Gambling is to take a risk to gain the benefit of whatever is the desired outcome. Normally gambling is considered a game of "chance", meaning the outcome is unpredictable. When there is "risk" the gambler stands to either gain or to lose. The probability of winning or losing are called "odds". If a coin is flipped the odds are 1 out of 2 or 50% that you will win and the same odds that you were lose. Statistically, if you flip heads or tails 1000 times, you will outcomes of 500 heads and 500 tails. The only way to alter that outcome is by some part of inherent bias in the gambling process. It's possible to weight a coin to provide greater odds toward the desired outcome. We're all familiar with loaded dice which increases the odds of rolling a seven. That's built-in bias and is called "cheating". Whenever one gambles the gambler takes a risk of unfair odds or cheating!
"Cheating" is legal in the gambling world. The state allows an unfair advantage to the "house", the establishment which has to make a profit. Those stately buildings, luxurious furniture. lavish restaurants and olympic pools are paid for by "losers" who gamble. The winners, few that they are, take home their profits from gambling and don't pay for those grand facilities. Casino house odds range from 0% to 11.1% for craps games, 1.06% to 14.36% for Baccarat, and 2.7% to 5.26% for roulette; for examples. These odds (if greater than fair = 0%) insure that if you play long enough and often enough you too will become a "loser". I call gambling "stupid taxes" because the gambler is giving a portion of his income to another to when he's not forced to do so!
Outcomes in gambling are normally a result of "fate" with the exception of the house advantage. Fate is usually the odds of a mathematical outcome or can be in nature as well. The odds that you'll be struck by lightening can be calculated because there have been a history of occurrences. That history can be expressed as odds. It would take an even greater fool to bet that he/she will be struck by lightening in a lifetime! Likewise, gambling in the stock market is historical, can be charted, but neither is it guaranteed. The stock market also has a certain degree of "chance".
The extent of a gamble can be decided by how much "history" is known. If one steps up to throw the dice in theory if the previous 100 throws were known it would give the crap-shooter an edge. Likewise, if a black jack player "counts cards" it would give the player and edge. That's statistics. Most people can't or don't know the history of the game they are playing, hence it becomes strictly a game of chance. In the stock market charts and graphs are available to share historical performance. The performance of companies is based on world affairs, international trade, domestic policies, the desirability of the product, population demographics and so on. If the investor (gambler) studies these trends the desired outcome (profit) is biased toward himself. This is not cheating since the investor can't skew the outcome, but realizes the potential for desired outcomes. Hence, "playing the market" is low-risk gambling unless it's high-risk growth investments.
Gambling, strictly on chance, is foolish and the outcomes are most often negative. The gambler loses! The stock market, if played by an amateur, is likewise foolish. That's why we pay financial services to gamble for us. Financiers can actually bias the market in the favor of the investor by large volume investments. They also have the computer tools and history to determine outcomes, so "chance" is diminished and pragmatism determines the outcome. Hence, a good investor is a gambler, but a low risk one! Since the stock market has performed in the past, it's a positive key that growth will continue to occur and rather than the stock market being strictly a gamble, it becomes an investment! It moves on the scale from foolishness to wisdom based on the growth an investor selects. (We seldom get something for nothing.) A wise investor expects small, but near certain growth, thus turning static equity into reasonable profits.
You should always look to the Bible for guidance. Is gambling addressed scripturally?
Here's what I would like the Bible to say "Thou shalt not gamble." However, it doesn't say that. Neither does the Bible say "Thou shalt not take heroin". The absence of a direct command doesn't make it right. We do have the command Exodus 23:19b "Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk." Few of us today would even consider milking a goat, killing the offspring of the goat, then boiling the "kid" in it's mother's milk." However, it's there for a reason! It's a lesson on respect for God's creation (the animal kingdom) and for God! We show respect to the animals because God wants us to respect what he's given us! My point is that whenever we consider a human action that action or behavior must be respectful to God's will! Because "gambling" is not specifically mentioned as being a sin, doesn't make it sin free!
The Bible specifically mentions "casting lots" numerous times. Two things were incidental to casting lots: 1) God's will was desired, not a gain in wealth and 2) It was not "chance" which provided the outcome, but the Will of God! Gambling on the other hand is determined by pure mathematics (fate) and with the thought of gain in mind! God's will is not just a matter of mathematical outcome, but God has a "bias" in favor of what he wants! God is omnipotent. He decides the outcome and that outcome is always what he desires for us, not what we desire, our "pleasure" so to speak.
An example of casting lots is:
Nehemiah 10:34 "And we cast the lots among the priests, the Levites, and the people, for the wood offering, to bring it into the house of our God, after the houses of our fathers, at times appointed year by year, to burn upon the altar of the Lord our God, as it is written in the law:"
You can see in the above example that the "casting of lots" was not by definition gambling! It was to decide who was responsible for helping in the work of honoring the Lord! It was strictly a fair method of determining the work of the different classes of people. The end result was to magnify! Not themselves, but God only!
Before the prophets in seeking God's wisdom, the priests would turn to the urim and thummim which were letters on their breastplate. God would somehow light up or signify his will through their use. There was no gambling associated to their use, but divine guidance only!
