Is Gambling Entertainment Or Sin? (Part 1)

Gambling as a Modern Idol and Public Scandal

Let's open in prayer father. Thank you for this morning. Thank you for Getting us here safely as we drove across ice and.

Other.

Sundry things and Father what a good God you are to guide us to protect us to gather us together in the name of Jesus Christ who? loved us who Redeemed us who gave himself for us. Father I pray that as we look at this subject this morning that you would Grant us open minds father that you would grant us wisdom that you would Cause us to search your word and and think about these things and consider them.

Father I pray for each one here that we would grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. And it's in his name we pray Amen.

Well.

You know I I feel somewhat and started looking back there because I thought about reading Acts 17 because I feel somewhat Provoked in my spirit, and I I think from time to time I get provoked. Because I look around our society and I see Idols things that people worship.

Yesterday I think I Tended to notice that a lot of people were jonesing over missing an NFL game Like I have to subscribe to thus and such whatever it was Service so that I don't miss a playoff game, and I thought that's kind of sad.

I mean if you already get it or whatever fine, but just seem kind of goofy, but I Don't know if anybody's noticed. But there seems to be an increase in the emphasis on gambling these days. Have you seen any of those?

Advertisements or heard any of them on the radio. Fan duel. Yeah in fact I looked up. I thought well. Let's just see what the top apps are. USA Today, I mean I gave up on the Apple Store. But USA Today has a has a listing of the best gambling apps.

I'm not even going to go through it, but I just thought This is how serious it is where a national newspaper will take the time to evaluate the gambling apps. And you know what I find most interesting about these.

Advertisements though on the radio how many advertisements do you listen to. I mean it could be any number of? Medical advertisements or other things, but do you ever hear you know a disclaimer at the end some kind of lawyer saying?

You know if you have problems.

Contact 1 -800. Did you know there's actually there's a Mass helpline for gambling. What if you know part of what bugs me is when they vote to Legalize gambling. What do they say? Here's the pitch from the politicians.

That is going to do what? It's gonna bring in revenue. Yes, but it's also going to do something else which is Help the children. That's that's the whole pitch for the lottery right. Oh help the children so we don't have to raise your taxes.

Because it is a tax whether you recognize that or not the lottery is a tax. It's just a voluntary tax. You know I don't think the government gets them enough my money. I'll play the lottery. They talk about economic growth they talk about good paying jobs.

And you know what I think as we go through this you're gonna realize that these good paying jobs. It's kind of like if I said well You know loan sharking is good because it creates good jobs for the guys who come and break your legs when you don't pay your debt.

Are those good jobs? I don't think they are. So I I didn't have. I didn't fashion enough questions for a quiz, but I do have some questions, so we'll start with number one. Sure or false gambling is not expressly forbidden in the Bible, so it's not a sin.

I mean does anybody have a verse that says thou shalt not gamble. It is the 11th commandment, but. No there is no verse that says that. Does that mean it's not a sin. There's no verse. Well, that's arguable.

But is there a verse about abortion. Probably not. You know does that mean it's okay to do it. No. I Borrowed a lot of this morning this morning's material from several articles from Phil Johnson. And I don't think he'll sue me Phil says and the answer to that by the way.

It's false.

I'm going to argue that gambling is a sin and you know some of you will say well No, it's not and we'll we'll work through that. The absence Phil says of a single command or proof texting against gambling ultimately proves nothing.

There are a lot of things that are not explicitly mentioned in the Bible. Which we would probably agree are clearly sinful and he gives the example of there's nothing in the Bible that explicitly forbids.

Are you ready? Arson. Like hmm. Yeah, it's pretty bad though. And he says it's a it is a violation of the commandment. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people.

But you shall love your neighbor neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord that's Leviticus 1918. But I mean there are other reasons people commit arson you know whether it's insurance fraud. But I mean all those things are sinful, but I asked this question I said how many non-sinful things does the government create a helpline for I?

Mean they legalize this and they know it's a problem. But it's like you know alcohol is legal, and they have all kinds of programs for that, too. But I took this from their website. The mass gambling help whatever.

I don't know if I put it down here or not somewhere. I have the link. Says gambling takes many forms and many people don't even realize they're gambling. What seems like a harmless pastime for some can cause serious problems for others?

Oh, yeah there? It is gambling help helpline Ma org you know again now. There's some good-paying jobs the people who created the website. Who wrote all this stuff up and who are probably staffing all the rehab facilities that you know people are going to?

But here are some of the questions they asked to determine whether you have a gambling problem. During the past 12 months have you become restless irritable or anxious? When you're when trying to stop or cut down on your gambling I mean Are there other problems that people have that lend themselves to addictions you could say well shopping could be an addiction.

Yeah, okay, all right. I Think ultimately what we have to ask ourselves. Is there anything positive that comes out of gambling and some people will say entertainment and we'll cover that. During the here's another question during the past 12 months have you tried to keep your family or friends from knowing how much you gambled?

Now there's a clue if you don't want anybody to know what you're doing. I mean, that's kind of like you know people who cover their drinking. Things of that nature their drug use why don't they want anybody to know if it's okay?

During the past 12 months did you have such? Financial trouble as a result of your gambling that you had to get help with living expenses from family friends or.

Welfare.

You know what I've ran up such a row of such a tab on with gambling. I think I'm eligible for welfare. I need some government assistance. Now nobody needs to go there right now. But but I stopped counting then where I just said how many how many gambling apps are there and I stopped counting at 15.

You know just kind of and if you think about it. What does that mean if there are that many gambling apps? I mean we can gamble anywhere. At home at work.

At church.

Right. While the pastor's preaching. Okay, number two. True or false. The reason most people gamble is because they are dissatisfied. Dissatisfied. They want something more right. They're not happy. They want to.

They want to.

Maybe.

Make themselves rich about this. I mean if we think about you know what were the worst. Three years in recent history how many would vote for a 2020 to 2022? Those were pretty you know 2020 -2021 -2022 those are not grand years in the big scheme of things would you believe?

The casino gambling revenue in other words. This is the money. They made not the money that was gambled doubled during those years. During the big lockdowns while everybody was getting inoculated. Gambling revenues doubled and this is only in casinos.

So I would say people were not very happy and they went out to make themselves happy. They doubled from 30 billion to 60 billion and if you if you do the math on that. What does that mean if that was their profit and their profit margin by the way in casinos is?

Or was they may have increased it, but it's about 12 I. And here's one of the problems that we have we I mean I I stand before you I must confess that I once put a quarter in this in a. You know one of those things what are those slot machine?

Driving through Las Vegas the person I was with. Drove around the block while I went in and put it in quarter. And then you know I drove around the block while she ran in there and put it in quarter. So that we can both say we you know went to Vegas and gabled 12 profit margin so when we go into a casino.

You know our thought is what that I'm gambling against the casino, but is that true they let you win what? Just enough to stay there, but but you know just think about it. Let's say Charlie owns a casino.

Welcome to Charlie's casino. Okay, and you're going in and you're playing and you're thinking well the only person I'm gambling against is Charlie. Is that correct.

Why isn't it correct, I'll tell you why.

Because what's happened is all the people on this side of the room have already lost their money. And the people on this side of the room are coming in and they're going to try to win the money that those people lost.

So Charlie is playing with these people's money. Sorry folks. Yeah, well it is kind of like a bank except for. It's a little bit. I mean if you could go to the bank and get 12 interest on your money We'd be better savers right.

True yeah.

So the casinos are they don't lose money. I remember when I was a new deputy sheriff. You know unbeliever, so just keep that in mind, but it didn't really doesn't really impact this story. But I was an unbeliever, but all the guys were disliked because I was working in a place.

Where I.

Got out of the Academy. I was working on this place. It's called PHR ranch pitches on a ranch. Oh and Basically the inmates it was kind of more like Summer camp for adult men. I mean they had jobs. They'd work in the dairy or they work here there other places.

But they could leave basically if they wanted to escape all they had to do was just walk away. So it wasn't like high stress or anything like that. Not like the time when I took Mike into the jail I worked at the end of my career, and he was just like We're locked in here, and I said yes, Mike.

We are. And he said but you have your gun right. No, but I do have a flashlight. He didn't and he goes in these people are in for Oh murder or mayhem. You know he's like They're just walking the hallways.

