Pope Francis Criticizes Online Gambling Promotion During Economic Speech

The Pope, seen here at Friday's Meeting of Popular Movements where he denounced the marketing of online gambling promotional efforts. (Image: IPA / Vatican Media)

Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church since 2013, expressed concerns about online gambling and how it is promoted during a speech that brushed on several economic topics on Friday.

The pope gave his remarks at the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development in the Palazzo San Calisto in the Trastevere neighborhood of Rome. 

Pope Francis ‘Sad’ to See Sports Gambling Promotions

In a speech where Francis talked about market speculation, tax contributions from the rich, and universal basic income, he also touched on the proliferation of online gambling and how it is advertised to people around the world.

“It makes me so sad to see football matches and sports stars promoting betting platforms,” Francis said. “That’s not a game; it’s an addiction.”

The pope went on to say that those involved in popular movements to “expose the mental illness, despair and suicides caused by the fact that in every house there is a casino through the cell phone.”

Pope Francis’ concerns about the impacts of gambling are not unusual for a religious leader, and come during Responsible Gaming Education Month, which takes place each September.

Study Finds Young Adults More Likely to Have Gambling Problems

A recent study in the United States lends credence to at least some of the pope’s concerns. A survey conducted by Fairleigh Dickinson University and released on Thursday found that while three percent of the general population shows behavior consistent with problem gambling, that number jumps to 10 percent when looking specifically at young men. 

In the survey, respondents were asked to answer the Problem Gambling Severity Index, which consists of nine questions about gambling behaviors. They include asking whether gambling has caused financial or emotional problems, or whether individuals have borrowed money in order to gamble. 

In total, 24 percent of men – and 45 percent of men 30 and under – reported having at least one problem behavior. A score of eight or higher on the index is considered an indicator of problem gambling, with 10 percent of men between 18 and 30 reaching that level, as well as seven percent of women in that same age group.

“Gambling is generally marketed as entertainment, and for most gamblers, it’s just that,” Dan Cassino, the Fairleigh Dickinson professor who was the executive director of the survey, said via the Associated Press. “But there is always some chance of gambling turning into problem behaviors, and online gambling is proving to be much more dangerous than other kinds.”

A total of 801 registered voters responded to the survey, which has a margin of error of plus/minus 3.5 percentage points.