Catholic Gambling Sin
My Baptist friend says that gambling is a sin. Yet, I know many good Catholics who visit places like Atlantic City and play slot machines and the like, or schools that have casino nights as fund raisers. What should I say to my friend?
Gambling, whether it involves games of chance (e.g. card games), wagers or betting, or even lotteries, is not intrinsically evil (Catechism, No. 2404). However, a person may only engage in these activities with a strict adherence to virtue. First, he must act with temperance, whereby he keeps his passions and emotions under the control of reason, acts with moderation, and uses material goods in a good way and in accord with the circumstances of his life.
Is Gambling At Casinos A Sin For Catholics # 2 Most people who go to gamble at casinos, bet on sports, horses or play the lottery are attracted to the idea of getting rich easily without working for it. Dangerous Habits Dear Father John, What if someone has a habit which is a grave sin (say, porn, masturbation, gambling, alcohol, fornication, etc.) so there is probably not full consent. Can they receive communion, or do they have to go to confession before communion in each instance? Or is that something the priest should address. Catholic in Recovery is a nonprofit organization that seeks to serve those suffering from addictions and unhealthy attachments (including alcoholism, drug addiction, pornography addiction, sex and relationship addiction, compulsive overeating and food addictions, gambling addiction, codependency and the impact on family, and general fear, control, and anxiety). Gambling becomes sinful only when one pays too much money for the entertainment. A person in a casino spending thousands of dollars that his family needs is committing a sin, and the Church is very firm about this ( Catechism of the Catholic Church 2413).
Second, the virtue of justice governs both the game itself as well as the person playing the game. The game must be fair and all players must have an equal chance of winning. In justice, the player's gambling must not prevent him from meeting his obligations to support himself or his family, pay his debts, or fulfill other responsibilities.
Consequently, a person must be careful not to become addicted to gambling, because of its excitement or the possibility of making 'quick, easy, big money.' He must not risk money that is necessary for the livelihood of himself or those entrusted to his care. Moreover, a gambler should always weigh whether that money could be better used for something of clear, tangible benefit. Even a wealthy person who may have great disposable income must use moderation, recognizing that the money risked on frivolous gambling could be used to help those less fortunate.
With this foundation in mind, several 'classic' rules govern gambling:
- A player must be free to dispose of the stakes wagered in the game. He must be able to accept the risk of losing the stakes without incurring harm to himself or to others. Basically, the stakes should be 'disposable' money.
- The player must make the gamble with full knowledge and consent.
- All players must have an equal chance of winning.
- The game must be fair. All fraud or deception is prohibited.
- While everyone enjoys winning, the motive for playing the game should be one of pleasure rather than of gain. One must not depend upon gambling for one's livelihood. (Prummer, Handbook of Moral Theology).
Even if one conscientiously follows these rules, he must always remain on guard. While gambling can be fun, it can also be very addictive. In a recent study, Harvard Medical School found that 1.29 percent of the adult population in America are pathological gamblers: this equates to 2.2 million addicted gamblers. Another 4 percent are considered 'problem gamblers.' Such addiction is a spiritual enslavement that a person allows to happen.
Besides addiction, a spiritual problem emerges when a person thinks he can make the quick, easy, big money gambling rather than by simply working hard. Here he accepts great risks that could have dire consequences. Such a condition deteriorates when a person loses money he should use for himself or his family and even accrues greater debt.
Be on guard, because gambling is a prevalent, luring, big business. Last year, the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey estimated that betting on last year's Denver-Atlanta Super Bowl reached $4 billion not including side bets and office pools. As of 1999, 37 states and the District of Columbia sponsored lotteries, and 26 states have legalized some form of casino gambling. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, Americans spend $600 billion annually in legal gambling operations, at least $100 billion more than they spend for food. The revenues of the gambling industry continue to rise each year.
When I was studying at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia, two fellow seminarians and I ventured to Atlantic City when we had a free weekend. Of course, we wanted to see this attraction, which was new at the time. I think we planned to spend $20 on the quarter slot machines, of course winning a little, losing a little, but in the end losing everything. Granted there was that temptation to keep going, thinking, 'The next one will be the jack pot,' but we held to the limit. I was appalled though by how many people spent hours loading the slot machines with multiple coins. Worse yet, I remember watching the action at a poker table and seeing the well-dressed, distinguished manager approach one of the players with a document to sign, which basically mortgaged his home. While I am sure most people had innocent fun, never really expecting to win, I wonder how many went away sad, regretting their actions. Herein we see the problem of gambling.