But anyway these guys these deputies that I worked with didn't have a lot to do during their shift. We'd walk around and mill around so when we got together sometimes they talked about what they were doing and guys were learning how to Gamble how to play a dice game called craps, and they go the odds are really in your favor.

And I remember thinking okay. I've been to Vegas. I just drove through. I've been to Vegas. I've seen those nice buildings, and I think they didn't build those based on good odds right be there making a profit.

It's built in but you know whatever people are gonna think whatever they want to think. But during 20 to 20 2020 to 2022 Massachusetts Was number 15 in gambling which is pretty impressive because we're not necessarily a big state biggest state in fact California wasn't even on the top list of.

Because they don't have that many casinos. I mean that really shows you that we pack those casinos in. But the fact that they made 60 the casinos made 60 billion dollars in revenue. And if you do the math and you go, okay?

They they keep 12 What does that mean that means like five hundred billion dollars? Was gambled. That's a lot of money folks. I mean you could start your own country country with that kind of cash, right?

Online sports gambling is expected to hit ten billion dollars this year. Phil Johnson says gambling is Inconsistent with biblical virtue it is fueled by and it fuels covetousness greed and materialism.

Gambling as Covetousness and a False Promise of Entertainment

So what about the argument that it's entertainment? Phil says even if you're the sort of person that can perfectly control their impulses, and I mean who can't.

There are other.

Considerations. Phil Johnson again. He says a sinister principle underlying all gambling and is this That for every winner there are losers and the winners gains come at the losers expense. There is no other way to gain money through gambling and so again.

You know our Mentality is I mean if we sit down Not that we would but if we sat down at a table, and we all put money in the middle. We would all understand that somebody's winning somebody's losing. But when you go to a casino the idea is well I'm just gambling against the casino.

No, you're not they've got a built-in profit margin. They're going to win no matter what you do. I mean, I'm no expert on gambling how many experts on gambling are there never mind. But when they set these lines, you know New England is a seven-point underdog.

I mean, I would like to say we're a favorite, but you know, we're not playing obviously. We're seven-point underdog. Well, what does that mean? That means they've they've figured it out and they've done the math and basically New England is going to lose by seven points.

So at seven points, it's a it's a break-even at Six and that's why they do that half thing by the way. So they you know, there's more of a chance for more people to lose but that's neither here nor there what they do is they figured it out and they they figure that seven is the break-even point, but they make sure that.

Whichever side they think is going to win that there's going to be more money on the other side. So they never. They're not stupid. They've done the science, right? I mean, this is like, you know. Do you ever you ever do some kind of stuff with your kids involving money where you just think well?

I'm gonna tell them I'm gonna give them this amount of money if they do this knowing that no matter what I say I'll give you $10 ,000, you know if you mow the yard backwards or whatever, you know. And you go because you realize that their little arms are gonna get tired before they finish the yard because you've got 10 acres, whatever.

But you know, you've got a good piece of the lawn mowed and you feel good about yourself. No. That's gambling. I mean they they set the odds so that you cannot win and no matter what you think in your feeble little mind.

They've sorted that out. They're the experts. This is their business. You know, this is like, you know, you walk in the Placido's gym and you say dude, I'm taking you down today. Probably not. You know, you want to go lifting with a Raldo and you're gonna tell him what to do probably not.

There are some things you're not going to do well in you think you're gonna out eat Jerry fish. No, you're. He's got a metabolism that young man, but here's the point when you win you are taking that which belongs to another.

The winners profit always comes directly from the losers pocket. And he says there's something more sinister than merely winning an athletic competition. Which involves no material loss for the loser when you gamble you are taking something of value from someone else.

It's the moral equivalent he argues of Stealing now there are arguments that people make about mutual consent. Right but if somebody says You know, there are many situations where we would say Moral consent doesn't mean it's a moral situation.

Right. I think we can agree to that prior consent Phil says doesn't eliminate the evil in gambling. Then he says and this is true. This is one of the things if you study gambling and I have in the past I didn't Read about it extensively for this.

But if you study gambling there are things that happen when a casino moves into your neighborhood. There are reasons people don't like it when casinos move into the neighborhood. Can you think of what some of those things would be?

