The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is opposed to gambling, including lotteries sponsored by governments. Church leaders have encouraged Church members to join with others in opposing the legalization and government sponsorship of any form of gambling.

Gambling is motivated by a desire to get something for nothing. This desire is spiritually destructive. It leads participants away from the Savior's teachings of love and service and toward the selfishness of the adversary. It undermines the virtues of work and thrift and the desire to give honest effort in all we do.

Those who participate in gambling soon discover the deception in the idea that they can give little or nothing and receive something of value in return. They find that they give up large amounts of money, their own honor, and the respect of family members and friends. Deceived and addicted, they often gamble with funds they should use for other purposes, such as meeting the basic needs of their families. Gamblers sometimes become so enslaved and so desperate to pay gambling debts that they turn to stealing, giving up their own good name.

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Gambling - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Diagnosis

If you recognize that you may have a problem with your gambling, talk with your primary care doctor about an evaluation or seek help from a mental health professional.

To evaluate your problem with gambling, your doctor or mental health professional will likely:

Treating compulsive gambling can be challenging. That's partly because most people have a hard time admitting they have a problem. Yet a major component of treatment is working on acknowledging that you're a compulsive gambler.

If your family or your employer pressured you into therapy, you may find yourself resisting treatment. But treating a gambling problem can help you regain a sense of control and perhaps help heal damaged relationships or finances.

Treatment for compulsive gambling may include these approaches:

Treatment for compulsive gambling may involve an outpatient program, inpatient program or a residential treatment program, depending on your needs and resources. Treatment for substance abuse, depression, anxiety or any other mental health disorder may be part of your treatment plan for compulsive gambling.

Even with treatment, you may return to gambling, especially if you spend time with people who gamble or you're in gambling environments. If you feel that you'll start gambling again, contact your mental health professional or sponsor right away to head off a relapse.

These recovery skills may help you concentrate on resisting the urges of compulsive gambling:

Family members of people with a compulsive gambling problem may benefit from counseling, even if the gambler is unwilling to participate in therapy.

If you've decided to seek help for compulsive gambling, you've taken an important first step.

Before your appointment make a list of:

Questions to ask your doctor may include:

Don't hesitate to ask any other questions during your appointment.

Your doctor will likely ask you a number of questions. Be ready to answer them to reserve time to go over any points you want to spend more time on. Your doctor may ask:

Oct. 22, 2016

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Compulsive gambling - Diagnosis and treatment - Mayo Clinic

Gambling, the betting or staking of something of value, with consciousness of risk and hope of gain, on the outcome of a game, a contest, or an uncertain event whose result may be determined by chance or accident or have an unexpected result by reason of the bettors miscalculation.

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sports: Gambling and sports

One of the most popular forms of gambling is wagering on sports, which taps into the passion of sports fans. A bet placed on a race or a

The outcomes of gambling games may be determined by chance alone, as in the purely random activity of a tossed pair of dice or of the ball on a roulette wheel, or by physical skill, training, or prowess in athletic contests, or by a combination of strategy and chance. The rules by which gambling games are played sometimes serve to confuse the relationship between the components of the game, which depend on skill and chance, so that some players may be able to manipulate the game to serve their own interests. Thus, knowledge of the game is useful for playing poker or betting on horse racing but is of very little use for purchasing lottery tickets or playing slot machines.

A gambler may participate in the game itself while betting on its outcome (card games, craps), or he may be prevented from any active participation in an event in which he has a stake (professional athletics, lotteries). Some games are dull or nearly meaningless without the accompanying betting activity and are rarely played unless wagering occurs (coin tossing, poker, dice games, lotteries). In other games betting is not intrinsically part of the game, and the association is merely conventional and not necessary to the performance of the game itself (horse racing, football pools). Commercial establishments such as casinos and racetracks may organize gambling when a portion of the money wagered by patrons can be easily acquired by participation as a favoured party in the game, by rental of space, or by withdrawing a portion of the betting pool. Some activities of very large scale (horse racing, lotteries) usually require commercial and professional organizations to present and maintain them efficiently.

A rough estimate of the amount of money legally wagered annually in the world is about $10 trillion (illegal gambling may exceed even this figure). In terms of total turnover, lotteries are the leading form of gambling worldwide. State-licensed or state-operated lotteries expanded rapidly in Europe and the United States during the late 20th century and are widely distributed throughout most of the world. Organized football (soccer) pools can be found in nearly all European countries, several South American countries, Australia, and a few African and Asian countries. Most of these countries also offer either state-organized or state-licensed wagering on other sporting events.

Betting on horse racing is a leading form of gambling in English-speaking countries and in France. It also exists in many other countries. Wherever horse racing is popular, it has usually become a major business, with its own newspapers and other periodicals, extensive statistical services, self-styled experts who sell advice on how to bet, and sophisticated communication networks that furnish information to betting centres, bookmakers and their employees, and workers involved with the care and breeding of horses. The same is true, to a smaller extent, of dog racing. The emergence of satellite broadcasting technology has led to the creation of so-called off-track betting facilities, in which bettors watch live telecasts at locations away from the racetrack.

Casinos or gambling houses have existed at least since the 17th century. In the 20th century they became commonplace and assumed almost a uniform character throughout the world. In Europe and South America they are permitted at many or most holiday resorts but not always in cities. In the United States casinos were for many years legal only in Nevada and New Jersey and, by special license, in Puerto Rico, but most other states now allow casino gambling, and betting facilities operate clandestinely throughout the country, often through corruption of political authorities. Roulette is one of the principal gambling games in casinos throughout France and Monaco and is popular throughout the world. Craps is the principal dice game at most American casinos. Slot and video poker machines are a mainstay of casinos in the United States and Europe and also are found in thousands of private clubs, restaurants, and other establishments; they are also common in Australia. Among the card games played at casinos, baccarat, in its popular form chemin de fer, has remained a principal gambling game in Great Britain and in the continental casinos most often patronized by the English at Deauville, Biarritz, and the Riviera resorts. Faro, at one time the principal gambling game in the United States, has become obsolete. Blackjack is the principal card game in American casinos. The French card game trente et quarante (or rouge et noir) is played at Monte-Carlo and a few other continental casinos. Many other games may also be found in some casinosfor example, sic bo, fan-tan, and pai-gow poker in Asia and local games such as boule, banca francesa, and kalooki in Europe.

At the start of the 21st century, poker exploded in popularity, principally through the high visibility of poker tournaments broadcast on television and the proliferation of Internet playing venues. Another growing form of Internet gambling is the so-called betting exchangesInternet Web sites on which players make wagers with one another, with the Web site taking a small cut of each wager in exchange for organizing and handling the transaction.

In a wide sense of the word, stock markets may also be considered a form of gambling, albeit one in which skill and knowledge on the part of the bettors play a considerable part. This also goes for insurance; paying the premium on ones life insurance is, in effect, a bet that one will die within a specified time. If one wins (dies), the win is paid out to ones relatives, and if one loses (survives the specified time), the wager (premium) is kept by the insurance company, which acts as a bookmaker and sets the odds (payout ratios) according to actuarial data. These two forms of gambling are considered beneficial to society, the former acquiring venture capital and the latter spreading statistical risks.

Events or outcomes that are equally probable have an equal chance of occurring in each instance. In games of pure chance, each instance is a completely independent one; that is, each play has the same probability as each of the others of producing a given outcome. Probability statements apply in practice to a long series of events but not to individual ones. The law of large numbers is an expression of the fact that the ratios predicted by probability statements are increasingly accurate as the number of events increases, but the absolute number of outcomes of a particular type departs from expectation with increasing frequency as the number of repetitions increases. It is the ratios that are accurately predictable, not the individual events or precise totals.

The probability of a favourable outcome among all possibilities can be expressed: probability (p) equals the total number of favourable outcomes (f) divided by the total number of possibilities (t), or p = f/t. But this holds only in situations governed by chance alone. In a game of tossing two dice, for example, the total number of possible outcomes is 36 (each of six sides of one die combined with each of six sides of the other), and the number of ways to make, say, a seven is six (made by throwing 1 and 6, 2 and 5, 3 and 4, 4 and 3, 5 and 2, or 6 and 1); therefore, the probability of throwing a seven is 6/36, or 1/6.

In most gambling games it is customary to express the idea of probability in terms of odds against winning. This is simply the ratio of the unfavourable possibilities to the favourable ones. Because the probability of throwing a seven is 1/6, on average one throw in six would be favourable and five would not; the odds against throwing a seven are therefore 5 to 1. The probability of getting heads in a toss of a coin is 1/2; the odds are 1 to 1, called even. Care must be used in interpreting the phrase on average, which applies most accurately to a large number of cases and is not useful in individual instances. A common gamblers fallacy, called the doctrine of the maturity of the chances (or the Monte-Carlo fallacy), falsely assumes that each play in a game of chance is dependent on the others and that a series of outcomes of one sort should be balanced in the short run by the other possibilities. A number of systems have been invented by gamblers largely on the basis of this fallacy; casino operators are happy to encourage the use of such systems and to exploit any gamblers neglect of the strict rules of probability and independent plays. An interesting example of a game where each play is dependent on previous plays, however, is blackjack, where cards already dealt from the dealing shoe affect the composition of the remaining cards; for example, if all of the aces (worth 1 or 11 points) have been dealt, it is no longer possible to achieve a natural (a 21 with two cards). This fact forms the basis for some systems where it is possible to overcome the house advantage.

In some games an advantage may go to the dealer, the banker (the individual who collects and redistributes the stakes), or some other participant. Therefore, not all players have equal chances to win or equal payoffs. This inequality may be corrected by rotating the players among the positions in the game. Commercial gambling operators, however, usually make their profits by regularly occupying an advantaged position as the dealer, or they may charge money for the opportunity to play or subtract a proportion of money from the wagers on each play. In the dice game of crapswhich is among the major casino games offering the gambler the most favourable oddsthe casino returns to winners from 3/5 of 1 percent to 27 percent less than the fair odds, depending on the type of bet made. Depending on the bet, the house advantage (vigorish) for roulette in American casinos varies from about 5.26 to 7.89 percent, and in European casinos it varies from 1.35 to 2.7 percent. The house must always win in the long run. Some casinos also add rules that enhance their profits, especially rules that limit the amounts that may be staked under certain circumstances.

Many gambling games include elements of physical skill or strategy as well as of chance. The game of poker, like most other card games, is a mixture of chance and strategy that also involves a considerable amount of psychology. Betting on horse racing or athletic contests involves the assessment of a contestants physical capacity and the use of other evaluative skills. In order to ensure that chance is allowed to play a major role in determining the outcomes of such games, weights, handicaps, or other correctives may be introduced in certain cases to give the contestants approximately equal opportunities to win, and adjustments may be made in the payoffs so that the probabilities of success and the magnitudes of the payoffs are put in inverse proportion to each other. Pari-mutuel pools in horse-race betting, for example, reflect the chances of various horses to win as anticipated by the players. The individual payoffs are large for those bettors whose winning horses are backed by relatively few bettors and small if the winners are backed by a relatively large proportion of the bettors; the more popular the choice, the lower the individual payoff. The same holds true for betting with bookmakers on athletic contests (illegal in most of the United States but legal in England). Bookmakers ordinarily accept bets on the outcome of what is regarded as an uneven match by requiring the side more likely to win to score more than a simple majority of points; this procedure is known as setting a point spread. In a game of American or Canadian football, for example, the more highly regarded team would have to win by, say, more than 10 points to yield an even payoff to its backers.

