Should Christians gamble?

[Edward]

We have had large casinos in Detroit for about 10 years. I've walked thru them to get to another place, but never once played. It simply has no allure to me. That said, I'd have no spiritual conflict to play for a while, because I wouldn't be in it to score. It would be like playing a game at a carnival. I'd know the odds are stacked way against me. If I win, great. If I lose, Whateva...

I believe it's like anything else. It's a matter of the heart rather than the act itself. A Christian should be mindful of anything that crosses the line into idolatry.

You're the exactly right, Brother. It is a matter of the heart, the intent of the heart to be more precise.

Romans 14 all over again. As usual, the right answer isn't at either extreme. It's neither evil or a-ok.

Me and my wife went to Vegas for vacation, set budgets & limits... and had a great time without sinning.

We did not wish to lose, lol! We wished to win. But we didn't go over our limit even once, they didn't repo our car, we weren't evicted, and no one went hungry. In fact, we had a bigger food budget, than gambling!

Did I mention that we won enough to pay for the hotel, food gas, and went home with more money than we left with (not much more, Iol)

It would have been just as good if we lost, because we did go for the entertainment value, the vacation and could afford it.

Asking if gambling is evil is like asking are guns evil..
The intent of the heart.

 

[Obadiah]

Evil is defined by God, not by us. So something is only evil if God has told us so. That can be either that God has told us the thing itself is evil (sin, wrong, whatever English word you wish to use to describe it) or that the principle it represents is evil in some way. We, even in all our human pride, do not have the authority to decide for God what is evil and what is not outside of and in addition to what He has already told us. I've read God's word and nowhere do I find God telling us gambling is evil. It can be misused, sure. So can most other things in our lives. I believe there are lots of places scripture shows us that the misuse of things can be wrong, evil, sin, etc. But I don't see even one verse that states gambling is sinful, evil, or whatever.

Gambling, when misused, can do a lot of harm, true. So can a lot of things in our lives. Years ago I worked with a guy who divorced his wife because she ate to much and got fat. Overeating destroyed their marriage. So is eating a meal evil? Or is misusing food the problem? Of course eating a meal isn't evil! And so neither is gambling when not misused. There is no justification for singling out one particular thing and calling it evil for the problems it can produce when misused while ignoring so many other things that can and do cause the same kind of problems when misused. There is no scripture in the word of God to support this.

 

[th1b.taylor]

Evil is defined by God, not by us. So something is only evil if God has told us so. That can be either that God has told us the thing itself is evil (sin, wrong, whatever English word you wish to use to describe it) or that the principle it represents is evil in some way. We, even in all our human pride, do not have the authority to decide for God what is evil and what is not outside of and in addition to what He has already told us. I've read God's word and nowhere do I find God telling us gambling is evil. It can be misused, sure. So can most other things in our lives. I believe there are lots of places scripture shows us that the misuse of things can be wrong, evil, sin, etc. But I don't see even one verse that states gambling is sinful, evil, or whatever.

Gambling, when misused, can do a lot of harm, true. So can a lot of things in our lives. Years ago I worked with a guy who divorced his wife because she ate to much and got fat. Overeating destroyed their marriage. So is eating a meal evil? Or is misusing food the problem? Of course eating a meal isn't evil! And so neither is gambling when not misused. There is no justification for singling out one particular thing and calling it evil for the problems it can produce when misused while ignoring so many other things that can and do cause the same kind of problems when misused. There is no scripture in the word of God to support this.

There might be exceptions, I don't know, but I am not one of the possible exceptions. When I gambled I lusted for your money, evil. All the men I ever gambled with lusted for my money, evil.

My conclusion from experience, gambling leads to evil. Not evil in nor of itself but leads into evil.

 

[Willie T]

My Step Dad make a second income, gambling. And he made pretty good money at it.

But, for most people who spend what they can't afford to lose, it is a stupid idea.

 

[Obadiah]

...My conclusion from experience, gambling leads to evil. Not evil in nor of itself but leads into evil.

I mostly agree with this. Only difference is I would say it can lead to evil, not that it has to. I think you would probably agree with this as well. I think you know that just because one person misuses something doesn't have to mean that everyone will.

