POPULAR films and television shows have often
portrayed gambling—especially at casinos—as the
pastime of the beautiful, wealthy, and sophisticated.
Of course, viewers generally realize that these
portrayals are mere fiction or fantasy.
In the real world, though, lottery tickets, sports
betting, and online gambling compete with casinos for
the gambler’s attention. Gambling is “almost a
universal vice whose appeal has spread like a
brushfire,” says the book Internet Gambling. Poker,
for example, is now featured as a mainstream sport
on television and the Internet. According to one
newspaper, experts estimate that in the United
States, the number of poker players doubled during a
recent 18-month period.
Gambling has been described as wagering money
on an uncertain outcome. Many people reason that as
long as the money belongs to the gambler and he
does not become addicted, there is nothing wrong
with gambling. In fact, the New Catholic Encyclopedia
says that gambling “is not considered sinful except
when the indulgence in it is inconsistent with duty.”
However, no Scriptural passages are cited to support
that conclusion. How, then, should a Christian view
this matter? Does the Bible condone or condemn
gambling?
It must be noted that the Holy Scriptures do not
directly mention gambling. This does not mean,
however, that we are left with no direction on the
matter. Instead of issuing rules governing every
activity or situation, the Bible urges us to “go on
perceiving what the will of Jehovah is.” ( Ephesians
5:17 ) The Greek word translated “perceiving,”
according to Bible scholar E. W. Bullinger, denotes
bringing together the features of a subject by means
of “mental activity, knowledge acquired by reflection
and consideration.” A Christian can thus perceive
God’s will in this matter by bringing together and
reflecting on Bible principles that relate to gambling.
As you read the scriptures cited in the following
discussion, you might ask yourself: ‘Does gambling
harmonize with this scripture? What does God’s Word
indicate as to his will in this matter?’
The Lure of Luck
Since gambling involves betting on uncertainties,
belief in luck—a mysterious force that supposedly
controls random events—plays a large role, especially
when money is wagered. For example, auspicious
numbers are chosen for lottery tickets; the uttering
of certain words is forbidden among superstitious
mah-jongg players; and a puff of air is blown over
dice before they are thrown. Why? Gamblers often
believe that luck will, or at least might, influence the
outcome.
Is it merely a harmless game to put one’s trust in
luck? Some people in ancient Israel felt that way.
They believed that luck could bring them prosperity.
How did Jehovah God feel about the matter? Through
his prophet Isaiah, God told them: “You men are
those leaving Jehovah, those forgetting my holy
mountain, those setting in order a table for the god
of Good Luck and those filling up mixed wine for the
god of Destiny.” ( Isaiah 65:11 ) In God’s eyes, belief
in luck is a form of idolatry and is not compatible
with true worship. It reflects trust in an imaginary
force rather than in the true God. There is no reason
to believe that God has changed his view.
How the Prizes Are Won
Whether wagering online, purchasing a lottery
ticket, placing a sports bet, or gaming in a casino,
gamblers often overlook the source of the prize they
are vying to win. Gambling differs from a legitimate
transaction or purchase in that the player wants to
win money that other players lose. * “For every
millionaire that is created from lottery winnings,”
states Canada’s Centre for Addiction and Mental
Health, “there are millions of others who have lost
their money!” What Bible principles can help a
Christian to understand God’s feelings about this?
The last of the Ten Commandments given to Israel
stated: “You must not desire your fellowman’s wife,
nor his slave man nor his slave girl nor his bull nor
his ass nor anything that belongs to your
fellowman.” (Exodus 20:17 ) Desiring a fellow man’s
things—his material possessions, wealth, and money—
was a serious sin, listed along with desiring his wife.
Centuries later, the apostle Paul repeated this
command for Christians: “You must not
covet.” ( Romans 7:7 ) Might a Christian who seeks to
win what another person loses be guilty of
covetousness?
“Whether they [most gamblers] admit it or not,”
writes columnist J. Phillip Vogel, “before the action
gets going they secretly dream of turning whatever
stake they have—even if it’s only a few dollars—
