The Position of the Seventh-day Adventist Church on Gambling

by Dermoth Baptiste, President
SVG Mission of Seventh-day Adventists

Within the recent past, at least two media outlets have publicly identified the religion of the winner of the last game of lottery as “Seventh-day Adventists” for reasons best known to them. While in the past, I have never heard of a person’s religion publicly identified with the winner of the game, I am left to wonder if this will be the new normal going forward. That being said, it gives me the opportunity to publicly state the position of the Seventh-day Adventist Church on the matter of Gambling which was adopted by the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists on June 29, 2000.

“Gambling which is defined as a paid game of chance is increasingly impacting more and more people all over the world. The concept of winning at the expense of others has become a modern curse. Society pays the escalating cost of associated crime, victim support, and family breakdown which erodes the quality of life. Seventh-day Adventists have consistently opposed gambling as it is incompatible with Christian principles. It is not an appropriate form of entertainment or a legitimate means of raising funds.

Gambling violates Christian principles of stewardship. God identifies work as the appropriate method for gaining material benefit; not the playing of a game of chance while dreaming to gain at the expense of others. Gambling has a massive impact on society. Financial costs result from crime committed to pay for the gambling habit, increased policing, and legal expenses, as well as associated crimes involving drugs and abuse. Gambling does not generate income; rather it takes from those who often can ill afford to lose and gives to a few winners, the greatest winner of course being the gambling operator. The idea that gambling operations can have a positive economic benefit is an illusion. In addition, gambling violates the Christian sense of responsibility for family, neighbors, the needy, and the Church. (See 1 Thessalonians 4:11; Genesis 3:19; Matthew 19:21; Acts 9:36; 2 Corinthians 9:8, 9.)

Gambling creates false hope. The gambling dream of “winning big” replaces true hope with a false dream of a statistically-improbable chance of winning. Christians are not to put their hope in wealth. The Christian hope in a glorious future promised by God is “sure and certain”- unlike and opposite to the gambling dream. The great gain that the Bible points to is “godliness with contentment.” (See 1 Timothy 6:17; Hebrews 11:1; 1 Timothy 6:6)

Gambling is addictive. The addictive quality of gambling is clearly incompatible with a Christian lifestyle. The Church seeks to help, not blame, those suffering from gambling or other addictions.

Christians recognize that they are responsible before God for their resources and lifestyle. (See 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20)

The Seventh-day Adventist Church organization does not encourage raffles or lotteries to raise funds and it urge members not to participate in any such activities, however well- intentioned.

Neither does the Church condone state-sponsored gambling. The Seventh-day Adventist Church calls on all authorities to prevent the ever-increasing availability of gambling with its damaging effects on individuals and society.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church rejects gambling as defined above and will not solicit nor accept funding that is clearly derived from gambling.”

The position of the church, based on the Holy Bible has not changed, even though sometimes you may find certain members compromising their beliefs. Gambling in any form is a violation of God’s moral will. The winners gain is always at the expense of many others pain. It takes from the losers and it is generally from those who are less able to afford it financially or emotionally. Think about how many children are deprived of bread, having to go to school next day without anything to eat because of parents or guardians losing money to the gambling habit.

The amount of money spent in gambling, whether small or large and whether the benefits are used for a worthy cause does not change the fact that it is morally unacceptable. Whether we can afford to lose the money gambled does not change the principle. Gambling is institutionalized covetousness which is the devil’s delusion. It masquerades itself as harmless fun while it sucks the dollars and sometimes the life out of everyone it touches. People who gamble yield to the temptation of wanting quick riches, the something for nothing gratification.

The root of the Christian work ethic is therefore one in which God is recognized as the rightful Owner of everything and has gifted men and women with life, talents and abilities to be used wholesomely for creating wealth whether by being entrepreneurs, self-employed or by working for others. Depending upon luck and chance is considered to be a diabolic philosophy which runs counter to the Christian’s world-view of life and reality. It is a form of idolatry and is an offence to the character of God. The wise man Solomon says that, “he who works his hands will have plenty of food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgement.” Proverbs 12: 11. There is no better example of chasing fantasies than through gambling.