Introduction

The Gambling Picture
When you think about gambling, what picture do you see? If you are a legislator or business leader in a depressed area, you might see Tunica County, Mississippi. Once called "America's Ethiopia" because of its oppressive poverty and high unemployment, Tunica now has thriving casinos, almost no unemployment, and new tax revenues that have built roads and public housing. If you are worried about funding for education, you might think of Georgia, Ohio or sixteen other states, which dedicate profits from their state lotteries for public schools. If you are an American Indian, you might see the Mashantucket Pequot of Connecticut, whose Foxwoods casino brings in nearly one billion dollars a year -- money that can be distributed to tribe members, or spent on nursing homes, recreation centers, or to establish economic independence for the tribe. Or if you are someone looking for an exciting place to take your family on vacation, you might think of Las Vegas, with its new theme parks and kids' play rooms alongside rows of slot machines.

These are the new pictures of gambling, but they stand uneasily alongside a whole set of different and more troubling images. If you are a restaurant owner near a casino, you might see your business closed and your employees laid off, because you couldn't compete with the cut-rate meals casinos use to attract customers. If you live in one of the cities that allows riverboat gambling, you might have seen your taxes rise or your neighbors lose their jobs when the riverboat left for a less-restrictive state. If you live in a poor community, you might see your friends seduced by the government's promise that the lottery is "Your ticket out," even though the odds are hopeless. If you work in a casino child care center, you might see the same children -- sometimes even infants -- left with you night after night, while their parents gamble into the morning hours. Or if you have a husband or wife, parent or child who is addicted to gambling, you might have seen your family driven into bankruptcy or broken apart, and your loved one sunk deep in depression, or perhaps even tempted to commit suicide.

No matter what picture we see (and it is probably a blend of the good and bad) one fact is clear: gambling surrounds us to an unprecedented -- and increasing -- extent. Just over thirty years ago, gambling was largely illegal and certainly distant from most of our daily lives. In 1963, no state had a lottery and only one state permitted casinos (though many allowed betting on horse or dog races). By 1996, however, only Hawaii and Utah prohibited all forms of gambling. Thirty-seven states and the District of Columbia ran state lotteries, and twenty-seven states allowed casinos. Gamblers legally wagered over $586 billion in 1996, earning states, American Indian tribes, and casino operators nearly $48 billion. Few doubt that these numbers will continue to increase, at least for the foreseeable future. And with gambling now available on the internet, it will reach more people than ever.

Thinking Together about Gambling
The decade since the American Lutheran Church statement "Gambling and the Public Good" has seen rapid change in the place of gambling in our society. More forms of gambling are available in more communities. Gambling interests wield significant political clout, and governments depend on the revenue gambling generates. In addition, popular acceptance of gambling has increased dramatically. Not so long ago, most people regarded gambling as immoral; now, most regard gambling as an acceptable form of recreation. These changes have not come without costs, however, and opponents of legalized gambling warn of even greater consequences if these trends are not reversed. In light of the expanding scope and popular acceptance of gambling, Christians cannot avoid questions about their own participation in and attitudes toward gambling.

Is gambling an inherently sinful activity?

May Christians work in the gambling industry?

How should Christians exercise their political citizenship in matters relating to gambling?

How should Christian communities respond to gambling?

No one should doubt that Christians will give different answers to these questions. Unlike adultery, which Holy Scripture clearly forbids, the Bible does not speak directly to gambling. Christian analysis and discussion of gambling will be guided by the Bible, the Church's history and tradition, and the gift of human reason; and yet faithful Christians can disagree about the conclusions we draw from these guides. But the possibility of difference should not keep us from having a serious conversation about gambling. Indeed, with the accelerating pace of gambling's spread, one of the most significant -- and perhaps even distinctive -- things that the Christian community can do is to pause for reflection and discussion.

As recognized in the 1991 ELCA Social Statement, "The Church in Society: A Lutheran Perspective," part of a congregation's role is to be a "community of moral deliberation."

Christians fulfill their vocation diversely and are rich in the variety of gifts of the Spirit. Therefore, they often disagree passionately on the kind of responses they make to social questions. United with Christ and all believers in baptism, Christians welcome and celebrate their diversity. Because they share common convictions of faith, they are free, indeed obligated, to deliberate together on the challenges they face in the world.

This study is designed to provoke and guide discussion of gambling. It is divided into six segments, each of which can serve as the basis for a one hour class. The first part provides introductory information about gambling and its growth in the United States. The second offers a framework for Christian analysis of gambling, drawing on scripture and moral principles. The third segment looks at the problem of compulsive gambling. The fourth focuses on state sponsored gambling, especially lotteries. The fifth examines arguments about gambling's relationship to the economic common good. And the sixth part looks at the special issues raised by gambling on American Indian reservations.

Explore these different sessions online.  To jump to any section of the gambling study at any time, click on "Gambling Study" at the top of this page, and then select the session or section that you would like to read more about.

Gambling Study
Table of Contents

• Introduction
  
  

• Session 1: 
  Understanding Gambling
  
  

• Session 2: 
  Gambling and the Godly Life
  
  

• Session 3: 
  The Vulnerability of Gambling
  
  

• Session 4: 
  Lotteries, the Poor, and the State
  
  

• Session 5: 
  Gambling and the Economic Common Good
  
  

• Session 6: 
  Gambling on American Indian Reservations