Is Gambling a Sin?/What Are the Effects of Gambling?

THE BIBLE'S VIEWPOINT

Gambling

Some people view gambling as an innocent diversion, while others see it as a dangerous vice. 

Is there anything wrong with gambling? 

WHAT PEOPLE SAY

Many people view gambling as harmless fun, as long as it is practiced legally. Some forms of legalized gambling, such as government-sponsored lotteries, generate revenue for programs that benefit the public.

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS

The Bible makes no significant mention of gambling. Yet, it does offer a number of guiding principle,es that reveal how God feels about gambling.

The basic nature of gambling-winning money at the expense of others-is at odds with the Bible's warning to "guard against every sort of greed."  (Luke 12:15) Gambling is, in fact, fueled by greed. Gaming institutions advertise big jackpots, while downplaying the poor odds of winning, because they know that dreams of wealth prompts players to wager large amounts at the casinos.  Rather than helping a person guard against greed, gambling promotes the desire for easy money.

Gambling is based on an inherently selfish goal: winning money that other players have lost. However, the Bible encourages a person to "keep seeking, not his own advantage, but of the other person."  (1 Corinthians 10:24) And one of the Ten  Commandments states:  "You must not desire . . . anything that belongs to your fellow man.."  (Exodus 20:17)  When a gambler sets his heart on winning, he is, in  essence hoping that others will lose their money in order for him to profit.

The Bible also cautions against viewing luck as a mystic force that might bestow blessings.  In ancient Israel, there were some who lacked faith in God and began "setting a table for the god of Good Luck."  Was such devotion to "the god of Good Luck" acceptable to God?  No, he said to them:  "You kept doing what was bad in my eyes, and you chose what displeased me." -Isaiah 65:11, 12.

True, in some parts of the world, funds from legalized gambling are used to pay for education, economic development, and other public  programs.  But the use of those funds does not change how they were obtained-through activities that openly encourage greed and selfishness and that promote the idea of getting something for nothing. 

Next time: Is Gambling a Sin?/ What negative effects can gambling have on the gambler? 

From the jw.org publications