March Madness and Gambling

March Madness is now in full swing. With the play-in games and first rounds completed, the Sweet 16 will “duke it out” for the Final Four and ultimately the championship.

Even if you’re not a basketball fan, it’s difficult to escape the hoopla surrounding the annual NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament.

But, do you know what else is an annual March event?

It’s Problem Awareness Gambling Month (PGAM).

According to their website, PGAM “is a nationwide grassroots campaign, held annually in March, that seeks to increase public awareness of problem gambling and promote prevention, treatment, and recovery services.”

How ironic is that?

Why? You may wonder. Because according to Gambling Insider it’s estimated the $3.1 billion will be wagered on this year’s games. That represents 13.8% increase over the $2.7 billion that was bet on the 2024 tournament.

Apparently the Gambling Industry is rapidly growing with more states legalizing it. Since the Supreme Court legalized sports gambling, it’s estimated that over $500 billion have been wagered on sports alone. An NPR program reports that with this growing interest in sports gambling is an “increased risk that many Americans will develop gambling addictions. Gambling addiction rose about 30% from 2018 to 2021, according to “The National Council on Problem Gambling.”

All of this raises the question, “Is it a sin to gamble?”

Gambling is one of those issues that the Bible does not directly address, so we must rely on spiritual principles to arrive at an answer.

Let me say at the outset, I don’t gamble. Not the lottery. Not friendly wagers. Not 50/50 drawings. Nothing. I’m conscientiously opposed to gambling. So that makes it wrong for me (Rom. 14:23).

But what about you? If you’re not sure. Consider theses 3 reasons not to gamble.

#1 Consider your motive for gambling

Sports gambling as well as other forms of wagering often appeals to greed and materialism. Jesus warned, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses” (Lk 12:15). The Bible says that greed is “improper for God’s holy people” (Eph 5:3). In fact, Paul calls covetousness a form of idolatry (Col 3:5).

Some begin wagering “just for fun.” But quickly the appeal can turn into an inordinate and unhealthy desire to “get rich quick.” To get ahead financially the Bible teaches the value of honorable work (Eph. 6:6; 2Thess. 3:10-12).

#2 Consider How Gambling may undermine your faithful stewardship.

Christians are to be good managers of their time, talents and treasure. This is taught in the parable of the talents (Matt 25:14-29). The Old Testament book of Proverbs is filled with exhortations to the wise use of money.

Not long ago a segment on the Today show reported your chances of winning the powerball lottery are 1 in 292,201,338. Not very good odds I would say. In fact, the News Anchor said you have a better chance of being struck by lightning, becoming President of the United States, being bitten by a shark, or dying from an asteroid than winning the lottery!

While sports wagering does contain some element of expertise in analyzing the teams, players, and coaches, your odds of winning are slim. One analyst said that a “sports bettor with no edge has only a 2.3% chance of winning 53.2% of his games.” Your money is better budgeted to invest in highly-rated mutual funds or blue chip stocks.

#3 Consider How Gambling may sabotage your self-control.

Admittedly, not all gamblers are out of control. But it is a serious enough problem that even some lottery ads issue warnings and provide information on gambling hotlines.

The Mayo clinic website warns, “Compulsive gambling is a serious condition that can destroy lives.” These professional experts explain “Gambling can stimulate the brain’s reward system much like drugs such as alcohol can, leading to addiction. If you’re prone to compulsive gambling, you may continually chase bets, hide your behavior, deplete savings, accumulate debt, or even resort to theft or fraud to support your addiction.”

The Bible teaches that the fruit of the spirit is self-control (Gal. 5:23. It is also identified as one of the Christian graces (2Pet. 1:5-7). Lack of self-control is listed in a catalog of sins that characterize ungodliness, worldliness, and carnality (2Tim. 3:1-9).

Finally, we can profit from this quip by the early 20th century playwright and entrepreneur Wilson Mizner. “Gambling: The sure way of getting nothing for something.”

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman