Mormon Leader Criticizes Rise of Sports Betting and Prediction Markets
· World · The Independent, Fortune
D. Todd Christofferson, a senior leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, warned during a general conference in Utah that the growth of sports betting and online prediction markets is promoting greed among youths. Christofferson stated that gambling is morally wrong and distracts teenagers and young adults from their studies and personal relationships. The church's stance places religious leaders in direct opposition to President Donald Trump's administration, which maintains that platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket do not constitute illegal gambling. Prediction markets allow wagers on real-world events ranging from weather patterns to geopolitical conflicts. The church, based in Utah, operates within a state that maintains a strict prohibition against casinos, lotteries, and racetracks.
Why it matters
The religious condemnation highlights a sharp ideological divide between conservative faith groups and the federal administration over the legal status of online prediction markets and sports betting.
Read the original report — The Independent
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