Is Sports Betting A Sin? Know What The Bible Says!

Christians are encouraged to pray for the guidance and wisdom of the Holy Spirit and to discern whether a particular decision is right or wrong. Therefore, when you are taking part in betting, is sports betting a sin?

The Bible never explicitly forbids gambling or betting. Gambling itself is never called out as sinful. The activity most like gambling in the Bible is called ‘casting lots,’ which God sometimes directs actors or parties to use to roll the dice to determine a decision. 

It appears around 70 times in scripture, but its main use was to decide God’s will – not for gaming or wagering. Let’s dive in to know more about it!

What Makes Anything A Sin?

If we want to know what counts as a sin — that is, if we want to know what behaviors God disapproves of — we need to know what God’s laws dictate. Several authors have said that doing sinful things means doing things that God has designated as bad. 

Stealing and adultery are appropriately classified as sins because the following sentences quote them as the Word of God: ‘You shall not steal.’ ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 

Insofar as these verses specify certain acts as sinful, it is because of the simple fact that God has taken opposite positions on them; he has decreed that they are wrong.

Yet the term can mean more than that. It can also mean failing to do what your conscience tells you you ought to do. 

When it comes to the sticky situation of whether we should gamble or not – a real concern among those who seek to make choices based on the teachings of the Bible – this notion is especially critical. (Is gambling intrinsically good or bad? Clearly not, and it’s forbidden nowhere in the Bible.

Anyway, to disregard God’s explicit orders is a sin, just like doing the opposite of what you are aware you should do anyway is a sin, too. 

If praying is part of your daily life, presumably you need to consider your feelings, specifically how dangerous gambling would be, despite the fact that nothing in the Bible indicates that this is a sin at all. 

Is Sports Betting A Sin?

With references running into the hundreds throughout the Bible, gambling and betting crop up again and again. But not necessarily in a bad light. 

It’s common knowledge that casting lots was often employed by the ancient Israelites to settle a dispute, divide up property, and even determine responsibility for tasks in the temple. 

The Roman soldiers at the foot of the cross settled who would receive Jesus’s clothing via lottery, according to the gospels. 

These aren’t people whose actions paint a picture of underserved condemnation. But neither are their voices speaking out about the vice from an altar or pulpit.

Matthew 21:12-14 might be quoted as a reason for thinking that gambling is a sin. Jesus is reported as having driven the money changers out of the temple, and accused of making ‘my house a den of robbers’. 

However, the incident might not be so much an affront to gambling as it is to the temple’s use for commercial transactions. Jesus was more concerned with the commercialization of a holy place than with gambling for its own sake.

Gambling in the United States is not viewed in the same decrepit way it once was, and sports betting, in particular, has never been more widespread than it is today, following decades of growth in the past decade. 

Also, the Bible does not mention gaming as a sin. There is no mention of the denial of gambling, per se, though there are discussions about related activities such as the drawing of lots. 

Before You Jump To Betting: Considerations To Follow

While the Bible hasn’t clearly opposed sports betting, you need to ask yourself a few things before you jump to a conclusion:

Authority

As long as you recall that God makes the last call, it’s okay to have your fun betting on sports. We’ve found that sports betting, like most types of gambling, is a mixture of judgment and chance. 

However, the gambler seconds that away, often forgetting that, ultimately, God is in charge of the outcome. Using a bet to demonstrate your unbelief in God’s sufficiency is a potentially effective way to make your point clear.  

Governance

In contrast to biblical virtuous earnings tied to work, gambling is largely about gain without work. God wants humans to work hard and not gamble. 

Investing profits in business or stock naturally involves risk, but the gains are worth the risk. Gambling is all about getting rich quickly without really improving the world. 

For the Christian, consider the possible losses and, in our insightful brains, would we think quid pro quo returns are smart money management?

Community

Millions of people end up gambling their entire life savings only to lose after becoming addicted to it. Sports betting means you’re facilitating a business that feeds off the weak. 

People outside the realm of sport could engage in illicit behavior and even further damage to society, a result brought about by legalized gambling. 

For Christians to partake in sports wagering, they should consider if they are perpetuating those same harmful outcomes on people within society who are already suffering.

Service

While the biblical concept of labor may be supportive of sports betting, there may be tension between the two. Sloth is viewed as a serious sin in the Bible, with numerous injunctions that emphasize the importance of hard work and service to others. 

Contentment

A good sign that you are not satisfied with what you have is your desire for more money. The Bible encourages believers to be satisfied with what they have and to trust God to meet their needs: ‘It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not pay it’ (Ecclesiastes 5:5).

How often is the desire for riches through gambling a rendition of avarice instead of deep satisfaction with God’s blessings? Think about it: does gambling indicate real and lasting happiness, on the one hand, or shows a desire to have enough on the other?

Immorality

The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. For while they are desirous of riches, they wander from the faith and pierce themselves with many sorrows. Believers are also urged in the scriptures to avoid all manner of greed and hankering for fame and fortune. 

Recall, too, how ambition, careerism, and desire for material success will lead to ruin. Contemplate more closely the value of righteous, just living – then ask if betting encourages vices to have a bear on you.

Self-Restraint

Lastly, gambling can become the equivalent of an addiction when a person becomes unable to avert his or her own destructive destructiveness. Remember the promise of the Spirit to be employed in the believer’s life to produce the fruits of self-control. 

Can you see this quality at work in the way you approach your gambling habits, or is there a tendency to give way to pathological obsessive behavior?

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is betting a sin in the Bible?

Although gambling is not directly condemned in the Bible, it is warned against indulging in money obsession and get-rich-quick schemes. Addiction to gambling and financial loss are real dangers. 

Is betting the same as gambling?

Gambling and betting are similar, but they have some key differences. When you gamble, you risk your money on something whose result you can’t predict. Betting, on the other hand, entails putting money on the line in an event where the results are somewhat predictable due to the talent and performance of the participants.

Is betting good or not?

Depending on one’s strategy, betting might provide positive or negative outcomes. Betting on well-known events at random might result in financial loss, but betting with discipline and a budget can be fun. To stay away from gambling addiction and financial disaster, one must be careful and responsible when betting.

Why is gambling a sin?

Because it feeds our natural inclination toward idolatry—covetousness and greed—gambling could be viewed as a sin (Colossians 3:5). By putting one’s own wants ahead of God’s, it breaks the first three commandments. As an example of the tension between faith and worldly pursuits, Jesus said that one cannot have it both ways.

Wrapping Up

Ultimately, when you are asking is sports betting a sin, the Bible doesn’t directly prohibit it. However, if you want to be cautious and on the right path, try following the considerations and asking yourself questions so you can stay away from sinful deeds.