Reasons Why Gambling Is Immoral

 

Irresponsible gambling, on the other hand, in which the gambler loses property essential for living, or money that doesn’t belong to him, is immoral and should be stopped at all costs. Instead of arguing over whether or not gambling should be legalized, I think the government should spend more time on thinking which venues it should issue a license to. The money is taxed just as much whether you gamble or not. Gambling will not decrease government tax income at all. The reason why it's illegal is because it's fucks up society. It exploits people's addictive and irrational behavior. It's illegal for much the same reason that drugs are illegal. First of all, gambling is immoral. Secondly, although many people are able to demonstrate restraint and control (both relative to what the gambler sets out to risk or win), many others are unable to do so, losing large sums of money, which often leads to scarred lives and families.

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In my culture, the somewhat money-orientated Chinese culture, gambling is nothing but daily entertainment, something to occupy yourselves with over a cup of tea or some rice wine with friends, a must-do during family get-togethers on Chinese New Year, or a fun activity you see going on under a tree in a random park. That is our version of gambling, or Majhong, as we call it. However, in recent years, as the western world invaded Asia, more and more “casinos” or “pachinko slots” have started mushrooming all over the country, and you often hear news of people fighting, even resorting to murder, over conflicts of money lost over gambling.

It brings us to think hard about the morality of gambling. Sure, it is the personal freedom of an individual to choose whether he or she wants to gamble or not, but should the government issue licenses to these gambling venues? From my point of view, gambling is not immoral, as long as it does not become addictive.

First of all, gambling venues are built on vast pieces of land that, normally, construction companies would never lay eyes on. It could bring large sums of tax to the government, which could use it for other purposes and construct useful facilities without having to ask citizens for more tax.

Also, since these venues make a large amount of profit already, there would be less problems when it comes to asking them to pay tax, unlike lots of other businesses that often find loopholes to sneak out of tax paying. Second of all, if you come to think of it, gambling is just another type of entertainment, which keeps people minds off their work or stress for a while, and may actually reduce the number of people committing crimes on the streets because they have nothing else better to do.

That is, as long as the gamblers don’t get hot in their heads and cause conflict. Thirdly, as we can clearly see from gambling paradises such as Las Vegas, or the aspiring Macau, these gambling venues can actually promote tourism and stimulate the local economy! Some people travel half way across the world to enjoy a night in one of these casinos, and under well control so as not to affect local citizen’s lives, it is no doubt a one-way ticket to making the city a prosperous, thriving tourist hot-spot. Responsible gambling is nothing but harmless fun.

Irresponsible gambling, on the other hand, in which the gambler loses property essential for living, or money that doesn’t belong to him, is immoral and should be stopped at all costs. Instead of arguing over whether or not gambling should be legalized, I think the government should spend more time on thinking which venues it should issue a license to. These casinos are merely another sort of business, where businessmen make money, and consumers willingly come to spend money. For the above three reasons, I believe that gambling is not that much of a vice then most people think it is.

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One of the most trusted men in America once expressed the way he saw the danger of gambling to our nation. In the program, 'The Dice are Loaded,' Walter Cronkite indicated that the collapse of moral resistance against gambling is among the worst things that could happen in the United States. Cronkite argued that he believed it is the destruction of 'who we are as Americans.' [1]

Those words came to mind this week when I read the news stories about the Eastern Band of Cherokee officially breaking ground for their second casino near Murphy, North Carolina.

The new casino will be hailed as Harrah's Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel. It will have all the bells and whistles of a full-fledged Las Vegas style casino, featuring hundreds of slot machines and dozens of table games.

Gambling continues to threaten to swallow up the Tar Heel state. Its proponents are constantly pushing North Carolina lawmakers to loosen its resistance to the industry. The first casino in Cherokee opened in November of 1997, largely forced upon the state by the federal courts. Then in 2005, North Carolina enacted a state-operated lottery. In 2011, Governor Beverly Perdue amended the compact with the Cherokee to allow for Class III gaming (Las Vegas style) and add two more casinos on reservation lands. All the while, the state has been back and forth with Video Poker and Sweepstakes Parlors, eventually deciding to outlaw them. But the push never stops for more, more, more…to bring back Sweepstakes and now to strike a new compact with the Catawba Indians for another casino in Kings Mountain.

