It is a common thing to see advertising for a variety of gambling options on TV, on billboards, and online. They have been some exceptionally witty and amusing ads put together to entice people to take a chance on the lottery. Scratch tickets and dropping numbered balls are not for everyone, so maybe a game of bingo might appeal. There are even church groups that conduct bingos. The bright lights and piercing chimes of a casino catch the fancy of some. There have even been government-operated casinos popping
up throughout Ontario with a host of games to entertain. Not interested in the lottery, bingo, or casino games? You can legally bet on the outcome of sporting events through the gaming commissions that regulate lotteries and casinos. No bookie required. If you want to gamble, but don’t want to leave the house, you can do so! You can participate in all the above via the internet.
To say that people are obsessed with gambling is an understatement. In the 2018-19 annual report from OLG (Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation), we’re told “…OLG and its Land-based Gaming Service Providers contributed more than $5.0 billion in economic activity in the Province of Ontario.” 1 Just under half of that amount ($2.47 billion) are profits which the government then directs to various provincial programs. The government has found a “fun way” to tax those who are willing to participate. The OLG devotes a fraction of their proceeds to “Responsible Gambling” programs and counseling services to help people who are betting away their life savings and pay cheques. How evil is that?! If our government were genuinely concerned about these folks, it would outlaw gambling. The problem is there’s too much money to be made in gambling to stop it.
Forget about the potential of winning, the likelihood of loss, the government programs funded, etc.. There is a more basic question which the Christian should be concerned about. Is gambling sinful? Sadly, some do not exercise self-control when gambling, and as a result, hurt themselves and their family. Without a doubt, this lack of self-control is sinful. Paul acknowledged we are able to do all kinds of things but cautioned that we should “not be brought under the power” of anything (1 Corinthians 6:12). It doesn’t matter what it is, if we are under the control of something (a bottle, nicotine, drugs, food, etc.), it is sinful. The same is true of gambling. For some folks, gambling is sinful on the basis that they will become or already are addicted to it. But one might reason, “I’ll be able to control myself,’ or ‘I know my limits,’ but why would you want to give an open door to temptation?
Many will justify gambling because it is associated with charity. Not too far from us, you can find the 1,000 Island Charity Casino. Well, that’s good, isn’t it? You can support charity and have fun at the same time. If I were to stand at the front door of the casino and ask folks why they are there, I doubt I would hear anyone say they came to make a charitable donation. That is what the loser says the next day if someone at work asks how it went. No one buys a Lotto649 ticket to give to charity. Those who make such a claim not only have an issue with gambling but also with lying. People don’t go to bingo, the casino, or a lottery kiosk to make charitable donations.
Folks gamble, be it a slot machine, bingo, the racetrack, whatever it is, to obtain an exponential increase on their money. Now, that, in and of itself, is not sinful. An investor will buy stocks or commodities anticipating an increase in value. Some of these markets are very risky. If one enters these volatile markets, it is necessary to do adequate analysis beforehand. To just jump into the market without proper investigation is not vastly different from buying a ticket for this weekend’s Super Max draw. One is not a good steward of the blessings of God if he is willing to exchange it for a chance to win based on the roll of a dice or drop of a ball. Recall how upset the master was with the servant who buried the money placed in his hand (Matthew 25:24-30). This man, though identified as lazy and wicked, was more responsible than one who will lose money on a game of chance.
No one entering the arena of gambling does so with a desire for someone else to win his money. A desire to win is inherent in gambling. The gambler doesn’t want another to walk away with his money; he wants to walk away with the other person’s money. Can we reconcile that with the Christian character? Paul said that we should look out for the interests of others and not be selfish (Philippians 2:3-4). Can it be said of the one who exclaims, “BINGO!” that his concern is for others and not himself? If the slot machine pours out a bunch of coins into your bucket, realize that you just pocketed the losses of 100s of people who sat there before you. Would you exploit others to your own benefit? It is despicable to do so. We have laws against such in the business world – but in the gambling world, it is acceptable for the winner to profit, not from the failure of one or two, but the masses.
The gambler hopes for everyone else to fail. How do we reconcile that with the Bible? Paul said that he did not seek his own profit, “but the profit of many” (1 Corinthians 10:33). Can we gather up our winnings from the table and in the next breath, with a good conscience invite those who will go home empty-handed to church?
“I like games,” one might say. Do you like the games more than the souls of men? Do you like the games more than your own soul? There is nothing wrong with the games – it’s the wager, the bet. You can play poker or bingo or blackjack for fun and for free. Leave the money out of it. Don’t gamble.
1 about.olg.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/OLG-Annual-Report-2018-19_EN.pdf
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