Unhappily, these procedures for maintaining the influence of chance can be interfered with; cheating is possible and reasonably easy in most gambling games. Much of the stigma attached to gambling has resulted from the dishonesty of some of its promoters and players, and a large proportion of modern gambling legislation is written to control cheating. More laws have been oriented to efforts by governments to derive tax revenues from gambling than to control cheating, however.

Gambling is one of mankinds oldest activities, as evidenced by writings and equipment found in tombs and other places. It was regulated, which as a rule meant severely curtailed, in the laws of ancient China and Rome as well as in the Jewish Talmud and by Islam and Buddhism, and in ancient Egypt inveterate gamblers could be sentenced to forced labour in the quarries. The origin of gambling is considered to be divinatory: by casting marked sticks and other objects and interpreting the outcome, man sought knowledge of the future and the intentions of the gods. From this it was a very short step to betting on the outcome of the throws. The Bible contains many references to the casting of lots to divide property. One well-known instance is the casting of lots by Roman guards (which in all likelihood meant that they threw knucklebones) for the garment of Jesus during the Crucifixion. This is mentioned in all four of the Gospels and has been used for centuries as a warning example by antigambling crusaders. However, in ancient times casting lots was not considered to be gambling in the modern sense but instead was connected with inevitable destiny, or fate. Anthropologists have also pointed to the fact that gambling is more prevalent in societies where there is a widespread belief in gods and spirits whose benevolence may be sought. The casting of lots, not infrequently dice, has been used in many cultures to dispense justice and point out criminals at trialsin Sweden as late as 1803. The Greek word for justice, dike, comes from a word that means to throw, in the sense of throwing dice.

European history is riddled with edicts, decrees, and encyclicals banning and condemning gambling, which indirectly testify to its popularity in all strata of society. Organized gambling on a larger scale and sanctioned by governments and other authorities in order to raise money began in the 15th century with lotteriesand centuries earlier in China with keno. With the advent of legal gambling houses in the 17th century, mathematicians began to take a serious interest in games with randomizing equipment (such as dice and cards), out of which grew the field of probability theory.

Apart from forerunners in ancient Rome and Greece, organized sanctioned sports betting dates back to the late 18th century. About that time there began a gradual, albeit irregular, shift in the official attitude toward gambling, from considering it a sin to considering it a vice and a human weakness and, finally, to seeing it as a mostly harmless and even entertaining activity. Additionally, the Internet has made many forms of gambling accessible on an unheard-of scale. By the beginning of the 21st century, approximately four out of five people in Western nations gambled at least occasionally. The swelling number of gamblers in the 20th century highlighted the personal and social problem of pathological gambling, in which individuals are unable to control or limit their gambling. During the 1980s and 90s, pathological gambling was recognized by medical authorities in several countries as a cognitive disorder that afflicts slightly more than 1 percent of the population, and various treatment and therapy programs were developed to deal with the problem.

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gambling | Definition, History, Games, & Facts ...

urge to continuously gamble despite harmful negative consequences or a desire to stop

Problem gambling is an urge to gamble continuously despite harmful negative consequences or a desire to stop. Problem gambling is often defined by whether harm is experienced by the gambler or others, rather than by the gambler's behaviour. Severe problem gambling may be diagnosed as clinical pathological gambling if the gambler meets certain criteria. Pathological gambling is a common disorder that is associated with both social and family costs.

The DSM-5 has re-classified the condition as an addictive disorder, with sufferers exhibiting many similarities to those who have substance addictions.The term gambling addiction has long been used in the recovery movement.[1] Pathological gambling was long considered by the American Psychiatric Association to be an impulse control disorder rather than an addiction.[2] However, data suggest a closer relationship between pathological gambling and substance use disorders than exists between PG and obsessive-compulsive disorder, largely because the behaviors in problem gambling and most primary substance use disorders (i.e. those not resulting from a desire to "self-medicate" for another condition such as depression) seek to activate the brain's reward mechanisms while the behaviors characterizing obsessive-compulsive disorder are prompted by overactive and misplaced signals from the brain's fear mechanisms.[3]

Problem gambling is an addictive behavior with a high comorbidity with alcohol problems. A common feature shared by people who suffer from gambling addiction is impulsivity.

Research by governments in Australia led to a universal definition for that country which appears to be the only research-based definition not to use diagnostic criteria: "Problem gambling is characterized by many difficulties in limiting money and/or time spent on gambling which leads to adverse consequences for the gambler, others, or for the community."[8] The University of Maryland Medical Center defines pathological gambling as "being unable to resist impulses to gamble, which can lead to severe personal or social consequences".[9]

Most other definitions of problem gambling can usually be simplified to any gambling that causes harm to the gambler or someone else in any way; however, these definitions are usually coupled with descriptions of the type of harm or the use of diagnostic criteria.[citation needed] The DSM-V has since reclassified pathological gambling as "gambling disorder" and has listed the disorder under substance-related and addictive disorders rather than impulse-control disorders. This is due to the symptomatology of the disorder resembling an addiction not dissimilar to that of substance-abuse.[10] In order to be diagnosed, an individual must have at least four of the following symptoms in a 12-month period:[11]

A gambler who does not receive treatment for pathological gambling when in his or her desperation phase may contemplate suicide.[12] Problem gambling is often associated with increased suicidal ideation and attempts compared to the general population.[13][14]

Early onset of problem gambling increases the lifetime risk of suicide.[15] However, gambling-related suicide attempts are usually made by older people with problem gambling.[16] Both comorbid substance use[17][18] and comorbid mental disorders increase the risk of suicide in people with problem gambling.[16] A 2010 Australian hospital study found that 17% of suicidal patients admitted to the Alfred Hospital's emergency department were problem gamblers.[19] In the United States, a report by the National Council on Problem Gambling showed approximately one in five pathological gamblers attempt suicide. The council also said that suicide rates among pathological gamblers were higher than any other addictive disorder.[20]

According to the Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery, evidence indicates that pathological gambling is an addiction similar to chemical addiction.[21] It has been observed that some pathological gamblers have lower levels of norepinephrine than normal gamblers.[22] According to a study conducted by Alec Roy, formerly at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, norepinephrine is secreted under stress, arousal, or thrill, so pathological gamblers gamble to make up for their under-dosage.[23]

Studies have compared pathological gamblers to substance addicts, concluding that addicted gamblers display more physical symptoms during withdrawal.[24]

Deficiencies in serotonin might also contribute to compulsive behavior, including a gambling addiction. There are three important points discovered after these antidepressant studies:[25]

A limited study was presented at a conference in Berlin, suggesting opioid release differs in problem gamblers from the general population, but in a very different way from alcoholics or other substance abusers.[26]

The findings in one review indicated the sensitization theory is responsible.[27] Dopamine dysregulation syndrome has been observed in the aforementioned theory in people with regard to such activities as gambling.[28]

Some medical authors suggest that the biomedical model of problem gambling may be unhelpful because it focuses only on individuals. These authors point out that social factors may be a far more important determinant of gambling behaviour than brain chemicals and they suggest that a social model may be more useful in understanding the issue.[29] For example, an apparent increase in problem gambling in the UK may be better understood as a consequence of changes in legislation which came into force in 2007 and enabled casinos, bookmakers, and online betting sites to advertise on TV and radio for the first time and which eased restrictions on the opening of betting shops and online gambling sites.[30]

Pathological gambling is similar to many other impulse control disorders such as kleptomania.[31] According to evidence from both community- and clinic-based studies, individuals who are pathological gamblers are highly likely to exhibit other psychiatric problems concurrently, including substance use disorders, mood and anxiety disorders, or personality disorders.[32]

Pathological gambling shows several similarities with substance abuse. There is a partial overlap in diagnostic criteria; pathological gamblers are also likely to abuse alcohol and other drugs. The "telescoping phenomenon" reflects the rapid development from initial to problematic behavior in women compared with men. This phenomenon was initially described for alcoholism, but it has also been applied to pathological gambling. Also biological data provide a support for a relationship between pathological gambling and substance abuse.[25] A comprehensive UK Gambling Commission study from 2018 has also hinted at the link between gambling addiction and a reduction in physical activity, poor diet and overall well-being. The study links problem gambling to a myriad of issues affecting relationships, and social stability.[33]

Several psychological mechanisms are thought to be implicated in the development and maintenance of problem gambling.[34] First, reward processing seems to be less sensitive with problem gamblers. Second, some individuals use problem gambling as an escape from the problems in their lives (an example of negative reinforcement). Third, personality factors play a role, such as narcissism, risk-seeking, sensation-seeking and impulsivity. Fourth, problem gamblers suffer from a number of cognitive biases, including the illusion of control,[35] unrealistic optimism, overconfidence and the gambler's fallacy (the incorrect belief that a series of random events tends to self-correct so that the absolute frequencies of each of various outcomes balance each other out). Fifth, problem gamblers represent a chronic state of a behavioral spin process, a gambling spin, as described by the criminal spin theory.[36]

The most common instrument used to screen for "probable pathological gambling" behavior is the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) developed by Lesieur and Blume (1987) at the South Oaks Hospital in New York City.[37] In recent years the use of SOGS has declined due to a number of criticisms, including that it overestimates false positives (Battersby, Tolchard, Thomas & Esterman, 2002).

The DSM-IV diagnostic criteria presented as a checklist is an alternative to SOGS, it focuses on the psychological motivations underpinning problem gambling and was developed by the American Psychiatric Association. It consists of ten diagnostic criteria. One frequently used screening measure based upon the DSM-IV criteria is the National Opinion Research Center DSM Screen for Gambling Problems (NODS). The Canadian Problem Gambling Inventory (CPGI) and the Victorian Gambling Screen (VGS) are newer assessment measures. The Problem Gambling Severity Index, which focuses on the harms associated with problem gambling, is composed of nine items from the longer CPGI.[38] The VGS is also harm based and includes 15 items. The VGS has proven validity and reliability in population studies as well as Adolescents and clinic gamblers.

