‘Gambling’ is more popular today in the United States of America than probably at any time in history.
For example, in 2021, by a 9-0 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court indirectly reduced the NCAA’s ability to restrict payments to amateur athletes, thereby allowing state governments, the NCAA, and lawsuits like the O’Bannon case to cause the name, image, and likeness (NIL) program in college sports to start. The result was that colleges began paying amateur athletes, effectively making them professional athletes, though they are still called ‘amateur.’
A popular sports show host has said that the product on the field has improved, particularly in college basketball and football, and that this is why their viewership has increased. He is right that the product has improved, but he is wrong in saying why viewership has increased.
One reason viewership of college sports, particularly basketball and football, has increased is that players are staying in the game longer. But why? In both basketball and football, as well as other sports, the money given to college athletes keeps them from leaving college sooner. Therefore, the product improves in college sports because athletes stay in college longer, due to NIL money, thereby improving the product. The NIL money led to improvements in the product. Therefore, NIL money increased viewership, not just the product’s improvement. The NIL funds led to product improvements, which contributed to the increased viewership.
Another reason viewership has increased is the rise in gambling. Two sports networks, including ESPN and Fox (where the above-mentioned sports show host works), heavily promote gambling in college sports. The Murphy v. NCAA case, decided by the U. S. Supreme Court in 2018, enabled sports betting, which eventually became nationwide. Thus, sports gambling is another reason college sports viewership has increased recently.
This is just one example of why an interest in gambling has increased recently.
The introduction above indicates that gambling is very popular today, but is gambling a sin for Christians?
The English words associated with gambling are sometimes found in the Bible, and sometimes not. The words gambling and luck are not mentioned in the KJV of the Bible. The word ‘lots’ is mentioned 24 times in the KJV of the Bible. This refers to casting lots, which may be determined by God or by chance. The word ‘chance’ appears 6 times in the KJV of the Bible, and each time it refers to something that happens without human intention, but it is not a form of gambling.
Gambling is not specifically prohibited in the Bible. It is not even mentioned in the Bible. Therefore, according to the Bible, gambling in and of itself is not a sin.
Casting lots is mentioned in the Bible primarily to determine God’s outcome. However, there are a few times when casting lots is a gambling activity.
Chance is mentioned a very few times in the Bible, only two times in the New Testament, but it has to do with an event that happens with a lack of human intent, and is not gambling.
Anything associated with gambling that is a sin makes that specific act of gambling a sin, even though gambling per se is not sinful.
One thing that may be involved with gambling, which makes that gambling a sin, is the love of money. The author of this article has written another article on this website entitled “The Love of Money,” which gives the reader much detail about this subject. The author recommends that the reader also read that article.
One thing that we should remember about money is included in the author’s article “The Love Money.”
The Bible teaches that we should be content with what we have. Hebrews 13:5 states, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’” We should not chase after the uncertainty of riches, and we should not store up treasure for ourselves but rely on God, who will provide for us (1 Tim. 6:17). Clinging to wealth is wrong since we came into this world with nothing and we’ll take nothing out of it (1 Tim. 6:7; Eccl 5:15).
We must understand that seeking winnings from gambling as an easy source of a lot of money may violate the rule in the Bible about the love of money. That includes any form of gambling, such as the stock market, lotteries, games of chance, or any other activity where the love of money is involved.
In short, if any sin is involved in your gambling, then you should not gamble. So you have to evaluate your activities, including those that involve gambling, to make sure that you are not committing the sin of discernment, the love of money, or any other sin.
