Elder Christofferson denounces gambling, prediction markets as 'morally wrong'
Elder D. Todd Christofferson called gambling and prediction markets morally wrong during the October 2026 General Conference.Summary
Elder D. Todd Christofferson, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, denounced all forms of gambling, including prediction markets, during the first session of the October 2026 General Conference in Salt Lake City. He said smartphones have made gambling continuously accessible, fueling an explosion in the practice, and cited statistics that over 45% of surveyed adults had gambled in the previous year and that the global gambling industry generated $758 billion in 2025. Christofferson said the industry's revenue is the gambler's loss, that gambling feeds greed and debt, and that it is immoral because one person's gain comes at another's expense; he also warned church members about compulsive gambling. His remarks came as states continue to debate prediction-market regulations, including in Utah, where gambling is constitutionally prohibited. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox labeled prediction markets as gambling in February and vowed to enforce state laws, prompting the prediction market Kalshi to sue Utah officials. In early August, a federal ruling allowed Utah to enforce its gambling ban on prediction markets, but Kalshi quickly appealed, arguing that state restrictions could create conflicting requirements on its federally regulated markets.
(Source：Kutv)