Luckyspicy

Jan 02, 2020  Question: 'What does the Bible say about playing the lottery?' Answer: The word gamble means “to risk something of value on an outcome that depends on chance.” Because the outcome of a lottery “depends on chance” and playing it involves “risk,”. Gambling is sin. There is no doubt about thateven if only one verse says so. One verse from God is enough for me. This is why the same behavior can be a sin for one person and not a sin for another. If you can buy a lottery ticket without breaking your conscience then buy the lottery ticket. You have not sinned.

Up until the 2000s, gambling used to be a more taboo subject. And many people kept their betting passions to themselves for fear of being looked down upon.

But attitudes toward gambling have lightened considerably. Two major reasons why include land-based casino saturation and the widespread availability of online gambling sites.

The activity has gradually become more accepted because more people are gambling than ever before.

Nevertheless, major religions still have strong viewpoints on the matter. And I’m going to cover what the five most popular religions think about gambling.

I’ll also come to a conclusion on whether or not you’re committing a sin by wagering.

Buddhism View on Gambling

General Buddhist Beliefs

Siddhartha Gautama (a.k.a. the Buddha) founded Buddhism in the 6th century BC. This religion has since grown to include over 520 million people, giving it the fourth-largest following in the world.

Buddhism is governed by four Noble Truths, including suffering, cause of suffering, cessation of suffering, and the Noble Eightfold Path to cessation of suffering.

The Eightfold Noble Path includes the following points:

• Right view
• Right thinking
• Right speech
• Right conduct
• Right livelihood
• Right effort
• Right mindfulness
• Right concentration

All of this makes Buddhism seem like a stiff religion that’s entirely against gambling. But it’s actually one of the more flexible religions in the world, especially when it comes to wagering.

What Do Buddhists Think of Gambling?

Siddhartha Gautama founded Buddhism in Nepal at a time when gambling was socially accepted in his kingdom.

The Tripitaka contains a great deal on the topic of wagering and actually makes distinctions between what is and isn’t acceptable. This contrasts other major religions, which largely condemn the activity as a whole.

Buddhism puts gambling into the following three classes:

• 1. Recreational
• 2. Habitual
• 3. Addictive

Recreational gambling is perfectly fine under the Buddhist philosophy. This forward way of thinking comes from how things were back in Gautama’s day.

Even habitual gambling isn’t considered a sin, per se. But Buddhism does condemn addictive gambling, just like any other major religion.

“There are these six dangers of being addicted to gambling,”

said Gautama.

“In winning, one begets hatred; in losing, one mourns the loss of one’s wealth; one’s word is not accepted in court; one is avoided by both friends and officials; one is not sought after for marriage because people say a gambler cannot support a wife.”

Overall, though, Buddhism is the world’s most tolerant major religion toward gambling.

One break from these lax standards is that gambling shouldn’t be used to raise money for religious organizations. This contrasts Christianity and Judaism, which routinely used lighter forms of gambling (e.g., bingo, lottery) to raise money for churches and communities.

Christianity View on Gambling

General Christian Beliefs

With 2.2 billion followers worldwide, Christianity is the biggest religion on the planet. Christians follow the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus commonly preached against the evils of chasing money. According to Matthew 6:24 of the New Testament, he said that people can’t “serve two masters.”

This references how Christians should worship God above all else and put money at a distant second.

Jesus lived when Palestine was controlled by the Roman Empire. And he often attacked the Roman “moneychangers,” who exchanged foreign coins for temple coins.

Jesus frequently protested against these acts, in addition to the high taxes levied by the Romans. This, combined with his unorthodox religious beliefs (when compared to Romans), led to his death on the cross.

What Do Christians Think of Gambling?

Unlike other religious founders, Jesus didn’t speak on gambling. But you can gain an understanding by looking at his views on money and the suffering of commoners at the time.

Jesus didn’t accumulate wealth to help his political or social position. Instead, he taught his followers that loving God and others was more important than chasing money.

This means that he likely wouldn’t have approved of gambling with the sole intent to win money.

The New Testament also fails to specifically address gambling. But it does contain an excerpt that admonishes greed and pursuing material wealth:

“No one should seek their own good, but the good of others. A greedy man brings trouble to his family. So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

The United Methodist Church offers a notable opinion on gambling. They have their own interpretation of how the New Testament discusses the evils of money.

“Gambling, as a means of acquiring material gain by chance and at the neighbor’s expense, is a menace to personal character and social morality. Gambling fosters greed and stimulates the fatalistic faith in chance,”

states the United Methodist Church’s belief.