St. Augustine said, 'The Devil invented gambling.' Maybe so. Remember, as our Lord hung on the cross, the Roman soldiers threw dice to see who would get His tunic, seeking only their own benefit while being oblivious to the greater good (Jn 19:24). Granted, there is nothing wrong with gambling as long as it is kept within the confines of virtue. Nevertheless, one must be very careful and vigilant.
Acknowledgement
Saunders, Rev. William. 'Is Gambling a Sin?' Arlington Catholic Herald.
This article is reprinted with permission from Arlington Catholic Herald.
The Author
Father William Saunders is pastor of Our Lady of Hope parish in Potomac Falls, Virginia. He is dean of the Notre Dame Graduate School of Christendom College. The above article is a 'Straight Answers' column he wrote for the Arlington Catholic Herald. Father Saunders is the author of Straight Answers, a book based on 100 of his columns, and Straight Answers II.
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Gambling is one of America’s favorite pastimes, at least when those activities are measured by revenue. The billions of dollars spent by gamblers far exceeds the billions paid for movie tickets, music recordings and the sales of the top fast-food chains from McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy’s and Starbucks combined. Americans gamble freely. Many gamblers don’t think gambling is morally wrong. Is it appropriate for Christians to gamble according to God? We can turn to the Bible for our answers.
Believers in Christ should not take part in gambling – it breaks several biblical principles which are central to a Christian’s way of life. A Christian lifestyle is one that expresses faith in loving care and provision of Almighty God, not in chance or luck. The Bible tells us, “But seek first the Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). Our call as Christians is to love thy neighbor, not to profit a loss by someone else. Our call as Christians is also to avoid every form of greed and covetousness and to be content what we have. The Bible also says, “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.’” As Christians, we are to realize that everything we possess has been given in stewardship by God and should only be used in a way that honors God.
It’s important to make distinctions between what gambling is and what it isn’t. “Signing up” or registering for a free gift is not gambling. This simply puts a person in a position to receive something that is to be given away, and this is the donor’s way of selecting the recipient. However, in the case of gambling, a person is taking chances with hard-earned money.
Gambling also has major side effects which can aid in separation from God. Gambling can destroy lives in many countless ways. Gambling addictions are becoming more and more commonplace nowadays. With mega-gambling casinos throughout the world, the popularity of online gambling and poker playing, gambling problems have become a major addiction of this era. Gambling addictions and gambling addiction problems are severe addictions that have many consequences for the life of a gambler and his or her family. A gamblers addiction can progress rapidly, resulting in emotional, financial and social devastation in ways that can be considered irreparable. A person who struggles with gambling addiction should seek help immediately.
The gambling industry is also immoral. The gambling industry refers to organizations that sponsor and benefit from gambling. Those that sponsor gambling include casinos, lotteries, bingo parlors and other places where gambling is permitted. What is wrong with running such institutions and what is wrong with benefiting from gambling? Often, we are told that gambling is good because it raises money for good social causes. Because the excess money from state lotteries supports the state education system, some say that gambling is an investment in our children. Because the casinos are often willing to a pay a percentage of their earnings in local communities, which use the funds to fight crime, some argue that gambling is good because it makes a positive contribution to society and even lowers taxes. In other words, the end justifies the means and the motive excuses the act. But the true is, gambling is morally wrong.
The first reason it’s wrong is because it is motivated by greed. The goal of gambling institutions is to get lots of money quickly and they accomplish their goal well; gambling is a lucrative business. Notice that the goal of the gambling industry is not merely to get money; any businessman has that goal. Because he needs money to live. But the goal of the gambling industry is to get lots of money quickly, without providing a beneficial service or a sound product in return. It manifest covetousness, which God’s law forbids (Exodus 20:17), and the love of money, against which God’s Word also warns us. The Bible tells us, “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Timothy 6:10).
Ultimately, compulsive gambling is a sin. Few sincere, Bible-believing Christians would disagree with this. That is, gambling is sinful for those who are addicted to it. You are putting the love, desire and thrill of making big money over God which is idolatry.
Compulsive gamblers sin by wasting time. Gambling is for them such an addiction, that most or all of their spare time is spent gambling in one form or another. Weekends and vacations are taken up with trips to cities that have casinos. The more addicted to gambling a person becomes, the more likely he or she is to neglect their job and family and to focus exclusively on gambling. They also sin by wasting money and possessions. Any money on hand they will use in gambling. They will sell or pawn off their belongings to get more money with which to gamble. And when their resources are gone, they are likely to swindle or steal to get money.
Catholic Gambling Singing
Money and possessions are gifts from God that are to be used in His service. The eighth commandment, “Thou shalt not steal,” reminds us that God gives humans enough resources to live on, in order to accomplish His purpose for us on earth. It is our call and duty as Christians to use those resources wisely, and not desire what is another’s.
Lesli White