Is gambling sinful in the Bible and if so, how so?
The Bible does not say that gambling, betting, or playing the lottery are wrong. The Bible does warn us, though, not to get too attached to money (1 Timothy 6:10; Hebrews 13:5). Scripture also tells us to avoid trying to “get rich quick” (Proverbs 13:11; 23:5; Ecclesiastes 5:10). Gambling is all about the love of money, and people are drawn to it because they think they can get rich quickly and easily.
Why is gambling a bad thing?
Gambling is a tricky subject because, if done occasionally and in small amounts, it is a waste of money but not always bad. People waste money in many different ways. Gambling is no more or less of a waste of money than going to a movie, eating a meal that costs more than it needs to, or buying something that isn’t worth anything. At the same time, wasting money on other things does not make gambling okay. We shouldn’t waste money. Instead of gambling away extra money, it should be saved for future needs or given to the Lord’s work.
Even though the Bible doesn’t talk about gambling, it does talk about things that happen by “luck” or “chance.” In Leviticus, for example, the sacrificial goat and the scapegoat are chosen by drawing lots. Joshua used a lot to decide how much land each tribe would get. Nehemiah chose who would live inside the walls of Jerusalem by drawing lots. The apostles drew lots to decide who would take Judas’s place. “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision comes from the Lord,” says Proverbs 16:33.
What does the Bible say about casinos and lotteries? Casinos use all kinds of marketing tricks to get gamblers to put as much money as possible on the line. They often give out cheap or even free alcohol, which makes people more likely to get drunk and makes it harder for them to make good decisions. Everything in a casino is set up so that big amounts of money can be taken without giving anything back except for short-lived pleasures. Lotteries try to make it look like they help pay for education and/or social programs. But studies show that people who play the lottery are often the ones who can least afford to spend money on tickets. For people who are desperate, the idea of “getting rich quick” is too tempting to pass up. The odds of winning are so small that many people’s lives are ruined because of it.
Can God be happy with the money from the lottery? People often say that they play the lottery or gamble so they can give the money to the church or another good cause. Even though this is a good reason, in reality, not many people use their gambling winnings for godly things. Studies show that after a few years, most lottery winners are in a worse financial situation than they were before they won. Few, if any, really give the money to a good cause. God doesn’t need our money to do His work in the world, either. In Proverbs 13:11, it says, “Dishonest money goes away, but money that is earned slowly grows.” God is in charge, and he will take care of the church’s needs in a fair way. Would it be an honor for God to get money from drug sales or from a bank robbery? Of course not. God doesn’t need or want money that was “stolen” from the poor in the temptation to get rich.
“For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil,” says 1 Timothy 6:10. Some people have left the faith and caused themselves many troubles because they wanted money. Hebrews 13:5 says, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be happy with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Matthew 6:24 says, “You can’t serve two masters at the same time. Either he’ll dislike one and love the other, or he’ll love one and dislike the other. You can’t serve God and money at the same time.”
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