Theology Thursday: How should Christians think about gambling?

Welcome to Theology Thursday! Theology is the study of God, his relation to the world, and our relation to him. I hope these newsletters help enhance your faith and deepen your love for God and his people, the church.

Today's question:
How should Christians think about gambling?

Pastor Brady's thoughts:
Look for a Bible verse that prohibits you from downloading an app on your phone and putting $15 on the Cubs to win this weekend’s series against the Dodgers, and you won’t find one. It’s true, scripture doesn’t explicitly bar Christians from sports betting or playing the slots at the boat in East Peoria or wagering on blackjack during a trip to Las Vegas. Yet it sure seems like gambling is a real problem with real dangers, made even more prevalent due to the ease of betting apps. How should Christians think about this? Is it ok sometimes, or should we avoid it altogether? 

These types of questions regarding behavior and social activity (i.e. clubbing/dancing, drinking alcohol, getting a tattoo or body piercing, smoking marijuana, etc.) can be put into one of four categories: 

1) Things the Bible explicitly permits; 2) things the Bible explicitly prohibits; 3) things the Bible does not prohibit but to which it prescribes caution or contextual discernment (different answers depending on when, where, and how); 4) things the Bible does not mention, and for which we have to use our best judgment given the other commands of scripture.

While the Bible does not mention gambling specifically, it does talk a ton about the wise stewardship of money and the financial and spiritual risks of seeking wealth. Therefore, I think we can put gambling in category number three: things the Bible does not prohibit but to which it prescribes caution or contextual discernment (different answers depending on when, where, and how). Regardless, scripture invites us to go deeper than just “Well, does it say I can do it or not?” It asks us to examine not just what is permissible, but what is forming in our hearts. 

For several decades, at least, gambling has been big business in the United States. With the developments in technology and the legalization of remote betting in recent years, it has exploded. Consumers are estimated to have lost about $57 billion gambling in 2020. In 2025, it was about $122 billion. And yes, almost everyone loses. A recent study of 700,000 regular gamblers found that 96% lost money, and about 30% of online sports bettors have gone into debt to fund their habit. 

Consider the following passages regarding godly approaches to handling money: 

In 1st Timothy 6:10, we are reminded that “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” Notice the emphasis: money itself is not evil, but the love of it is - that subtle pull that begins to shape our desires and decisions until it becomes an idol; it controls us, instead of us controlling it. This is exactly the space in which gambling thrives. It trains us to crave gain without labor, reward without patience, and profit without purpose. What begins as a small bet can quickly become a habit of the heart, where the outcome of a game matters less than the possibility of winning more.

Proverbs 13:11 adds another layer: “Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.” That’s the ESV. The NIV calls it “dishonest money.” Either way, the wisdom is clear: faithful stewardship is steady, disciplined, and often slow. Gambling, by contrast, is built on the illusion of sudden gain. It promises what it cannot sustain. Even when someone wins, the pattern it reinforces is not one of careful stewardship, but of risk and impulse. Over time, that pattern erodes both resources and character.

The writer of Hebrews 13:5 speaks directly to the posture of contentment: “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have.” Gambling aggressively undermines this command. It shouts that what we have is not enough—that we need just a little more, one more win, one better outcome, one more hit of dopamine. Contentment is replaced with restlessness and gratitude gives way to dissatisfaction. And in that shift, our trust in God’s provision begins to weaken, even if we do not notice it at first.
 
Paul’s words in 1st Corinthians 6:12 are especially pertinent here: ““I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I will not be mastered by anything.”” This is where many believers find themselves with gambling. It may not seem inherently sinful at first glance, but the deeper question is whether it is beneficial—and whether it has begun to master us. Online betting and many casino games are designed to be addictive - they are run by businesses that exist to make money, not to provide you with supplemental income. They are engineered to keep us coming back, to blur the line between choice and compulsion. What we once controlled can, in only a short time, begin to control us.

Finally, Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:24 offer clarity: “You cannot serve both God and money.” Gambling places us in tension between these two masters. It may not feel like idol worship, but anything that captures our attention, our hope, and our emotional investment begins to take on that role. When our mood rises and falls with a bet, when our thoughts are occupied with odds and outcomes, we are no longer fully free to serve God with an undivided heart.

If gambling has become an idol in your life, it is sinful. If it hasn’t, it may not be sinful, but it certainly isn’t wise or beneficial. You aren’t smarter than the sportsbooks and the creators of these games. As they say in every Vegas movie, “The house always wins.” This is usually true in the short term, and it is always true in the long run.

As an aside, gambling is different from long-term investing in economic markets with proven track records and diversified portfolios. The former says "You might hit it big, quick! But actually, you'll almost definitely lose." The latter says "You will almost certainly build wealth, slowly, and without the high risk of low odds games." Mutual funds stocks are an investment, craps tables are gamble.
 
I don’t write this to shame anyone, but to offer wisdom. If regular, habitual gambling is something you give your time and money to, I invite you to step back and think about how deeply it is shaping you. The concern isn’t just financial loss - that though is no small thing - but spiritual drift. It is the gradual reorientation of the heart away from trust in God, contentment with what he’s given you, and faithful stewardship of your income.

God’s way is better. It is slower, but steadier and far more secure. It calls us to handle what we have with care, to find joy in what he has already provided, and to resist the pull of shortcuts that promise much but deliver little. In a world that constantly prompts us to risk it all for the chance of more, scripture gently leads us back to a better path: one of faithfulness, freedom, and peace.

TO KNOW GOD AND TO MAKE HIM KNOWN!
- Pastor Brady

Have a question for Theology Thursday? Send an email to office@minierchristian.org and we'll respond, or we'll include in a future Theology Thursday Buffet.