If another person “plays the market” by simply throwing money at stocks based on tips or hunches, then that is indeed another form of gambling. If a person invests money in a stock after careful investigation of the company and the goods or services it provides, while it will put money at risk, it is not gambling.

It is not an attempt to get something for nothing. The difference is that investment in companies is encouraging development of goods and services. Likewise, investment in the stock market involves risk. The business may fail, and the owner may lose it all. Of course, if a person starts a business, it will require the risk of capital.

Betting often kills the work ethic because it offers the possibility of something for nothing. However, God has given His approval to another means of making money, and that means is work. Stewardship: The main reason people bet on sports (or anything else) is to make quick money and to get something for nothing. This may not be true in every case, but before a Christian places a bet of any kind, he should carefully evaluate what that activity reveals about his own belief in the sovereignty of God. Likewise, the one who hopes to win by gambling may often lack faith in God’s ability to provide financially. Without knowing His purposes, it seems foolish to bet on the outcome. They do not always recognize that God maintains final control and we do not know what purposes He may have in the outcome of a sporting event. They often assume that everything is the result of blind chance or a combination of chance and cause and effect within a closed system.

However, those who gamble often do not recognize that God is in ultimate control. Sports betting is somewhere in the middle as the serious gambler will have carefully analyzed both teams and have more than an educated guess about who will most likely win. Some gambling, like the lottery, is pure chance. Sovereignty: Most gambling has an element of chance. When considering sports betting, we need to consider three things: Sovereignty, Stewardship, and Society.

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