Emotional gambling
Emotional gambling is investing one's emotions in the uncertain outcome of an otherwise meaningless event, such as an NFL game. This is similar to gambling in the mental and health harm it inflicts on its victims, except without any money at stake. Daily reading and/or analyzing the Bible can overcome this and most addictions, and recognizing deceit in the game can be helpful too.
Emotional gambling exaggerates the significance of the outcome of a meaningful event, such as a stock price or sporting event, and investing one's emotions in the fake, inflated importance. Emotional gambling, like other kinds of gambling behavior, is highly addictive and can threaten the addict's capacity for a normal, healthy life. In that respect alone, it can be considered sinful.
Strong emotional gambling by sports fans may lead to rioting and acts of vandalism, when the results of games or sports events are or are not what they hoped for. Health problems, such as heart conditions developed by addicted fans, former players, and especially coaches, are also predictable.
Emotional gambling distracts people's time and energy away from productive activities, such as reading the Bible (See also: Bible reading and human flourishing).
