“Gambling: How to Lose Your Sanity”

I read this shocker of a headline recently: “In 2025, Americans placed roughly $166 billion in bets on sporting events. That’s more than the entire U.S. movie, music, book, and museum industries generated in revenue combined.” The article goes on to suggest that the real figure may be closer to $300 billion. That would mean that “the average American adult placed roughly $1,000 in legal bets on sports last year.” The demographic that is most engaged in sports gambling is young, college-educated men. In what follows, I don’t want to indicate that gambling is always sinful. For example, is wagering $10 on the outcome of the Super Bowl always wrong? I don’t think so. A better question is whether gambling’s wise.

Gambling—wagering money on random events like the outcome of a coin flip—is not a wise pursuit. You might win for a season, but your fortune will turn. Just give it time. A winning streak with gambling produces the feeling of “I’m good at this.” No, you’re not. You’re just “lucky.” Also, gambling takes up too much mental bandwidth. Rather than focusing on others, your mind will constantly be on the game, winning, and making the right bet. That’s a miserable state of mind. There’s also the possibility of addiction. “I can win it all back,” is disastrous self-counsel, and unfortunately characterizes those caught in gambling. The best way to protect ourselves from this trap? Probably don’t even start. 

As a Christian man, I’m all for ambition, hard work, ingenuity, investing, and gaining an edge in whatever you do. However, nothing compares to the “peace of God that surpasses all understanding” (Phil 4:7). Gambling won’t leave you with peace. Why sacrifice harmony of soul for the chance to make (and lose!) money? That’s a foolish exchange. While some things are allowed, not all things edify—gambling included (1 Cor 10:23).

Pastor Chance Sumner