PR in the Philippines

(AsiaGameHub) –   A recent study conducted by Ohio State University revealed that Catholic men are the most likely to engage in sports betting—a finding that brought me an unexpected sense of pride. Strange, but true.

I graduated from St. John’s Academy in Plattsburgh, N.Y., where our senior class consisted of 38 students. Despite our small size, we managed to win the school’s first state hockey championship. It was like a “Hoosiers” story, but played on ice.

Our school gym served as a gathering spot during our formative years, where we helped set up bingo tables each week. Perhaps those early experiences planted the seeds of gambling in my youth.

“If we consider Catholic teachings and the history of practices within parishes, gambling has often been viewed as more morally acceptable—within certain limits,” said Laura Upenieks, co-author of the study. “That mindset appears to carry over into sports betting today.”

From personal experience, I can say that many Catholic boys enjoy drinking and gambling—at least that was the case with my group of six close friends, who have remained bonded ever since. We still start our days with a friendly “gambling” competition via text messages, playing Wordle, with the winner earning a symbolic $5 prize.

During my senior year, I visited Notre Dame and stood in awe before the famed “Touchdown Jesus” statue, then walked past the “Play Like a Champion Today” sign as I entered the locker room. I felt certain the Fighting Irish would win that day. The final score, however, was Penn State 24, Notre Dame 19.

I’ve placed sports bets for over four decades now, and they remain just as enjoyable in my 50s. My guiding principle is simple: “Keep it small, keep it fun.” I’ve never been a +EV bettor—and never plan to be. It’s important to recognize your limits.

When North Carolina legalized sports betting in March 2024, I meticulously tracked all my wagers throughout that inaugural year. At one point, I reached a high of $1,400 in winnings. Naturally, I lost it all the following year—but my original $500 bankroll remains active.

“The average person isn’t gambling thousands of dollars at once. While hardcore gamblers certainly may be, the typical U.S. adult is not,” said Chris Knoester, another co-author of the study and professor of sociology.

Knoester and Upenieks had expected to find a negative link between regular religious service attendance and sports gambling. Instead, they discovered no such correlation, noting that frequent churchgoing can act as both a “protective factor and a lubricant” for sports betting.

The latter clearly applies to me—a weekly Mass attendee and Eucharistic Minister. According to the study, there was a 45% probability that Catholic men surveyed had placed a sports bet in the past year.

Although Protestants were predicted to be the least likely to gamble on sports, the analysis specifically highlighted Catholics as more inclined to bet on sports than individuals who identified as atheist, agnostic, or having no religious affiliation.

Is There a Patron Saint for Gamblers?

If you’re familiar with Catholicism, you know we take our saints seriously. Over the past two decades, my faith has grown, and I believe in their ability to intercede in daily life. I often call upon the powers of St. Michael, St. Christopher, and Saint Francis.

Yet, I had never heard of Saint Cajetan until I searched online for “Is there a patron saint for gamblers?” Born in October 1480 in Vicenza, Italy, to a noble family, he became a lawyer, diplomat, and ultimately a priest. According to tradition, he offered loans to poor people to help them settle gambling debts and supported those seeking good fortune.

My prayer to Saint Cajetan is for guidance to help young people navigating today’s society, where gambling has become normalized—even prediction markets now allow users as young as 18 to wager on nearly anything. If your goal is to financialize every aspect of life, as Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour has stated, you may be missing the bigger picture.

We exist for only a brief moment in time, and there is far greater purpose ahead beyond this world. I firmly believe that’s where our true focus should lie.

Amen.