into a windfall.” Such gamblers dream of making it
big or striking it rich in one easy stroke. This
obviously is contrary to the Bible’s counsel that a
Christian should “do hard work, doing with his hands
what is good work, that he may have something to
distribute to someone in need.” ( Ephesians 4:28 ) And
the apostle Paul specifically stated: “If anyone does
not want to work, neither let him eat.” He added:
“They should eat food they themselves
earn.” (2 Thessalonians 3:10, 12 ) But might gambling
be considered legitimate work?
Although gambling can be an intense game, any
money awarded has been won, not earned or
obtained as a return for work done or services
rendered. In gambling, money is wagered against the
odds, with the outcome highly dependent on chance,
and it is based on the hope that sooner or later
things will turn out well. In short, a gambler seeks to
get something for nothing. True Christians, on the
other hand, are admonished to earn money by honest
work. “With a man there is nothing better than that
he should eat and indeed drink and cause his soul to
see good because of his hard work,” wrote wise King
Solomon. Then he added: “This is from the hand of
the true God.” ( Ecclesiastes 2:24 ) Yes, servants of
God do not build their hope on fantasy or search for
shortcuts but look to God for happiness and
blessings.
“A Snare” to Be Avoided
Even if a player should beat the odds and win, he
would do well to consider not just the momentary
excitement of winning but the long-term effects of
gambling. “An inheritance is being got by greed at
first,” says Proverbs 20:21 , “but its own future will
not be blessed.” Many lottery winners and other
gamblers have learned, to their regret or sorrow,
that the riches they won did not bring them
happiness. How much better it is to heed the Bible’s
counsel not to rest our hope on “uncertain riches,
but on God, who furnishes us all things richly for our
enjoyment.”— 1 Timothy 6:17 .
There is a much more sinister side to gambling
besides winning and losing. “Those who are
determined to be rich fall into temptation and a snare
and many senseless and hurtful desires, which plunge
men into destruction and ruin,” says God’s Word.
(1 Timothy 6:9 ) A snare is designed to entangle a
victim. Countless numbers of people, determined to
wager only a small amount of money or to try their
hand at gambling just a few times, have become
entangled and unable to escape gambling addiction. It
has destroyed careers, hurt loved ones, and ruined
families.
Having considered the many scriptures related to
the subject of gambling, do you perceive what God’s
will is in the matter? The apostle Paul urged his fellow
Christians: “Quit being fashioned after this system of
things, but be transformed by making your mind over,
that you may prove to yourselves the good and
acceptable and perfect will of God.” ( Romans 12:2 )
God’s will, not popular sentiment, should guide a
Christian’s life. As “the happy God,” Jehovah
wants us to enjoy life, free of the bitter fruitage that
results from the snare that gambling is.— 1 Timothy
1:11 .
[Footnote]
The October 8, 2000, issue of Awake!, pages 25 to
27, published by Jehovah’s Witnesses, explained
how investment in the stock market differs from
gambling.
[Blurb on page 14]
Servants of God earn money by honest work
[Box on page 13]
The Excitement of Winning
Is gambling habit-forming, easily leading to
addiction? Following a study of gamblers’ responses
to winning and losing, Dr. Hans Breiter noted that “a
monetary reward in a gambling-like experiment
produces brain activation very similar to that
observed in a cocaine addict receiving an infusion of
cocaine.”
[Picture on page 13]
Whose money are gamblers hoping to win?

This is quite a long post. I b'liv dat d bible frowns at gambling since it is termed a vice, and scriptural evidences abound dat support the answer. [quote author=Emy2gbasky]
“almost a
universal vice whose appeal has spread like a bushfire''...
“You men are
those leaving Jehovah, those forgetting my holy
mountain, those setting in order a table for the god
of Good Luck and those filling up mixed wine for the
god of Destiny.” ( Isaiah 65:11 )... “You must not desire your fellowman’s wife,
nor his slave man nor his slave girl nor his bull nor
his ass nor anything that belongs to your
fellowman.” (Exodus 20:17 )....

If the bible condemns gambling, why did the aposles, when replacing Judas Iscariot, 'cast lots' and this they did after praying (Acts 1:23-26)?

Wats the difference between tithing and gambling?