Problem Gambling
It is astounding to consider how gambling has become so broad and deep in our culture. Non-profit gaming, state lotteries and casinos have grown considerably over recent decades. The prevalence of sports gambling is recent, sudden and overwhelming. All this, with recent reports of gross corruption in sports gambling, provides an occasion to consider what problem gambling is and how to prevent and recover from it. It is also worth considering whether gambling itself is a problem.
A working definition of gambling is essential: gambling is putting resources at risk of loss for the purpose of gain with no significant knowledge of or control over the outcome. Some consider gambling essentially immoral, others consider it only immoral if it is abused in some way and still others consider it simply foolish due to the sometimes-catastrophic outcomes.
For the Christian, all questions of morality are answered by applying the moral law to an issue. The moral law is rooted in creation and is valid as long as the creation endures. These creation ordinances are classically summarized in the ten commandments and masterfully elaborated in the Westminster Larger Catechism. See Q&A 140-142, including "wasteful gaming" in 142.
First, there are aspects of idolatry that are inherent in gambling. Lady Luck is an other god, greed is an idol and throwing the dice while calling on God for His blessing is taking His Name in vain. We take His Name in vain when we expect Him to bless us when we are not obeying a command and therefore have no promise of His blessing. “Throw the dice, God will make you win!” is eerily similar to the Devil’s command to Jesus, “Throw yourself from the Temple, God will preserve your life.”
Second, there are aspects of immorality inherent in gambling. God’s command is to earn wages not make wagers. “Six days you shall labor and do all your work.” “If you will not work, you will not eat.” God also commands prudent investment where you do have significant knowledge and control over the outcome. See the parable of the talents. Work to earn a wage and then make your money work for you. God also commands us to make money “the old-fashioned way”; that is, inherit it. Parents are commanded to save and invest for themselves and their children, to build wealth across the generations so that they can be a blessing to many in many ways and for a long time. Finally, tithes and alms are to be given from wages, not wagers. Offerings and gifts are to be given from accumulated wealth, not accumulated winnings.
Further, when you win at gambling, you benefit from an unjust exchange. You have taken something in exchange for nothing which is stealing. When you lose, you suffer from an unjust exchange; you’ve been taken. If you gamble with your tithes and offerings, it is idolatrous worship. If you gamble with your wages, savings or inheritance, it is an immoral misappropriation of funds. And consent does not justify the act. Dueling is murder in spite of the consent of the parties: “I will give you the opportunity to kill me if you give me the opportunity to kill you”. Gambling is stealing in spite of the consent of the parties: “I will give you the opportunity to steal from me if you give me the opportunity to steal from you”. Consent, even by adults, does not cover a multitude of sins.
“You shall not covet” is the commandment that reveals the motive in gambling. Coveting is desperately wanting what belongs to someone else and doing everything in your power to get it. Gamblers covet the assets of losers and desperately seek to take them without giving anything in exchange. Take the money out of gambling activities and there is little interest. Play poker with plastic chips only. Play bingo, pick a horse, spin a roulette wheel simply for the satisfaction of winning the game, and casino night will be crickets. Covetousness is what makes gambling exciting, satisfying, compelling and even addictive, but it is a lustful, evil pleasure.
Gambling is thus idolatrous and immoral, but it is also simply foolish. The essence of gambling is its unpredictability and to invest resources in totally random events is irrational. Averages can be predicted but individual events cannot. One gambling win does not affect the probability of the next wager. A writer on this subject says that gambling is a tax on non-mathematicians. The “gamblers fallacy” is that, if they are winning, they will continue to win and, if they are losing, their luck is about to turn. This is utter delusion. More importantly, those who host gambling activities set the probabilities in their favor. Sometimes criminally so as in recent news. That is, the house always wins in the end which means the gambler always loses in the end. The sad stories of bankrupt and ruined “winners” are too many to tell along with the obscene prosperity of the venues.
Problem Gambling Awareness Month (March is designated but pick a month, any month) has the foolishness of gambling in mind; namely, the tragic stories of gamblers losing paychecks, savings and inheritances. These losses inevitably impact relationships because of the consequent failure to provide for dependents and, very often, also stealing from family and friends. As with other addictions, jobs are lost, marriages are ruined and families are broken. The wages of sin – or the wagers of gambling - is, indeed, death. Fyodor Dostoyevsky did much of his writing to pay off gambling debts and his short story, The Gambler, is a confession of his terrifying, self-inflicted torture. Read it and weep and flee from gambling as you would flee from a man with a loaded gun aimed at your head.
Many gamblers cry out with St. Paul, “Who will set me free from this death!”. At the end of their temptations, gambling sites speed-talk a phone number for those with a gambling problem. This is clearly a counsel of despair. But Paul's answer is, “Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord”. Only the crucified Jesus can forgive your idolatry and immorality, and only the resurrected Christ can deliver you out of death into life, out of foolishness into wisdom and out of covetousness into contentment. Jesus says to all who are oppressed by their own sin and foolishness, “Come to Me and I will give you rest”. Go to Jesus in His church for His recovery from your gambling – and any other – problem. You will not be disappointed.
Pastor-Teacher Emeritus Kit Swartz RPC Oswego, NY oswegorpc@hotmail.com
