Question 1

What motivates most people to gamble?

Accepted Answer

Luke 12:15“Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”Gambling is often motivated by greed—always wanting more because we are never satisfied with what we have.Proverbs 10:4Lazy people are soon poor; hard workers get rich.Proverbs 13:4Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper.Proverbs 21:25-26Despite their desires, the lazy will come to ruin, for their hands refuse to work. Some people are always greedy for more, but the godly love to give!Gambling is often a form of laziness because it seems to be the easier than working.Judges 14:12-13Samson said to them, “Let me tell you a riddle. If you solve my riddle during these seven days of the celebration, I will give you thirty fine linen robes and thirty sets of festive clothing. But if you can’t solve it, then you must give me thirty fine linen robes and thirty sets of festive clothing.” “All right,” they agreed, “let’s hear your riddle.”Gambling is often done for the thrill of the moment, the high we feel from winning or besting our opponents.

Question 2

People cast lots in the Bible. Was that a form of gambling?

Accepted Answer

Leviticus 16:8“He is to cast sacred lots to determine which goat will be reserved as an offering to the Lord and which will carry the sins of the people to the wilderness.”Numbers 34:13Then Moses told the Israelites, “This territory is the homeland you are to divide among yourselves by sacred lot. The Lord has commanded that the land be divided among the nine and a half remaining tribes.”Acts 1:23-26So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. Then they all prayed, “O Lord, you know every heart. Show us which of these men you have chosen as an apostle to replace Judas in this ministry, for he has deserted us and gone where he belongs.” Then they cast lots, and Matthias was selected to become an apostle with the other eleven.Casting lots in the Bible was different from gambling in that it was a means of determining God’s will, not a means of making money. It was also a thoughtful, prayerful process. When a new apostle had to be chosen after Judas’s betrayal, the believers selected two men, prayed for God’s guidance in choosing between them, and then cast the lot. Throughout history, God has used many means to communicate his will for specific situations, but prayer is the one he calls us to rely on most (Ephesians 6:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18).

Question 3

What examples of gambling are in the Bible?

Accepted Answer

Matthew 27:35After they had nailed him to the cross, the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.The soldiers who crucified Jesus gambled to see who would get his clothes.

Question 4

What else should I know about gambling?

Accepted Answer

Proverbs 1:19Such is the fate of all who are greedy for money; it robs them of life.Proverbs 28:22Greedy people try to get rich quick but don’t realize they’re headed for poverty.Gambling is rooted in the hope of getting rich quick, but it often ends in poverty. Gambling almost always increases our debts, while careful saving reduces our debts. In gambling, we set ourselves up for a loss because the odds are against us. When we work hard and save, we set ourselves up for success.Jeremiah 17:11Like a partridge that hatches eggs she has not laid, so are those who get their wealth by unjust means. At midlife they will lose their riches; in the end, they will become poor old fools.Most lottery winners go broke within a few years. Gaining money outside of hard work does not produce the discipline needed to use it wisely.Proverbs 10:16The earnings of the godly enhance their lives, but evil people squander their money on sin.Gambling squanders the resources God has given us. Through hard work and careful habits, giving and saving enhances our lives.Matthew 16:26“And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?”Luke 16:13“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.”1 Timothy 6:9-10People who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.2 Peter 2:19They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you.The addiction of gambling and the greed it encourages are destructive. Addiction has the power to draw us away from God, take control of our lives, and totally consume us. Unchecked, it can lead us to gamble away our very soul.1 Thessalonians 4:11-12Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. Then people who are not believers will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others.Those who work for their money will be financially independent, but those who gamble often end up in financial ruin. God calls us to lives of honest work and responsibility, both for our own good and for the good of our witness to the world.