“Organized and commercial gambling is a threat to business, breeds crime and poverty, and is destructive to the interests of good government.”

Unlike Buddhism, ancient Christianity doesn’t offer an official statement on where gambling stands. Instead, you need to consider this religion’s take on pursuing riches.

Given that gambling usually involves trying to win money, I assume that Christianity is mildly against it.

Hinduism View on Gambling

General Hindu Beliefs

Hinduism contrasts most religions because the founder is unknown. But what we do know is that this religion started around 2000 B.C. in India.

Hinduism has grown to include 900 million followers, making it the third-largest religion in the world.

This is a flexible belief because there are no core principles that define Hinduism, such as the Ten Commandments. Instead, it’s open to interpretation and the teachings are different throughout the world.

But Hinduism does have the Mahabharata, an epic poem written around the 8th century B.C. that describes some of the religion’s practices.

What Do Hindus Think of Gambling?

The Mahabharata has an interesting passage that discusses King Yudhisthira playing dice. Yudhisthira was tricked into betting his kingdom on the dice game and lost.

His family was exiled from the country for twelve years. The story isn’t so much an attack on gambling, but rather a lesson about dealing with nefarious people.

The Manusmriti, an ancient manuscript that discusses Hinduism, lists gambling as the worse sin a person can commit.

“Drinking, gambling, women (not lawfully wedded wives), and hunting, in that order, he should know to be the very worst four in the group of (vices) born of desire.”

Overall, Hinduism ranks in the middle in terms of its tolerance toward gambling.

Islam View on Gambling

General Islamic Beliefs

Islam officially started in C.E. 610, when the Prophet Muhammad heard the revelations that would become the Holy Quran. This makes Islam the youngest of the five major religions.

Despite its relative youth, this religion has already attracted over 1.6 billion Muslims, making it the world’s second-largest, behind Christianity.

Islam features two types of deeds, including the haram (sinful) and halal (lawful). Gambling is seen as haram and requires severe punishment under Islamic law.

This is just one of the many activities that are viewed with a harsh eye in Islam. Other serious vices include not praying, not fasting during Ramadan, abandoning relatives, murder, homosexuality, adultery, and running from a battlefield.

What Do Islamists Think of Gambling?

The Prophet Muhammad and his followers opposed all forms of gambling. He also mentioned in the Sunan Abu Dawud that there are only two acceptable forms of gambling.

“Wagers are allowed only for racing camels or horses, or shooting arrows,” he said.

Muhammad wasn’t saying that he approved of betting on horses and archery. But these gambling activities were tolerated because they helped Muslims improve their battle skills.

The Quran also discusses gambling in Surah Al-Ma’idah 5:90-91.

“O ye who believe! Intoxicants and gambling, (dedication of) stones, and (divination by) arrows, are an abomination, of Satan’s handwork: eschew such (abomination), that ye may prosper.

Satan’s plan is (but) to excite enmity and hatred between you, with intoxicants and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of God, and from prayer: will ye not then abstain?”

Islam looks down on gambling because it’s an easy way to take somebody else’s money. This is similar to Judaism, in that they also believe it’s dishonorable to win money through gambling.

Judaism View on Gambling

General Jewish Beliefs

Judaism started when God made a covenant with Abraham, who’s also a revered Islamic figure. This was the first monotheistic religion to focus on a single divine being, rather than a collection of gods.

Over fifteen million people practice Judaism, making it one of the more popular religions. But this is far less than the other four beliefs on this list possess.

The Jews believe that Moses brought the Ten Commandments down from Mount Sinai. The Ten Commandments have since become one of the world’s most important code of ethics.

Rabbis are Jewish religious figures who preach these same morals. Ancient rabbis are also responsible for the Talmud, a collective discussion on moral and ethical issues.

What Do Jews Think of Gambling?

Judaism doesn’t offer a lot of thoughts on the morality of gambling. But the Talmud does feature rabbis discussing how they believe gambling is risky and can lead one to negate their responsibilities.

The Talmud also discusses how gambling is sinful and similar to stealing. The latter is due to the fact that the loser has reluctantly given away their money to the winner.

Older Jewish civilizations looked down on professional gamblers and didn’t consider them reliable court witnesses.

Judaism isn’t totally biased against gambling, though. Hanukah celebrations often feature a dreidel, a spinning top that’s accompanied by small-stakes gambling.

Like Christians, Jews also raise money for synagogues with games of chance, including raffles.

Conclusion

None of the religions that we’ve covered embrace gambling with open arms. But some are definitely more tolerant than others.

Buddhism actually considers recreational gambling to be fine. They’re even willing to let habitual gamblers pass, as long as they don’t become addicted.

