Some people see gambling as an innocent diversion, while others view it as a dangerous vice.

Is there anything wrong with gambling?

WHAT SOME PEOPLE MIGHT SAY

Many people view gambling as harmless fun, as long as it is practiced legally. Some forms of legalized gambling, such as government-sponsored lotteries, generate revenue for programs that benefit the public.

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS

The Bible makes no significant mention of gambling. Yet, it does offer a number of guiding principles that reveal how God feels about gambling.

The basic nature of gambling​—winning money at the expense of others—​is at odds with the Bible’s warning to guard against every sort of greed. Gambling is, in fact, fueled by greed. Gaming institutions advertise big jackpots, while downplaying the poor odds of winning, because they know that dreams of wealth prompt players to wager large amounts at the casinos. Rather than helping a person guard against greed, gambling promotes the desire for easy money.

Gambling is based on an inherently selfish goal: winning money that other players have lost. However, the Bible encourages a person to keep seeking, not his own advantage, but that of the other person.And one of the Ten Commandments states: “You must not desire . . . anything that belongs to your fellow man.When a gambler sets his heart on winning, he is, in essence, hoping that others will lose their money in order for him to profit.

The Bible also cautions against viewing luck as a mystic force that might bestow blessings. In ancient Israel, there were some who lacked faith in God and began “setting a table for the god of Good Luck.” Was such devotion to “the god of Good Luck” acceptable to God? No, he said to them: “You kept doing what was bad in my eyes, and you chose what displeased me.

True, in some parts of the world, funds from legalized gambling are used to pay for education, economic development, and other public programs. But the use of those funds does not change how they were obtained​—through activities that openly encourage greed and selfishness and that promote the idea of getting something for nothing.

What negative effects can gambling have on the player?

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS

The Bible warns that those who are determined to get rich will be tempted and trapped and caught up in many foolish and harmful desires which lead people to destruction and ruin. The game is rooted in greed, and greed is so caustic that the Bible lists greed as one of the behaviors to be avoided.

By focusing on simple riches, the game encourages the love of money, which the Bible calls "the root of all kinds of harmful things." The thirst for money can easily become an overwhelming influence on a person's life, causing intense fear and undermining belief in God. Figuratively speaking, the Bible describes those associated with the love of money as stabbed with great pain.

Greed rages discontent and leaves people unhappy with their financial situation and robs them of happiness. The lover of money will never be satisfied with money, nor will the lover of wealth with income.

Millions of people interested in gambling have become involved in malicious gambling addiction. The problem is estimated to be widespread among millions of gambling addicts in the world over

As the saying goes, An inheritance previously obtained through greed will not ultimately be a blessing.Gambling problems have led drug addicts to go into debt or even go bankrupt, many of which cost jobs, marriage, and friendship. Applying the guiding principles of the Bible can help a person avoid the negative effects of gambling on life and happiness.

Those who are determined to get rich are tempted and trapped and many stupid and harmful desires that lead people to destruction and ruin.