Gambling and Family

Sadly, more than 6 million Americans (including 1.1 million teens) are addicted to gambling, with consequences that break the hearts of their loved ones. Although the Bible doesn’t specifically prohibit gambling, its get-rich-quick motivation violates the steady plodding principle.[1]

In males, compulsive gambling typically starts in adolescence, while it’s later for females.[2] A lot of gambling is very subtle and done from the convenience of home or office. Sports’ betting is a common occurrence in lots of workplace lunchrooms.

Gambling was a big part of Charlie’s childhood. His story: My father ran an after-hours’ nightclub in the same way the speakeasies had operated from 1920–1933 during the Prohibition era when banning alcohol didn’t stop its use. Bars just operated underground. A speakeasy was an unlicensed establishment dispensing alcoholic beverages when alcohol was officially illegal. To get in you had to be a trusted customer or know someone who was, have a password, or show a card. The door was kept locked until the doorman checked you out through a narrow slot. If you said something like, “Paulo sent me,” and they knew Paulo, you would be let in.

There was no longer Prohibition, but the Blue Laws in Massachusetts made it illegal to operate a business after midnight on Saturday and all day Sunday. This didn’t stop the games from taking place. As during Prohibition, the floating card and dice games went underground. My father catered to the folks who wanted to keep drinking and playing dice and card games. The location of the game after closing time was known by only a couple of people. As a boy, it was my job to wait on the corner and lead the players through a maze of streets and back allies to the secret place. If the cops caught on, the game moved. Many times the police and city officials were bribed to overlook the activity taking place.

The house always wins. Players don’t understand what takes place in the back room. Gambling parlors are not in business to lose money. When $100 is put into play (by five people with $20 each), the house immediately takes five percent of the pot. This is called raking the pot. Only $95 is in play. The house cuts 5% off the top of each pot. These games are designed to take money from us, not give money to us.[3]

A move to Oregon in 1969 created a healthy distance between my husband and his old gambling buddies but there was no real change in his attitude toward gambling until 1983 when Charlie asked Jesus into his life. Reading God’s word was an eye opener. Sometimes God’s principles didn’t put a seal of approval on his activities—gambling being one. In time, he lost the desire to spend money so irresponsibly. It was more fun to support ministry work.

If you or someone you know needs help to stop a gambling habit, the hotline for the National Council on Problem Gambling is 1-800-522-4700 or www.ncpgambling.org/state.

Three questions to consider before placing that bet or playing the games. Does gambling honor the family’s budget? Will participation in this activity cause someone else to stumble into addiction? Would God approve?

Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.                                                                      Proverbs 21:5 NLT