God and Gambling

Poker is the rage of the day. ESPN showcases poker as sport! During this past Christmas season, poker sets were one of the hottest holiday items. (I am sure that the glamorization in ESPN had something to do with it.) But what does God say about gambling? People have ruined their lives by gambling. I have heard of a family whose father was a prominent physician, but after his death, the family discovered that they sat on a huge gambling debt, instead of secure financial future. He had squandered his hard-earn money at AC (Atlantic City). The slippery slope starts somewhere. God obviously would not be happy to gambling ruin people's lives. But what about friends playing poker for fun? Is that gambling? Many people are playing poker as Christian fellowship. As it has taken a form of fellowship, the voice of concern has increased also. What does the Bible say about such activities? Is poker an acceptable, healthy form of Christian fellowship, or does the Bible forbid it categorically? I want to address this issue under three sub-topics: 1. What does the Bible say about gambling? 2. Poker as fellowship, 3. Guidelines What does the Bible say about gambling? The Webster's New World Dictionary defines gambling as "to play games of chance for money." Gambling is a form of making money (or some form of gain). It involves chance-taking. Almost every kind of business venture takes some chance-taking. However, in what we call gambling such as in casinos, or internet, we know that gambling means a different kind of chance-taking. It is not something necessary in accomplishing something productive, but merely taking someone else's money through luck (or skill you may say). The gambling we are talking about adds no value in the process. The Bible does not say anything directly about gambling. The word gambling does not appear in the Bible. Nevertheless, we can gain necessary principles from the Bible. The Bible for example forbids usury. It criminalized taking interest for loans. In our modern society, with stock markets and inflation, taking no interest would be impossible. Still, taking exorbitant interest would be considered sinful. It is making money without productive work. God expects honest work for honest pay. Making money with no work is dishonest, and therefore sinful. Gambling falls into this category. Gambling is a vice. There are no buts and ifs about it. If the ultimate goal of playing poker is to make money, it is vice. It is evil. It inculcates an attitude of money-making without honest, productive work. What about poker as fellowship? The question is not "is gambling an acceptable form of fellowship?" We have already decided that gambling-attempt to make money without honest work-is sinful. All forms of gambling, whether casinos, racing, sports, etc. must be renounced. The question at stake is "is playing poker among friends gambling?" Let me illustrate. We play bowling for dinner or ice cream, but we don't think we are gambling. Inherently we feel there is a difference from sitting at a poker table at AC. What is the difference? Why do we feel playing for ice cream or dinner is fine, while playing at AC is not. The difference is that the dinner is not the goal. It is a tool for fun. The real object of the game is the fun, and the dinner at the end only makes the competition more fun. Even if we lose and have to pay for dinner, we would still have fun. Then, can the same thing apply to poker? Can we play poker for fellowship with money only as a fun incentive, not the main object of the game? I think this is where the line must be drawn sharply. Obviously, poker can be played for fun, for example, if the pot is very small. I first encountered such game when I visited, out of all places, Youth With a Mission basis (an international Christian mission organization). There the full time missionaries were playing poker for fellowship. In my conservative mindset, all card games were sinful, but mature Christian leaders were playing poker. It disturbed me in the beginning. However, they were playing penny poker. At the end it did not matter who won. The fun was not in the game, but in the fellowship, and playing poker can provide an atmosphere where men can banter and build bonds. If that is the case with you, there is no problem with playing poker. If the goal is fellowship, and clearly fellowship, not money, it is not gambling. And playing card game could be a lot of fun and a positive bond-building. So, play penny poker, nickel poker, or if you have a lot of money, you could even play for more, as long as that amount is a penny to you and to those playing the game with you. Or even if the money is a bit larger, if the winner does not pocket the money, but use it for fellowship-for example, buy refreshment for the next meeting, it would be fine, because money is not the goal, but fellowship. However, if money is the issue, it will not be a positive experience. It does not build fellowship. The losers will feel bad and even have anger toward those who won. The competition becomes unhealthy. Moreover, if winning the pot gives you excitement, not because of the win, but because of the money, it is gambling. It is dangerous. But some say, "If the pot is too small, it is no fun." If that's what you say, you are on the verge of becoming addicted to gambling. If you cannot have fun unless you have to have the high for winning money, that is the beginning of gambling addiction. Stop before you get on the slippery slope. I have heard of Korean men who play golf, but they gamble in the game, even on every hole! They say gambling adds to the fun. Eventually however they find the game not fun without gambling. In other words, gambling has taken over the sport of golf. Golf has become a way to gamble. Golf is not the main fun, but gambling. That is sinful, and those people have become addicts. Golfers should golf for the fun of golf, not for gambling. Poker should be played for the fun of poker, not for money. Otherwise, you are gambling. Guidelines So, let me summarize. Do not gamble. Gambling (doing it for money) is sinful, whether in Atlantic City, Internet, or among friends. Card games can be fun, but be clear. Do not play so that money is the object; then you are gambling. It does not build fellowship. It will destroy it. If you play card games for fellowship, make sure that money is a non-factor. Either make the pot so small that it does not matter, or have the win not go into the pocket, but for fellowship. *At this point, some may ask, what about going to casino for fun. Spending a couple of hundred dollars is nothing to me. It is like going to eat at a fine restaurant. I will make three points: 1) You are playing with fire when you gamble, even if for fun. Many baits of the devil begin with fun, don't they? The whole gambling industry is built to entice people, even people who think they are strong. Why try to find how close you can stand near the cliff when we see people repeatedly falling off the cliff? 2) Why give your hard-earned money to a completely evil industry, if it would be called industry. Why not find a better way to spend your evening, in more constructive way. We must always be looking for ways to have fun in constructive ways. 3) If you have money to burn, please give it to a worthy cause. Would it not be better to give that two hundred dollars to needy people and see smile on their faces? Those who play should take the responsibility so that it does not become unhealthy. Most people are so afraid to offend others that they keep their mouths shut even when they feel something is not right. If you feel something is getting out of hand, you must speak out and help people from making errors. So, even with card games, if you think people are veering off the healthy track-for example, getting too into winning money, or even too intense about winning (remember fellowship is the goal, not even winning)-then, you must raise a flag.