State and national lotteries are a form of gambling. Everything in a casino is perfectly rigged for taking money in large sums and giving nothing in return but momentary thrills and empty pleasures. They often offer inexpensive or even free alcohol, which encourages drunkenness-and a decreased ability to make wise decisions. What about casinos and lotteries? Casinos use all sorts of marketing schemes to entice gamblers to risk as much money as possible. But to actively seek financial benefit from someone else’s loss is more than foolish it is unethical. For a Christian to risk money in the off chance that he will gain even more is foolish. In order for one person to win, someone else-usually multiple others-must lose. Gambling, by nature, takes advantage of the misfortune of others. The apostles’ casting lots in Acts 1 is no justification for playing craps in Vegas. Each of these occasions proved the truth of Proverbs 16:33, which says, “The lot is cast in the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.” With the exception of the Roman soldiers’ gambling at the foot of the cross (John 19:24), none of the instances of casting lots in the Bible have to do with betting or the transfer of goods.

The apostles cast lots to determine the replacement for Judas (Acts 1:26).

Nehemiah cast lots to determine who would live inside the walls of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 11:1). Joshua cast lots to determine the allotment of land to the various tribes, and the results were accepted as God’s will (Joshua 18:10). While the Bible does not explicitly mention gambling, it does mention events of “luck” or “chance.” For example, casting lots was God’s prescribed method of choosing between the sacrificial goat and the scapegoat (Leviticus 16:8). By cutting wasteful spending, one can save money for future needs or give more to the Lord’s work. Of course, the fact that money is wasted on other things does not justify gambling. Gambling is no more or less wasteful than seeing a movie (in many cases), eating an unnecessarily expensive meal, or purchasing a worthless item.

People waste money on all sorts of activities. Gambling, if done in moderation and only on occasion, is a waste of money but not necessarily evil.

Casino casting call