GAMBLING UNMASKED: A Biblical perspective on sports betting

Gambling or rather sports betting as you may call it is not a new phenomenon in the social arena. Like a heartbeat, it always beats in peoples’ minds like never before. To my understanding or my own conceptualization, gambling is a term  

known by all people and has surpassed boundaries in all social categorization be it from the elites to the individuals in the lowest carders in the society.  As a fact, gambling has broken all limits in the society as from the learned to the least educated in the society.

There are many sound definitions that have been put forth to better describe what gambling actually is. Gambling is seen as a promise for instant money or quick riches once a person has engaged in a game of chance. It is also described as an activity or practice at a game of chance for money. An activity of predicting sports results and placing a wager on the results. Proper examples of such betting companies include; Sportpesa, Betin Kenya, Mcheza, Elite bet, Betways etc.

The betting menace has actually broken the hell loose in our today’s society notwithstanding the fact that it has not spared anyone be it the young or the old. All have been taken by storm into this menace. According to research conducted by the Kenya Forum; an online research platform, an estimated 7% of primary school pupils are said to have the involvement in betting in one way or another. Moreover, it is also alleged according to statistics that 33% of college and university students are involved in gambling.

To surprise you, you may think that it is you among dozens of people who are involved in betting especially with Sportpesa. As a matter of fact, it is alleged that an approximated 800,000 people in Kenya are subscribers of Sportpesa.It is also alleged that an average Sportpesa subscribe spends about Ksh. 500 per week while the well of spend up to Ksh. 10,000 per week on betting. Many of these subscribers use online betting as the most preferred way to bet. With smart phones or the so called “mulika mwizi”, you can easily bet without hustle.

You may attempt to imagine how much money is owned by Sportpesa. To  give you a clear picture, I will attempt to remind you about the Chase Bank closure scenes experienced in Kenya in the mid last year. The closure and later revival of the bank affected many and among them was the Sportpesa betting company which had its Ksh. 6Billion in the bank. As we speak, has gone on sponsoring many football clubs in Kenya and abroad such as Hull City in England. The English football club is sponsored in sterling pounds not in terms of Kenyan currency. This is a precise food for thought on how much rich Sportpesa is.

Biblical view on Gambling

Gambling as a new phenomenon has taken Kenyans by storm and thereof finding themselves being lured to betting. This has been characterized by the presence of adverts in the media that use seductive language, e.g. “Lions don’t play, they win”. Such spicy connotations among others used by other betting companies play an instrumental role in capturing individual attention and motivate them towards betting. In this case, it stirs covert response that results to overt actions.

Christian community has been perceived to be silent on this issue and this has propagated the flourishing betting tendencies in Kenya. This is because we Christians have lacked biblical backing in disapproving the act of betting in Kenya.

On my own personal opinion, we Christians are actually silent on this vice but the bible itself has never and will never be silent. And to surprise you, Christians themselves have gone on drinking in the same cup with the people of the world due to love for money. As written in the book of Romans 12:1-2: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in the view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.¹ Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of  your mind. Then you will be able to taste and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.²” Christians are asked not to conform to the ways and deeds of the people of the world but rather stand for what is good and pleasing in the eyes if God.

The Bible warns Christians to stay away from the love of money as the love of money is the root cause of all evil. It is due to the secularization of things that has even resulted to taking for granted the crucial biblical teachings. Many people always say that, “I have placed a bet, by faith I will win.” We don’t bet by faith. Betting is a game of chance but not faith because faith never fails.

Read: Proverbs 13:11, Proverbs 23:4

Reasons why people condemn gambling as unbiblical.

v  It is inconsistent with biblical virtues as it fuels the act of covetousness, materialism and the love for money. This is actually supported by the need for quick riches and compromised ways of obtaining money. People want to get instant riches without sweat. As it is evident with the betting platforms; a winner gains from losers’ expense. A winner profits from a pocket of one who has lost. This is against biblical principles.

v  Our possessions are God given. Not for us to squander but be good stewards.

v  It reveals peoples’ faith in chance rather than providence as it is written in the book of Isaiah 65:11-12: “But as for you who forsake the Lord and forget my holy mountain, who spread a table a table for Fortune and fill bowls of mixed wine of Destiny, ¹¹ I will destine you for the sword and you will all bend down for the slaughter, for I called but you did not answer, I spoke but you did not listen. You did evil in my sight and chose what displeases me.¹²” This scripture argues us not to forsake our God by putting all our faith on worldly things and pleasures.

Effects of gambling

v  Increase in poverty

v  Addiction on gambling

v  Idleness and crime

v  Bankruptcy

v  Loss of relationship and divorce

v  Depression due to loss of money from betting that can make one end up committing suicide.

How should Christians respond to gambling?

v         Be informed to inform.

v  Support regulatory framework on betting.

v  Philosophically, the act of gambling is a devoid of values and result to moral decay

In conclusion, I therefore urge you people to think twice as you place that bet. I will leave you with this scripture from the book of John 10:10; “The thief only come to steal, kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.¹⁰” Therefore, it is evidently true that your involvement in gambling will have to steal your innocence from betting, snatches your values and takes away your will.