Christianity, Hinduism, and Judaism don’t spend much time discussing the ills of betting. Instead, it’s merely implied that all three religions frown upon the activity.

But then again, Christianity and Judaism use certain forms of gambling to raise money.

Islam is no doubt the toughest against gambling because the Quran suggests that violators should be punished. Furthermore, Islamists view wagering as a shameless way to win money.

In summary, Islam is the only major religion that’s undeniably against gambling. The other religions I discussed at least tolerate the activity to some degree.

That said, you shouldn’t feel like you’re sinning too badly – if at all – by playing low-stakes casino games, poker, or sports betting.

Is Gambling A Sin Catholic

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Billions of people love to gamble. For some, it’s the thrill of the chase – the possibility of winning. For others, it’s entertainment or a way to escape the day-to-day grind.

If you asked them, they’d tell you they’re not doing anything wrong. That gambling is no different or no more a waste of money than going to a movie, concert or nice dinner out.

But then there are people who disagree. That, for one reason or another, think there’s something wrong with gambling.

We thought it’d be interesting to explore the other side of the coin. So, the following are 6 arguments we’ve seen people make against gambling.

1. Religion

This is the biggest argument on our list. Do a Google search for ‘arguments against gambling’ and you’ll see what I mean.

There are different reasons why religious people are against gambling. But they all stem from different verses you’ll find in the Bible.

For example:

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have.
Hebrews 13:5

You shouldn’t try to gain material things when all your basic needs are met.

Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty.
Proverbs 28:19

God wants you to work (for what you have). Gambling is a way to make money without working, which is fueled by greed, selfishness and laziness.

For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD hateth.
Psalm 10:3

And yet another passage that condemns greed and overabundance.

The bottom line – the Bible teaches you to be selfless and not to covet (materialistic) things. And that you can save both time and money by not gambling – which you can use instead to better yourself and those around you.

But is gambling truly a sin? That depends on who you ask, how they interpret the Bible’s lessons, and whether or not they follow everything the Bible teaches.

Not surprising, some say gambling is a sin. No two ways about it; no ifs, ands or butts.

But then there are others who believe only compulsive gambling is a sin; it’s sinful to be addicted to gambling. But it’s not a sin to gamble in moderation.

“Bible-believing Christians would consider compulsive gambling a sin. That is, gambling is sinful for those who are addicted to it. Compulsive gamblers sin by wasting time. Gambling is for them such an addiction, that most or all of their spare time is spent gambling in one form or another and weekends and vacations which should be spent with family are taken up with trips to cities that have casinos. The more focus on gambling an addicted person becomes the less time he spends with his family and the less productive he becomes in his job.” (Excerpt from nolotto.faithweb.com)

2. Gambling Leads to Addiction

Another argument against gambling is that it leads to developing a gambling addiction. Statistics show that 80 percent of American adults gamble annually. What’s scary about that is they also show that every 3-5 gamblers (out of 100) struggle with a gambling problem.

Even scarier yet, statistics shows that as many as 750,000 young adults (14-21) have a gambling addiction. The risk of developing an addiction more than doubles for young adults, with people between the ages of 20 and 30 having the highest risk.

Gambling addiction – like most addictions – is destructive. It tears families apart and often leads to suicide, substance abuse, bankruptcy, crime and more.

3. It’s a Waste of Money

Here’s what Dave Ramsey (a financial expert) says about gambling in a casino:

“I don’t really have a moral problem with it, but I don’t understand the concept. Call me crazy, but I do not get a thrill from losing money I’ve worked hard to earn. That’s not my idea of entertainment.”

He goes on to say he thinks people who say they gamble for fun or recreation are delusional – that they believe they’ll actually beat the house and win – that they’re an exception to the rule.

And what about the lucky few who actually win? Well, Dave says:

“You may see a news story once in a while about someone winning big money in a casino, but that rarely happens. Think, too, about how much money those people had flushed down the toilet previously while gambling. There’s a really good chance they didn’t really ‘win’ anything. In most cases, they probably just recouped a small portion of their previous, substantial losses.”

Mark Ford (serial entrepreneur, author, real estate investor) shares similar, yet different sentiments to Dave Ramsey. Ford says he doesn’t gamble because it’s too much like work; he gets no pleasure from it; and because it’s so clear to him he’d lose money.

He goes on to say you could spend the same amount of effort into nearly any other endeavor and you’re likely to walk away richer, not poorer, as a result.

“Concentration. Focus. Calculations. Long hours. It all seems like work to me. The only difference is that in Las Vegas the odds are stacked against you.

