Is gambling sinful?

Gambling in and of it self isn't a sin. It's a sin if you're using money that you need that needs to go else where (priorities). Like, if you have a family and you're short on cash, you aren't supposed to then go and spend money on gambling. Because you are required to take care of your family and their needs before anything else. Even if you don't have a family, your needs first still applies but I would say you're running a higher risk of God stepping in with corrections with a family due to the fact that family is supposed to be put first and he holds that to a higher standard.

JohnB445 said:

Could a Christian also ever be involved in the gambling business? Although some people move on, for others it destroys lives and they wished they never gambled. or is gambling seen as a legitimate business just like farmers?

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Not a legitimate business. Consider it like this, everything given to us was given to us by God. So essentially, all the money you have is given by God. Using some money for frivolous spending is fine if you can afford it, but using it as a business is not because of what you stated, it can destroy lives. You are gambling your life, your families life and if you have any kids, their life on a regular basis. Gambling has a massive higher probability to fail and like the saying goes, "the house always wins". God prefers people to do an honest work (like farming) and with the stakes being so high, I just can't see anything in scripture that would back up an idea that gambling as a business would be okay but I do see a lot of the contrary due to the priorities that God has already established.

If your gambling losses accumulate at a rate of other entertainment such as what you would pay to see a two hour movie, it would seem to be under control. However, for a Christian one has to also consider how being seen to gamble might be harmful for a "weaker brother".

To work in the gambling industry would incur some of the guilt for exploiting the weak as well.

Tim and Delvianna have given you good things to pray about and be honest with God about these things they have shared. What I offer below is not meant to disagree with what they have said.

JohnB445 said:

I have only gambled very small amount of money $2, the excitement of the chance to win big was there,

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Ok, so it can look, here, like you are saying you would like to be rich. Beware >

"But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition." (1 Timothy 6:9)

"be content with such things as you have" > in Hebrews 13:5.

I think now of this > maybe > perhaps > by being more or less interested in using money to get a lot of money, you could be cutting yourself short. You can do better to develop in your ability to do good things which money is not enough to get. So, I mean, by giving such attention to what money could do, you could be short-circuiting your attention from what God is able to do in you as a younger child of God who needs to mature more to discover and appreciate what God and His love in you can make you ***creative*** to do.

JohnB445 said:

I wasn't really disappointed it was $2 not enough to buy a bag of chips these days.

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You mention chips, which can be a weight gainer and a money user-upper And yes food can be a substitute for the satisfaction of learning how to relate in God's love with various people. So, yes you can discover doing with God what money and enjoyment of food can not do. However, God's word does say God "gives us richly all things to enjoy," in 1 Timothy 6:17. So, I do not mean you must not enjoy certain nice things and the money to get them; however - - - learning how to love, with Jesus and His example and word, is the most fulfilling education and adventure and accomplishment that there is.

JohnB445 said:

I figured i'm not lucky and moved on.

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How social is it? I suspect you do this by yourself. At least, get into some cheap-prize bingo, maybe. Even get some socially needy people together for some gaming which has no prize but that they are sharing with one another.

JohnB445 said:

I can see how it can develop into a problem with people gambling excessive amounts of money, and they are devastated. But what about gambling such small amount of money it has no effect at all to the person who lost?

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It depends. Our Apostle Paul says >

"All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any." (1 Corinthians 6:17)

If you are depending on it for excitement . . . this can mean you are under its power . . . including its power to affect where your attention is going. So, we need more prayer, with attention to God and God guiding our attention, then discovering.

If ones are isolating with things they like . . . Jesus wants us to get into how God has us loving >

"if you love those who love you, what reward have you?" (in Matthew 5:46)

The Bible says various things about how to relate with one another as God's children and how to relate with ones who are not God's children. You need to invest your time - - - your **attention** - - - in God's word, including about how to relate with one another as His family. And spend time with Jesus people who are good examples of this. Feed on their example, enjoy the chips

JohnB445 said:

Could a Christian also ever be involved in the gambling business?

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There is always risk in loving. But with God so creative we can create His good in spite of however others do us wrong . . . even using what anti-love people do - - - using their evil to bring about God's all-loving results. Have you read and fed on how God did this with Joseph? > this is in Genesis 37-50.

JohnB445 said:

Although some people move on, for others it destroys lives and they wished they never gambled. or is gambling seen as a legitimate business just like farmers?

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We could have quite a debate about this. You could say gambling ruins lives, and I could argue that farmers produce food which people abuse so they are overweight and dying of diabetes and heart attacks. But I rule in favor of what Delvianna and Tim have said > my argument might be clever . . . but not really relevant!!

Among other things > it can be the farmer has learned many skills and has been providing for his family and bringing up his children to have character and the right kind of work ethic and to know how to love and relate as family. There is much investment, so more than gaining money, in so laboring. I suspect that a gambling business might not be so useable, like farming can be. Where would your children be, what would they be learning??

You can grow in Jesus to discover what God can do with you. What you can think about now can evaporate as you mature with . . . us.