 

[Obadiah]

...But, for most people who spend what they can't afford to lose, it is a stupid idea.

That's exactly what I'm talking about as a good example of misuse. But if you really looked at all those people in the casinos of a place like, maybe Las Vegas for example, you will find that the vast majority of them are not doing this. For those that are, yeah, bad idea indeed!

 

[th1b.taylor]

I mostly agree with this. Only difference is I would say it can lead to evil, not that it has to. I think you would probably agree with this as well. I think you know that just because one person misuses something doesn't have to mean that everyone will.

That is what I meant by the quoted portion. But I will add that standing on that slippery slope, the longer one stands there, the morew they relax. The longer they relax their guard, the more likely they are to slip and to slide down hill. I don't even but Loto Tickets today.

 

[Obadiah]

That is what I meant by the quoted portion. But I will add that standing on that slippery slope, the longer one stands there, the morew they relax. The longer they relax their guard, the more likely they are to slip and to slide down hill. I don't even but Loto Tickets today.

LOL! I don't buy lotto tickets either! With the poor odds of wining the lotto, that's more like falling off a cliff than trying not to slip on a slope! But I might drop a few quarters in a slot machine while waiting in line for a great (and cheap!) Vegas casino buffet! By the way, while I don't condemn gambling, I should add that I'm not one to easily get addicted to things like that. I've gambled but have never even once felt any compulsion to continue beyond what I am willing to spend on just a little entertainment. If you find me in Vegas casino, it's not to feed an addiction, it's normally just to feed. I have an old friend who lives there and when we get together we tend to gravitate to the good and cheaply priced food in those wonderful buffets! :yes

 

[WIP]

I have actually never purchased a lottery ticket. I purchased some pull tabs in a bar once but not for me. I purchased them for my wife who wanted to play a few.

I went to Las Vegas with a coworker once and he liked to play slots. He started out with $20 and built it up to over $400.00. When he noticed that I wasn't playing he asked me about it. I told him that I don't gamble. I said I don't win and have no desire to just play the slot machines. He playfully pestered me for the whole week we were there so on the last day I still had a little money left from my meal allowance so I told him to watch what happens when I play. I started with $20 and with each pull of the lever, my ante grew smaller until it was gone. I looked at him and said, "See what I mean?"

 

[Rollo Tamasi]

I've known many gamblers in my day.
Everyone of them always wins.
I don't know how the casinos stay in business.

 

[WIP]

I've known many gamblers in my day.
Everyone of them always wins.
I don't know how the casinos stay in business.

I get a kick out of those that will come home from a successful day of gambling at a casino and claim they won $X. I always feel compelled to ask the next question. "How many times have you played and how much have you invested since your last win?" Of course, that doesn't count.

 

[th1b.taylor]

I've known many gamblers in my day.
Everyone of them always wins.
I don't know how the casinos stay in business.

LOL! They are in business to loose so they can launder money for the Mob!

 

[jasonc]

People buy insurance....for cars, homes, health, airplanes.

Buying insurance is a form of gambling ... gambling that you'll have an accident in your vehicle.... gambling that something will happen in or around your home....

You get the idea.

Since it's mandated that we have to buy health insurance (and in my state, we have to have auto insurance), then it can be viewed that gambling is mandated by the government.

Or is this too much information??

The intent of gambling isn't a risk for a gain.risk for gambling isn't like you produce
If you a product that I think I can Invest in and it works both of us gains. Unlike gambling which based on lust.who is most likely to gamble?those that haven't the money to loose.visit any Indian reservation and note the poverty and yet they have a casino

 

[Corn Pop]

LOL! They are in business to loose so they can launder money for the Mob!

They cracked down on that in online poker. Players chip dumping large amounts to another player overseas in one on one games or heads up as they call it..