In any other field of endeavor, you could take the same people and put them to work doing virtually these same things –concentrating, figuring, calculating, and executing –and you’d have– almost certainly– a viable business.

Not in Las Vegas. Over the long haul, gambling makes you poorer. Spend the same time and effort in almost any other endeavor, and you’re likely to get richer.

So why is it that so many people like to gamble and don’t like to work?”

4. Millennials Want Control

Another argument stems from stats that show millennials (people born from 1980-2000) gamble far less than previous generations. An interesting fact is how Las Vegas and The Strip visitation is increasingly being driven by millennials, yet gaming accounts for less than 37% of the revenue generated on the Las Vegas Strip.

The Motley Fool gives several reasons (guesses) why:

• Millennials find (current) slot machines boring.
• They want to be engaged and empowered – they want some control over the outcome.
• They prefer night clubs to casino gambling.
• They’re more interesting in online gaming, poker and daily fantasy sports.
• They want skill based games.
• They demand fairness.
• They want to be more social.
• They want experiences.

The common denominator here is that millennials want more control over their outcome. They want games where skill can overcome luck – and that’s just not possible when every casino game favors the house.

And why do all casino games favor the house?

5. Casino Games are Rigged

Did you know that every casino game favors the house? It might be by as little as half a percent (.5%), but the point is, casino games are rigged against you. This is called the house edge.

“My advice is don’t waste your time and money on that stuff. One way or another, the house always wins. That’s how they’re able to build those giant, billion-dollar places called casinos”. – Dave Ramsey

In the same article referenced above (#4), the Motley Fool says that millennials wanting more skill-based games (control) isn’t the (only) problem.

In Las Vegas specifically, the house edge – or the hold percentage – has increased over the last few decades. In other words, the games were already rigged against you – but now they’re even more unfair. You can find better value gambling somewhere other than Las Vegas (at local casinos, for example).

“…the underlying assumption is that if millennials weren’t spending their money partying in Las Vegas, they would be spending it gambling in Las Vegas (either that, or millennials apparently should be gambling more to match what they’re spending on bottle service)”.

“This is 100% wrong – the reality is that if millennials weren’t spending their money partying in Las Vegas, they wouldn’t be coming to Las Vegas at all”. – The Motley Fool

The Motley Fool goes on to say that, while gambling has matured, so has the audience. Millennials have grown up using the internet – they have access to (gambling) information that past generations didn’t have access to.

Is Gambling A Sin To God

“(Millennials) are more knowledgeable and generally less stupid about gambling than any generation to come before us. We are far less likely to believe, for example, that the Martingale system is valid”. – The Motley Fool

The bottom line – the internet has made us wiser about gambling. Most people now realize that casino games are (legally) rigged against us. Between this and the worsening house edge, people choose to gamble far less, if at all (evident by the decreasing gaming numbers in Las Vegas).

6. Underage Gambling

Another problem people have with gambling is the affects gambling has on kids and young adults.

This is a very real concern. Earlier (#2) we shared a stat that says nearly 750,000 young adults have developed a gaming addiction, and that they’re nearly twice as likely to do compared to adults aged 30+.

Most casinos say you need to be 18 or 21 (depending on if they serve alcohol) to gamble.

Never mind the stats that show that even adults 18-30 are twice as likely to develop a gambling addiction. What about those who are younger than 18/21, but manage to obtain a fake ID?

Want an example? What about poker pro Phil Ivey – you can’t read a bio about him without it being mentioned he used a fake ID to play poker in Atlantic City in his early days.

Is Gambling A Sin Against God In Potiphar S House

This problem isn’t limited to brick/mortar casinos, either. Poker pro Tom Dwan started playing online at 17. He’s not the only one, either. It’s easier for kids/teenagers to gamble online since many casinos (especially offshore) don’t check your ID until you’re ready to make your first cash out.

Next to addiction and religious reasons, underage gambling is the strongest argument people make against gambling. The prevention of underage gambling is a cornerstone of all state (online) gambling laws, as well as a big criticism of others.

Is Gambling A Sin Against God And Man

Conclusion

Is Gambling A Sin Against God By Not Praying For You

These are the biggest and most common arguments against gambling today.

It’s not hard to poke holes or make strong cases against any of these points. But that shouldn’t be our focus.

Instead, I think it’s a much better idea to understand why people are against it. For one, it’s easier to empathize with others – to see where they’re coming from.

But it can also help us improve the gambling industry – to talk about it and figure out what we can do to make the industry safer and more enjoyable for those who choose to participate. That, I think, is the best action of all.