In 2009, I ministered in a Vietnamese church in Australia. While attending the church-wide camp, I introduced the youth to a card game that was played with a regular deck of playing cards. A couple hours after we finished playing the pastor pulled me aside and asked that I not play cards with the youth ever again because in Vietnam, playing cards are associated with gambling and gambling is a sin. This got me thinking as to whether or not gambling is a sin and whether Christians are allowed to gamble.
The Bible does not speak directly toward the issue of gambling. However, Scripture is clear that Christians should be wise stewards with their money, which may affect whether or not Christians should gamble.
Be a Wise Steward of All That God Gives You, Including Money (Matt 25:14–30)
There are many passages to which we could go to show that Christians are to wise stewards of their money. One of the best, however, is Matthew 25:14–30, the parable of the talents. Matthew 25:14–30 is part of Jesus’ eschatological discourse that begins in 24:1 and ends in 25:46. Whereas the previous passage (the parable of the ten young women) was about being ready for Jesus’ return, the parable of the talents is about being active and faithful during Jesus’ delay. The man who goes on a journey is Jesus (v 14a). The servants who are entrusted with the money (the talents) are Jesus’ disciples (v 14b). The servants who are wise stewards of the money and make a profit are commended and enter into their master’s joy (vv 21, 23). However, the one who was not a wise steward of the money given to him did not make a profit while his master was gone is called “wicked” (v 26) and is cast into the outer darkness (v 30).
The point of the parable is to be faithful with what Jesus gives you and asks of you while he is away. Christians are to be wise stewards of all that Jesus has given us: our time, our possessions, our influence, our intellect, and, yes, our money. To be a wise steward of all that Jesus has given us is an aspect of being a faithful disciple of Jesus. So, is gambling your money using it wisely? Let’s look at some other Bible passages and principles to find out.
Give to Support Christians and the Work of God
There is no passage that mandates Christians give to the church or the work of God. The passages in the Old Testament that mandate giving are for those under the Sinai Covenant. Since Christians are not under the Sinai Covenant, but are under the New Covenant, we are not beholden to those commands. However, Scripture is replete with passages that encourage Christians to give to give to other Christians, give to the work of God, and state the blessings of giving. Let’s briefly look at two passages.
3 John 5–8
“Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God. For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.”
3 JOHN 5–8, emphasis added
The first passage is 3 John 8. Missionary brothers have arrived and John encourages Gaius and the church to continue supporting the missionaries and to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God (vv 5–8). In verse 8, John says this timeless truth: “Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth” (3 John 8). Not every Christian has to be a missionary. However, we can be “fellow workers for the truth” if we support missionaries with money and resources. Scripture is clear that supporting missionaries is a wise use of the Christian’s money.
2 Corinthians 9:10–11
“He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.”
2 CORINTHIANS 9:10–11
The second passage is 2 Corinthians 9:10–11. In 2 Corinthians 9, the apostle Paul urges the Corinthians to fulfil their promise to the Jerusalem church in giving a monetary gift to help them during their hard times. Toward the end of the chapter, Paul speaks about the blessing of being generous and giving to help others in 9:10–11. In verses 10–11, Paul gives a timeless promise that God will enrich his people for the purpose of being generous. Thus, Christians should seek to be generous with their money and resources.
Gambling does not partner with workers for the truth and does not assist Christians in their need.
Take Care of Your Family
Taking care of one’s family is assumed throughout Scripture, so there are not many explicit passages treating this topic. Two good passages on this topic, however, are 1 Timothy 3:4–5 and Ephesians 5:25.
1 Timothy 3:4–5
“He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?”
1 TIMOTHY 3:4–5
1 Timothy 3:4–5 states that an overseer in the church “must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?” Although not all Christians are overseers, all Christians are supposed to emulate their overseers. As such, all Christians should manage their households well. Managing one’s household entails lots of elements. A few of these elements are providing food, shelter, and clothing for one’s family, which entails making and spending money wisely. A priority for all Christians is to ensure they are providing for their family. Thus, parents must provide for their children and adult children must provide for their aging parents.
