Bishop Sally Dyck and Illinois Great Rivers Bishop Frank J. Beard are expressing their concerns on a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision clearing the way for states to legalize sports betting, striking down a 1992 federal law that had prohibited most states from authorizing sports betting.

"As United Methodists, we have long held that 'gambling is a menace to society, deadly to the best interests of moral, social, economic and spiritual life [and] destructive of good government' (Social Principles, ¶163G). Our concern for Illinoisans is the seduction of an easy way out of our state's financial mess with unfunded pension liabilities and a backlog of unpaid bills. Advocates will once again parrot a familiar refrain that we can solve our financial problems on someone else's dime." 

Read the full statement here.

For resources and advocacy contact Anita Bedell, Executive Director of ILCAAAP at 217-546-6871 or through the website www.ilcaaap.org.