Most treatment for problem gambling involves counseling, step-based programs, self-help, peer-support, medication, or a combination of these. However, no one treatment is considered to be most efficacious and no medications have been approved for the treatment of pathological gambling by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Only one treatment facility[39] has been given a license to officially treat gambling as an addiction, and that was by the State of Virginia.[40] Gambling addiction in the United States is only getting worse, the National Helpline documented the calls they received from 2017 to 2018 and the results are surprising. In 2017 the average monthly call volume was 67,949 to increase to 68,683 calls per month in 2018. The National Helpline number is 1-800-662-HELP

Gamblers Anonymous (GA) is a commonly used treatment for gambling problems. Modeled after Alcoholics Anonymous, GA uses a 12-step model that emphasizes a mutual-support approach. There are three in-patient treatment centers in North America.[41] One form of counseling, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been shown to reduce symptoms and gambling-related urges. This type of therapy focuses on the identification of gambling-related thought processes, mood and cognitive distortions that increase one's vulnerability to out-of-control gambling. Additionally, CBT approaches frequently utilize skill-building techniques geared toward relapse prevention, assertiveness and gambling refusal, problem solving and reinforcement of gambling-inconsistent activities and interests.[42]

As to behavioral treatment, some recent research supports the use of both activity scheduling and desensitization in the treatment of gambling problems.[43] In general, behavior analytic research in this area is growing [44] There is evidence that the SSRI paroxetine is efficacious in the treatment of pathological gambling.[45] Additionally, for patients suffering from both pathological gambling and a comorbid bipolar spectrum condition, sustained release lithium has shown efficacy in a preliminary trial.[46] The opioid antagonist drug nalmefene has also been trialled quite successfully for the treatment of compulsive gambling.[47]

Other step-based programs are specific to gambling and generic to healing addiction, creating financial health, and improving mental wellness. Commercial alternatives that are designed for clinical intervention, using the best of health science and applied education practices, have been used as patient-centered tools for intervention since 2007. They include measured efficacy and resulting recovery metrics.[medical citation needed]

Motivational interviewing is one of the treatments of compulsive gambling. The motivational interviewing's basic goal is promoting readiness to change through thinking and resolving mixed feelings. Avoiding aggressive confrontation, argument, labeling, blaming, and direct persuasion, the interviewer supplies empathy and advice to compulsive gamblers who define their own goal. The focus is on promoting freedom of choice and encouraging confidence in the ability to change.[48]

A growing method of treatment is peer support. With the advancement of online gambling, many gamblers experiencing issues use various online peer-support groups to aid their recovery. This protects their anonymity while allowing them to attempt recovery on their own, often without having to disclose their issues to loved ones.[medical citation needed]

Research into self-help for problem gamblers has shown benefits.[49] A study by Wendy Slutske of the University of Missouri concluded one-third of pathological gamblers overcome it by natural recovery.[50]

One of the newest methods for treating problem gambling is the use of anti-addiction drugs. Trials of drugs used for heroin, opium and morphine addicts that reduce the production of dopamine, are currently being tested on gambling addicts. Dopamine is considered a key part of addiction and the hope is to develop a real-time antidote to help curtail the urge to gamble.

Gambling self-exclusion (voluntary exclusion) programs are available in the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, South Africa, France, and other countries. They seem to help some (but not all) problem gamblers to gamble less often.[51]

Some experts maintain that casinos in general arrange for self-exclusion programs as a public relations measure without actually helping many of those with problem gambling issues. A campaign of this type merely "deflects attention away from problematic products and industries," according to Natasha Dow Schull, a cultural anthropologist at New York University and author of the book Addiction by Design.[52]

There is also a question as to the effectiveness of such programs, which can be difficult to enforce.[53] In the province of Ontario, Canada, for example, the Self-Exclusion program operated by the government's Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) is not effective, according to investigation conducted by the television series, revealed in late 2017. "Gambling addicts ... said that while on the ... self-exclusion list, they entered OLG properties on a regular basis" in spite of the facial recognition technology in place at the casinos, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. As well, a CBC journalist who tested the system found that he was able to enter Ontario casinos and gamble on four distinct occasions, in spite of having been registered and photographed for the self-exclusion program. An OLG spokesman provided this response when questioned by the CBC: "We provide supports to self-excluders by training our staff, by providing disincentives, by providing facial recognition, by providing our security officers to look for players. No one element is going to be foolproof because it is not designed to be foolproof".[52]

According to the Productivity Commission's 2010 final report into gambling, the social cost of problem gambling is close to 4.7 billion dollars a year. Some of the harms resulting from problem gambling include depression, suicide, lower work productivity, job loss, relationship breakdown, crime and bankruptcy.[54] A survey conducted in 2008 found that the most common motivation for fraud was problem gambling, with each incident averaging a loss of $1.1 million.[54] According to Darren R. Christensen. Nicki A. Dowling, Alun C. Jackson and Shane A.Thomas a survey done from 1994-2008 in Tasmania gave results that gambling participation rates have risen rather than fallen over this period.[55]

In Europe, the rate of problem gambling is typically 0.5 to 3 percent.[56] The "British Gambling Prevalence Survey 2007", conducted by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission, found approximately 0.6 percent of the adult population had problem gambling issuesthe same percentage as in 1999.[57] The highest prevalence of problem gambling was found among those who participated in spread betting (14.7%), fixed odds betting terminals (11.2%) and betting exchanges (9.8%).[57] In Norway, a December 2007 study showed the amount of present problem gamblers was 0.7 percent.[58]

In the United States, the percentage of pathological gamblers was 0.6 percent, and the percentage of problem gamblers was 2.3 percent in 2008.[59] Studies commissioned by the National Gambling Impact Study Commission Act has shown the prevalence rate ranges from 0.1 percent to 0.6 percent.[60] Nevada has the highest percentage of pathological gambling; a 2002 report estimated 2.2 to 3.6 percent of Nevada residents over the age of 18 could be called problem gamblers. Also, 2.7 to 4.3 percent could be called probable pathological gamblers.[61]

According to a 1997 meta-analysis by Harvard Medical School's division on addictions, 1.1 percent of the adult population of the United States and Canada could be called pathological gamblers.[62] A 1996 study estimated 1.2 to 1.9 percent of adults in Canada were pathological.[63] In Ontario, a 2006 report showed 2.6 percent of residents experienced "moderate gambling problems" and 0.8 percent had "severe gambling problems".[64] In Quebec, an estimated 0.8 percent of the adult population were pathological gamblers in 2002.[65] Although most who gamble do so without harm, approximately 6 million American adults are addicted to gambling.[66]

Signs of a gambling problem include:[medical citation needed]

Both casinos and poker machines in pubs and clubs facilitate problem gambling in Australia. The building of new hotels and casinos has been described as "one of the most active construction markets in Australia"; for example, AUD$860 million was allocated to rebuild and expand the Star Complex in Sydney.[67]

A 2010 study, conducted in the Northern Territory by researchers from the Australian National University (ANU) and Southern Cross University (SCU), found that the proximity of a person's residence to a gambling venue is significant in terms of prevalence. Harmful gambling in the study was prevalent among those living within 100 metres of any gambling venue, and was over 50% higher than among those living ten kilometres from a venue. The study's data stated:

"Specifically, people who lived 100 metres from their favourite venue visited an estimated average of 3.4 times per month. This compared to an average of 2.8 times per month for people living one kilometre away, and 2.2 times per month for people living ten kilometres away".[68]

According to the Productivity Commission's 2016 report into gambling, 0.5% to 1% (80,000 to 160,000)[69] of the Australian adult population suffered with significant problems resulting from gambling. A further 1.4% to 2.1% (230 000 to 350 000) of the Australian adult population experienced moderate risks making them likely to be vulnerable to problem gambling.[70] Estimates show that problem gamblers account for an average of 41% of the total gaming machine spending.[70]

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Problem gambling - Wikipedia

Gambling, the betting or staking of something of value, with consciousness of risk and hope of gain, on the outcome of a game, a contest, or an uncertain event whose result may be determined by chance or accident or have an unexpected result by reason of the bettors miscalculation.

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sports: Gambling and sports

One of the most popular forms of gambling is wagering on sports, which taps into the passion of sports fans. A bet placed on a race or a

The outcomes of gambling games may be determined by chance alone, as in the purely random activity of a tossed pair of dice or of the ball on a roulette wheel, or by physical skill, training, or prowess in athletic contests, or by a combination of strategy and chance. The rules by which gambling games are played sometimes serve to confuse the relationship between the components of the game, which depend on skill and chance, so that some players may be able to manipulate the game to serve their own interests. Thus, knowledge of the game is useful for playing poker or betting on horse racing but is of very little use for purchasing lottery tickets or playing slot machines.

A gambler may participate in the game itself while betting on its outcome (card games, craps), or he may be prevented from any active participation in an event in which he has a stake (professional athletics, lotteries). Some games are dull or nearly meaningless without the accompanying betting activity and are rarely played unless wagering occurs (coin tossing, poker, dice games, lotteries). In other games betting is not intrinsically part of the game, and the association is merely conventional and not necessary to the performance of the game itself (horse racing, football pools). Commercial establishments such as casinos and racetracks may organize gambling when a portion of the money wagered by patrons can be easily acquired by participation as a favoured party in the game, by rental of space, or by withdrawing a portion of the betting pool. Some activities of very large scale (horse racing, lotteries) usually require commercial and professional organizations to present and maintain them efficiently.

A rough estimate of the amount of money legally wagered annually in the world is about $10 trillion (illegal gambling may exceed even this figure). In terms of total turnover, lotteries are the leading form of gambling worldwide. State-licensed or state-operated lotteries expanded rapidly in Europe and the United States during the late 20th century and are widely distributed throughout most of the world. Organized football (soccer) pools can be found in nearly all European countries, several South American countries, Australia, and a few African and Asian countries. Most of these countries also offer either state-organized or state-licensed wagering on other sporting events.

Betting on horse racing is a leading form of gambling in English-speaking countries and in France. It also exists in many other countries. Wherever horse racing is popular, it has usually become a major business, with its own newspapers and other periodicals, extensive statistical services, self-styled experts who sell advice on how to bet, and sophisticated communication networks that furnish information to betting centres, bookmakers and their employees, and workers involved with the care and breeding of horses. The same is true, to a smaller extent, of dog racing. The emergence of satellite broadcasting technology has led to the creation of so-called off-track betting facilities, in which bettors watch live telecasts at locations away from the racetrack.

Casinos or gambling houses have existed at least since the 17th century. In the 20th century they became commonplace and assumed almost a uniform character throughout the world. In Europe and South America they are permitted at many or most holiday resorts but not always in cities. In the United States casinos were for many years legal only in Nevada and New Jersey and, by special license, in Puerto Rico, but most other states now allow casino gambling, and betting facilities operate clandestinely throughout the country, often through corruption of political authorities. Roulette is one of the principal gambling games in casinos throughout France and Monaco and is popular throughout the world. Craps is the principal dice game at most American casinos. Slot and video poker machines are a mainstay of casinos in the United States and Europe and also are found in thousands of private clubs, restaurants, and other establishments; they are also common in Australia. Among the card games played at casinos, baccarat, in its popular form chemin de fer, has remained a principal gambling game in Great Britain and in the continental casinos most often patronized by the English at Deauville, Biarritz, and the Riviera resorts. Faro, at one time the principal gambling game in the United States, has become obsolete. Blackjack is the principal card game in American casinos. The French card game trente et quarante (or rouge et noir) is played at Monte-Carlo and a few other continental casinos. Many other games may also be found in some casinosfor example, sic bo, fan-tan, and pai-gow poker in Asia and local games such as boule, banca francesa, and kalooki in Europe.