Ezra 2:63 "And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and with Thummim."
Why then do I consider gambling a scriptural no-no? It has to do with respect! There was one particular instance in the scripture where the unsaved (non-Christians) cast lots:
John 19:23 "Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.24 They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did."
Scene: Jesus, the only Son of God, dying in my place!
Props: The clothing Jesus our Lord was wearing at his death.
Setting: Pagan soldiers gambling to divided the clothing of the one who died for me.
Plot: An innocent man dying for my sins. Sinful men gambling in disrespect.
Outcome: Personal gain for the pagan at the expense of our Messiah.
The only occasion of modern gambling in the Bible was that the undeserving by a game of chance made unearned personal gain at the expense of the innocent and in disrespect to Jesus! This is just as the "seething a kid in its mother's milk" commandment, is one of paramount disrespect.
Those soldiers were being paid to crucify our Lord. Their earned income was already paid, but they sought spoils; something that was not their own! They didn't deserve what they had not worked for! Each soldier turned to "fate" to get reward. Their concern was not for the death of an innocent man, but for their own personal gain. What is man's biggest problem?
1 Timothy 6:10a "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after..."
The clothing are material things. It's wealth! Wealth and the love of that wealth (money) is the root of all evil! By gambling for the Lord's clothing, the soldiers were sinning. It was evil to gamble because of their attitude! What was the attitude of those gambling? Desire for wealth! To win. Maybe even exhilaration at having won... more exciting because it was the clothing of a famous man!
When one man wins another loses. Money isn't created by gambling. If you're taking the money of another person's that person loses what they had and you proceed to take it! Your personal gain is at the expense of anothers loss, to say it another way. (We are to love our neighbor, not take what's his).
Contemporary gamblers are of three types: 1) A few wealthy who really don't need the riches, but enjoy the sport of gambling, 2) The loser who is trying to have that one lucky break in life to succeed, or 3) am occasional gambler who knows he'll lose, but hopes for the best. Most gamblers are losers! They have a history of losing and have a false hope on succeeding on the misfortune of others. Unfortunately, they are usually the "unfortunate"!
In the case of Jesus, who was the loser? Jesus lost his attire, but he no longer had any use for them! Those who won the lot were the real losers. They won clothing prone to decay, but lost their chance at salvation! When a person has that "love of money" they may win the prize, but lose their soul! They have the liberty to gamble, but it's not expedient! There are consequences to every action. (Many high stakes lottery winners have been known to become destitute and even die prematurely. That money they craved didn't create happiness, it bestowed obstacles to joy)!
Anything which disrespects Jesus is a sin! Instead of worshiping and sharing in the joy of Jesus, most gamblers are looking for that "high" they achieve when they win a few pitiful dollars. Money which will do no good where they're destined! I repeat: Wealth is a roadblock to joy. Joy can only be achieved with one sentence "Well done, good and faithful servant"! (Matthew 25:23). Is the gambler and one who lives for gambling "good and faithful"? I venture to say that their priorities are totally at odds with God's will!
We know what can happen to a lottery winner. It can be that the person suffers immensely because of the new wealth or it can be that the winner is prudent and pragmatic. However, others abuse the wealth of the winner.
What can happen to a loser; one who gambles frequently and comes up short?
1) Addiction. (Seeking unfulfilled joy).
2) Inability to have self-control (a sin in itself)
3) Living with false hope.
4) No thrill in perfunctory activities.
5) Loss of self-worth (worth defined by gain)
6) Loss of job, family and friends.
7) Marital problems and divorce.
8) Feelings of desperation. (Not even God can help).
9) Bankruptcy and debts.
10) Living with danger. (Creditors hounding you from all sides).
11) False friendships.
12) Inability to separate fact from fancy.
13) Inability to worship and commune with God!
I've seen this in action! Addicted gamblers are concerned with one thing: self-pleasure and excitement. God has little place in the lives of addicted gamblers, but God is the cure!
Nothing is too hard for God. With repentance and faith all things become possible! That takes commitment. If a gambler says "Gambling is a disease." they are already defeated! Gambling is a curable behavior! The "cure" is already available. All a person has to do is call the pharmacist (God) and ask for it! The "blood of Jesus" has already provided the cure. You're only called to allow him the infuse you with the spirit that saves you! It will take will-power and self-control. There are consequences for sin and a struggle with Satan is the consequence. Satan will tell you that you can't do it. The Holy Spirit will provide the armor so that sin can be defeated. Put on the full armor of God!
How does one become an addicted gambler? They gamble that first time. They gamble a little more. They win some and loses many. They seek to even the score. They look for that big winner! If one has never gambled he is never at risk of becoming addicted. If one never gambles there is no chance that he/she will disrespect God by gambling. Did you ever consider this: Because of a gambler's disrespect of the desires of God, the gambler's propensity for addiction is greater!" Prove me wrong!
"Pleasure" is the desire of the flesh. Satan rules the world of pleasure. Joy is God's domain! God wins the battle in the end! We're all choosing sides now. Which side do you chose? (Remember that there is no fence-straddling. He would rather you be hot or cold as lukewarm). "As for me and my house, we choose God!"
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