Sentinel Watch May 2, 2011 Issue

The flip side of gambling

Bertina B. Norford

From the sidewalks of Hanoi to the grand casinos of Las Vegas, people gamble throughout most of the world and in cyberspace. In the current world economy, some governments are encouraging the gaming industry in order to create jobs and find new sources of revenue. There is, however, a downside to gambling. In the United States alone, more than 15 million people have gambling problems. Of these, more than three million are considered addicted or pathological gamblers (see Helpguide.org.). 

Games of chance may seem sophisticated, exciting, or as offering the possibility of easy earnings. However, luck dishes out not only wins—but losses. A gambler can hit the jackpot or hit a pothole. When the latter occurs, he or she is often robbed of hard-earned income and peace. Opponents of gambling have noted that when people with low incomes yield to its temptation, they often spend more money than they can afford. Also, gambling can lead to addiction from which some cannot readily extricate themselves, and they eventually become burdens on society. 

These are a few good reasons not to support gambling. But there’s another, even deeper one. Gambling is based on the premise that chance, fate, accident, or the law of probability determines our experience. To accept that view is to deny the presence and power of God, good, who is able and willing to provide for each of us.