Crime traffic, I mean traffic is non-criminal, right. Prostitution alcoholism.

Drug use. Why. Why do those things all attend that?

Because as your inhibitions get dragged down which they will because why I mean anybody ever been to Vegas don't don't. When when you go there if you're known as a high roller, we've all seen the movies, right?

So we know we're experts. If you go strolling into a Vegas hotel, and you're known as a big roller, which means what? You you lose a lot of money. Congratulations high roller. They comp you the room. They give you free drinks.

Why? Because the. Yeah, the longer you're there the more drunk you get. The less you care the less you're you know thinking logically the better for them. Other things happen when you get drunk, of course.

Your inhibitions go down and you are more prone to Prostitution and all the things that go with that. It's a downhill slide. Oh, yeah. Why do you suppose organized crime might be involved in you know, I mean I in reading this Last couple days they go.

Hey organized crime is not associated with casinos. Come on now again. We've seen the movies. We know better. Why would organized crime be associated with casinos and whatnot Charlie? It's easy to launder money.

Loan sharking is another reason right if they if you're in a bad spot and they can just give you a spot loan and charge you exorbitant amounts of Interest then they'll do that right? It's easy money. Why else would organized crime be involved?

Prostitution. Drugs all these things and here. I'll just make it easy. It's where the money is. Right. Why are they there? Because there's money to be made. Phil goes on he says it is contrary gambling is To a biblical work ethic it attempts to gain wealth without working for it.

I went to you know, one of my favorite sources psychology today. Listen what they say. They say gambling is one of those activities where people can effectively get something for nothing. That's what makes it attractive and they talk about the attraction of a lottery.

For example, is that for a very small take stake? The individual can have a life-changing Experience and things are further complicated by the fact that most lottery players. Don't see the activity is gambling now.

I've talked about the lottery in the past. If you understood well, first of all, I just mentioned a few times that the casinos make 12 profit the government makes 50 you know on the on the lottery.

Which when you realize you know, it seems like a shocking amount and just think of all the money that goes to the kids and then and then you go by the The buildings that the Lottery Commission owns and you start thinking well, wait a minute people work in there.

You know do the math and then you realize that okay 50 was never going to go to the kids. And then of course, we know that money is fungible which means what? It means if you got a budget and you say well we're gonna add this lottery money in here.

Then they take this lottery money and they move it out the other way and use it for something else. They're you know does it since we've had the lottery has. You know the money for education Risen significantly in the state budget and the answer is no.

It's one of their favorite things to cut. Because they know that local government has to make it up so. Because they that's a fun game, right? The state sets the requirements for how much you have to spend on education.

Then the state cuts education money and you still have to spend the money. Anyway, you just have to raise property taxes do it. But enough of that. Yes, okay. So what he's trying to say is oh. We're gonna get there.

Thank you for anticipating that yes the stock market. It's no different than working the stock yet. Well, yes, it is, but we'll we'll talk about that. Still in psychology today because we have to get you know, the real deal out here.

People who enjoy playing roulette or betting on a football match I guess soccer. Properly called football, but we won't argue that today enjoy the betting or gaming experience itself. It's more fun. I've even heard this on advertisements, right?

Because if you have a stake in the game, it makes the game more fun. I mean, it's more fun if you think well, you know is I don't know Patrick Mahomes gonna throw the first touchdown of the game or is somebody else going to do it?

You know, I I mean you can gamble on virtually anything. It's it's amazing to me because I listen to sports talk and I'm like, you know, here's a bet I really like the guy will say Kansas City number 78 will probably get the first holding penalty of the game.

What I mean if if you're if you're involved at that level, you've got a serious problem. Oh. Yeah, he's got a proclivity.

Stop.

Psychology. Today while gamblers may seem to be primarily driven by the profit motive the psychological evidence is Overwhelming that the that other desires affect gambling actions. Put simply for most gamblers our actions Contradict the desire to maximize profits.

Hmm.

The golden rule in poker is never give anything away. But the human psyche works in such a way that we want to show off once in a while. Our psychological makeup also means that we let pride get in the way of minimizing losses.

What are they saying? They saying they're saying that there's a certain psychological bent at us. They can't resist. You know trying to recoup some money trying to show off all these kind of things and what does that mean?