At the start of the 21st century, poker exploded in popularity, principally through the high visibility of poker tournaments broadcast on television and the proliferation of Internet playing venues. Another growing form of Internet gambling is the so-called betting exchangesInternet Web sites on which players make wagers with one another, with the Web site taking a small cut of each wager in exchange for organizing and handling the transaction.

In a wide sense of the word, stock markets may also be considered a form of gambling, albeit one in which skill and knowledge on the part of the bettors play a considerable part. This also goes for insurance; paying the premium on ones life insurance is, in effect, a bet that one will die within a specified time. If one wins (dies), the win is paid out to ones relatives, and if one loses (survives the specified time), the wager (premium) is kept by the insurance company, which acts as a bookmaker and sets the odds (payout ratios) according to actuarial data. These two forms of gambling are considered beneficial to society, the former acquiring venture capital and the latter spreading statistical risks.

Events or outcomes that are equally probable have an equal chance of occurring in each instance. In games of pure chance, each instance is a completely independent one; that is, each play has the same probability as each of the others of producing a given outcome. Probability statements apply in practice to a long series of events but not to individual ones. The law of large numbers is an expression of the fact that the ratios predicted by probability statements are increasingly accurate as the number of events increases, but the absolute number of outcomes of a particular type departs from expectation with increasing frequency as the number of repetitions increases. It is the ratios that are accurately predictable, not the individual events or precise totals.

The probability of a favourable outcome among all possibilities can be expressed: probability (p) equals the total number of favourable outcomes (f) divided by the total number of possibilities (t), or p = f/t. But this holds only in situations governed by chance alone. In a game of tossing two dice, for example, the total number of possible outcomes is 36 (each of six sides of one die combined with each of six sides of the other), and the number of ways to make, say, a seven is six (made by throwing 1 and 6, 2 and 5, 3 and 4, 4 and 3, 5 and 2, or 6 and 1); therefore, the probability of throwing a seven is 6/36, or 1/6.

In most gambling games it is customary to express the idea of probability in terms of odds against winning. This is simply the ratio of the unfavourable possibilities to the favourable ones. Because the probability of throwing a seven is 1/6, on average one throw in six would be favourable and five would not; the odds against throwing a seven are therefore 5 to 1. The probability of getting heads in a toss of a coin is 1/2; the odds are 1 to 1, called even. Care must be used in interpreting the phrase on average, which applies most accurately to a large number of cases and is not useful in individual instances. A common gamblers fallacy, called the doctrine of the maturity of the chances (or the Monte-Carlo fallacy), falsely assumes that each play in a game of chance is dependent on the others and that a series of outcomes of one sort should be balanced in the short run by the other possibilities. A number of systems have been invented by gamblers largely on the basis of this fallacy; casino operators are happy to encourage the use of such systems and to exploit any gamblers neglect of the strict rules of probability and independent plays. An interesting example of a game where each play is dependent on previous plays, however, is blackjack, where cards already dealt from the dealing shoe affect the composition of the remaining cards; for example, if all of the aces (worth 1 or 11 points) have been dealt, it is no longer possible to achieve a natural (a 21 with two cards). This fact forms the basis for some systems where it is possible to overcome the house advantage.

In some games an advantage may go to the dealer, the banker (the individual who collects and redistributes the stakes), or some other participant. Therefore, not all players have equal chances to win or equal payoffs. This inequality may be corrected by rotating the players among the positions in the game. Commercial gambling operators, however, usually make their profits by regularly occupying an advantaged position as the dealer, or they may charge money for the opportunity to play or subtract a proportion of money from the wagers on each play. In the dice game of crapswhich is among the major casino games offering the gambler the most favourable oddsthe casino returns to winners from 3/5 of 1 percent to 27 percent less than the fair odds, depending on the type of bet made. Depending on the bet, the house advantage (vigorish) for roulette in American casinos varies from about 5.26 to 7.89 percent, and in European casinos it varies from 1.35 to 2.7 percent. The house must always win in the long run. Some casinos also add rules that enhance their profits, especially rules that limit the amounts that may be staked under certain circumstances.

Many gambling games include elements of physical skill or strategy as well as of chance. The game of poker, like most other card games, is a mixture of chance and strategy that also involves a considerable amount of psychology. Betting on horse racing or athletic contests involves the assessment of a contestants physical capacity and the use of other evaluative skills. In order to ensure that chance is allowed to play a major role in determining the outcomes of such games, weights, handicaps, or other correctives may be introduced in certain cases to give the contestants approximately equal opportunities to win, and adjustments may be made in the payoffs so that the probabilities of success and the magnitudes of the payoffs are put in inverse proportion to each other. Pari-mutuel pools in horse-race betting, for example, reflect the chances of various horses to win as anticipated by the players. The individual payoffs are large for those bettors whose winning horses are backed by relatively few bettors and small if the winners are backed by a relatively large proportion of the bettors; the more popular the choice, the lower the individual payoff. The same holds true for betting with bookmakers on athletic contests (illegal in most of the United States but legal in England). Bookmakers ordinarily accept bets on the outcome of what is regarded as an uneven match by requiring the side more likely to win to score more than a simple majority of points; this procedure is known as setting a point spread. In a game of American or Canadian football, for example, the more highly regarded team would have to win by, say, more than 10 points to yield an even payoff to its backers.

Unhappily, these procedures for maintaining the influence of chance can be interfered with; cheating is possible and reasonably easy in most gambling games. Much of the stigma attached to gambling has resulted from the dishonesty of some of its promoters and players, and a large proportion of modern gambling legislation is written to control cheating. More laws have been oriented to efforts by governments to derive tax revenues from gambling than to control cheating, however.

Gambling is one of mankinds oldest activities, as evidenced by writings and equipment found in tombs and other places. It was regulated, which as a rule meant severely curtailed, in the laws of ancient China and Rome as well as in the Jewish Talmud and by Islam and Buddhism, and in ancient Egypt inveterate gamblers could be sentenced to forced labour in the quarries. The origin of gambling is considered to be divinatory: by casting marked sticks and other objects and interpreting the outcome, man sought knowledge of the future and the intentions of the gods. From this it was a very short step to betting on the outcome of the throws. The Bible contains many references to the casting of lots to divide property. One well-known instance is the casting of lots by Roman guards (which in all likelihood meant that they threw knucklebones) for the garment of Jesus during the Crucifixion. This is mentioned in all four of the Gospels and has been used for centuries as a warning example by antigambling crusaders. However, in ancient times casting lots was not considered to be gambling in the modern sense but instead was connected with inevitable destiny, or fate. Anthropologists have also pointed to the fact that gambling is more prevalent in societies where there is a widespread belief in gods and spirits whose benevolence may be sought. The casting of lots, not infrequently dice, has been used in many cultures to dispense justice and point out criminals at trialsin Sweden as late as 1803. The Greek word for justice, dike, comes from a word that means to throw, in the sense of throwing dice.

European history is riddled with edicts, decrees, and encyclicals banning and condemning gambling, which indirectly testify to its popularity in all strata of society. Organized gambling on a larger scale and sanctioned by governments and other authorities in order to raise money began in the 15th century with lotteriesand centuries earlier in China with keno. With the advent of legal gambling houses in the 17th century, mathematicians began to take a serious interest in games with randomizing equipment (such as dice and cards), out of which grew the field of probability theory.

Apart from forerunners in ancient Rome and Greece, organized sanctioned sports betting dates back to the late 18th century. About that time there began a gradual, albeit irregular, shift in the official attitude toward gambling, from considering it a sin to considering it a vice and a human weakness and, finally, to seeing it as a mostly harmless and even entertaining activity. Additionally, the Internet has made many forms of gambling accessible on an unheard-of scale. By the beginning of the 21st century, approximately four out of five people in Western nations gambled at least occasionally. The swelling number of gamblers in the 20th century highlighted the personal and social problem of pathological gambling, in which individuals are unable to control or limit their gambling. During the 1980s and 90s, pathological gambling was recognized by medical authorities in several countries as a cognitive disorder that afflicts slightly more than 1 percent of the population, and various treatment and therapy programs were developed to deal with the problem.

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(16-2) Leviticus 19:218. Ye Shall Be Holy: For I the Lord Your God Am Holy

The last chapter examined in some detail the laws of cleanliness and uncleanliness in both their physical and spiritual senses. The closing chapters of Leviticus focus on laws that defined how one under the Mosaic law lived righteously and in a manner pleasing to God. Leviticus ends with essentially the same message with which it began, namely, the all-important admonition that men are to be holy, even as God is holy. The laws that follow this commandment may seem at first to be without logical arrangement or interconnection, but they are unified when one considers them in light of the injunction to be holy given in verse2. Note also the strong relationship to the Ten Commandments in what immediately follows (see vv.312). The fifth commandment (honoring parents) and the fourth commandment (keeping the Sabbath day holy) are joined in verse3, followed immediately by the second commandment (no graven images). In verse11 the eighth commandment (stealing) is joined with the ninth (bearing false witness), and then again is immediately connected to the third commandment (taking Gods name in vain) in verse12. By this means the Lord seems to indicate that what follows the commandment to be holy is directly related to these fundamental principles of righteousness. The specific laws that follow the commandments define principles of righteousness that follow naturally from the Ten Commandments. For example, the commandment is not to steal, but these laws show that the commandment means far more than not robbing a man or burglarizing his home. One can steal through fraud or by withholding wages from a laborer (v.13). The commandment is to honor ones parents, but here the Lord used the word fear (v.3), which connotes a deep respect, reverence, and awe, the same feelings one should have for God Himself. The example of the gossiping talebearer (v.16) shows that there are ways to bear false witness other than under oath in court. And the concluding principle summarizes the whole purpose of the law. If one is truly holy, as God is holy, then he will love his neighbor as himself (see v.18).

Moses the Lawgiver

During His earthly ministry, the Master was asked by a scribe which of all the commandments was the greatest. The Saviors reply is well known: Love God and love your neighbor. Then He said: On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets (Matthew 22:40; see also vv.3539). Or, to put it another way, those two principles are the foundation for all the writings of the Old Testament. All principles and commandments stem either from the need to love God or to love our neighbor.

Both of the laws cited by Jesus are found in the Old Testament, but not together. The first is found in Deuteronomy 6:5 and the second in Leviticus 19:18. The wording of the second commandment is instructive. The statement that one is to love his neighbor as himself moves the idea of love in this case from a state of emotion to one of will. Love is that emotion which one naturally feels for oneself. Simply expressed, it is a desire one has for his own good. To love or care for oneself is natural and good, but in addition, one must feel this same emotion for others. Each must desire the good of others as well as his own. This desire is not innate but comes through a conscious act of will or agency. The commandment thus implies that one should work both for his own good and the good of others. He should not aggrandize himself at anothers expense. This commandment is at the heart of all social interaction and becomes the standard by which every act can be judged.

Any person who truly understands the implications for daily living that are part of the commandment to love God with all his heart, might, mind, and strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, can function well with no additional laws. One does not need to warn a person who loves God properly about idolatry, for any act of worship not devoted to God would be naturally offensive to him. The prohibitions against stealing, adultery, murder, and so on are not required if a person truly loves his neighbor as himself, for to injure his neighbor in such ways would be unthinkable. But, of course, the vast majority of men fail to understand and keep these two commandments, and so the Lord has revealed many additional laws and rules to show specifically what the commandments require. But truly, all such commandments do nothing more than define and support the two basic principles: all the law and the prophets are summarized in the two great commandments.

