Mormon leader decries explosion of gambling and blasts prediction market wagers — ‘Or even, if you can imagine, the timing of the Second Coming’

A leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has criticized the rapid expansion of gambling, pointing to online prediction markets and sports betting as drivers of the trend.

Speaking Saturday, the church leader warned that the growth of these activities is fostering greed, particularly among young people. The remarks highlighted concerns about the broader reach of gambling through online platforms, where wagers can be placed on prediction markets and sporting events.

Warning Extends to Prediction Market Wagers

The criticism specifically included prediction market betting, placing it alongside sports wagering in the warning about gambling’s expansion. The leader argued that the activity produces “nothing of value,” framing the issue as one involving both the nature of the wagers and the motivations they encourage.

The reference to youths adds a generational dimension to the concern. Rather than treating gambling as an isolated form of entertainment, the warning characterizes its growth as a force that can promote greed among younger people.

Broader Business and Social Concern

Online prediction markets and sports betting have become central to the discussion because they connect gambling with digital platforms and widely followed events. The remarks underscore opposition to that expansion without identifying a specific company, market or proposed policy response.

The warning also reached an unusually broad hypothetical, invoking wagers on the timing of the Second Coming to illustrate the kinds of predictions that could become subjects of betting.

Conclusion

The church leader’s comments present the gambling boom, including prediction market wagers and sports betting, as an ethical concern centered on greed and the absence of productive value.