It means we're going to lose more. I mean casinos love all this stuff and they play for it. This is all designed, I mean I I was watching we were watching a show not too long ago and people were sitting in.

Maybe this was real life. I don't know real life and TV sometimes merge, but they're sitting in this gas station. At these one-armed bandits, you know slot machines and they're just there for hours. And you go.

What is wrong with you people? It's like get a lot. I mean you're better off. Can't you at least scroll Twitter or something?

I mean.

Just as an aside, you know, I was in the army in Okinawa and gambling was legal there. One of the guys in my company He was always winning money on these slot machines. I was like There's there's no skill at all in that he goes.

I am, you know, I'm just lucky and I'm like Okay, I don't know what to say about that, you know.

And.

Psychology. Today there are games there are always games that should have been avoided. In other words Situations gambling situations that should have been avoided but players end up staying in them long after they knew it was a mistake.

You win a big amount and you just keep going. Anyway, why. Because you think you're on a hot streak and the reality is you're just giving the casino their money back or some of it.

Back.

Talking about poker none of us like to lose to those we think are weaker players or admit that the game was too hard. So we just keep going keep pushing. How many times does a player continue playing because they want to try and get better of a great player or show off?

Because there's some when they're trying to impress. Then they say see if this sounds familiar. Although it is a cliche. Pride before a fall is commonplace.

Hmm.

Gambling, Risk, and the Difference Between Investing and Speculation

Okay. Number three. Question number three true or false. Anything that involves investment and risk is gambling.

What do you think true or false? It can be but.

Let's go back to the question because sometimes this guy who writes the questions knows what he's doing. True or false. Anything that involves investment and risk is gambling. Not can be but is. Thank you.

So I just like to go back to you know, make sure we're on the same page, okay. Phil Johnson. To gamble. This is his definition. To gamble is to wager on a contest or to play at a game of chance for stakes.

To gamble is to wager on a contest or to play at a game of chance for stakes. When you gamble you are risking money or something else of value on the outcome of something that involves an element of chance.

Uncertainty or hazard for the possibility of winning something someone else has put at stake. That's his definition of gambling which by the way as we'll see here in a bit rules out the stock market. Because if I invest in stock does that mean somebody else.

If mine goes up does somebody else have to lose. No, then he says a stake is a prize one person stands to gain through the loss of others. Now, this is my personal opinion. I think it's something Phil will echo later.

If you play a Superman Superman.

If you play.

Hmm jump off the roof. No, if you play like these Super Bowl sheets, you know 10 by 10 squares if you're in a fantasy football league and Depending on the stakes, you know, whatever if you do something that's once a year twice a year or whatever and doesn't involve much money.

It's not the same thing. I mean, is it the same principle? Yes, and Phil will argue that but it's not the same thing I would argue that always playing the lottery is Greed, why do you do it? You know people say well, I only play it when it hits, you know a billion dollars.

Okay, what are you telling me? I want a lot of money and I don't want to risk much. That's that's greed. Phil Johnson. Investing in the stock market is not gambling. Regardless of how much risk is involved if a stock gains value all the investors earn money.

The gains of one investor are not financed by the losses of others. In other words, there are no losers when a stock gains value when the stock value increases the economic pie grows and That's the difference, you know in gambling.

It's a fixed pie. The only money that you can win is money that's been gambled or is being gambled. I mean what happens if you break the bank, you know, if you go to the casino, was that a hand? Okay, just a minute.

If you go to the casino, you know, you say well I've got and they let you do this. You know, I mean, I don't know that they would you put Everything that you've won on you know. What what are the numbers on a roulette wheel do they go to 35 whatever it is.

You know, you put it all on the one number and it wins and they go. You've broken the bank. What does that mean? It means you now own the hotel, but you're not getting all that money right now. You can rip off other people.

So congratulations.

Yes.

Nathan nope. Nope when you buy a stock and it goes up. That's not the same as a stock market because the stock market overall Individual stocks will go up and other stocks will go down. Yes. Okay fair, but he's not he's not addressing Options, you know because options are different.

I mean, what is option buying? It's betting. Right. I mean that that's what it is. I'm gonna sell short. I'm gonna sell whatever you're betting that a stock is going up or down and so and you may have more information than other people, but it's still a Gamble and not an investment.

