LDS Church Leader D. Todd Christofferson Denounces All Forms of Gambling at General Conference
LDS leader D. Todd Christofferson condemned gambling as morally wrong and pervasive at the Oct. 3, 2026 General Conference, citing smartphones, mobile sports betting, iGaming, and prediction markets. His 13-minute address stressed that gambling produces no value and diverts resources from holy work. This aligns with the church’s 1833 Word of Wisdom prohibitions.
SCCG Take — The statement highlights enduring faith-based resistance that operators must navigate in LDS-heavy markets, where cultural framing as sin persists despite legal expansion.
D. Todd Christofferson, second counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, called gambling morally wrong and urged its complete rejection during the fall General Conference. Speaking on Oct. 3, 2026, from the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Christofferson noted the church has always opposed gambling. Yet he said it has become incredibly pervasive in recent years.
“The smartphone has transformed gambling from an occasional activity requiring a trip to a casino, racetrack, or lottery kiosk into an activity available continuously, privately, and almost anywhere. This has led to an explosion in gambling,” Christofferson said. He identified mobile sports betting, iGaming, and online prediction markets as the primary drivers.
Christofferson described prediction markets as vehicles to bet on whether something will or will not happen, and when. “It can be tied to anything, interest rates, elections, sports, wildfires, or, if you can imagine, the timing of the second coming,” he said to laughs. “Where do you go to collect on that bet?”
Gambling Produces Nothing of Value
Christofferson’s nearly 13-minute address centered on the theme that gambling provides nothing of value and steals both money and time from holy endeavors. “Our resources are stewardships, and the question is not merely whether a purchase is legal but whether it builds anything—in us, in our families or in those around us. In the end, gambling produces nothing of value and enriches only its purveyors,” Christofferson said.
He concluded by pleading with members to live on a higher plane. “God has granted life and agency to each of us, and each of us is accountable to Him for how we live that life. Work leads to prosperous, just, and equitable societies. Gambling, even for fun, leads in the opposite direction.”
Alignment With LDS Word of Wisdom
The position fits longstanding LDS abstinence rules. Members are commanded not to drink alcohol, coffee, or hot tea, use illegal drugs, or consume tobacco. The Church was founded by Joseph Smith in 1830. The Word of Wisdom was revealed to Smith on Feb. 28, 1833.
Christofferson was appointed to the First Presidency on Oct. 14, 2025. He has been a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles since April 5, 2008. According to reporting by Casino.org, the address reiterated the faith’s view that gambling must be rejected as sin.
Reporting: Casino.org News
Generated by SCCG’s automated editorial system from published source reporting. SCCG Management holds editorial responsibility.
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