# The betting case: do Christians gamble? > The betting controversy raises questions about Christian participation in gambling. Explore Bishop Renato Cardoso’s teaching on faith and prosperity. URL: https://blog.univervideo.com/caso-das-bets-cristao-joga?lang=en Idioma: en Publicado em: 2024-10-02 Autor: Rafaela Dias Categoria: Variety Recently, all of Brazil stopped to follow the repercussions of the *betting* case. A multimillion scheme involving celebrities that has grown to enormous proportions. ### **Understanding the** ***betting*** **case** The *betting* case began with the seizure of a bag of money from the ‘jogo do bicho’ lottery at a betting stand in Recife in 2022. The investigation discovered that the scheme was far larger than anyone imagined, reaching major businesspeople and influencers indicted for alleged money laundering and illegal gambling. The scheme reportedly moved more than R$3 billion. According to the investigation, the scheme used events and advertising companies, and even currency exchanges and insurance companies, to launder money. Influencers allegedly form part of the scheme by selling the illusion of astronomical earnings to followers, who in turn bet everything, often compulsively, until they lose all they have. ### **What are** ***betting*** **games?** The English word *bet* means a wager. In other words, the betting case investigates businesspeople’s and influencers’ involvement in gambling, since this practice is prohibited in Brazil. These games and wagers include major online gaming companies, widely known on the internet, that promise financial gains through betting and/or online games, without effort or work. ![Little tiger gambling game](https://blog.univervideo.com/imagens/strapi-625c4dd3f0c4d77d.webp) Influencers and artists are thus paid to advertise gambling to their followers, most of whom belong to socioeconomic classes C and D. According to information released by the Central Bank, in August alone, 5 million Bolsa Família recipients sent R$3 billion to virtual betting houses. Also according to the Central Bank, from January to August, online betting houses received more than R$10 billion from Bolsa Família recipients. Yet a quick internet search readily finds people attracted by promises of easy money and extremely high profits who ended up losing everything and becoming addicted to this kind of gambling. ### **Can Christians use betting sites?** Given this situation, questions naturally arise about Christians taking part in such practices. After all, can a Christian place bets? Recently, Bishop Renato Cardoso clarified the subject during his program Inteligência e Fé. He pointed out that because human beings covet, ‘the devil uses wealth to attract human beings.’ ![Crash game](https://blog.univervideo.com/imagens/strapi-cb699754b11d654a.webp) He based his teaching on Matthew 6:24: > *‘No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and Mammon.’* Bishop Renato emphasized that Mammon is the spirit of money. The devil would never present himself as the devil, but once he dresses himself as money, human beings accept worshiping him. ‘If the devil openly presented himself as lord, people would not choose him. So how does he manifest himself? He manifests himself as wealth, as Mammon, with great promises of riches,’ he stated. Thus, according to the bishop, people ‘give their lives for money’ and submit to gambling, financial scams, pyramid schemes, and so on. That is why true Christians who really serve the Lord do not base their lives on, or feel attracted by, Mammon’s charms, keeping them away from betting and all other ‘miraculous’ ways of getting rich. ‘The God of the Bible says: “Blessed is the man who fears the Lord; you shall eat the labor of your hands, you will be happy, and all will go well with you.” That is the God I serve. Mammon does not promise this. Mammon says those who work are fools,’ the bishop reflected. He added: ‘Mammon promises the world without work, only through luck and cleverness, but the Lord lives by other principles and values.’ ### **Learn to prosper with God** You can learn to prosper and enjoy a complete life without depending on luck, simply trusting and depending on God. 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