“Is betting or gambling a sin? What does the Bible say about gambling?”

November 2016 – Grace & Truth Magazine

QUESTION: Is betting or gambling a sin? What does the Bible say about gambling?

ANSWER: The Bible does not specifically condemn gambling, betting or the lottery with one particular Scripture such as “Thou shalt not gamble.” However, the Bible does give us principles from which to work. For example, we are told in 1 Timothy 6:10 that, “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” ( NKJV ). Hebrews continues, “Let your conduct be without covetousness [the love of money]; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’” (13:5).

The Word of God also encourages believers to stay away from attempts to “get rich quick.” Proverbs says, “Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished, but he who gathers by labor will increase” (13:11) and, “Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away like an eagle toward heaven” (23:5). Ecclesiastes 5:10 declares, “He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity.” Gambling, the lottery and betting of any kind is focused on the love of money and undeniably tempts people with the promise of quick and easy riches. At best, they are a waste of money.

As believers, nothing we have is ours because we are not our own, we’ve been bought with a price and everything we are or have is the Lord’s. We are simply stewards of what we’ve been given, and it is required of a steward to be found faithful (1 Cor. 6:19-20, 4:2).

Even though it is true that most of us waste money, this does not justify gambling. We should not waste any of the Lord’s money – it should be saved for future needs to His honor or given to the Lord’s work. The Lord Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Lk. 12:34). It has often been said that you can tell where a believer’s heart is by looking at how he spends his money.

The one time gambling is mentioned in the Bible, it was for an evil purpose: when the Roman guards gambled over Jesus’ garment at the crucifixion (Jn. 19:23-24). On the other hand, the Bible does speak much about casting lots – something the untaught may perceive to be “luck” or “chance.” But in the right circumstance this was a way of understanding God’s will during the days of old, before the Holy Spirit dwelt in believers. As an example, casting lots was used in Leviticus 16:8 to choose between the sacrificial goat and the scapegoat. Joshua cast lots to determine the allotment of land to the various tribes (Josh. 18:10). In Nehemiah, the people cast lots to determine who would live inside the walls of Jerusalem (11:1). The apostles cast lots to determine the replacement for Judas (Acts 1:26). Proverbs 16:33 says, “The lot is cast in the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.”

If we consider just a few points in relation to casinos and the lottery, we can quickly see that they are contrary to the ways of God. Casinos use all sorts of marketing schemes to entice gamblers to risk as much money as possible. They often offer inexpensive or free alcohol, which encourages drunkenness and thereby a decreased ability to make wise decisions. Everything in a casino is perfectly rigged for taking money in large sums and giving nothing in return. Research shows that the crime rates go up exponentially, divorce rates skyrocket, bankruptcies increase, and drug and alcohol abuse goes up around casinos. Government and social services have a greater burden in those areas.

Lotteries attempt to portray themselves as a way to fund education and social programs. However, studies show that participants are usually those who can least afford to be spending money on lottery tickets. The allure of “getting rich quick” is too great a temptation to resist for many who are desperate, so they spend the little money they have on something where the chances of winning are very tiny. This results in further ruin.

We often hear people say they play the lottery or gambling so they can give money from their winnings to the church or to some good cause. While this may sound like a good motive, it is not. In reality very few use gambling winnings wisely. Research has determined that the vast majority of lottery winners are in an even worse financial situation a few years after winning a jackpot than they were before. And then there is this question: “Does God really need or want this kind of money to fund His mission in the world?” God is sovereign and He will provide for the needs of His Church through honest means.

We really need to examine our motives for why we would want to bet, gamble or play the lottery. Most of the time the idea of getting rich quick or getting something for nothing is totally selfish and actually pulls us away from the Lord. Jesus declared that “no servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon [money]” (Lk. 16:13).

The Biblical principles do not follow “get rich quick” schemes. Rather, God is generous to those who give to Him. Interestingly, the more generous you are, the more God gives back to you. Malachi 3:10 tells us to “‘bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house and test Me now in this,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows’” (NASB).

Answered by Timothy P. Hadley