The Founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide, Bishop David Oyedepo, has issued a stern warning to young Nigerians to abandon sports betting, declaring it a destructive path that ruins futures.

Delivering a powerful sermon on Sunday, the prominent cleric emphasized that gambling is not a viable route to financial freedom or enduring success. He stressed that authentic prosperity requires discipline, patience, and diligent labor.

"Young people, betting is not the way to financial fortune," Oyedepo admonished the congregation. "Stop wasting your destiny, stop wasting your destiny, stop wasting your destiny! I have never been once deceived. Stop!"

The Bishop urged the youth to remain resilient through humble beginnings, noting that wealth built on biblical foundations guarantees longevity. "Things may be slow, but it is sure," he added.

Illustrating the power of long-term faithfulness and gratitude, Oyedepo shared that he recently gifted a car in the United States to the woman who led him to Christ when he was 15 years old.

"When I turned 60, I got her a car... she wept. You had better wake up," he urged.

The cleric`s warning comes amid growing national concern from financial experts and social commentators over the explosive rise of sports betting in Nigeria, which has left millions of youth vulnerable to addiction and financial ruin.