So yes, I would yes. Yes, I would yep all that. Because because you're not thinking long haul you're thinking.

You know.

Essentially, you're not doing it hoping that things are going to. You know, I I'm not gonna cash out in seven or eight or ten years. I'm gonna cash out sooner rather than later. It's a it's a it's a bet that the markets going to up or down Jonathan.

Yeah. Yeah, definitely. I mean it's it's a net if we could Look at it this way for society in general. It's a net. Positive, you know, you're it's a hopeful sort of thing.

Yes.

Yeah, please don't because you know, I'm not when it comes to the market. I'm not the expert. Go ahead. Okay, I go for that he said that Options could be like an insurance policy in other words and and you know, you'd have to give me the example but you know, you could own a lot of Apple shares and You know thinking well, they they're probably gonna go up.

But then you might buy you might get a deal on an option where if it goes down You know, I'm insured against losses. So, you know something. I mean, that's probably a super simplistic example, but You know that way you've got a hedge where you could make a ton of money on Apple stock and all those kids working in China to make you rich.

Sorry, sorry, sorry or you know on the other hand if it goes down you've got the option in your in your covered. Yeah, Charlie. I hope it's not, you know on stock options because I yeah Cindy says you're giving and and essentially I think if you think of it if it that way as it's a donation.

Then it's a donation right on the other hand, you know, if I wanted I'm keeping the cash. No, no. Investing in it of itself is not sinful. Otherwise Jesus wouldn't have used it as an example. That's right.

Okay other thoughts questions Taylor and and and I think that really is. You know because I was thinking that exact same thing last night and I'm just like okay in a way This is much like alcohol. I mean, it's not like drugs right because drugs.

Sorry, and you know any any people struggling with drugs? That's just flat-out sin. Alcohol if you take it, you know, if somebody says well, I drink a glass of wine once a week, okay. We say well I drink a glass of wine every night and then you know.

It's two glasses of wine and three glasses wine and okay. Well, all right. I Drink a couple nips on the way home you there's and if you're driving from Boston who could blame you really but Buddy but yeah, it's a good example because You know it may be a situation like you're going to the Little League and you throw in five bucks or whatever in like who cares because I just viewed as a donation if you go to the casino and you throw in five bucks I I don't you know, I'm making this is a donation to the casino.

Okay, I don't I don't think we could draw that parallel but yeah, I think that's I think it is a good illustration because If we have perfect impulse control there are certain things that we could do and I could go like, you know the Illustration of the Super Bowl sheet.

That's the only thing I do every year. You know, we do it at work. Everybody puts in five bucks and whoever gets it wins the whole thing. Okay, you know if that that makes you happy. And it's just kind of something we do for fun, all right.

But if that's it, you know, they go well, you know. You might want to go to betting comm or whatever and you start getting involved with that. Well, then you've got another issue. So it's like how close and how much control do you have and for some people?

I mean, it's just like drinking.

For.

Some people they look at that, you know, ten by ten Super Bowl grid and they go. I can't even go down that road because once I start doing that then I'm just I Shouldn't say I'm off to the races. But yes, I'm off to the races, yeah.

Because some people just have no impulse control. Right. So do I want to tempt myself and the answer should be no, I should not.

And.

You know if you if your attitude about credit cards is Well, I've still got room and I credit card then you probably should not go into the mall, right? I mean or go online and you should be locked in a closet somewhere.

There there are some there are some people you just need to know what your what your weaknesses are and you know for some people Gambling is just in any form is just awful. Other thoughts questions. Cory Why did you rob the bank?

I needed I needed a new bowling ball. I've heard that many many times.

Charlie.

Okay, go ahead. Well, and that's the statistics. I had to kind of pause to make sure I initiated properly the statistics show that is typically. The people who could least afford to do it and that and it's that way with the lottery, too you know, it is a tax and pardon me for anybody who borrows or who buys lottery tickets, but as a essentially a tax on the poor and.

Who overwhelming? I mean John Kerry is not buying a lottery tickets. He's just asking his wife for more money, sorry. It it's a tax on on the poor and. People who don't know. I'll just put it nicely people who don't know how bad it is.