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The Bible And What It Says About Gambling

Today, you'll hear many religious types harking on how gambling is a mortal sin. They claim that the activity will cause the moral bankruptcy of society. Yet, if we take a closer look at the Bible, we can see very little in the way of guidance or even information about how we should deal with gambling activities. Also, there's no mention of the moral and ethical issues surrounding casino games as well as other forms of betting with real money. It's up to the player's individual interpretation.

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What Does the Bible Say About Gambling

If you take a hard look at many modern casino games you’ll see that the origins go back some centuries. In fact, gambling, on the whole, dates back as far back as 3000 BCE. So we can safely say that gambling and gambling games have always been part of the human condition. Today, thanks to online casinos like 22Bet Casino, and mobile casino apps, it’s easier than ever to gamble at any time and from anywhere. However, the industry has always been vilified by mainstream media. There is a lot of stigma surrounding gambling and betting. Often this comes down to a question of morality. Those of you who believe in a sky fairy will often turn to the Bible for guidance and advice when facing a moral quandary. The question here is: is it morally acceptable to gamble online with real money?

What Does It Say in the Bible About Gambling?

If you go through the Bible looking for references to gambling you will find very few. There are some passages that reference people gambling in both the New and Old Testaments. Yet there are no bible verses which either encourage or forbid gambling. Nevertheless, as you can imagine, there are many who interpret the Bible as they wish. As such, they like to use the Holy Text to justify either imposing limits or completely banning all gambling activities. Some of these people tend to be rather loud when broadcasting their own idea of what stereotypical gambling behaviour is.

Is It a Sin to Gamble?

Not really. Of course, everything comes down to the way you interpret the words in the Bible and the Scriptures. A good example is that, though God doesn’t mention gambling specifically, we do know that the love of money is a sin. So if you’re going out gambling simply for the love of money, then you are sinning according to the Bible. On a related issue, you find that many gamblers are very superstitious. As such, they employ all sorts of lucky charms and what might be considered pagan symbols. This is another sin.

But the general takeaway is gambling is not a sin in itself. Yet you need to avoid other sinful pitfalls that are related to gambling and casino games.

Types of Gambling

When talking about whether gambling is a sin, it’s important we understand what activities fall under the definition of gambling. Broadly speaking, it could be said that this is engaging in any form of betting. There’s a risk to betting a sum of money and trying and gain a larger prize. In today’s world of casinos and online gambling, you’ll find there are really two main types of gambling. One of these is games of chance. The other are games of skill. Games that require skill allude to the fact that the player can influence the result. Games of chance rely completely on luck.

Skill Games

Many seasoned gamblers prefer to play games which involve skill. This includes such activities as real money jackpot poker and blackjack. Sports bettors tend to regard their betting as requiring skill. Experienced players prefer activities which require skill because, by learning strategies, you can increase your jackpot winning chances. Essentially, the more a player can practice, the higher their possible returns in real money.

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Games of Chance

When playing games of chance there is no way a player can influence the outcome. No matter what strategies they might use. All results are completely random and will remain so regardless of who is playing or how much experience they have. Some players claim that there’s no need to practise in these games or have any strategies in place. Simply because none of these will affect the eventual result. As a matter of course, you’ll find that most strategies used in games of chance are based on logical fallacies. Which is the same argument that could be made about basing anything on what the Bible says.

A huge variety of casino games fall under the heading of games of chance. These include such staples as jackpot slots and roulette games. Then we have such things as Keno and many types of lotteries. These also include many online casino games which can be found at 22Bet Casino. They all offer a great chance to win the jackpot online.

References to Gambling in the Bible

As far as we can tell, the Bible doesn’t rule out the possibility of gambling being a sin. You’ll find over 40 different references of people drawing lots, which we assume is a type of game of chance and there for gambling.

Proverbs 13:11

This proverb states that any wealth that is gained too quickly, will dwindle to another equally quickly. But the Bible also says that if wealth was gained steadily over time, it will last longer. You will find many opponents of gambling who quote these proverbs, as gambling is seen as a way to make a quick buck. It goes without saying that such things as progressive jackpots and real money slots, as well as lotteries, fall under this description.

Conversely, it could be said that many veteran and professional gamblers work tirelessly over the years to master that craft. You’ll find that professional players are able to make huge fortunes over many years by using their skills at high-level tournaments.

Proverbs 16:33

Here we’ll find a rare example of people gambling. Even though these games require no skill, the Bible takes an attitude that the outcome is not random. That’s because everything that happens is considered to be God’s will. “The lot is cast into the lap, but it’s every decision is from the Lord.” As such, the answer implies that it is God who decides the outcome. But applying this theory to the whole of gambling leads to even bigger questions. The most basic of these is; are you really gambling if there are no random outcomes? We guess this is a deeply theological question. In practice, you will still have no control over the events, whether the hand of God plays a part or not.

Luke 23:34

The Gospel of Luke doesn’t seem to take kindly to gamblers. When Jesus was crucified, he begged God to forgive the people. He said they did not know what they were doing. In the meantime, his possessions were being divided up. In order to facilitate this, the people were casting lots. With such terrible timing to talk about gambling, it’s not surprising that many believers do not consider gambling should be seen as an enjoyable activity. Unfortunately Luke tells us nothing about the people who work costing lots. Also, the Bible makes no judgement on them.

Joshua 18:10

Interesting enough, you can find a positive example of gambling in the Bible. When Joshua was trying to divide his lands evenly between the people of Israel he decided that the first way to do this was by casting lots. Everyone agrees to this and after Joshua has divided up the land, the implication is that the outcome was fair. The Bible has many examples where God’s will is decided through gambling. So in many ways, it could be argued that if gambling is done for the right reasons, then it’s OK.

Conclusion: The Bible And Gambling

In spite of the naysayers, the popular belief is that the Bible does not condemn gambling. If you are a believer and a gambler, then you need to decide for yourself how to interpret the scriptures. As non-believers who have looked through the Bible, we can see nothing that appears to be calling gambling a sin. But it’s quite possible that you may interpret the scriptures differently.