 

[Obadiah]

...who is most likely to gamble?those that haven't the money to loose.visit any Indian reservation and note the poverty and yet they have a casino

Seems it's a lot different here where I live. When you look at who's actually doing the gambling (and probably losing money) in those Indian casinos, it's NOT the Indians! At least not where I live. We have a lot of Indian casinos and it's very rare indeed to see a person from the tribe actually gambling. On the contrary, those casinos here (in the Northwest... I don't know how they are handled and run down in your area) are providing relatively well paying jobs and other income for the tribe and it's members which they didn't have before, lifting those who wish to properly take advantage of that out of poverty. Now if an Indian uses that profit for no good and therefore still lives in poverty because he wasted all his profit, that's his personal responsibility and not the fault of the casinos, or their customers, or even gambling in general

I've known many gamblers in my day.
Everyone of them always wins.
I don't know how the casinos stay in business.

I don't know where Rollo lives, but I used to live close enough to Vegas to know a lot of people who gambled there, and now I live where I am surrounded by Indian casinos, so I know a lot of people who gamble here too. None of them have ever told me they win all the time! Rollo, you must know some of the luckiest people in the world!!! (Or you're being sarcastic... I think perhaps sarcastic.) But even though I don't know anyone who wins all the time, I also can't recall anyone I know who has ruined their lives with gambling. Everyone I know simply does it in moderation and for fun. I've never met any of those elusive creatures that actually think they are going to make some kind of a living by being a gambler. I think that's mostly fantasy. Sure, it costs the people I've met some money, just like going to a movie, a car race, sports event, or whatever else they enjoy for entertainment. I know far more people who's lives have been ruined by drugs, alcohol, adultery, and sometimes just from listening too much to busybody neighbors, but none from gambling. I know they exist and some of you may know one or a few, but they seem few enough and far enough between that I've not known any personally out of all the people I know who gamble.

I think if we were to say gambling is a sin based of a few people's lives being financially ruined by it, we need to put that same label of "sin" on just about anything else people do for entertainment these days. I'm not willing to stretch God's word so far!
.

 

[jasonc]

It's not,but my point is the harrahs,it's all owned by the Cherokee, they make a ton yet the Cherokee are broke.money gotten by gambling is a curse.

 

[jeff77]

What I find interesting is the stories of people who won millions in the lotto and end up spending all of it and running into debt in a short amount of time. It ended up being a curse rather than a blessing.

 

[Corn Pop]

What I find interesting is the stories of people who won millions in the lotto and end up spending all of it and running into debt in a short amount of time. It ended up being a curse rather than a blessing.

Its not just lotto. A lot of high rolling gamblers are broke. I used to look up to pro poker players and learn from them, they made millions, what i didnt know is my favourite player was acturally broke and was sponcered to play. I couldnt understand because he made millions and would bet 500k in a single hand.

Also, people would get a shock if they knew how many celebritys are acturally broke and bankrupt yet still wear a million dollars worth of jewelary.

 

[Obadiah]

It's not,but my point is the harrahs,it's all owned by the Cherokee, they make a ton yet the Cherokee are broke.money gotten by gambling is a curse.

Too bad it seems they are mishandling it then. Around here the Indian casinos are not run by or under the name of a major hotel and casino chain like Harrah's. They are run by the tribes themselves for the The individual Indians around here that have taken advantage of the opportunities the casinos have given them, as well as the tribes as organizations in themselves, have all benefited from it. Yes, there will always be irresponsible people who will get a good paying jog in a casino and spend their paychecks on destructive things, but for those kind of people that would happen with a paycheck from any kind of job. That's not the casinos fault.

 

[jasonc]

Too bad it seems they are mishandling it then. Around here the Indian casinos are not run by or under the name of a major hotel and casino chain like Harrah's. They are run by the tribes themselves for the The individual Indians around here that have taken advantage of the opportunities the casinos have given them, as well as the tribes as organizations in themselves, have all benefited from it. Yes, there will always be irresponsible people who will get a good paying jog in a casino and spend their paychecks on destructive things, but for those kind of people that would happen with a paycheck from any kind of job. That's not the casinos fault.

Harrahs is owned by the Cherokee nation,this problem is also a problem with
The Seminole tribe.remember these tribes are getting free health care and some pay 30 k.so many don't work and simply are welfare recipients