Ephesians 5:25
“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”
EPHESIANS 5:25
Another passage that speaks toward taking care of one’s family is Ephesians 5:25, which tells husbands to “love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” Christ sacrificed himself for his bride, the church, and Christian husbands must do the same. This entails making and wisely spending money to ensure one’s wife is housed, clothed, and well nourished. For a more thorough treatment of Ephesians 5:22–33, see my article on what marriage is and its purpose.
Gambling unnecessarily risks the money earned that should be used to take care of one’s family, for their well-being and betterment.
Do Not Love Money
Scripture is very clear that Christians should beware the love of money. Jesus says to those who are citizens of the Kingdom of God,
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also . . . . No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
MATTHEW 6:19–24, emphasis added
Jesus’ warning against the love of money is clear and serious. Not only should Christians be focused on the Kingdom of God, but the love of money rivals one’s love for God. And if one loves money more than God, that person cannot be Jesus’ disciple (see Luke 14:25–33).
This raises the question of why a person might gamble? Are you gambling for the purpose of enriching yourself and storing up treasure on earth? Are you not able to spend your gambling time storing up treasures in heaven? Depending on one’s motives and time spent gambling, it may be that the gambler loves money more than God and, thus, is not a disciple of Jesus.
Create a Budget that Includes ‘Fun Money’
With the above being said about being good stewards of one’s money and resources, supporting Christians and the work of God, taking care of one’s family, and avoiding the love of money, is it possible to gamble and it not be a sin?
Wise Christians have a budget and ensure that they are spending their money wisely, supporting the church, the work of God, taking care of their family, paying bills, saving for future expenses, etc. However, an aspect of many budgets is ‘fun money.’ Fun money is money intentionally set aside for a person to have fun and enjoy God’s creation and the things people make and produce that make life enjoyable and better. The purpose of fun money is to do those enjoyable things in life without spending all one’s money or going overboard. For example, some use their fun money to go to the movies, to eat out at restaurants, to purchase books (for fun reading, not work), to go on a holiday, to get a manicure and pedicure, to splurge on a nice piece of clothing (sometimes you have to save your fun money to purchase the more expensive things). So, I question whether or not Christians can use their designated fun money for gambling and it not be a sin?
I think it is possible to gamble and it not be a sin. For example, I believe putting $20 of fun money into the pot of a home poker game with family and friends where there is food, fellowship, and fun, is a better use of that $20 than going to the movie theatre with those same family and friends and not speaking or looking at them for two hours. The home poker game can last for hours and can strengthen familial and friendship bonds and allow for genuine fellowship; I do not believe watching movies can do that.
However, I do not believe Christians should spend any money online gambling, casino gambling, or on pokies because these forms of gambling are set up for the gambler to lose; thus, the Christian is not spending his money well and is not being a wise steward of his money. Further, I do not believe Christians should bet on sports because of the risk and because it does not strengthen bonds between Christians. Finally, formal gambling (the things just mentioned in this paragraph) is highly addictive and Christians should flee temptation.
Summary and Concluding Remarks
Although the Bible does not explicitly speak toward gambling, it does state that Christians should be wise stewards of the money that God gives them. The Bible also says that Christians should prioritize the spending of one’s money on taking care of one’s family, supporting other Christians, and supporting the work of God. Finally, Scripture warns Christians to beware the love of money since it can rival one’s love for God.
The above principles suggest that Christians should not gamble because it is a waste of money, detracts from spending money on the things Christians are supposed to spend it on, and invites the temptation to love money more than God. However, a person can spend their money in all the above mentioned areas and still save a small portion to enjoy God’s creation and the things people (who are God’s creation) create. A scenario where a home poker game with a small buy in (such as $20) does not seem to be sin because a budget is created ensuring most of the Christian’s money is spend on the important things first and because a home poker game can be conducive to fellowship and can strengthen the bonds between family and friends.