Five Reasons Why Gambling is Wrong: Because it denies the reality of God’s sovereignty (by affirming the existence of luck or chance). Because it is built on irresponsible stewardship (tempting people to throw away their money). Because it erodes a biblical work ethic (by demeaning and displacing hard work as the proper means for one’s livelihood). Because it is driven by the sin of covetousness (tempting people to give in to their greed). Because it is built on the exploitation of others (often taking advantage of poor people who think they can gain instant wealth)
Grace to You, www.gty.org/Resources/Articles/A157, Used by Permission.
We are followers of Jesus. He had no place to lay His head and did not accept the demonic temptation to jump off the temple for the jackpot of instant recognition. The Calvary road is not paved with Powerball tickets, but with blood. The Church was bought once by One who refused the short cut of instant triumph. It will never be bought by those who dream of riches.
Don’t Play the Lottery for Me! January 1, 2003, www.DesiringGod.org, Used by Permission.
It is wrong to wager with a trust fund. And all we have, as humans, is a trust fund. Everything we have is a trust from God, to be used for His glory. “[God] Himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything” (Acts 17:25). Faithful trustees may not gamble with a trust fund. They work and trade: value for value, just and fair. This is the pattern again and again in Scripture. And when you are handling the funds of another, how much more irresponsible it is to wager!
Don’t Play the Lottery for Me! January 1, 2003, www.DesiringGod.org, Used by Permission.
When a man takes to the gaming table, it seems as if his whole soul ran out at the sluice, and his entire life is just nothing to him. Wife, children, substance – all must go at the throw of the dice or be staked at the running of a horse.
Sermons, 43.597.
The soldiers at the foot of the cross threw dice for my Savior’s garments. And I have never heard the rattling of dice but I have conjured up the dreadful scene of Christ on his cross, and gamblers at the foot of it, with their dice bespattered with his blood. I do not hesitate to say that of all sins, there is none that more surely damns men, and worse than that, makes them the devil’s helpers to damn others, than gambling.
Sermons, 45.319.
Does the Bible explicitly condemn or forbid gambling? No. However, I do believe there are certain principles that militate against it.
1. Gambling is poor stewardship. The believer’s responsibility is to use wealth to promote the kingdom of God. The emphasis in Scripture is never on the use of money with a view to increasing one’s personal fortune but on putting our money to use in the service of those who are in need. It simply is not wise and responsible behavior to take what God has graciously bestowed and entrust it to circumstances over which we have no control (Pr. 12:11).
2. The biblical command is that the believer should obtain money by faithful and diligent exercise of God-given talents in work. Gambling is an attempt to obtain money that promotes sloth and is often an excuse for not working.
3. Gambling promotes covetousness and greed, whereas the Word of God encourages contentment (Phil. 4:11-12; Heb. 13:5). If one is seven times more likely to be struck by lightning than to win a million dollars in a state lottery, why do people continue to buy tickets? Greed!
4. Gambling appears to create a condition in which one person’s gain is necessarily another person’s loss. In other words, in gambling, someone always loses. If so, it would seem to violate brotherly love and justice.
5. There is a fundamental flaw in the character of any government that seeks to capitalize financially on the moral weakness of its members.
6. Gambling appears to violate our belief in the sovereignty of God.
7. Gambling has such a powerful potential for enslaving those who participate that it may well violate the admonition of Scripture that we not be mastered by anything or anyone other than the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:12).
Gambling, November 6, 2006. Used by Permission.
But didn’t the OT endorse the casting of “lots”? Yes, but casting of lots “is a biblical illustration not of gambling (for no money or other value was placed at risk in hopes of greater gain) but of individuals trusting a sovereign God to direct the ‘chance’ disposition or direction of the lay of the lots. People used ‘chance’ to understand God’s will. Their faith was not in chance but in God” (Rogers, CRJ, p. 21-22). Be it noted, also, that subsequent to the casting of lots in Acts 1 the practice is nowhere mentioned (or endorsed) in Scripture. It would appear that, with Pentecost and the coming of the fullness of the Holy Spirit, God has dispensed with all such forms of ascertaining His will.
Gambling, November 6, 2006. Used by Permission.