The metaphorical use of circumcision is thus explained by the text itself: it denotes the fruit as disqualified or unfit. In [Leviticus 26:41] the same metaphor is used for the heart which is stubborn or not ripe to listen to the Divine admonitions. And in other passages of Scripture it is used with reference to lips [Exodus 6:12, 30] and ears [Jeremiah 6:10] which do not perform their proper functions. (C.D. Ginsburg, in Rushdoony, Institutes of Biblical Law, pp.14748.)

Exactly why the fruit produced for the first three years of the tree was to be treated as unfit is not clear, but in this context of laws of righteousness and sanctification, this prohibition could suggest that until the first-fruits of the tree were dedicated to God, just as the firstborn of animals and men were (see Exodus 13:12), the tree was not viewed as sanctified, or set apart, for use by Gods people. Because the ground had been cursed for mans sake when Adam fell (see Genesis 3:17), this law could have served as a simple reminder that until dedicated to God and His purposes, all things remained unfit for use by Gods holy people.

At first, the laws found in these verses may seem to have little application for the modern Saint, and may even seem puzzling as requirements for ancient Israel. What, for example, would the cutting of ones hair and beard have to do with righteousness? But in the cultural surroundings of ancient Israel, these specific prohibitions taught a powerful lesson related to the practices of Israels heathen neighbors.

For example, the Hebrew word nachash, translated as enchantment (v.26), meant to practice divination, and the phrase observe times (v.26) comes from the Hebrew word meaning to observe clouds (Wilson, Old Testament Word Studies, s.v.enchantment, p.144). In the ancient world, sorcerers and necromancers often claimed to read the future through various omens or objects. Their methods included watching the stars (astrology), observing the movements of clouds and certain animals, tying knots, casting lots, tossing arrows into the air and then reading the pattern of how they fell, and so on. (See Hastings, Dictionary of the Bible, s.v.magic, divination, and sorcery, pp.56670.) Thus, verse26 forbade any use of the occult to read the future.

Another Bible scholar gave an important insight about why cutting the hair and beard was forbidden.

[Leviticus 19:27] and the following verse evidently refer to customs which must have existed among the Egyptians when the Israelites sojourned in Egypt; and what they were it is now difficult, even with any probability, to conjecture. Herodotus observes that the Arabs shave or cut their hair round, in honour of Bacchus [the god of wine] who, they say, had his hair cut in this way. He says also that the Macians, a people of Libya, cut their hair round, so as to leave a tuft on the top of the head. In this manner the Chinese cut their hair to the present day. This might have been in honour of some idol, and therefore forbidden to the Israelites.

The hair was much used in divination among the ancients, and for purposes of religious superstition among the Greeks; and particularly about the time of the giving of this law, as this is supposed to have been the era of the Trojan war. We learn from Homer that it was customary for parents to dedicate the hair of their children to some god; which, when they came to manhood, they cut off and consecrated to the deity. Achilles, at the funeral of Patroclus, cut off his golden locks which his father had dedicated to the river god Sperchius, and threw them into the flood.

If the hair was rounded, and dedicated for purposes of this kind, it will at once account for the prohibition in this verse. (Clarke, Bible Commentary, 1:575.)

In forbidding the cutting of the flesh and the tattooing of marks in the flesh, the Lord again clearly signaled that Israel was to be different from their heathen neighbors. Wounds were self-inflicted in times of grief for the dead and during worship (see 1Kings 18:28). Also, it was a very ancient and a very general custom to carry marks on the body in honour of the object of their worship. All the castes of the Hindoos bear on their foreheads or elsewhere what are called the sectarian marks, which distinguish them, not only in a civil but also in a religious point of view, from each other.

Most of the barbarous nations lately discovered have their faces, arms, breasts, &c., curiously carved or tatooed, probably for superstitious purposes. Ancient writers abound with accounts of marks made on the face, arms, &c., in honour of different idols; and to this the inspired penman alludes [Revelation 13:1617; 14:9, 11; 15:2; 16:2; 19:20; 20:4], where false worshippers are represented as receiving in their hands and in their forehead the marks of the beast. (Clarke, Bible Commentary, 1:575.)

Sacred prostitution was a common practice among heathen worshipers, and often priestesses in the temples to such goddesses of love as Venus or Aphrodite were there only to satisfy and give religious sanction to immoral sexual desires. God strictly forbade these practices.

Familiar spirits (Leviticus 19:31) connoted those who today would be called spiritualists, or spirit mediums. They supposedly had the power to communicate through a seance with departed spirits. The Hebrew word for familiar spirit means ventriloquist, suggesting in the very name itself the fraudulent character of such people (see Wilson, Old Testament Word Studies, s.v.ventriloquist, p.157).

Clearly, the laws prohibiting such idolatrous practices were designed to set Israel apart from the world and its false worship. And therein is an important lesson for modern Saints. The world has not changed, although the specific practices of evil and debauchery may be different. Today the Lord still directs His people through living prophets to avoid the customs and practices of the world. It should be no surprise, then, that prophets speak out against certain hair styles, fashions in clothing, passing fads, or such practices as sensitivity groups, gambling, couples living together without marriage, and so on.

A meteyard signified such Hebrew measures of length as the reed, the span, and the cubit, while the ephah and the hin were measures of volume. By specifying both kinds of measures, the Lord clearly taught that honesty in all transactions was required. (See Bible Dictionary, s.v.weights and measures.)

This chapter specifies some of the sins so serious that they were worthy of death. (For an explanation of what it means to give ones seed to Molech, see Reading 15-11.) The Lord clearly stated again and again that the purpose of these laws was to separate Israel from other people so that they could be sanctified and become holy unto God (see vv.78, 24, 26).

When the Jaredites were brought to the land of promise, the Lord warned them that if they did not worship the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ, they would be swept off (Ether 2:10). Lehis colony was also warned that they would occupy the promised land only on condition of obedience; otherwise, they too would be cut off (1Nephi 2:21; see also v.20). The Israelites were warned that if they were not willing to separate themselves from the world, the land would spue them out (Leviticus 20:22).

Nephi told his brothers that the only reason Israel was given the land and the Canaanites driven out was that the Canaanites had rejected every word of God, and they were ripe in iniquity (1Nephi 17:35). Because of their extreme wickedness God required Israel to utterly destroy them (Deuteronomy 7:2; for further discussion about why God required the Canaanites to be destroyed, see Reading 19-15). Nephi asked, Do you suppose that our fathers [the Israelites] would have been more choice than they [the Canaanites] if they had been righteous? I say unto you, Nay. (1Nephi 17:34.) The same message was clearly revealed to Israel. The Canaanites were cast out because of their wickedness. Either Israel would remain separated from that wickedness, or they would suffer the same consequence.

In these two chapters are special rules and requirements for the Levitical Priesthood, especially the high priest. Here, for the first time, the title high priest was used (Leviticus 21:10). The Hebrew literally means the Priest, the great one. As the chief priest, he was the representative of Jehovah among the people. As such, he was required to guard against all defilement of his holy office. (The Old Testament high priest was an office in the Aaronic Priesthood, not an office in the Melchizedek Priesthood as it is today. The high priest was the presiding priest, or head, of the Aaronic Priesthood. Today the presiding bishop holds that position.) All members of the priesthood had to marry virgins of their own people. Prostitutes, adulterous women, or even divorced women, were excluded, thus avoiding the least doubt about personal purity. The priests could not marry profane women (non-Israelites; v.7), be defiled by contact with a dead person other than close relatives (see vv.13), or allow a daughter to be a prostitute (see v.9).

In other words, all of Israel was called to a special life of separation and holiness, but the priests who served as Gods authorized representatives to the people had to maintain an even higher level of separation and sanctification. The high priest, who was a symbol or type of Jesus, the great high priest, had to meet a still stricter code (Hebrews 4:14). In addition to meeting the requirements of the regular priesthood for marriage and defilement, he had to be without any physical defects (see Leviticus 21:1621). Such strictness was to remind the people that Christ, the true Mediator between God and His children, was perfect in every respect.

In this chapter the Lord indicated five holy days or feasts that were to be observed by all Israel. These were the Sabbath (see vv.13), the Passover and the feast of Unleavened Bread (see vv.414), the feast of Weeks, or Pentecost, as it was called in the New Testament (see vv.1523), the day of Atonement (see vv.2632), and the feast of Tabernacles (see vv.3344).

The sabbaths, of course, were weekly; the others are listed in the order in which they occurred. Passover was in late March or early April (corresponding to Easter), and Pentecost followed seven weeks later in May. The day of Atonement, which occurred in late September or early October, was followed five days later by the feast of Tabernacles, or feast of Booths. (For more details on the feasts and festivals, see Enrichment SectionD and the Hebrew calendar in Maps and Charts.)

To afflict the soul means to be humble or submissive to the Lord. The Hebrew term carries with it the idea of discipline. Therefore, on these days, Israelites were to devote themselves completely to the Lord in fasting and prayer.

The offerings specified for the feast days were all voluntary. These were the times to celebrate and freely show ones gratitude to the Lord.

This passage has come to be regarded by many as the substance and summary of the Mosaic law: eye for eye, tooth for tooth (v.20). This misunderstanding is unfortunate because it makes the law appear cold, unbending, and revengeful. This misconception has resulted from a failure to distinguish between the social law and the criminal law. The social law was based on love and concern for ones neighbor (see Leviticus 19:18). The criminal law was not outside that love, but was made to stress absolute justice. Even then, however, three things must be noted about this eye-for-an-eye application:

First, it was intended to be a law of exact justice, not of revenge. Secondly, it was not private vengeance, but public justice. Thirdly, by excluding murder from the crimes for which ransom is permissible (Nu. 35:31f.) it makes it probable that compensation for injuries was often or usually allowed to take the form of a fine. (Guthrie and Motyer, Bible Commentary: Revised, p.164.)

The same law that required just retribution and payment also required a farmer to leave portions of his field unharvested so the poor could glean therein (see Leviticus 19:910; 23:22), demanded that the employer pay his hired labor at nightfall rather than wait even until the next day (see 19:13), commanded men, Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart (19:17), and summarized the ideal by saying, Be ye holy (20:7).

Many today look upon the law of Moses as a primitive, lesser law designed for a spiritually illiterate and immature people. This chapter illustrates the commitment of faith and trust in God that was required of one who truly followed the law. The Israelite was told that once in every seven years he was to trust wholly in God rather than in the fruits of his own labor for sustenance. The land, too, was to have its sabbath rest, and no plowing, sowing, reaping, or harvesting was to take place. Further, once each fifty years the land would have a double rest. The seventh sabbatical year (the forty-ninth year) was to be followed by a jubilee year. God had delivered Israel from the bondage of Egypt, forgiven their numerous debts to Him, and given them an inheritance in the land of promise. To demonstrate their love of God and fellow men, Israel was to follow that example during the jubilee year. Slaves or servants were to be freed, the land returned to its original owner, and debts forgiven (see vv.10, 13, 3536).

