Is gambling a sin?

[Armour of God]

Is gambling a sin?

 

[MatthewG]

Hello there,

From co-pilot;

Short answer: No — gambling is not listed as a sin in the Bible. But the heart posture behind it can become sinful depending on what’s driving it.

Let me break it down cleanly so you can use this in conversation without getting trapped in religious guilt‑logic.

1. The Bible never says “gambling is a sin.”​

There is no verse that says:

• “Thou shalt not gamble”
• “Gambling is sinful”
• “Games of chance are forbidden”

It’s simply not there.

People infer it from other principles, but the act itself is never condemned.

2. What can become sinful is the motive​

Scripture warns about:

• greed
• covetousness
• trusting money instead of God
• addiction / lack of self‑control

If gambling is driven by:

• desperation
• greed
• trying to “get rich quick”
• or it becomes controlling

…then the heart posture is the issue, not the game itself.

3. The Bible actually shows people casting lots​

Casting lots = random chance. And it’s used repeatedly:

• Joshua dividing land
• Priests chosen by lot
• Jonah identified by lot
• Matthias chosen by lot in Acts 1

If “chance” itself were sinful, God wouldn’t use it.

4. The real question is: who are you trusting?​

This ties directly into what you said earlier:

“Sin has been taken care of. I either worship myself or worship God.”

Exactly.

If gambling becomes:

• a replacement for trust in God
• a source of identity
• a way to escape responsibility

…then it becomes a worship issue, not a “sin list” issue.

5. A simple, biblical way to say it​

Gambling isn’t inherently sinful. But idolatry, greed, and addiction are.

So the question isn’t “Is gambling a sin?” The question is:

Does this pull my heart away from God or not?

 

[SavedInHim]

Is gambling a sin?

Why do you ask?

 

[Armour of God]

Hello there,

From co-pilot;

Short answer: No — gambling is not listed as a sin in the Bible. But the heart posture behind it can become sinful depending on what’s driving it.

Let me break it down cleanly so you can use this in conversation without getting trapped in religious guilt‑logic.

1. The Bible never says “gambling is a sin.”​

There is no verse that says:

• “Thou shalt not gamble”
• “Gambling is sinful”
• “Games of chance are forbidden”

It’s simply not there.

People infer it from other principles, but the act itself is never condemned.

2. What can become sinful is the motive​

Scripture warns about:

• greed
• covetousness
• trusting money instead of God
• addiction / lack of self‑control

If gambling is driven by:

• desperation
• greed
• trying to “get rich quick”
• or it becomes controlling

…then the heart posture is the issue, not the game itself.

3. The Bible actually shows people casting lots​

Casting lots = random chance. And it’s used repeatedly:

• Joshua dividing land
• Priests chosen by lot
• Jonah identified by lot
• Matthias chosen by lot in Acts 1

If “chance” itself were sinful, God wouldn’t use it.

4. The real question is: who are you trusting?​

This ties directly into what you said earlier:


Exactly.

If gambling becomes:

• a replacement for trust in God
• a source of identity
• a way to escape responsibility

…then it becomes a worship issue, not a “sin list” issue.

5. A simple, biblical way to say it​

Gambling isn’t inherently sinful. But idolatry, greed, and addiction are.

So the question isn’t “Is gambling a sin?” The question is:

Does this pull my heart away from God or not?

Yea I pretty much had the same thoughts.
Moderation is the key.

 

[Armour of God]

Why do you ask?

To see how people respond

 

[Pearl]

I don't believe it's a sin as such, but it's not a good thing for Christians to get caught up in. It can be addictive and destroy relationships so best steer clear.

 

[lforrest]

I would consider gambling to be "dishonest gain," as contrasted against "honest work." There are a few proverbs on that subject, words to the wise rather than outright prohibition.

 

[Armour of God]

I don't believe it's a sin as such, but it's not a good thing for Christians to get caught up in. It can be addictive and destroy relationships so best steer clear.

It can be addictive and destroy people's lives. The same can be said with alcohol. But in moderation is find no scripture that tells us it's sinful

 

[Lambano]

Is gambling a sin?

You wanna bet on it?

 

[Lambano]

The stock market? CDs? Mutual funds? Life insurance? You bet your sweet gluteus maximus it's gambling!

 

[Anchorite]

I do no need AI to tell me if something is a sin. Gambling is sinful because it is trusting in the idol of luck to gain money that you did not work for. Gambling is trusting in fortune or chance instead of God. It can also be addictive, destroying lives and families.

 

[Lambano]

NOT gambling is a sin:

25 'And I was afraid, so I went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you still have what is yours.’ 26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned, I would have received it back with interest. (Parable of the Talents, Matthew 25:14-30)

(I always wonder what happened to the fourth servant, the one who invested his master's three talents in Enron stock and lost the whole bundle. Supposedly one of the apocryphal books includes him in the parable, but I haven't found it.)

 

[Jericho]

They used to cast lots in the bible, which is a form of gambling. So, like drinking, it's not something that is expressly prohibited. Getting into overindulgence though could certainly lead to sin. Some people avoid them altogether because it's easy to fall into excess.

 

[Anchorite]

NOT gambling is a sin:

25 'And I was afraid, so I went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you still have what is yours.’ 26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned, I would have received it back with interest. (Parable of the Talents, Matthew 25:14-30)

(I always wonder what happened to the fourth servant, the one who invested his master's three talents in Enron stock and lost the whole bundle. Supposedly one of the apocryphal books includes him in the parable, but I haven't found it.)

Investing money is not gambling. You are funding a company and expect a good return.

If you call investing a form of gambling, just because you are unsure of the result, everything could be called gambling: church attendance, witnessing, marriage, going shopping, attending college, driving a car, eating food, etc.

 

[Anchorite]

They used to cast lots in the bible, which is a form of gambling. So, like drinking, it's not something that is expressly prohibited. Getting into overindulgence though could certainly lead to sin. Some people avoid them altogether because it's easy to fall into excess.

Casting lots is not gambling. It is a form of chance operations for making a decision.

 

[Armour of God]

We need to define terms here



So by definition, casting lots and investing money is a form of gambling

 

[NotTheRock]

I do no need AI to tell me if something is a sin. Gambling is sinful because it is trusting in the idol of luck to gain money that you did not work for. Gambling is trusting in fortune or chance instead of God. It can also be addictive, destroying lives and families.

I threw in $15 for a World Cup pool. Will Jesus torture me forever for that?

 

[NotTheRock]

Casting lots is not gambling. It is a form of chance operations for making a decision.

How about putting money into a 401K that invests in the stock market, which is also a form of gambling. Do you consider that to be contrary to the will of God too? Lol!

 

[MatthewG]

Yea I pretty much had


Yea I pretty much had the same thoughts.
Moderation is the key.

Yeah it's all about the heart. That's all God is ever looking at.

 

[NotTheRock]

Yeah it's all about the heart. That's all God is ever looking at.

I think that's true. What do you believe happens to a devout Hindu at death? I'm inclined to believe that "Godly" Hindus meet Jesus, want to follow him, and enter the Kingdom. What do you think?