Your Thoughts on Gambling

S

sword

Well-known member
Doctor
Elect
Joined
Feb 25, 2013
Messages
4,237
Reaction score
413
Points
83
Location
The south
With the legalization of online sports gambling in many states, gambling has never been more popular.

I have never been fully convinced it is a sin, but I have always believed it was wrong for a Christian to gamble. I feel this way because it can be very addictive and is such a poor use of the money God has given us. I feel less strongly about fundraisers and raffles because your main intention is not winning, but to support the charity or cause.
Like paul said in 1 Corinthians 10:23 it may not be a sin but it is definitly not expedient for me.

Proverbs 13:11 KJV Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: But he that gathereth by labour shall increase.

What are your thoughts on gambling and do you think it's a sin.
 
sword said:
With the legalization of online sports gambling in many states, gambling has never been more popular.

I have never been fully convinced it is a sin, but I have always believed it was wrong for a Christian to gamble. I feel this way because it can be very addictive and is such a poor use of the money God has given us. I feel less strongly about fundraisers and raffles because your main intention is not winning, but to support the charity or cause.
Like paul said in 1 Corinthians 10:23 it may not be a sin but it is definitly not expedient for me.

Proverbs 13:11 KJV Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: But he that gathereth by labour shall increase.

What are your thoughts on gambling and do you think it's a sin.
Click to expand...
If you go to Vegas with $200 (or $2,000) or so that you have earmarked for entertainment purposes that is expendable and will not be missed when it is gone, I really don't care if you blow it at the craps table, feed it into the "One-Armed Bandit" or whatever.

What becomes a problem is when you blow through what you have allocated for your Vegas trip (whatever the amount) and decide you are not done and go into your savings and investment accounts looking for and hoping for that "string of luck" that will make you bounce back! If you lack the ability to know when to cut your losses and walk away, then you shouldn't be anywhere within five miles of a Casino!

There is also the "Weaker Brother" thing you need to consider as well.

Buying a lottery ticket for the upcoming 500 Million jackpot is no big deal and certainly not cause for Church Discipline. Neglecting to pay your rent in order to purchase $1000 worth of lottery tickets and depending upon a huge payout to get you out of the hole you dug for yourself is incredibly foolish especially if the welfare of your family is at stake!

As for raffles, I believe the main motive is fundraising.
 
I'm pretty much in the same boat as you, Sword. For me, gambling is stupid because I don't win. Why would I throw away my money?

I've been in caSINos and they are oppressively dark places. Despite all the flashing lights, cheerful attendants, etc... I just feel the darkness there. Almost everyone sitting at the slot machines have empty looks on their faces... numb... even if they're "winning". I've seen people walk up to the cash out booth with $500+ in winnings and you'd think they would be smiling... Nope. That same empty look they had at the machine.

And the smoke... Most gamblers smoke. Even if you are in the "non-smoking" section, it smells horrible. Invariably, to get somewhere in the caSINo, you have to walk through the smoking section.

Yes, I am calling these establishments caSINo more out of mockery than judgement.

Whether it is sin or not, I have zero desire to go to these places.
 
It's been said that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. It'd be nice if that were so. Maybe folks don't admit to what they did there, but plenty of their garbage makes it out of there.
 
Last edited:
it is still illegal in hawaii.... and the reason they give for that is gambling atracts organized crime... and yet..ironically.. whenever the issue comes up in the state legislature - the people funding the most outspoken lobbyists, who are working to keep gambling illegal in hawaii, are casino owners from las vegas and their various representatives..... ..meanwhile so many people from hawaii travel to las vegas every year for vacation..(and to gamble)... that las vegas is often referred to as hawaiis 9th island.....:rolleyes: .... ....i don;t know who originally said it - but ray charles could see what;s going on here......:cool:
 
Last edited:
  • 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.
 
Last edited:
sword said:
With the legalization of online sports gambling in many states, gambling has never been more popular.

I have never been fully convinced it is a sin, but I have always believed it was wrong for a Christian to gamble. I feel this way because it can be very addictive and is such a poor use of the money God has given us. I feel less strongly about fundraisers and raffles because your main intention is not winning, but to support the charity or cause.
Like paul said in 1 Corinthians 10:23 it may not be a sin but it is definitly not expedient for me.

Proverbs 13:11 KJV Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: But he that gathereth by labour shall increase.

