Can Christians gamble? This question concerns whether it is (a) permissible for (b) followers of Christ to (c) place a financial stake (d) in games of chance for (e) the purpose of financial gain.
The question is a moral one. It is to be distinguished, obviously, from issues of physical or intellectual capability. We are, of course, not asking about whether Christians are physically capable of placing a bet or intellectually capable of making decisions as to whether to make a bet. It is to be distinguished, more subtly but crucially, from issues of policy.
We can think of Biblical principles as defining a set of boundaries. These boundaries come together to define a permissible area of play – much like the boundaries surrounding a playground. We transgress and sin when we step beyond those boundaries.
The question of whether Christians can gamble is then a question of whether there exists some permissible area of play. And if a stand is to be taken that Christians cannot gamble, then the permissible area of play is to be shown to be precisely nil.
Biblical Principles on Gambling
The Bible does not directly address the issue of gambling, even as gambling existed during Biblical times. Gambling existed in ancient Egypt, and included an ancient form of roulette. Gambling existed in ancient Rome, among which were games of dice. In Scripture, we find gambling occurring when the guards cast lots to divide up Jesus’s clothing as He was crucified (Mark 15:24).
Attitude towards Money
Even as the Bible does not address gambling directly, it has much to say about what an appropriate attitude towards money should be. Much of these are applicable with regard to gambling.
1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Colossians 3:5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.
Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
Scripture makes abundantly clear that there should be no place for the love of money or greed. Any endeavour undertaken out of such motivations, including gambling, is clearly out of place.
General Tendencies Surrounding Wealth Accumulation
The Bible also has much to say about general tendencies surrounding the accumulation of wealth.
1 Timothy 6:9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
Proverbs 21:5b … haste leads to poverty.
Many unfortunate stories demonstrate the general truth of these verses – stories of loan sharks harassing gamblers who have fallen deep into debt, stories of families falling apart because of financial woes brought about by gambling addiction, and stories of suicide because of the financial ruin wrought by severe gambling losses. In less extreme cases, stories of diminished bank accounts, frayed relationships, anxiety and other mental health issues.
Avoid Stumbling Others
A Christian’s actions goes beyond individualistic considerations. Scripture exhorts Christians to be mindful of stumbling a brother or sister. The same applies to any endeavour as it applies to gambling, if gambling is permissible.
Romans 14:13b Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.
1 Corinthians 8:9 Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak.
Christian Liberty and Gambling
Can Christians, in exercising their liberty, legitimately gamble?
Is there room for a Christian to stake money in games of chance for financial gain in a way that (i) does not involve greed, (ii) does not lead him to foolishness and ruin, (iii) does not stumble other Christians and does not run afoul of other Biblical considerations?
Once there was a Christian named Christian who took his family for a cruise vacation. Among the onboard entertainment facilities, there was a video arcade, a wine bar, and a swimming pool. Then there was a casino. Through the digital billboards near the dining area, passengers were informed that they were entitled to free jackpot credits which they could claim in the casino. These credits could not be withdrawn as cash. But any jackpot winnings resulting from the use of these credits could.
Christian then reasoned as follows:
- It was rational to seek financial gain, as that would provide additional funds for the family to enjoy the cruise vacation
- Not utilising the jackpot credits would mean forfeiting them entirely, while utilizing them meant the possibility of financial gain
- Limiting maximum losses to the credits provided would make one no worse off in any case
- He would impose a trailing stop as soon as he made financial gains. Odds that favoured the house meant that all winnings would otherwise be returned through the Law of Large Numbers
- Because Covid regulations were in place, mask wearing was mandatory. This made it difficult for anyone to recognize who anyone else was
With that, he proceeded to the casino to gamble by playing the jackpot, setting his mind that he should not put in any additional funds should he lose all his credits. After losing a few rounds initially, he struck a mini jackpot. Even as the machine counted off his cash winnings and celebratory music blared, he set his mind that if he should lose half his winnings as measured from the high watermark, that he should cash out and quit. A few more small wins came and went. But then, the tide turned against him and he began losing round after round. But as soon as he lost half his winnings, he cashed out and quit in a near mechanical fashion.
In juxtaposing this case study based on real life against Biblical principles, there is no reasonable cause to claim that this Christian had gone out of bounds:
- In reasoning as he did, and in acting with such a degree of self-control, he was not ruled by greed. Someone who is greedy is driven by impulse. He would find himself losing all sense of reason and self-control.
- His actions would not lead to foolishness and ruin. If the same could be repeated a thousand times, it is likely that he would make some financial gains in a small proportion of these and lose all his credits in the majority of others. That is, the expected gain is positive and the worst case is equal to not gambling at all, making it less than shrewd to not gamble.
- The concern of stumbling other weak-willed Christians was irrelevant, as there was nobody there who would recognize him as a Christian. This was made all the more difficult by mandatory mask wearing.
Is it Permissible for Christians to Gamble?
Gambling is generally discouraged among Christians and viewed in a bad light, even as there are differing views concerning its permissibility.
The proliferation of gambling in many forms – lotteries, online gambling, sports betting, social gambling which typically settles around a game of cards such as poker or mahjong – makes the question of whether it is (a) permissible for (b) Christians to (c) place a financial stake (d) in games of chance which may involve a combination of luck and skill for (e) the purpose of financial gain all the more pertinent.
An examination of the observed consequences of gambling, human tendency to give in to greed and impulse, and the play area circumscribed by Biblical principles give rise to an image of a small foothold atop a steep cliff with sharp rocks all round. Given the generally limited benefits of gambling in relation to the terribly severe negative consequences, the general Christian atmosphere of discouraging such activities is reasonable and even obligatory.
Even so, we must distinguish policy from permissibility. One may consistently hold that it is a sound policy for Christians to avoid gambling entirely, even as one holds that it is morally permissible for Christians to gamble under a very narrow set of circumstances.
The issue of a Christian approach towards gambling is best placed within the larger context of Christian financial stewardship. If you know of someone struggling with financial issues or otherwise interested in learning more about Christian financial stewardship, The Financial Machine provides readers with an approach that is both theologically robust and practically effective.