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Nebraska Family Council
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Harmful Effects of Gambling

Historically, the church has long looked upon gambling as incompatible with the Christian life. Early Church pastor, Tertullian said, "If you say that you are a Christian when you are a dice-player, you say you are what you are not, because you are a partner with the world." Strong words from one of the early church leaders. Gambling is certainly not a guideline to determine ones Christianity but it is an activity that is counter to a life of faith. (Money, Mania, Morals by L. Starkey Jr. p.35).

What about today? Gambling is more popular than ever. The get rich quick stories of those who win are headlines in the newspapers and the "top story" on the evening news. That is unfortunate, even tragic. In fact, when a state jumps into Casino gambling big problems occur. "The number of compulsive gamblers will increase between 100 and 550 percent when gambling is brought into an area," according to University of Illinois Professor John Kindt. The truth is, "when gambling expands, so does the number of gambling addicts. It is estimated that close to 10 million Americans now have a gambling habit that is out of control--and the number is growing.

Gambling adds nothing to the wealth of the community. It is claimed that it provides a form of recreation and pleasure which is not only legitimate but helpful, so long as the sums staked are such as a man can afford to lose. But such an attitude draws a line of distinction between rich and poor. What is right for the rich man is pronounced wrong in the case of the poor man. Moreover, the practice is antisocial. It is, as Herbert Spencer says: "A kind of action by which pleasure is obtained at the cost of pain to another. The happiness of the winner implies the misery of the loser. This kind of action is, therefore, essentially anti--social; it sears the sympathies, cultivates a hard egoism, and so produces a general deterioration of character. It is a habit intrinsically savage." In an atmosphere of brotherhood no form of gambling could ever exist. It is an attempt to get property without paying the price for it.

The Definition of Gambling

Just exactly what is gambling? Here is the definition according to my dictionary: gamble, 1. to play at any game of chance for stakes, 2. to stake or risk money or anything of value, on the outcome of something involving chance: gamble on the result of a race, 3. to lose or squander by betting.

The Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary adds, "to bet on an uncertain outcome."

The Three Elements of Gambling

The following three elements must be present for something to be defined as gambling…

  • A PAY-OFF
  • THE ELEMENT OF CHANCE
  • THE STAKE (the money or article of value) RISKED BY THE BETTOR


What Is And What Is Not Gambling?

WHAT GAMBLING IS NOT...

Giving of prizes is NOT gambling if you do not have to risk anything to get the prize. Insurance is not gambling. The purpose of insurance is to spread the liability and risk of accident, illness, injury or death around. Insurance does not create the risk. It is a universal risk that all people face. It is probably the most effective way of seeing that needs and expenses incurred, if such should happen, can be paid for. The Stock market is not gambling. Gambling is generally a win or lose proposition. If you buy a lottery ticket, you either win or lose. By putting money in the Stock Market you enable a Company to expand with the hope your investment will grow with the Company. What about Sweepstakes and contests such as, the Readers Digest, Publishers Clearing House or supermarket contests? While these activities are not strictly gambling, "many people get hooked on such gimmicks and the danger is that a false philosophy of financial gain is developed." (Gambling; Dr. Kober, p 3).

WHAT IS GAMBLING?

Gaming -- playing for money in any game of chance, such as slot machines, Roulette, bingo, craps, pay-off pinball machines, punch boards, dream books, chain letters, pyramid money games, poker, black-jack, etc.

Betting -- staking money on an event when the outcome is doubtful. Examples are, horse or dog racing, cock or dog fights, tennis, hockey, football, basketball, hockey, baseball, pool, etc. You can bet on just about anything.

Lotteries -- A lottery is the distribution of prizes by the drawing of lots. Most states run a variety of lotteries.

Sweepstakes and Raffles -- More than 50 countries around the world have sweepstakes, like the Irish Sweepstakes. Technically, a raffle is a lottery when each participant is buying a chance to win what everyone else looses. If you buy a ticket or two for a good cause, with the purpose of it being a donation to a worthy organization, I do not see any problem with that.