Modern followers of the higher gospel law would do well to assess their own commitment to God and their own love of neighbor by asking themselves if they could live such a law. Is their faith sufficient to trust in the Lord for three years sustenance as was asked of Israel? (Note vv.1822.)

One Bible scholar suggested two important ideas symbolized in the requirements of the jubilee year:

The jubilee seems to have been typical, 1. Of the great time of release, the Gospel dispensation, when all who believe in Christ Jesus are redeemed from the bondage of sinrepossess the favour and image of God, the only inheritance of the human soul, having all debts cancelled, and the right of inheritance restored. To this the prophet Isaiah seems to allude [Isaiah 26:13], and particularly [61:13]. 2. Of the general resurrection. It is, says Mr.Parkhurst, a lively prefiguration of the grand consummation of time, which will be introduced in like manner by the trump of God [1Corinthians 15:52], when the children and heirs of God shall be delivered from all their forfeitures, and restored to the eternal inheritance allotted to them by their Father; and thenceforth rest from their labours, and be supported in life and happiness by what the field of God shall supply.

It is worthy of remark that the jubilee was not proclaimed till the tenth day of the seventh month, on the very day when the great annual atonement was made for the sins of the people; and does not this prove that the great liberty or redemption from thraldom, published under the Gospel, could not take place till the great Atonement, the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus, had been offered up? (Clarke, Bible Commentary, p.1:592.)

Or, as C.D. Ginsburg put it: On the close of the great Day of Atonement, when the Hebrews realised that they had peace of mind, that their heavenly Father had annulled their sins, and that they had become re-united to Him through His forgiving mercy, every Israelite was called upon to proclaim throughout the land, by nine blasts of the cornet, that he too had given the soil rest, that he had freed every encumbered family estate, and that he had given liberty to every slave, who was now to rejoin his kindred. Inasmuch as God has forgiven his debts, he also is to forgive his debtors. (In Rushdoony, Institutes of Biblical Law, p.141.)

Leviticus 26 is one of the most powerful chapters in the Old Testament. The Lord put the options facing Israel so clearly that they could not be misunderstood. If Israel was obedient, they would be blessed with the bounties of the earth, safety and security, peace and protection from enemies. Even more important, the Lord promised: My soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people. (vv.1112) Those promises could be summarized in one word: Zion. If Israel was obedient, she would achieve a Zion condition.

If Israel refused to hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments (v.14), however, then the blessings would be withdrawn, and sorrow, hunger, war, disease, exile, tragedy, and abandonment would result.

Modern Israel has been given the same options.

In the winter of 197677, the western United States faced a serious drought. A living prophet saw in that and other natural phenomena a warning related to that given in the Old Testament.

Early this year when drouth conditions seemed to be developing in the West, the cold and hardships in the East, with varying weather situations all over the world, we felt to ask the members of the Church to join in fasting and prayer, asking the Lord for moisture where it was so vital and for a cessation of the difficult conditions elsewhere.

Perhaps we may have been unworthy in asking for these greatest blessings, but we do not wish to frantically approach the matter but merely call it to the attention of our Lord and then spend our energy to put our lives in harmony.

One prophet said:

When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou afflictest them:

Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, that thou teach them the good way wherein they should walk, and give rain upon thy land, which thou hast given to thy people for an inheritance. (1Kings 8:3536.)

The Lord uses the weather sometimes to discipline his people for the violation of his laws. He said to the children of Israel: [Leviticus 26:36.]

With the great worry and suffering in the East and threats of drouth here in the West and elsewhere, we asked the people to join in a solemn prayer circle for moisture where needed. Quite immediately our prayers were answered, and we were grateful beyond expression. We are still in need and hope that the Lord may see fit to answer our continued prayers in this matter.

Perhaps the day has come when we should take stock of ourselves and see if we are worthy to ask or if we have been breaking the commandments, making ourselves unworthy of receiving the blessings.

The Lord gave strict commandments: Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord. (Lev. 19:30.)

Innumerous times we have quoted this, asking our people not to profane the Sabbath; and yet we see numerous cars lined up at merchandise stores on the Sabbath day, and places of amusement crowded, and we wonder.

The Lord makes definite promises. He says:

Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. (Lev. 26:4.)

God does what he promises, and many of us continue to defile the Sabbath day. He then continues:

And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely. (Lev. 26:5.)

These promises are dependable.

The Lord warns: [Leviticus 26:1417, 1920.]

The Lord goes further and says:

I will destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your high ways shall be desolate. (Lev. 26:22.)

Can you think how the highways could be made desolate? When fuel and power are limited, when there is none to use, when men will walk instead of ride?

Have you ever thought, my good folks, that the matter of peace is in the hands of the Lord who says:

And I will bring a sword upon you (Lev. 26:25.)

Would that be difficult? Do you read the papers? Are you acquainted with the hatreds in the world? What guarantee have you for permanent peace?

and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy. (Lev. 26:25.)

Are there enemies who could and would afflict us? Have you thought of that?

And I will make your cities waste, he says, and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation.

Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy her sabbaths.

As long as it lieth desolate it shall rest; because it did not rest [when it could] in your sabbaths, when ye dwelt upon it. (Lev. 26:31, 3435.)

Those are difficult and very serious situations, but they are possible.

And the Lord concludes:

These are the statutes and judgments and laws, which the Lord made between him and the children of Israel in Mount Sinai by the hand of Moses. (Lev. 26:46.)

This applies to you and me.

Would this be a good time to deeply concern ourselves with these matters? Is this a time when we should return to our homes, our families, our children? Is this the time we should remember our tithes and our offerings, a time when we should desist from our abortions, our divorces, our Sabbath breaking, our eagerness to make the holy day a holiday?

Is this a time to repent of our sins, our immoralities, our doctrines of devils?

Is this a time for all of us to make holy our marriages, live in joy and happiness, rear our families in righteousness?

Certainly many of us know better than we do. Is this a time to terminate adultery and homosexual and lesbian activities, and return to faith and worthiness? Is this a time to end our heedless pornographies?

Is this the time to set our face firmly against unholy and profane things, and whoredoms, irregularities, and related matters?

Is this the time to enter new life? (SpencerW. Kimball, The Lord Expects His People to Follow the Commandments, Ensign, May 1977, pp.46.)

President SpencerW. Kimball warned that Leviticus applies to Latter-day Saints.

To see how this prophecy was fulfilled, see Jeremiah 25:9, 1112; 29:10; 2Chronicles 36:21.

Special vows were a part of the Mosaic law. In that day it was possible for a man or woman to dedicate a person to the Lord, for example, Jephthahs daughter or the child Samuel (see Judges 11:3031; 1Samuel 1:11). Here the Lord was saying that when a man made such a vow, the persons involved had to be reckoned as the Lords and could not be taken by another. A person could also vow (that is, dedicate to the Lord) his personal property. These laws governed the making of such vows.

The signification of this verse is well given by the rabbins: When a man was to give the tithe of his sheep or calves to God, he was to shut up the whole flock in one fold, in which there was one narrow door capable of letting out one at a time. The owner, about to give the tenth to the Lord, stood by the door with a rod in his hand, the end of which was dipped in vermilion or red ochre. The mothers of those lambs or calves stood without: the door being opened, the young ones ran out to join themselves to their dams; and as they passed out the owner stood with his rod over them, and counted one, two, three, four, five, &c., and when the tenth came, he touched it with the coloured rod, by which it was distinguished to be the tithe calf, sheep, &c., and whether poor or lean, perfect or blemished, that was received as the legitimate tithe. It seems to be in reference to this custom that the Prophet Ezekiel, speaking to Israel, says: I will cause you to pass under the rod, and will bring you into the bond of the covenantyou shall be once more claimed as the Lords property, and be in all things devoted to his service, being marked or ascertained, by especial providences and manifestations of his kindness, to be his peculiar people. (Clarke, Bible Commentary, 1:604.)

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Leviticus 1927: A Law of Performances and Ordinances ...

Montana recently adopted a new constitution that legalizes gambling. Last year the governor of Illinois signed a law legalizing bingo in the state of Illinois, when operated by charitable, religious, and fraternal organizations. New York City, through its legalized Off-Track Betting Corporation, is catering to hundreds of thousands of eager bettorsexecutives, cab drivers, secretaries, and housewives. Pennsylvania, Illinois, California, and Connecticut have all sent representatives to study New York Citys management of what is expected to be a popular and profitable source of local revenue. Last year, after decades of opposition on moral grounds, the Massachusetts legislature gave in to economic pressure by establishing a state lottery, thus making the once-puritanical Bay State the fifth state to enter the lottery business.

Government interest in gambling is spurred by the need to obtain additional sources of tax revenue to finance the increasingly expensive and widespread activities of state and local governments. Individual interest is doubtless stimulated by the additional free time and cash in the hands of our increasingly affluent society. But gamblings basic attraction for the individual has always been the lure of getting something for nothing.

In its simplest form gambling is the act of risking something of value on the outcome of a game or event that may be determined in part or entirely by chance. The attitude of the Church toward gambling is clearly set forth in the following statement by President Heber J. Grant and his counselors in the First Presidency on September 21, 1925:

The Church has been and now is unalterably opposed to gambling in any form whatever. It is opposed to any game of chance, occupation, or so-called business, which takes money from the person who may be possessed of it without giving value received in return. It is opposed to all practices the tendency of which is to encourage the spirit of reckless speculation, and particularly to that which tends to degrade or weaken the high moral standard which members of the Church, and our community at large, have always maintained.

We therefore advise and urge all members of the Church to refrain from participation in any activity which is contrary to the view herein set forth.1

Subsequent statements by leaders of the Church have elaborated on the reasons for this strong position.

Gambling is an old evil, long recognized as such. Some Oriental gambling games have been traced back to 2100 B.C. In ancient Egypt persons convicted of gambling were sent to the quarries. Gambling is denounced in the Hindu code, the Koran, and the Talmudic law. Aristotle denounced gamblers.

Gambling was widespread in the Middle Ages, especially among the nobility. But even those who practiced games of chance were willing to recognize evil in the games, at least for others. Legislation in England and France attempted to counteract the detrimental effects of gambling on servants, because it induced them to idleness or caused them to neglect archery practice, thus endangering national security.

One of the most popular forms of gambling was the lottery, which was permitted among working-class people and was common in the English-speaking world in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Queen Elizabeth proclaimed the first state lottery in England in 1576. In 1660 a lottery was even held to ransom Englishmen held in slavery in Tunis, Algiers, and on Turkish galleys. Lotteries were so widespread in the United States in the early 1800s that there were almost two hundred lottery offices in the state of New York alone. In 1832 the gross sale of lottery tickets was over $60 million, which was five times the total national budget of the U.S. government.

It has been suggested that lotteries were a popular way to finance large projects because there were few reliable banks during this period. Therefore, no regular means were available for obtaining huge sums of money except by aggregating a large number of small amounts from citizens of limited means.

