Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Is Playing Lottery is a Sin?



Several people taking their hope to be rich by playing lottery, why I say this, because almost every day when I passed at some lottery station it always full, a file of bettor are long, sometime they almost occupied the street, mostly when the price to win is reached to 100 million above, I have a friend who play lottery, he play only when the price reached to 100m above but when the price is lower than that he didn’t play, but I saw other person, almost everyday, they play lotto, hoping to win the price. I have been a player of lotto too, there is a time I have no money to buy a ticket, I use my transportation allowance because I thought, what if my number win, so, what happen to me is, to walk going home, but when I know that playing lotto is a gamble despite of what other say it’s not, I stop it.

What is gamble?

Gamble is a significant risk, undertaken with a potential gain. What we are risking? Our finances. Like me I risk my transportation allowance.

Gambling is also the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods.

What is lottery?

A lottery is a form of gambling which involves the drawing of lots for a prize.
Lotteries allow purchasers to select the numbers on the lottery ticket, resulting in the possibility of multiple winners.

The ticket may enable some purchasers to experience a thrill and to indulge in a fantasy of becoming wealthy. There is an entertainment value, one reason why people keep on playing lotto.

Lotteries are outlawed by some governments, while others endorse it to the extent of organizing a national or state lottery and a means for governments to raise revenue without raising taxes. In my religion it’s also prohibited for us to play any form of gambling, it causes us separation from the church. but to others religion its fine, if there member play lotto, to the person, it’s ok if once in a while, but other person play it like a regular job, everyday they play lotto, stealing an hour’s from their job just to go to lotto outlet, sound like an addiction in lotto, that’s what is call significant risk, risking our job. even they have no enough money, they will play lotto, they thought if they didn’t play now and their number win, they will regret it, so what they do is to play every day. they will take a chances hoping that their number might win, you cannot control yourself because of that reason, however, you know in your mind you didn’t win but the impulse is there, sound reasonable or maybe it could be a sign of a gambling addiction.

What it means by Gambling addiction?

Gambling addiction is characterized by a compulsive desire to gamble that is marked with an inability to control behaviors when gambling. Those who suffer from gambling addiction will continue to gamble (either daily or possibly just on a binge) despite negative financial, legal and social consequences.

Most people who play lotto are those that their financial capacity are just enough for their daily life, they will save a money for lottery.

This is the worst that can happen.

Many people who are addicted to gambling will do things that they never would have done if it weren’t for their addiction such as stealing money from friends or family members or taking part in illegal activities in an effort to get more money either to gamble or to pay debts. Despite a desire to quit, many compulsive gamblers are unable to control their actions without help. The impulsive behaviors often get them into trouble and can lead to serious consequences.

The following behaviors are all potential signs and effect of gambling addiction:
  • Being preoccupied with gambling, playing lotto, going to the casino, gambling online, etc
  • Avoiding obligations at work, school, home or socially in order to spend time gambling
  • Avoiding friends or family members who have voiced concern of a potential gambling addiction
  • Financial hardships such as loss of house, car, job, or other possessions to gambling
  • Stealing money to gamble or to pay debts
  • Selling possessions to acquire money to gamble or pay debts Inability to control behaviors despite a desire to have such control
  • Neglecting expenses such as bills or other financial obligations in order to gamble
  • Spending a ridiculous amount of money on the tickets and then they end up losing.

As a believer, I believed that any form of gambling is a sin. This is a taking of property of other, the bible says in Exodus 20:17 - "Thou shaft not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that [is] thy neighbor's". When Jesus crucified the Romans gamble to win the garment of Jesus in Matthew 27:35 - "And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, they parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots."

In gambling like lotto you are playing to win the money of others player, clearly a sin, casting lots to win the property of someone, as in the bible. The lottery advertisement say, play lotto and win million money, this money is not from lotto operator but from the people playing lotto including your money, clearly lottery is taking other people money as Exodus 20:17.

Maybe someone seeking how to stop his gambling addiction, like playing lotto or lottery. There are many ways to treat it; however the best way is to believe that any form of gambling is a sin. Like me, I believe it’s a sin, that’s why I stop playing lotto. My religion changed me; like a quote says "if your religion didn’t change you change your religion".


References:
http://www.addictions.com/gambling/
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lottery

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