, and financial futures on games they can't win."
Their major concerns include:
Smartphone and computer-based gambling turn every living room into a casino, making financial exploitation a 24/7 threat.
Gambling addiction carries the highest suicide rate of any addiction, according to the Ohio Casino Control Commission.
Young men are particularly at risk: A Rutgers University study found a third of New Jersey's young men now gamble online, with 19% considered high risk for addiction.
State-sponsored gambling is a wealth transfer from the poor to out-of-state corporations, offering no tangible return—only increased loss.
Aaron Baer, President of Center for Christian Virtue, commended the pastors' leadership:
"There's a dangerous lie being pushed at the Statehouse that Ohio can expand gambling without consequences. But the truth is undeniable: gambling addiction leads to debt, despair, broken families, and even suicide.
"Our pastors are sounding the alarm because they've seen the devastation firsthand. Ohio should not balance its budget on the backs of the poor and vulnerable. We're calling on every legislator—and every Ohioan with a conscience—to reject this injustice before it's too late."
Media Advisory
Center for Christian Virtue will be hosting a press conference with pastors and legislators tomorrow, Wednesday, May 28, at noon in the Women's Gallery at the Ohio Statehouse.
RSVP to media@ccv.org.
Read the full letter and the list of signers at CCV.org/GamblingLetter.
For more information, contact CCV at 513-733-5775 or contact@ccv.org. For media inquiries, email media@ccv.org.
As Ohio's largest Christian public policy organization, Center for Christian Virtue seeks the good of our neighbors by advocating for public policy that reflects the truth of the Gospel.
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