Is Gambling A Sin?

What The Bible Says

Gambling, betting or even the lottery are not explicitly cited in the Bible, however the bible does mention staying away from the love of money and get-rich-quick schemes. This vague citations leave the abstraction open for interpretation. In essence it is no different than alcohol consumption when compared. Lets try to understand gambling by using drinking as an anology. Jesus drank wine but in moderation. If you have a cup of wine or two on the weekends, you are not considered alcoholic. The united states considers an alcoholic a person who drinks more than two cups a day. If we use this analogy, we can safely say that those who gamble on occasion to enjoy a game of blackjack or poker and are not attempting to quit their day jobs or get rich quickly are not trying to get rich quicly. They are merely trying to pass time and escape from harmful stressful situations they everyday life and work brings them. In this article from catholic education it discusses in more detail.

Bible Money References

The bible does not address lottery and casinos directly, however here are some indirect clauses:

• First Timothy 6:10 tells us, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
• Hebrews 13:5 declares, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’”
• Matthew 6:24 proclaims, “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”

Gambling is becoming more acceptable

In modern society, gambling is becoming more acceptable. There is a trend of reducing restrictions on online sports and tribal casinos. We can also see increased investments of online social casinos, brick and mortar casinos and sports betting overall. Since 2018'2 repeal of sports betting legalization has spread quickly. In 2021 alone, eight states passed laws to authorize sports betting operations or implement voter-approved ballot measures. Of the 17 states that do not have commercial sports betting, at least 14 of them have introduced legislation to implement it. Ballot measures are paving the way for legalization that will also be considered by Missouri and California voters in November 2022. Gambling has now been authorized in 33 states.

Since legislation comes from voters, we can deduce that this trend reflects our society beliefs. The fact that the bible doesnt address gambling specifically and talks about the love of money vaguely leaves room for interpreation. Since the repeal of near-total prohibition in 2018, sports betting legalization has spread quickly. It has now been authorized in 33 states,

Its A Business

Like many other types of businesses, casinos try to lure players into the casinos by giving free drinks, featuring live bands, and even giving free money to gamble. In Hebrews and Matthew, you can read references to money and how to treat it. As with many other topics in the bible, the discussion of whether gambling is a sin is open to interpretation. How individuals handle money is specific to each. I think we should use this page to help ourselves remember that responsible gambling is just like responsible drinking. We should do it in a moderate fashion. Gambling addiction can be right around the corner if the pass time is not properly managed.

Conclusion

So don't let your conscious eat you up inside if you are a religious family man or woman. Casinos are just another form of entertainment where descent people go to work and feed their families with their paychecks. If you go to have a little fun and play games, listen to some music, and dine out, then this is a healthy form of relieving stress from the everyday work routine. The Bible is a form of guide to mankind, but it is hard to believe that god intended for us to strictly follow its highly abstract content in very specific way.