Is Gambling a Sin?

Gambling can be defined as placing a wager on an event or game in order to win money or a prize. Although some can become addicted to it, many experience gambling as a fun, exciting, stress-relieving, and rewarding activity. 

For the purposes of this article, we’re not going to focus on gambling addiction but rather on whether the scriptures classify the act of gambling as a sin. Our CasinoTopsOnline experts did some research and found that the act of gambling isn’t identified as a sin in the Bible. 

However, the love of making money, having money, and get-rich-quick money schemes are warned against. Continue reading to explore more. 

What Is a Sin

To fully understand whether gambling is a sin, we must first explore what makes something a sin. The most obvious answer is doing something against God’s will or immoral. For example, the Ten Commandments say,’ Thou shall not steal.’ This means we’re not allowed to steal or take something that doesn’t belong to us. Doing this will be a sin. 

Additionally, the Bible also refers to sin as something a person does that they know is wrong or immoral. For instance, if you’re about to do something and have that funny feeling in your gut that tells you not to do it, you do it anyway. That would also be a sin. However, we have our personal set of morals. Something that could be a sin to you wouldn’t be a sin for someone else. 

Other Biblical Directions

Now, the Bible doesn’t call out gambling or placing bets to be a sin. However, it does give us some principles to guide us. For instance, the Bible does refer to Jesus saying that we can’t serve two masters.

It continues by saying that we must either love the one and hate the other or despise the one and only be devoted to the other. It clearly states that we can’t love God and money. We must choose which one we want to serve. 

Additionally, the Bible warns believers against quick rich schemes or our compulsion to become rich quickly. It states that those who fall victim to these schemes will become trapped and foolish and plunge into destruction and ruin. 

The Bible clearly states that the root of all evil begins with the love of or desire for money. Those that have become obsessed with it have wandered from the faith, and their griefs will pierce them harshly. 

Take Away

We can gather that the scripture doesn’t refer directly to gambling as a sin. It also doesn’t refer indirectly to gambling as a sin. The Bible does state that the love of money and becoming its servant is a sin. 

One could argue that it becomes a sin once you’ve crossed the line into gambling addiction. People addicted to gambling (becoming money’s servants) beg, borrow, and steal to serve their gambling addiction, thereby committing more sin. We can conclude that it’s not sinful if you gamble for fun and entertainment. 

Suppose you’ve borrowed money to gamble, hidden your gambling activities, committed (or considered) an illegal act to get money to gamble, or gambled for extended periods (missing going to work). In that case, we highly recommend you speak immediately to a professional as you may have a gambling addiction.