Some will say, 'Well, I don't see what the big deal is as long as you gamble in moderation – as long as you don't waste your living its harmless entertainment. Besides you can't demonstrate one passage in the entire Bible that says, 'Thou shalt not play at the roulette table.' And you know what? They are absolutely correct. But neither can you demonstrate a single passage in Scripture that says, 'Thou shalt not look at pornography.' Nevertheless, the Bible often discusses the sin of lust and admonishes people not to do anything that would facilitate that pernicious desire. In like manner, the Bible also talks frequently about the sin of covetousness – an inordinate desire for money, property, or something that belongs to someone else. Now anyone not making the connection between lust and pornography is not likely to make the connection between covetousness and gambling, but that is what gambling is – greed, avarice, an inordinate desire for something for nothing, the desire to take something from my neighbor without due compensation, the get rich quick scam.

Albert Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, has written:

Why Gambling Is Wrong

'The Bible is clear on this issue. The entire enterprise of gambling is opposed to the moral worldview revealed in God's Word. The basic impulse behind gambling is greed – a basic sin that is the father of many other evils. Scripture repeatedly addresses greed, covetousness, avarice as a sin against God, and often with graphic warning of the destruction that is greed's result. The burning desire for earthly riches leads to frustration and spiritual death.' [2]

The Bible says, 'People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.' (I Timothy 6:9-10).

But facilitation of the spirit of greed is only one aspect of the insidious practice of gaming. There are others such as the way it violates Jesus' command to love one's neighbor. Gambling is predicated on the losses and the pain of my neighbor. Moreover, the ramifications of gaming for many of my neighbors can be profoundly negative. Families touched with gambling addictions are at great risk for serious problems such as divorce, bankruptcy, domestic violence, crime, suicide, child abuse, etc.

Jesus commanded, 'Love your neighbor as yourself' (Mark 12:31).

Gambling also preys on the most vulnerable among us, especially the poor. Palash Ghous in the International Business Times has rightly contended, 'Playing the lottery is practically a religion among poor people in the United States. It is yet another corrosive addiction that preys upon the greed and hopeless dreams of those trapped in poverty.' [3] Indeed it does. And it is nothing less than immoral when the state via state-sponsored gambling puts this stumbling block in the way of its own citizens. The Scripture commands us to watch out for the poor and issues strong warnings against preying upon their plight.

The prophet Isaiah admonished, 'The Lord takes his place in court and stands to judge the people. The Lord presents his case against the older leaders and other leaders of his people: 'You have burned the vineyard. Your houses are full of what you took from the poor. What gives you the right to crush my people and grind the faces of the poor into the dirt?' The Lord all powerful says this.' (Isaiah 3:13-15).

There are still other reasons why gambling is sinful activity. God commands that we work – that we be industrious. Gambling portends something for nothing. It undermines the work ethic, making little of the virtue of hard work and diligence.

The writer of Proverbs writes,'Those who work their land will have plenty of food, but the one who chases empty dreams is not wise' (Proverbs 12:11).

Reasons

Gambling is bad stewardship, the throwing of money to chance, completely unlike the calculated risks that may come with certain business investments. It can be the worst use of one's necessary resources with an almost certain negative return – one that also supports a predatory and exploitive industry.

Jesus taught in the parable of the talents that we are accountable to God for the way we invest the resources of life He gives us (Matthew 25:14-30).

Yet, perhaps the most egregious aspect of gambling is its supplanting of faith in an Almighty God with faith in the so-called Almighty Dollar. The Bible teaches God is our great provider and we must be content with His provision. When we engage in the practice of gaming we're showing a lack of faith in Him and even dissatisfaction with the material blessings His providence has allocated.

Reasons Why Gambling Is Immoral People

The writer of Hebrews argues, 'Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be satisfied with what you have. God has said, 'I will never leave you; I will never forget you.'
(Hebrews 13:5).

Why Gambling Is Immoral

Jesus asked, 'What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?' (Mark 8:36). May I suggest there is no greater reason for the renewal of a strong moral opposition to gambling in our churches and the culture at large? Because it is evil to the core, it begets more evil and more…and more…and more… until the individual…until our very culture in which we live…loses its own soul…until we lose exactly what Walter Cronkite said we could lose…who we are as good and decent Americans.

Dr. Mark Creech is executive director of the Raleigh-based Christian Action League of North Carolina, Inc. He also serves as president of the American Council on Alcohol Problems.