Whatever the merit of that suggestion, in the first half of the 1800s there was a public revulsion against the lottery. By 1850 many state constitutions had provisions forbidding lotteries and other forms of gambling. In many states these same constitutional provisions stand as barriers to legal gambling today, and they are under attack.

Opposition to lotteries first came in England in 1773, when the city of London petitioned the House of Commons to abolish lotteries because they were hurting the commerce of the kingdom and threatening the welfare and prosperity of the people. In 1808 the Commons appointed a select committee to inquire into the evils attending lotteries. The committee report, which helped to abolish lotteries in England a few years later, is so current that it could have been written last week instead of over 160 years ago.

The committee reported cases in which people living in comfort and respectability had been reduced to poverty and distress; cases of domestic quarrels, assaults, and the ruin of family peace; and cases of fathers deserting their families, mothers neglecting their children, wives robbing their husbands of the earnings of months and years, and people pawning clothes, beds, and wedding rings, in order to indulge in the speculation.

In other cases, the committee reported, children had robbed their parents, servants their masters; suicides had been committed, and almost every crime that can be imagined had been occasioned, either directly or indirectly, through the baneful influence of lotteries.2

In its final report the committee concluded that the foundation of the lottery system was so radically vicious that no method of regulation could be devised that would permit Parliament to adopt it as an efficacious source of revenue and at the same time divest it of all its attendant evils.

At a time when state lotteries are being touted as an attractive way to raise badly needed public funds, it is well to recall that a lottery is the most regressive of all revenue measures. Even more than the unpopular sales tax, its burdens fall most heavily on the poor, who are the principal patrons of this type of gambling.

There can be no doubt that gambling is big business in the United States. Expert estimates of the annual amount of illegal gambling vary from $7 billion to $50 billion a year, with $20 billion being the most popular estimate. That figure amounts to approximately $100 for every man, woman, and child in the United States. The estimated total annual profits amount to about $6 to $7 billion a year. This figure is 50 percent more than the combined 1970 profits of American Telephone and Telegraph, General Motors, IBM, and Standard Oil of New Jersey.

In 1962 United States Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy called attention to the overwhelming cost of gambling:

the American people are spending more on gambling than on medical care or education; in so doing, they are putting up the money for the corruption of public officials and the vicious activities of the dope peddlers, loan sharks, bootleggers, white slave traders, and slick confidence men. Investigation this past year by the FBI, Internal Revenue Service, the Narcotics Bureau, the Post Office Department, and all other federal investigative units has disclosed without any shadow of a doubt that corruption and racketeering, financed largely by gambling, are weakening the vitality and strength of this nation.3

Today there are many proposals to legalize gambling. Some urge this as a way to obtain new tax revenues, citing the examples of Spain, Norway, Sweden, France, Australia, and twenty other governments whose national lotteries provide significant revenues to state treasuries. Others propose to legalize gambling because they contend that this would weaken organized crime by drying up one of its principal sources of financial support. It is also urged that legalized gambling would reduce the amount of graft and illegal payoffs to public officials.

Still others want to legalize gambling because they feel that it is impossible to enforce laws against it. According to this line of argument, the only effect of laws against gambling is to raise the price of gambling and therefore increase the profits of those of the criminal element who conduct the illegal enterprise.

Closely examined, none of these arguments for legalized gambling is persuasive. When the late Thomas E. Dewey was governor of New York, he answered these arguments, declaring:

The entire history of legalized gambling in this country and abroad shows that it has brought nothing but poverty, crime and corruption, demoralization of moral standards, and ultimately lower living standards and misery for all the people.4

The late J. Edgar Hoover, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, is quoted as saying: If you think legalizing games of chance starves out the criminals, look at Las Vegas, where the games are legal, yet the hoods still deal themselves in and related vices flourish.

In urging the state of Alaska not to legalize gambling as an economic panacea, Senator Alexander Wiley of Wisconsin gave these additional financial reasons: The idea that gambling would increase revenues is an illusion. Every dollar raised from gambling would mean five dollars spent in higher police costs, higher court costs, higher penitentiary costs, and higher relief costs.5

In addition to all of these reasons, gambling should not be legalized because it is immoral. The law is, of course, too imperfect an instrument to condemn all immoral conduct. Although to hate is immoral, the law cannot efficiently condemn that sin. But gambling is different. Its evils can fairly be measured in the lives of those who are affected by it.

Few would urge that the law promote gambling; yet to legalize gambling would have just that result. The law has an important standard-setting function. A law legalizing gambling would, in the eyes of many, be understood as a formal declaration that this kind of conduct is moral, proper, and expected. Persons now deterred from participating in gambling because they believe it to be illegal and immoral would be encouraged to participate.

Gambling is especially pernicious when it is administered by government or when government relies on it for a substantial source of tax revenues. In times when our governments appetite for taxes seems insatiable, government officials who depend on gambling for a share of the public budget would have a strong temptation to promote gambling and to protect it from opposition.

Those who doubt the force of this argument should consider the history of efforts to impose more stringent government controls on that deadly producttobacco. These efforts are commonly and forcefully resisted on the grounds that the vitally needed health measures would reduce essential tax revenues, disrupt the economics of certain states, and cause much unemployment.

Let us not allow gambling to obtain the same hold on our government and lawful businesses. Government should work to refine the moral sensitivities of its citizens, not pander to their weaknesses.

There are at least five reasons why our Church leaders have urged us to avoid gambling and to fight this evil practice in our communities.

First, gambling weakens the ethics of work, industry, thrift, and servicethe foundation of national prosperityby holding out the seductive lure of something for nothing. By the same token, gambling encourages idleness, with all of its resulting bad effects for society.

President Joseph F. Smith, sixth president of the Church, gave this emphasis to the importance of the ethic of work in the gospel of Jesus Christ:

We do not feel that it is possible for men to be really good and faithful Christian people unless they can also be good, faithful, honest and industrious people. Therefore, we preach the gospel of economy, the gospel of sobriety. We preach that the idler shall not eat the bread of the laborer, and that the idler is not entitled to an inheritance in Zion.6

President Stephen L Richards of the First Presidency (18791959) said that gambling proceeds upon the assumption that one has to lose for another to gain. He then declared that the element of chance in gambling leads those who indulge in it to believe that chance is the controlling and dominant influence in life. And so obsessed do some people become with it that they cannot contemplate or think of any other way in which to increase their means and their income except by taking the chance that gambling affords.7

A second evil of gambling is that it promotes greed and covetousness and inevitably involves and encourages the base practice of overreaching and taking from ones neighbor. A Methodist minister, Lycurgus M. Starkey, Jr., of the St. Paul School of Theology in Kansas City, Missouri, concluded an attack on gambling with words that every Latter-day Saint should recognize as familiar doctrine:

The good Christians love of neighbor will stand against every practice which hinders the growth of the human spirit toward the likeness of Christ or which breaks down the structures of justice in society. The Christian will himself refrain from gambling and from publicly endorsing it in any form, realizing that gambling is detrimental to the purpose of life as revealed in Jesus Christ.8

A third evil of gambling is its tendency to corrupt the participant. We are all familiar with cases in which trusted employees have ruined their lives and brought disgrace and tragedy upon themselves and their families by stealing their employers money. All too often the sordid story is traceable to a desperate attempt to pay gambling debts or to finance further gambling activities.

The temptations of the gambler are such that persons in responsible positions in government and private industry will not hire or retain as employees those who are known to gamble. In recounting the undesirable side effects of gambling, mention must also be made of the fact that gambling is often accompanied by indulgence in alcohol and other vices.

A fourth disadvantage, one cited by persons not concerned with the moral effects of gambling, is the extraordinary waste of time involved in it. Those who while away their hours gambling frequently do so to the neglect of family and work.

Time wasted in gambling becomes more significant when we reflect that many persons who indulge in gambling become addicted to it. The late Elder Richard L. Evans of the Council of the Twelve (19061971) made this statement:

The spirit of gambling is a progressive thing. Usually it begins modestly; and then, like many other hazardous habits, it often grows beyond control. At best it wastes time and produces nothing. At worst it becomes a ruinous obsession and fosters false living by encouraging the futile belief that we can continually get something for nothing.9

The fifth and final condemnation of gambling follows from other disadvantages already discussed. Whenever we as Latter-day Saints engage in any kind of conduct that is inconsistent with the companionship of the Spirit of the Lord, we pay an enormous price. Left without the sustaining influence of that Spirit, we are vulnerable to temptation, prone to criticize, and subject to being tossed to and fro and buffeted by the forces of the world and the works of the evil one.

There can be no question that gambling dulls the spiritual sensitivities of those who participate in it. In that terrible effect we may identify gamblings most far-reaching and evil influence. Elder John A. Widtsoe of the Council of the Twelve (18721952) gave vivid expression to this thought:

They who gamble, who walk with chance, suffer degeneration of character; they become spiritually flabby; they end as enemies of a wholesome society. A gambling den, however beautifully housed, is the ugliest place on earth. The tense participants live in a silence broken only, over the tables, by the swish of the wings of darkness. There is an ever-present brooding spirit of horror of an unknown evil. It is the devils own home.10

What I have said about gambling should be understood to include playing cards for money, betting on horses and athletic contests (including office pools on the world series), casino gambling in all its forms, lotteries, raffles, bingo for money, and dice.

I further suggest that the same spirit of gambling, the same reckless wagering on the chance turn of events, characterizes some forms of investments. The same evils that attend a throw of the dice for money can attend the person who casually puts his money on a highly speculative stock or commodity investment. I know of no better test in this area than that suggested by President Joseph F. Smith, who remarked:

The element of chance enters very largely into everything we undertake, and it should be remembered that the spirit in which we do things decides very largely whether we are gambling or are entering into legitimate business enterprises.11

One type of gambling that has been vigorously criticized by our leaders is card playing. Cards may, of course, be played without playing for money, but the relationship between card playing and gambling is so close and the practice of card playing itself partakes of so many of the disadvantages of gambling that card playing has come under condemnation regardless of whether or not gambling is involved.

Elder Widtsoe criticized card playing on the grounds that it was habit forming and a waste of time. He declared:

It has been observed through centuries of experience that the habit of card playing becomes fixed upon a person and increases until he feels that a day without a game of cards is incomplete.

After an afternoon or evening at card-playing, nothing has been changed, no new knowledge, thoughts, or visions have come, no new hopes or aspirations have been generated, except for another opportunity to waste precious hours. It leads nowhere; it is a dead-end road. Dull and deadly is a life which does not seek to immerse itself in the rapidly moving stream of new and increasing knowledge and power. Time is required to keep up with the times. We dare not waste time on pastimes that starve the soul.12

Today, with increasingly common and persuasive proposals to legalize gambling, we need a broader resolve. All of us should use our influence as citizens to combat all attempts to use the evils of gambling as a means of accomplishing some supposed social good. We should also heed the counsel of our Church leaders, who are unalterably opposed to gambling in any form whatever and who ever counsel us to keep ourselves clean and unspotted from the sins of the world.

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The Evils of Gambling - ensign - lds.org

Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Council of the Twelve, speaking at a Ricks College devotional assembly January 6, said gambling is both morally wrong and politically unwise.