What are your thoughts on gambling and do you think it's a sin.
Click to expand...
The casino type of gambling is all about the love of money, and there is no good that comes from that. Friendly wagers and card games are a different matter. Those are about fellowship.
 
LOL. I remember the first time I heard anything from a pulpit about playing cards. I was 9 or 10, and my Pentecostal grandmother finally talked my parents, who were RLDS at the time, into letting her send me to a summer camp run by her church organization. I had a lot of fun. Was bullied by a fat turd once or twice, but mostly had fun. And one of the pastors got up, and oh so solemnly held up a deck of cards he had found left somewhere. "We know what these are used for," he said. He waited for the transgressor to confess, and when no one did, went on with the service. I was so puzzled. My parents played cards all the time. I used to attach one to my bike frame with a clothespin so that it would slap the spokes and make motor sounds while I rode.
 
Ekklesian said:
my Pentecostal grandmother finally talked my parents, who were RLDS at the time, into letting her send me to a summer camp run by her church organization.
Click to expand...
Interesting. I'd like to hear how you/your parents came out of the LDS system some time. (I don't want to hijack this thread though)
 
Ransom said:
  • 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.
Click to expand...
Was this from you or ChatGPT? LOL 😂🤪😂🤣🤪🌁🥴😉🤠
 
sword said:
With the legalization of online sports gambling in many states, gambling has never been more popular.

I have never been fully convinced it is a sin, but I have always believed it was wrong for a Christian to gamble. I feel this way because it can be very addictive and is such a poor use of the money God has given us. I feel less strongly about fundraisers and raffles because your main intention is not winning, but to support the charity or cause.
Like paul said in 1 Corinthians 10:23 it may not be a sin but it is definitly not expedient for me.

Proverbs 13:11 KJV Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: But he that gathereth by labour shall increase.

What are your thoughts on gambling and do you think it's a sin.
Click to expand...
Why would a Christian that has Christ living within them feel the need to gamble? If you are playing for fun then there are many games you can play that do not involve money. The point of gambling is to win money. Greed is idolatry - why would a follower of Jesus want to gamble in His presence? Colossians 3:5-6, "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these the wrath of God is coming."
 
In 1988 the lottery won at the ballot box in Indiana. I'm sure the revenue we were promised to solve our education funding will come rolling in just any day now.
Then it will be worth all the broken homes, shattered dreams and poverty that the contributors have invested to make it happen.
 
scripture has many examples of people casting lots for all sort of decisions... including roman soldiers at the crucifxion who cast lots for the clothes of Christ..... i have no idea what that actually involved but it sounds to me like a game of rolling dice to see what numbers come up....:unsure: .... .i have known christians who would not allow dice or a deck of cards to be in their house.... we never had a problem with either of them but then all we ever used them for was to play hearts.. old maid.. or go fish... and rolled the dice for games like clue and monopoly..... no money was ever involved... but then we didn;t have any money to win or lose...... :confused:
 
Baptist City Holdout said:
In 1988 the lottery won at the ballot box in Indiana. I'm sure the revenue we were promised to solve our education funding will come rolling in just any day now.
Then it will be worth all the broken homes, shattered dreams and poverty that the contributors have invested to make it happen.
Click to expand...
That "funding for education" thing was just a ruse in many jurisdictions. While lotto proceeds were funneled to education, (as well as lining many pockets) state legislatures took funds from education because lotto funds were filling the gap.
 
Last edited:
abcaines said:
That "funding for education" thing was just a ruse in many jurisdictions. While lotto proceeds were funneled to education, (as well as lining many pockets) state legislatures took funds from education because lotto funds were filling the gap.
Click to expand...

Wintario, Ontario's first lottery, was founded specifically to fund community projects. The public library in my hometown was funded by it; there was a plaque behind the front desk reading "A Wintario Project" (I don't know if that's still there).

When lottery proceeds started going into general revenue, they discontinued Wintario because they couldn't say they funded that kind of thing anymore.

"It pays for education/roads/taxes" is the same rationalization I've heard from habitual smokers--it's a justification for their own vices. I'm reminded of those fake redemption schemes where you can donate useless items like pop tabs or cigarette packs to get wheelchairs or kidney dialysis for kids. It's a way of assuaging guilt. (Makes me wonder whether "redemption" is supposed to have a double meaning.)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top