Ohio Pastors Rally Against iGaming Expansion, Citing Harm to Vulnerable Families

A Moral Stand

Over 100 Ohio pastors and religious leaders are pushing back hard against bills to legalize online poker and virtual casino games, arguing they’d wreck families and exploit the poor, per a Center for Christian Virtue (CCV) letter.

Coordinated by CCV, the coalition’s letter to Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio lawmakers calls Senate Bill 197 (SB 197) and House Bill 298 (HB 298) “deeply unjust,” stating, “It preys on our state’s most vulnerable citizens by promoting addictive gambling.”

The pastors see iGaming as a 24/7 threat, turning “every living room into a casino.” They argue it disproportionately hurts low-income Ohioans and young men, with Rep. Gary Click, a pastor, saying, “We know that gambling appeals to those who have the lowest education, the lowest income and the greatest debt.”

A Rutgers study notes 19% of New Jersey’s young men are at high risk for online gambling addiction. “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,” the letter adds.

Social and Moral Costs

From their pulpits, the pastors have seen gambling’s toll firsthand. “We have seen the real cost of gambling addiction: broken marriages, lost homes, mental health crises, and children left behind,” the letter states.

They highlight gambling’s link to the highest suicide rate among addictions, per the Ohio Casino Control Commission. CCV’s Aaron Baer warned, “Gambling addiction leads to debt, despair, broken families, and even suicide.”

The pastors call it “morally indefensible” for Ohio to fund itself through citizens’ losses, labeling iGaming a “transfer of wealth from the poor to out-of-state corporations.”

Legislative Battle

SB 197, sponsored by Sen. Nathan Manning, and HB 298, backed by Rep. Brian Stewart, aim to legalize online casino games and lotteries by March 31, 2026, with a 36% tax rate and a $50 million licensing fee.

Manning projects $300 million in first-year revenue, rising to $900 million in a mature market, capturing Ohio’s $2 billion illegal gambling spend.

But the bills face hurdles. SB 197’s third hearing on May 28, 2025, didn’t yield a vote, and HB 298 awaits committee assignment. The road ahead looks bumpy as we still can’t rule out a governor veto.