This article is prompted by the proposed changes to gambling legislation in Britain. It considers the change in attitudes of the Methodist Church towards gambling over the past two centuries, moving from condemnation and prohibition to a focus on the protection of the vulnerable and the prevention of harm. The article highlights some current concerns throughout the churches over the deregulation of gambling. It uses these concerns as pointers for examining church engagement with politics, examining the difficulties inherent in what it means to ‘speak for’ the church and the cost of political activity.