What does the the bible say about gambling?

Answer 1

• 1 Timothy 6:9-10 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs
• Hebrews 13:5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
• Proverbs 13:11 Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.
• Matthew 6:24 No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money
• Ecclesiastes 5:10 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.
• 1 Timothy 6:9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
• Proverbs 28:22 A stingy man hastens after wealth and does not know that poverty will come upon him.

Answer 2

Gamble as defined by a dictionary,

to play at any game of chance for money or other stakes. 2. to stake or risk money, or anything of value, on the outcome of something ...to play at any game of chance for money or other stakes.

Gambling is not specifically mentioned in The Bible; however, there are Biblical principles that apply. The Bible does mention events of "luck" or "chance". Gambling violates the legitimate laws of obtaining money. The Bible recognizes the law of labor (Gen. 3:19, Eph. 4:28), law of exchange (Matt. 25: 9), and the law of love (gift, John 3:16). Gambling does not come under any of these legitimate ways of obtaining monies. Gambling involves the mentality of "something for nothing." As such, gambling is theft by consent. It involves tragic waste to the degree of criminal activity for supporting addiction. We are to glorify God in our material possessions (Luke 16:9).

Additionally:

In the Bible is a practice called "casting" or drawing "lots." It's kind of an "election process" in difficult "decision-making" by God's people in various situations [another word for it is "voting"]. From these "lots" we get the word, "lottery."

Even the church of God in the New Testament employed this practice when the replacement for Judas Iscariot went down to the wire. In many [if not all] of these lots... the people thought of it as "an appeal to God to make the decision for them" that they felt unworthy to make:

"...they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen, that he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place. And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles." (Acts 1:24-26)

Some people's reasoning against "lotteries," therefore [one form of gambling in their eyes], is that they are perversions of a genuine appeal to God... and blasphemy against Him in the selfish pursuit of vanity and convenient gain [which the above explanation describes admirably].