“Election Month” has been in full swing since October 5, when early voting began for Nebraskans. As I’ve mentioned before, nearly 40% of Nebraskans are expected to vote early in this year’s General Election, with Election Day taking place on Tuesday, November 3. As Catholics, take the time to exercise your moral responsibility to engage in the civic process through voting, whether you vote early or on Election Day.
On this year’s ballot, there are two ballot questions facing Nebraskans. Initiatives 440 and 441 would authorize, under the state constitution and state statute, online sports gambling at any location and on any phone in Nebraska.
The Nebraska Catholic Conference has been repeatedly asked if we have a position on these initiatives. We sometimes get involved in ballot questions, as with the abortion-related ballot efforts in 2024. But this election cycle we did not because of staff time and resources. Ballot efforts require significant attention and can take away from other mission-critical efforts, such as preparing for the legislative session.
That said, we have taken strong positions against very similarly written legislative bills in the Nebraska Legislature which would have authorized predatory online sports gambling throughout Nebraska.
I’d like to take a moment to reiterate our legislative position on this topic, as you inform your consciences as faithful Catholics.
NCC’s Legislative Position on Online Sports Gambling.
Last year, LR20CA and LB438 were introduced in the Nebraska Legislature and would have allowed online sports gambling throughout Nebraska. The NCC opposed these legislative proposals. Thankfully, they were defeated in the legislative process.
Though Catholic social teaching recognizes that games of chance or wagers in moderation are not inherently sinful, predatory and addictive forms of gambling are immoral and problematic social policies.
Illusory and miscalculated promises from proponents about property tax relief from new sources of revenue do not and cannot outweigh the social and moral costs addictive online sports gambling creates for young men, families, and the state of Nebraska. Even if some property tax relief can be achieved, it shouldn’t be generated on the backs of addictive gamblers, whose personal income (and most likely debt-incurred income) should be better spent on essential needs, like caring for one’s self, one’s family and one’s community.
Additionally, online sports gambling makes every person’s cell phone a mobile casino, where non-stop bets can be placed. It isn’t merely about a harmless, friendly wager on the ultimate outcome of the game. Instead, the online sports gambling business model thrives on constant betting that can be placed on every aspect of an athletic competition.
Further, there is ample evidence demonstrating the highly addictive nature of online sports gambling. This addiction leads to high rates of financial distress, divorce, substance abuse, depression, domestic violence and suicide. These outcomes are not the elements for a thriving culture that honors God and respects human dignity.
As Pope Leo often talks about, sports are intended to build up the human person and the community. But addictive online sports gambling undermines the moral and social good of athletics and negatively alters how the human person relates to these activities and events. Online sports gambling can lead gamblers to view athletes as objects and commodities for potential profits, which undermines their human dignity. When these athletes fail to perform, according to the standards and betting decisions of the gambler, this can lead to threats and harassment of athletes, including student athletes (some of whom are still teenagers) performing at the collegiate level.
In short, NCC has opposed legislative efforts to adopt addictive sports gambling because they, as the Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “deprive someone of what is necessary to provide for his needs and those of others” and this “passion for gambling risks becoming an enslavement.” Rather than contributing to growth in the moral life, the strengthening of family life, and a stronger economy, these online sports gambling efforts contribute to morally problematic behavior, the degradation of the family and the economic exploitation of addicted persons for industry profits.
Tom Venzor is the executive director of the Nebraska Catholic Conference, headquartered in Lincoln. Contact him at tvenzor@necatholic.org.
Tom Venzor
Commentary
The Problems of Online Sports Gambling
October 20, 2026
“Election Month” has been in full swing since October 5, when early voting began for Nebraskans. As I’ve mentioned before, nearly 40% of Nebraskans are expected to vote early in this year’s General Election, with Election Day taking place on Tuesday, November 3. As Catholics, take the time to exercise your moral responsibility to engage in the civic process through voting, whether you vote early or on Election Day.
On this year’s ballot, there are two ballot questions facing Nebraskans. Initiatives 440 and 441 would authorize, under the state constitution and state statute, online sports gambling at any location and on any phone in Nebraska.
The Nebraska Catholic Conference has been repeatedly asked if we have a position on these initiatives. We sometimes get involved in ballot questions, as with the abortion-related ballot efforts in 2024. But this election cycle we did not because of staff time and resources. Ballot efforts require significant attention and can take away from other mission-critical efforts, such as preparing for the legislative session.
That said, we have taken strong positions against very similarly written legislative bills in the Nebraska Legislature which would have authorized predatory online sports gambling throughout Nebraska.
I’d like to take a moment to reiterate our legislative position on this topic, as you inform your consciences as faithful Catholics.
NCC’s Legislative Position on Online Sports Gambling.
Last year, LR20CA and LB438 were introduced in the Nebraska Legislature and would have allowed online sports gambling throughout Nebraska. The NCC opposed these legislative proposals. Thankfully, they were defeated in the legislative process.
Though Catholic social teaching recognizes that games of chance or wagers in moderation are not inherently sinful, predatory and addictive forms of gambling are immoral and problematic social policies.
Illusory and miscalculated promises from proponents about property tax relief from new sources of revenue do not and cannot outweigh the social and moral costs addictive online sports gambling creates for young men, families, and the state of Nebraska. Even if some property tax relief can be achieved, it shouldn’t be generated on the backs of addictive gamblers, whose personal income (and most likely debt-incurred income) should be better spent on essential needs, like caring for one’s self, one’s family and one’s community.
Additionally, online sports gambling makes every person’s cell phone a mobile casino, where non-stop bets can be placed. It isn’t merely about a harmless, friendly wager on the ultimate outcome of the game. Instead, the online sports gambling business model thrives on constant betting that can be placed on every aspect of an athletic competition.
Further, there is ample evidence demonstrating the highly addictive nature of online sports gambling. This addiction leads to high rates of financial distress, divorce, substance abuse, depression, domestic violence and suicide. These outcomes are not the elements for a thriving culture that honors God and respects human dignity.
As Pope Leo often talks about, sports are intended to build up the human person and the community. But addictive online sports gambling undermines the moral and social good of athletics and negatively alters how the human person relates to these activities and events. Online sports gambling can lead gamblers to view athletes as objects and commodities for potential profits, which undermines their human dignity. When these athletes fail to perform, according to the standards and betting decisions of the gambler, this can lead to threats and harassment of athletes, including student athletes (some of whom are still teenagers) performing at the collegiate level.
In short, NCC has opposed legislative efforts to adopt addictive sports gambling because they, as the Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “deprive someone of what is necessary to provide for his needs and those of others” and this “passion for gambling risks becoming an enslavement.” Rather than contributing to growth in the moral life, the strengthening of family life, and a stronger economy, these online sports gambling efforts contribute to morally problematic behavior, the degradation of the family and the economic exploitation of addicted persons for industry profits.
Tom Venzor is the executive director of the Nebraska Catholic Conference, headquartered in Lincoln. Contact him at tvenzor@necatholic.org.