Wise words with...

Gambling

With the Melbourne Cup this week you may not be surprised to know that Australian’s love to gamble. We are the third biggest country in the world for expenditure on gambling, making us the biggest per capita gamblers in the world. Last year Australians lost $32 billion on gambling, whilst our governments made $25 billion from gambling in revenue. This last statistic alone shows us that Australian governments are just as addicted to gambling as the rest of the country!

It's important to state that Christians have varying perspectives on gambling and, without going into detail, it is almost universally viewed that gambling is a poor use of our time, money and resources. Gambling can be fueled by greed and a desire for a quick buck instead of working, and can lead to spending beyond our means with 1 in 5 experiencing harm from their own or someone else’s gambling. People can also gamble because they’re envious of the wealth of others, and want that for themselves and their families. Finally, people can gamble because of the thrill of it, hoping that in each bet placed or pokie button pushed that the next moment will be one of sheer ecstasy. This is reflected in the view of Paul Newman’s character in the movie The Colour of Money, “money won is twice as sweet as money earned”.

Gambling also affects our children. Recent studies suggest that up to one in three Australians aged 12 to 17 have gambled in the past year and that these habits are likely to persist into adult years. Sadly, reports show that Australian teenagers are more likely to gamble than to play any of the most popular sports in their age group. Furthermore, the prevalence of ads on TV, online and in social media means our children are increasingly exposed to gambling marketing. Children are also more likely to gamble if they have a parent that gambles.

Signs that gambling may be a problem in your life or those near you include:

• Borrowing excessive money, 
• Failing to pay back debts, 
• Withdrawing,
• Distractedness at work or school, and 
• Talking excessively and/or obsessing about gambling.

Teaching in the Bible sets out wise principles with which we should view gambling. We are warned in the Bible that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:10) and so we need to be on guard against loving money more than we love God. In the same passage we’re reminded to be content with what we have (1 Timothy 6:8) and to do useful work for our living (Ephesians 4:28). We are also to be wise stewards of the time, money and abilities that God has given us, and Christians in particular are reminded to be generous with our wealth so as to lay up treasures in the age to come (1 Timothy 6:18-19).

There is wisdom too shared by gamblers who know through experience the reality of gambling. High roller Jack Yelton said “there is a very easy way to return from a casino with a small fortune; go there with a large one.” Mathematically it's a truism, as stated at the end of the ad, “chances are you're about to lose.”

What’s gambling worth to you?

If you’re based in NSW and have a gambling-related issue or you’re worried about a friend or loved one, GambleAware can help. Call GambleAware on 1800 858 858