“As pastors and as citizens, we call on all voters to very carefully consider this measure and all of its potential implications,” said the statement by the New York State Catholic Conference, which is led by Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, the archbishop of New York.

The seven-paragraph statement, echoing previous statements by the bishops, described gambling as “a morally neutral act” but also said that the “the passion for gambling risks becoming an enslavement,” and associated gambling with embezzlement, drunken driving and personal bankruptcies, as well as “catastrophic losses” to individual gamblers.

The statement acknowledged that New York is already home to various types of gambling — including five Indian-run casinos, electronic gambling at nine racetracks and the lottery.

“Gambling already is big business for the state,” it said.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, a Catholic himself, has said he will help push for the passage of the measure, though he has not said exactly how. On Sunday, a spokesman for Mr. Cuomo, Matt Wing, declined to comment on the bishops’ statement.

Mr. Cuomo and legislators have said the first four casinos will be placed in three upstate regions — the Catskills, the Albany area and the Southern Tier — with an eye toward improving the economy in those areas by drawing gamblers from New York City, as well as from states like New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut, all of which already have casinos.

But the bishops were skeptical of that plan, pointing out that “casinos in our neighboring states have been struggling for their very survival due to an oversaturated market,” and arguing that the promise of jobs was overstated.

“While some will argue the casinos will bring employment, the jobs that casinos create tend to be of the low-paying service variety, rather than good-paying, upwardly mobile careers that are so desperately needed upstate,” the statement said.

And, in an implicit challenge to the governor, the bishops noted that the language on the ballot in November would cite benefits of the measure, and called on the state to do a better job explaining how it would use any revenue generated from expanded gambling.

“While the language on the ballot cites the hoped-for economic benefits, we feel obligated to ask for a more definitive statement as to how and where the money generated by these casinos will be spent,” the bishops said. “We pray for the good judgment of New Yorkers in weighing all factors before deciding how they will vote on the widespread expansion of casino gambling across our beloved Empire State.”