“In the churches that minister in the shadows of Biloxi’s tattered casinos, religious opposition to gambling is colliding with the region’s economic reality,” reports The Associated Press.

“Mississippi is considering allowing its coastal casinos to rebuild on land, a move that would help repair the state’s $2.7 billion gambling industry following Hurricane Katrina. But while pastors and politicians in the state capital haggle over slots and sinning, many in the pews here have a pressing concern: survival.”