A priest slots player collected €900,000 worth of donations from Italian parishioners. The parishioners thought they were handing the money over for charitable purposes.
However, the priest took the money to Italian casinos and blew the entire amount on slot machines. Let’s take a closer look at this story, along with the outrage expressed by the followers he scammed.
Priest Slots Player with a Gambling Problem
The priest slots player in question led a parish in the northern part of Italy from 2007 to 2017. He used this position to collect €900k under the guise that he was providing financial help to the poor.
However, he was really taking the money to local casinos so that he could play slot machines. Apparently, the priest slots player didn’t fare too well, because he ended up losing the entire amount.
Cries to Return the Money
It’s no surprise that the parishioners who collected the €900,000 are angry over the matter. Italian media outlets have reported that the parishioners are demanding their money be returned.
Of course, it seems unlikely that the priest will be able to pay back the massive money he lost playing slots.
Why are Religious Figures Tempted by Gambling?
This priest is far from the first religious figure to lose a fortune through gambling. A Buddhist monk once lost $260,000 from his Lafayette, Louisiana temple on casino games.
What is it that tempts the holiest to gamble with stolen money? It likely stems from these people having both a gambling addiction and access to lots of cash.
Many who start gambling with embezzled funds think that they can win it back. They therefore continue playing, thinking that their luck will change.
But the house has an edge in slot machines. This means that you can never expect to be “due” to win back losses.