Why is Gambling so Popular? | Inspirit Season 2 - Episode 14

Season 2 Episode 14 - On GamblingIn this episode, Fr. Thomas and Anthony interview Chris as they explore the topic of gambling. Against the backdrop of the rapid rise of online gambling, especially among young people, the conversation examines why gambling has become so attractive to the younger generation and the significant personal and social consequences that follow. Together, they reflect on the Church’s teaching on gambling, the psychological and spiritual dynamics that make gambling harmful, the particular vulnerabilities of young people, and the complex challenges of addiction. ReferencesAddiction & Grace - Gerald MayLeo XIV, “Video Message of the Holy Father for the 7th National Conference on Addictions” (November 7th, 2025).https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2025/11/07/251107c.htmlExposing the Gambling Epidemic - CoffeezillaCheddr - TikTok of Sports WageringDraftKings Revenue and Usage Statistics (2026) - Business of Apps The Polymarket Effect: How Prediction Markets Are Beating The ExpertsThe Fed - Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2024 - May 2025 - Overall How gambling motives are associated with socio-demographics and gambling behavior - A Finnish population study - PMCRisk Factors for Gambling Disorder: A Systematic Review | Journal of Gambling Studies | Springer Nature LinkHow betting brands are quietly taking over esports sponsorshipsIllegal casinos are using Roblox to draw children into online gambling | Science, Climate & Tech News | Sky NewsCatechism of the Catholic Church 2411- 2413Thomas Aquinas Summa Theologica II-III,Q.168Francis de Sales,Introduction to Devout Life, Chapeter XXXIIIAmerican Psychiatric Association, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed. (1994), 615. Discourse in the mental health community on the definition and scope of addiction was common in the 2000s as well. See for instance Nancy M. Petry, “Should the scope of addictive behaviors be broadened to include pathological gambling?” in Addiction (vol. 101, 2006): 152-160 Michal Privara and Petr Bob, “Pornography Consumption and Cognitive-Affective Distress” in The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease (vol. 211, ser. 8, 2023): 641-646.World Health Organization, ICD-11: International Classification of Diseases, 11th ed. (2022), sv. “Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder.”