Pools -- A combination of betting and lotteries. The most popular is the check pool at work, though there are football pools, etc.

In summary, all the above are recognized as gambling because each clearly contains the three elements of gambling - 1) A payoff 2) The element of chance 3) The stake that is risked.

5 BIBLICAL REASONS TO REJECT GAMBLING
FIRST, GAMBLING PLACES FAITH IN THE WORLD.

God commands us to live a life of faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Proverbs 3:5-6 makes that clear. We are under God's providential care. When a person gambles, the focus is all together different. The focus shifts to LUCK, CHANCE & FORTUNE. A careful study of Isaiah 65:11-12a makes it clear that God abhorred that kind of behavior then and he abhors that kind of behavior now.

SECOND, GAMBLING IS STEALING

"The gains of the winners are paid at the expense of the losers. In winning, one receives the wages that another person has earned without giving anything in exchange." (Gambling, Kober; p.2 & 8). Just because it is robbery by consent does not make it right. Gambling is nothing more than sophisticated stealing. Ephesians 4:28 says "Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. "The late Dr. M. R. DeHann said, "Gambling is morally wrong, for its expressed purpose is to obtain material gain apart from honest, productive toil, and at the expense of one's neighbor! In fact, it is little more than refined stealing! One cannot truly love his neighbor as himself and still seek to practice such robbery by consent."

THIRD, GAMBLING IS BASED ON COVETOUSNESS

Gambling is an attempt to get something for nothing twisted by the willingness to take a risk. It is the desire to "get rich quick" without working for it. The desire to gamble is fueled by the love of money and we know "the love of money is the root of all [kinds of] evil" (I Timothy 6:10). Note the rest of the verse, "…which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced them-selves through with many sorrows."

We are warned about the "something for nothing" and the "get rich quick" craving in the Bible. Proverbs 10:4 says "He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich." Again Proverbs 28:20 & 22 says "A faithful [honest] man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent. He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him."

The excitement of the bet and a mind that visualizes winning is usually involved. A person bets on the premise he can beat the odds. Thus, it is often an attempted quick fix to your financial condition.

FOURTH, GAMBLING IS POOR STEWARDSHIP OF WHAT GOD HAS ENTRUSTED TO YOUR CARE

I Corinthians 4: 1-2 says, "Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. More-over it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful." I believe "to risk money haphazardly in gambling is to completely disregard the Biblical truth that our possessions are a trust for which we must someday give full account to God!" (M. R. DeHaan)

FIFTH, GAMBLING IS ADDICTIVE

I Corinthians 6:12 says "All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any." There is only one thing that is to be in control of the believer's life and that is THE HOLY SPIRIT (Ephesians 5:18). There is no doubt that gambling is addictive. It "gets in your blood". Edgar Allan Poe was a compulsive gambler and so was famous gambler, Nick the Greek (Nicholas Andrea Dandolos). He won as much as $50 million in a single night. By his account, he went from rags to riches and back again 73 times in his life. During his life time he won and lost more than $500 million. He died broke, on Christmas day in 1966.

Time will not permit me to go any further, but there are other problems with gambling. Here are just a few -- It increases crime, corrupts government, causes family problems, depresses legitimate business, increases welfare costs, produces human desperation and produces a wrong attitude toward work. We are to promote those things that strengthen families and morals not potentially destructive activates.

If you want more information, I suggest you write for the following;

What Payoff Can You Expect From Gambling?; Focus On The Family - Colorado Springs, CO 80995 - Item # FC067 - 1-800-A-Family - 25 brochures for a suggested donation of $5.00

Gambling: A Bad Bet by Norman L. Geisler and Thomas A. Howe; Published by Fleming H. Revell - Available through Focus On The Family - Colorado Springs, CO 80995 - Item # BP002 - Suggested Donation $8.00