Is gambling a sin? Scripture, arguments and church positions

Readers looking for a verse that says "do not gamble" will not find one. Gambling as a commercial activity is not addressed directly in either the Old or New Testament. Christian positions are therefore built from broader principles, which is why they differ.

Casting lots

The Bible does mention casting lots, a way of making a random choice, several times. Aaron casts lots over two goats on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16). The land of Canaan is divided among the tribes by lot (Joshua 18). Proverbs 16:33 says the lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord. In Acts 1:26 the apostles choose Matthias to replace Judas by lot. At the crucifixion, soldiers cast lots for Jesus's garments (Matthew 27:35; John 19:23–24).

Most interpreters draw a distinction: casting lots in these passages is a way of seeking a decision, usually understood as God's, not a wager where money changes hands. The soldiers' dice game is described, not endorsed.

Verses cited against gambling

• 1 Timothy 6:9–10, which warns that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.
• Hebrews 13:5, urging believers to keep free from love of money and be content.
• Exodus 20:17, the commandment against coveting a neighbour's goods.
• Proverbs 13:11, which contrasts wealth gained hastily with money gathered little by little.
• Ecclesiastes 5:10: whoever loves money never has enough.
• Matthew 6:24: no one can serve both God and money.

None of these names gambling. Critics argue they describe the motives gambling feeds; defenders reply that they describe attitudes that can accompany many activities, from investing to shopping.

This page is a neutral overview within the Casino knowledge topic. It describes what traditions teach rather than recommending a view.

Churches that oppose gambling usually rest their case on several connected arguments rather than a single text.

Stewardship

Many Christians hold that possessions are entrusted by God rather than owned outright, and should be used responsibly for family, church and neighbour. Staking money on chance, in this view, is a poor use of something held in trust.

Gain at a neighbour's expense

In most gambling, one person's win is funded by other people's losses, and no goods or services are exchanged. Critics contrast this with work or trade, where both sides normally benefit. Some add 2 Thessalonians 3:10, on the importance of work, to argue that gambling detaches reward from effort.

Love of money and covetousness

Gambling offers the hope of wealth without labour. Critics see that hope as a form of the covetousness and discontent the verses above warn against.

Harm to the vulnerable

Opponents point to evidence that lotteries draw a larger share of income from poorer households, and to the damage problem gambling does to families. Churches that run addiction ministries often see that damage first-hand.

Trust in providence

Some theologians argue that relying on luck sits uneasily with trust in God's provision. Others reply that chance is simply part of the created order and does not compete with providence.

Mastery

Paul's statement in 1 Corinthians 6:12, "I will not be mastered by anything", is often applied to gambling, because a minority of players lose control. Even churches that permit occasional gambling usually treat compulsive gambling as a serious moral and pastoral concern.

Other Christians, including many Catholics, Anglicans and Lutherans, take a more moderate position. Their main arguments run as follows.

Silence of scripture

Since the Bible does not forbid gambling, they argue, it belongs among the "disputable matters" Paul discusses in Romans 14, where believers should follow conscience and avoid judging one another.

Entertainment spending

A fixed sum spent on a game of chance can be treated like the price of a concert or a meal out. If the money is affordable and the spending is not driven by greed, the moral question is about proportion rather than the activity itself.

Moderation, as with alcohol

Many traditions permit alcohol while condemning drunkenness. Some apply the same reasoning to gambling: moderate play is acceptable, while losing control or neglecting responsibilities is not.

Catholic teaching

The clearest statement of this view is in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 2413, which says that games of chance and wagers are not in themselves contrary to justice. They become morally unacceptable, it continues, when they deprive someone of what is needed to provide for their own needs and those of others. The same paragraph warns that the passion for gambling risks becoming an enslavement, and treats cheating and unfair wagers as serious wrongs.

Community fundraising

Parish bingo nights, raffles and fundraising draws have long been part of church life in many countries. Supporters see them as social occasions with a charitable purpose; critics within the same churches sometimes question whether they normalise gambling.

The permissive view is not an endorsement of heavy gambling. Its limits, affordability, no harm to family, no compulsion, overlap heavily with the stricter view's concerns.

Positions are summarised in general terms; individual congregations and national churches within a tradition can differ.

Patterns

Traditions with strong temperance histories, including Methodists and Baptists, tend to oppose gambling outright. Traditions with a longer emphasis on natural law and moderation, especially Catholicism, tend to judge gambling by circumstances and effects. Anglican and Lutheran positions often sit between the two.

Christianity is not unique in debating this. The gambling in Islam guide covers the concept of maysir and why Islamic scholarship generally treats gambling as prohibited.

The debate is old. An anonymous Latin treatise from the third century, known as De Aleatoribus ("On Dice-Players") and once attributed to Cyprian of Carthage, condemns dice games as a snare. Early church canons, including those known as the Apostolic Canons, ordered clergy who were devoted to dice to give it up or be removed from office.

Lots as sacred

In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, some English Protestant writers argued that because lots appealed to divine providence, using them for play trivialised something sacred. The clergyman Thomas Gataker challenged that view in a 1619 treatise on lots, arguing that lots used for recreation were lawful. The disagreement shows that even strict Protestants did not all read scripture the same way.

Lotteries for good causes

In colonial America, lotteries were used to fund roads, bridges and several early colleges, and churches were sometimes among the beneficiaries. Opposition grew in the nineteenth century, led largely by evangelical and temperance movements, and many American states banned lotteries for decades before reintroducing them in the twentieth century.

Modern era

In the twentieth century, Catholic parishes in many countries ran bingo and raffles while several Protestant denominations campaigned against casinos and state lotteries. Today many churches focus less on condemning individual players and more on the social effects of gambling advertising, high-speed machines and online betting, alongside pastoral support for people and families affected by problem gambling.

Pastoral guidance across traditions tends to return to a similar set of questions, even when the conclusions differ.

1. Can I afford it? Is the money genuinely spare, after family, obligations and giving?
2. Is anyone harmed? Would a partner, child or dependant be affected by the loss?
3. Why am I playing? For fun with friends, or out of a desire to get rich or escape?
4. Is it mastering me? Do I chase losses, hide spending or feel unable to stop?
5. Would I be comfortable being open about it? With my family, my church, myself?

A person who answers the fourth question with yes is, in almost every tradition, being called to stop and seek help, whatever their church's general view. Many churches host or refer to recovery groups, and Gamblers Anonymous meetings are open to people of any faith or none. The how to stop gambling guide covers practical steps, and the gambling budget guide covers affordability for those who do choose to play.

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