Mormon leader decries explosion of gambling and blasts prediction market wagers — 'Or even, if you can imagine, the timing of the Second Coming' | Fortune
A Mormon leader warned that the explosion of gambling via prediction markets and sports betting fosters greed and is morally wrong.Summary
D. Todd Christofferson, a top leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, warned at the church's general conference that the explosion of gambling driven by online prediction markets and sports betting is fostering greed, especially among youth, and produces "nothing of value." He said gambling is morally wrong and is built on the desire to obtain something for nothing, and criticized prediction markets that allow bets on anything, including "the timing of the Second Coming." The church's stance puts it at odds with the Trump administration, which argues platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket are not gambling. Utah has led legal efforts to enforce its strict anti-gambling laws on prediction markets, with a federal judge ruling in August that the state can do so. Opposition to gambling is common among religious groups. The speech comes as the church, under President Dallin Oaks, has become more calculated in addressing political issues, following blowback over its support of California's Proposition 8 in 2008.
(Source：Fortune)