Technically, I play the Lottery. Also technically, I probably buy a total of five or six tickets a year, so I’m only in the hole about $10 yearly. I don’t think Jesus will scold me too badly for losing $10 a year.
I think it’s situational. I have a friend with a gambling problem who has lost everything—more than once. He gets on the path of recovery and relapses once every few years. Fortunately, his kid is grown and he isn’t married, so I guess he always feels like he doesn’t have much to lose. BTW, he’s also not a Christian.
Wow, today’s sobering thought to remind me of God’s mercy and grace.I think it’s situational. I have a friend with a gambling problem who has lost everything—more than once. He gets on the path of recovery and relapses once every few years. Fortunately, his kid is grown and he isn’t married, so I guess he always feels like he doesn’t have much to lose. BTW, he’s also not a Christian.
There are lots of reasons to treat the allure of gambling in the same vein as many other seductive behaviors, like “drinking in moderation”, but this (which you touch upon above) is probably my primary concern, and the fact the system of state sanctioned (as well as private) gambling is anchored in a predatory attitude towards the poor.in the opinnions of many in this state... myself included.... gambling has fostered corruption and created a criminal organization in hawaii without even being here....
and ..like i said before .... las vegas is the number one tourist and travel destination for people who live in hawaii.. and the number one reason they go there is for gambling.....
Yes, sad, but he can’t seem to shake it. I guess I should have added he’s a casino guy, he’s not going bankrupt over lottery tickets.Wow, today’s sobering thought to remind me of God’s mercy and grace.
las vegas is the definite winner in that one... ..... i know of very few people who have won more money than they lost on a trip to vegas.... and the winnings are never that much.. ..one friend of mine who frequents las vegas told me the money she won versus the money she lost was similar to a tax return versus the overall taxes paid each year... ...only a small amount back to keep them happy and hopeful while they continue to poor the rest of their money into the casino owners pockets... .and that;s sad because i know she figures her earnings and tax withholdings very close... she never gets much back on her taxes....I'd be curious to know how much money Vegas takes out of the Hawaiian economy. I'll bet the amount of Hawaiian money lost in casinos is a lot greater than the amount of casino winnings spent in Hawaiian businesses.
Politicians prefer to run organized crime themselves..... continue to vote down the possibility of starting a lottery in hawaii claiming it will attract organized crime and that the crime bosses will take it over.....
Yes, sad, but he can’t seem to shake it. I guess I should have added he’s a casino guy, he’s not going bankrupt over lottery tickets.
I was referring more to his particular addiction issue, which is sitting in a casino all night and gambling. On a different note, I do think moderation plays a part in this. If someone occasionally buys a ticket, I would consider that moderation. The same concept applies to many things in life: eating, alcohol, etc.Staying on track with the nature of the thread, just seeking clarity for what you are distinguishing with that comment, do you think that there's a theological difference in the <potential> nature of sin regarding the lottery vs casino gambling?
do you think that there's a theological difference in the <potential> nature of sin regarding the lottery vs casino gambling?
Sad.I stopped at a small regional grocery store in a poor neighborhood the other day to get milk and bread on the way home from work. While at the grocery story I saw a man feeding the lottery scratch off vending machine. He did not appear to have a lot of money, but he was buying a lot of tickets. I asked the cashier if he was in alot. She said he spends $100 every Friday (payday) on scratch offs and he buys a few of the multi state superlotto tickets as well. She said he had been doing that for the last few years.
I did not ask if he won very often, but I am very sure he had not won very much. I'm guessing that's his retirement plan.
In an incidental sense. The casino has certain inducements to keep people inside and gambling: buffet, cheap drinks, and so forth. So there's a temptation to eat or drink too much, the latter especially having the ability to compromise your judgment and entice you to take bigger risks.
By contrast a lottery ticket is just numbers. Being drunk doesn't affect the outcome.
Excellent post!
- The Bible commends earning a living and creating wealth via work, and not idleness (e.g. Prov. 12:11; 2 Thess. 3;11-12).
- Along the same lines, gambling doesn't create wealth or produce anything of value. It just transfers it from one gambler to another. The winner is enriched at the expense of the losers. It does not seem to me that you can love your neighbour while depriving him of his wealth because the odds were in your favour rather than his.
- At a casino, the house always has the advantage. Major entertainment corporations and governments invest millions in casinos because they are easy profit. Advertising for lotteries and casinos hold out hope for a better life, but it's a false hope, because the gambler always loses in the long run. Thus it is poor stewardship of the wealth God has entrusted to you.
- The relationship between organized crime and casinos has been romanticized somewhat--most casinos are owned by a few large entertainment companies, or the government--but on the Las Vegas Strip there remains one casino that was owned by the mob: the Flamingo, founded by Bugsy Segal. Segal was a bootlegger who turned to gambling after Prohibition ended. Organized crime has always had its hand in gambling, albeit generally illegal sports betting rather than legal casinos.
- There's also the connection between gambling and cheating. Pete Rose bet against his own team when he was in a position to influence the outcome of the game. Ditto the Black Sox scandal of 1919, in which eight Chicago players conspired with gamblers to throw the World Series. Gambling compromises the integrity of sport.