Is gambling a sin?

Personal Questions - VBVM Staff - July 15, 2010

Is gambling (whether online or in a casino setting) sinful or immoral?

The Bible is silent on many practices of daily life, because life is filled with an infinite variety of circumstances. Nevertheless, the Bible does present principles for living righteously, so that we can make reasonable inferences and trust the Holy Spirit to guide us in specific circumstances.

The topic of gambling is an example of one such activity that must be addressed on principle. The Bible is silent on whether gambling is wrong. At times, the Bible shows ungodly men participating in gambling (e.g., Roman soldiers casting lots for Jesus' clothing in Matt 27:35). On the other hand, the Bible also shows times when godly people relied on an ancient form of gambling to discern God's will concerning a decision (e.g., when the Apostles cast lots or dice to determine who should replace Judas in Acts 1:26).

So, the simplest answer to your question is that the Bible never explicitly states that gambling is a sin, and therefore we must conclude that a Christian has liberty with regard to this practice. A Christian might attend a friendly poker game with friends, where real money was used and the stakes were relatively modest. A Christian might also go to a local resort and spend money playing slot machines for entertainment. A Christian might even travel to Las Vegas and participate in a blackjack tournament for large winnings. All these activities are amora (i.e., not sinful) in and of themselves.

But the chief principle we must consider is the one Paul summarizes in 1Cor 10:23:

All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify.

In other words, is gambling a profitable activity for a Christian?

In many cases - perhaps in the majority of cases - the answer would be no. While the simple past time of playing a card game is not immoral or sinful, these activities do not exist in a vacuum. They are part of an environment and culture that brings with it many other potential sins. For example, most casino gambling encourages - even depends upon - a love of money, and the Bible clearly teaches that the love of money is the root of all sorts of evil (1Tim 6:10). When a Christian gambles, is he pursuing a love of money and thus sinning?

Secondly, casinos often feature various ungodly displays or undress that tempt men and women into lust and debauchery. Some casinos include an established practice of prostitution and some are associated with organized crime. Even in more innocent settings like the neighborhood poker game, gambling can be accompanied by excessive alcohol use, course language, gossip, and many other kinds of ungodly behavior.

Our participation in gambling may not be sinful in itself, but we must carefully consider the full scope of our participation before deciding if our participation will be free from sin. Can we be sure that we won't be tempted to fall into a love of money? Can we sure we won't engage in other forms of sinful behavior due to the influence of the setting or people around us? Can we be certain that our participation isn't lending our financial support directly to institutions that promote ungodliness as a part of their business? And what of our Christian witness to others in the faith who know of our gambling as Christians?

While gambling may not be sinful by itself, it brings with it many potential pitfalls that do not edify the believer, and therefore we strongly recommend every believer give much thought and prayer before engaging in any gambling activity, including playing lotteries or participating in friendly poker games with the buddies. These activities are not sin by themselves, but they often bring sin into our lives in other ways, and gambling must be approached with great caution if we are to avoid falling into sin.