It's no secret that among Christians there are many fans of gambling. Of course, many of them think about the fact whether their visiting it a sin, and sometimes come to very unexpected conclusions in their arguments.
We tried to sort out this issue, although as the author I must say with a good knowledge of the Bible, I do not consider myself an expert in Christian morality. Therefore, the arguments set out below should not be taken as an axiom or dogma. This is only opinion of a man who devoted much time to the study of the most famous books in the world and had the opportunity to observe how people change their gambling.
What does the Bible say?
It interesting that, the Bible does not assess the game for money in plain text, even though such entertainment is known to mankind since time immemorial. Moreover the Scripture really says nothing about it.
However, some actors are into gambling. For example, Joshua divides the land, casting lots (Joshua 18:10). Roman soldiers who crucified Jesus on the cross (John 19:24). It's not difficult to draw an analogy with the Lotteries. And if the second example of the soldiers, of course, is worthy of condemnation, in the first moralists can find nothing.
Since the Bible does not give clear information regarding gambling, we think logically. Casinos, bingo halls, poker clubs, betting, lotteries and other similar places, advertising their services are focused on positive emotions, which they promise to customers. But everyone knows that the source for them is a possibility of easy money.
It's proved long ago that only a small percentage of customers come to the casino just for the sake of gameplay. The rest expect to get away with the newly gained money, in an "unearned way." And this trip to the casino, way too fun, is fundamentally different from going to a museum or theater.
The Bible speaks quite specifically about those who loves money a lot. Read Luke 16:13, I Timothy 6:10 and Ecclesiastes 5:10.
The Bible encourages people to earn a living through work and not look for easy money, such as in Proverbs 10:4, which says: "A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich."
God also tells people to wisely use their talents, savings and even free time. It's hardly wise to spend a night in a casino.
You can also play not only against the house. If you decided to paint with a bullet in neighbor preference for a couple of rubles or play poker with a companion, putting some small things at stake. This means that you want the property of another person that is openly condemned the Bible (Exodus 20:17).
Let's not forget about the possibility of gambling addiction, which is the same fatal predilection as drug addiction or alcoholism. Consequently, gamblers become slaves of habit (see II Peter 2:19).
In a word, the Bible can find many statements in one form or another condemning gambling addiction.
Conclusion
Yes, not all sins are openly condemned in the Scripture, but in most cases simple reasoning shows the right decision. No matter how you convince yourself in the contrary, God does not approves gambling. Therefore, if you are a sincere Christian, conclusions should be obvious to you.
But we recommend the unbelievers to control themselves while visiting the casino. Do not let greed in your eyes outshine all the virtues and treat the game as a fun entertainment, not as a source of income.
P.S. The author visited many casinos which walls were consecrated by Christian clergy. Moreover, he had seen priests gambling. So if you are looking for a formal justification for their actions, it is not difficult to find it.
