It was 1995 and I was hosting an afternoon talk show in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A buzz had formed around an announcement that the Pittsburgh mayor had planned to conduct a feasibility study of proposed riverboat gambling on the city’s three rivers.

This study would generate estimates of how many outsiders would travel to Pittsburgh to gamble. And more importantly to the mayor and city officials, how much revenue could be generated for the city and attractions in the area. That analysis would also consider the impact on infrastructure.

Certainly Pittsburgh was not alone in considering such a move. And so I sought out a most interesting voice well versed on this topic: “Riverboat Rambo.” Okay, not his real name.

But Tom Grey was a man on a mission.

Grey was a Methodist minister from the Galena, Illinois, area who was determined to tell the world that the costs of bringing gambling to riverboats and elsewhere in any state was too high. By 1995, Tom had spent three years criss-crossing America effortlessly trying to stop the expansion of legalized gambling. His hard facts were hitting the jackpot, and big time money in the gaming world was now aware of his success.

And didn’t like it.

Despite it being the mid-1990s, Grey had no computer, no cell phone, no beeper. Nor did he have an office for his newly minted National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling, of which he was executive director. He did have a 1993 blue Toyota Tercel to work out of. His dog Sophie had chewed a hole through the interior.

Thank the Lord for duct tape.

Tom was a wealth of information on the gambling issue. But when significant dollars are involved for political benefit, community decision makers have a remarkable way of clapping their hands over their ears and saying, “La la la…can’t hear you!”

This is exactly what would happen in Illinois. And continues today. According to records, the first riverboat casino in our state opened in 1991 in Alton. At that time, it was required to move along waterways while gamblers decided whether to hold ‘em, fold ‘em, or play the slots. But in 1999, Illinois amended this legislation to permit riverboat casinos to be permanently docked while operating. What a surprise!!!

Then came the Rivers Casino in Des Plaines in 2011. Two years later, in May of 2013, William Spain penned a story in Chicago Magazine titled, “Five Reasons a Casino in Chicago is Such a Gamble.” As he noted, “There’s no road map. The market is saturated. And that’s just the start of the possible problems.”

Just the start? Oh yeah. How about the word “addiction”? He never mentioned that one. And increased crime? Not on Spain’s list.

And this was all before the latest fad—legalized sports betting. On February 12th of last year, the Chicago Tribune posted, “Illinois grapples with a rise in sports gambling problems as bets hit $1B a month.”

You read that right. A month!! And getting bigger.

Then in August of last year, the city of Chicago opened up its first downtown casino. It is temporarily located in what was formerly known as the Medinah Temple in Chicago’s River North area. (Ironic…now a temple to the god of gambling.) This temporary location offers some 800 slot machines and 50 card tables. All of them capable of taking your money.

The future location will cost around $1.7 billion and will be located at the Chicago Tribune printing plant site in River West. When the 3-year project is completed, the 168,000 foot casino will house 3,400 slot machines and 173 gaming tables! All of them hungry to take more of your money.

When the former mayor of Chicago (Rahm Emanuel) was entertaining the plan of bringing gaming into the city, his eyes sparkled with dollar signs. New city revenue! Buckets and buckets of wealth as the citizenry and guests lose their shirts.

I thought about all this recently as my community, Plainfield, just passed new legislation legalizing marijuana sales. The vote was 4-2. Wow. Two people actually had the sense to just say no! But one trustee in favor put it this way. The bill “puts us on equal footing with neighboring communities.”

And let’s face it. Plainfield will likely generate plenty more MONEY!

The Bible has several things to say about money. Perhaps among the most mis-quoted is 1 Timothy 6:10: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” (ESV) Note: not money itself. The LOVE of money.

Christ followers should be extremely wary of supporting public endeavors that bring pain and addiction. “Wandering away from the faith” is a very high price to pay.

One that is never worth the gamble.