He noted that lotteries and other forms of gambling are immoral and said that it is regrettable that governments would tolerate gambling and reprehensible that they would promote it.

Elder Oaks quoted the current First Presidency and earlier Church leaders in emphasizing the Churchs unyielding opposition to gambling in any form. He also quoted journalists, representatives of other religions, and government agencies who warn of the evils of gambling.

Gambling is a game of chance that takes without giving value in return, he said, adding that news coverage of lotteries and other gambling only tells of the winners. All are encouraged to ignore the reality that the winner has been enriched at the expense of a multitude of losers.

A state-sponsored lottery, he said, is sugar-coated with the phony sweetness of a good cause, such as responding to state financial needs, while both moral and financial costs are ignored.

Gambling tends to corrupt its participants, Elder Oaks said. Its philosophy of something for nothing undermines the virtues of work, industry, thrift, and service to others.

Elder Oaks, a onetime state supreme court justice and former president of Brigham Young University, said gamblers commonly deprive themselves, often impoverish their families, and sometimes steal from others to finance their indulgence.

Seemingly innocent state-sponsored lotteries, he said, can ultimately lead to highly visible public gambling with its associated immoral influences of crime, prostitution, and alcohol.

Regarding political objections to gambling, Elder Oaks said, Gambling is bad political policy. A law that permits gambling is hard to justify, and a law that sponsors or promotes gambling is a sure loser.

He cited several reasons gambling is politically unwise, including the fact that gambling undercuts productivity and encourages crime.

The philosophy of something for nothing or sometimes for far less than it is worth is at the root of a multitude of crimes: theft, robbery, looting, embezzlement, fraud, and many other kinds of plunder.

Elder Oaks quoted the editor of Saturday Review who said of New York States legalization of gambling, The first thing that is obvious is that New York State itself has become a predator in a way that the Mafia could never hope to match.

Gambling is also a costly way to raise revenue for public purposes, he said, citing the fact that between sixty to seventy-five cents of every dollar spent on lottery tickets goes to operating expenses and prizes. In contrast, most methods of state taxation cost only one to two cents to bring in each dollar of revenue. Elder Oaks quoted the 2 September 1986 issue of Newsweek: The strongest case against lotteries may simply be that they are inefficient.

Experience has shown, Elder Oaks said, that the effects of gambling impose increased government expenditures for social welfare and law enforcement.

The social effects of gambling have been noted throughout history, he said, citing the experience England had with lotteries in the nineteenth century. A Parliamentary committee described the effects of lotteries in 1808. The committee noted that people who had lived in comfort and respectability were reduced to poverty and distress, domestic quarrels, assaults, and the ruin of family peace; fathers deserting their families, mothers neglecting their children, wives robbing their husbands of the earnings of months and years, and people pawning clothing, beds, and wedding rings in order to indulge in speculation. England abolished lotteries a few years later.

Elder Oaks said advocates of legalized gambling argue that their games will eliminate illegal gambling, but there is no evidence that this has occurred. Instead, legalized gambling wins new participants, which expand the market and the potential revenues of illegal gambling.

He also noted that state lotteries provide only a small percentage of government revenues and that they primarily benefit only businesses such as gambling suppliers and convenience stores.

As should be evident to every thinking person, a high proportion of all legislation has a moral base, he said. That is true of all the criminal law, most of the laws regulating families, businesses, and commercial transactions, many of the laws governing property, and a host of others.

Jesus taught us to give, Elder Oaks said. Satan, the adversary, teaches men to takeforcibly if necessary, deviously if feasible, continuously if possible. Whatever encourages men to take from one another without giving value in return serves the cause of Satan.

Gambling is a game of chance that takes without giving value in return, he added.

Elder Oaks quoted the words of Elder Richard L. Evans, formerly of the Quorum of the Twelve, regarding gambling: At best it wastes time and produces nothing. At worst it becomes a ruinous obsession and fosters false living by encouraging the futile belief that we can continually get something for nothing.

In conclusion, Elder Oaks urged Latter-day Saints to oppose and avoid participation in gambling in every form. If members of our Church do not oppose immoral and pernicious practices, who will? If not now, when? We can make a difference! May God help us to do so.

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Gambling Is Morally Wrong, Politically Unwise, says ...

Gambling, the betting or staking of something of value, with consciousness of risk and hope of gain, on the outcome of a game, a contest, or an uncertain event whose result may be determined by chance or accident or have an unexpected result by reason of the bettors miscalculation.

The outcomes of gambling games may be determined by chance alone, as in the purely random activity of a tossed pair of dice or of the ball on a roulette wheel, or by physical skill, training, or prowess in athletic contests, or by a combination of strategy and chance. The rules by which gambling games are played sometimes serve to confuse the relationship between the components of the game, which depend on skill and chance, so that some players may be able to manipulate the game to serve their own interests. Thus, knowledge of the game is useful for playing poker or betting on horse racing but is of very little use for purchasing lottery tickets or playing slot machines.

A gambler may participate in the game itself while betting on its outcome (card games, craps), or he may be prevented from any active participation in an event in which he has a stake (professional athletics, lotteries). Some games are dull or nearly meaningless without the accompanying betting activity and are rarely played unless wagering occurs (coin tossing, poker, dice games, lotteries). In other games betting is not intrinsically part of the game, and the association is merely conventional and not necessary to the performance of the game itself (horse racing, football pools). Commercial establishments such as casinos and racetracks may organize gambling when a portion of the money wagered by patrons can be easily acquired by participation as a favoured party in the game, by rental of space, or by withdrawing a portion of the betting pool. Some activities of very large scale (horse racing, lotteries) usually require commercial and professional organizations to present and maintain them efficiently.

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sports: Gambling and sports

One of the most popular forms of gambling is wagering on sports, which taps into the passion of sports fans. A bet placed on a race or a game allows fans to prove their knowledge of a sport or to show their

A rough estimate of the amount of money legally wagered annually in the world is about $10 trillion (illegal gambling may exceed even this figure). In terms of total turnover, lotteries are the leading form of gambling worldwide. State-licensed or state-operated lotteries expanded rapidly in Europe and the United States during the late 20th century and are widely distributed throughout most of the world. Organized football (soccer) pools can be found in nearly all European countries, several South American countries, Australia, and a few African and Asian countries. Most of these countries also offer either state-organized or state-licensed wagering on other sporting events.

Betting on horse racing is a leading form of gambling in English-speaking countries and in France. It also exists in many other countries. Wherever horse racing is popular, it has usually become a major business, with its own newspapers and other periodicals, extensive statistical services, self-styled experts who sell advice on how to bet, and sophisticated communication networks that furnish information to betting centres, bookmakers and their employees, and workers involved with the care and breeding of horses. The same is true, to a smaller extent, of dog racing. The emergence of satellite broadcasting technology has led to the creation of so-called off-track betting facilities, in which bettors watch live telecasts at locations away from the racetrack.

Casinos or gambling houses have existed at least since the 17th century. In the 20th century they became commonplace and assumed almost a uniform character throughout the world. In Europe and South America they are permitted at many or most holiday resorts but not always in cities. In the United States casinos were for many years legal only in Nevada and New Jersey and, by special license, in Puerto Rico, but most other states now allow casino gambling, and betting facilities operate clandestinely throughout the country, often through corruption of political authorities. Roulette is one of the principal gambling games in casinos throughout France and Monaco and is popular throughout the world. Craps is the principal dice game at most American casinos. Slot and video poker machines are a mainstay of casinos in the United States and Europe and also are found in thousands of private clubs, restaurants, and other establishments; they are also common in Australia. Among the card games played at casinos, baccarat, in its popular form chemin de fer, has remained a principal gambling game in Great Britain and in the continental casinos most often patronized by the English at Deauville, Biarritz, and the Riviera resorts. Faro, at one time the principal gambling game in the United States, has become obsolete. Blackjack is the principal card game in American casinos. The French card game trente et quarante (or rouge et noir) is played at Monte-Carlo and a few other continental casinos. Many other games may also be found in some casinosfor example, sic bo, fan-tan, and pai-gow poker in Asia and local games such as boule, banca francesa, and kalooki in Europe.

At the start of the 21st century, poker exploded in popularity, principally through the high visibility of poker tournaments broadcast on television and the proliferation of Internet playing venues. Another growing form of Internet gambling is the so-called betting exchangesInternet Web sites on which players make wagers with one another, with the Web site taking a small cut of each wager in exchange for organizing and handling the transaction.

In a wide sense of the word, stock markets may also be considered a form of gambling, albeit one in which skill and knowledge on the part of the bettors play a considerable part. This also goes for insurance; paying the premium on ones life insurance is, in effect, a bet that one will die within a specified time. If one wins (dies), the win is paid out to ones relatives, and if one loses (survives the specified time), the wager (premium) is kept by the insurance company, which acts as a bookmaker and sets the odds (payout ratios) according to actuarial data. These two forms of gambling are considered beneficial to society, the former acquiring venture capital and the latter spreading statistical risks.

Events or outcomes that are equally probable have an equal chance of occurring in each instance. In games of pure chance, each instance is a completely independent one; that is, each play has the same probability as each of the others of producing a given outcome. Probability statements apply in practice to a long series of events but not to individual ones. The law of large numbers is an expression of the fact that the ratios predicted by probability statements are increasingly accurate as the number of events increases, but the absolute number of outcomes of a particular type departs from expectation with increasing frequency as the number of repetitions increases. It is the ratios that are accurately predictable, not the individual events or precise totals.

The probability of a favourable outcome among all possibilities can be expressed: probability (p) equals the total number of favourable outcomes (f) divided by the total number of possibilities (t), or p = f/t. But this holds only in situations governed by chance alone. In a game of tossing two dice, for example, the total number of possible outcomes is 36 (each of six sides of one die combined with each of six sides of the other), and the number of ways to make, say, a seven is six (made by throwing 1 and 6, 2 and 5, 3 and 4, 4 and 3, 5 and 2, or 6 and 1); therefore, the probability of throwing a seven is 6/36, or 1/6.

In most gambling games it is customary to express the idea of probability in terms of odds against winning. This is simply the ratio of the unfavourable possibilities to the favourable ones. Because the probability of throwing a seven is 1/6, on average one throw in six would be favourable and five would not; the odds against throwing a seven are therefore 5 to 1. The probability of getting heads in a toss of a coin is 1/2; the odds are 1 to 1, called even. Care must be used in interpreting the phrase on average, which applies most accurately to a large number of cases and is not useful in individual instances. A common gamblers fallacy, called the doctrine of the maturity of the chances (or the Monte-Carlo fallacy), falsely assumes that each play in a game of chance is dependent on the others and that a series of outcomes of one sort should be balanced in the short run by the other possibilities. A number of systems have been invented by gamblers largely on the basis of this fallacy; casino operators are happy to encourage the use of such systems and to exploit any gamblers neglect of the strict rules of probability and independent plays. An interesting example of a game where each play is dependent on previous plays, however, is blackjack, where cards already dealt from the dealing shoe affect the composition of the remaining cards; for example, if all of the aces (worth 1 or 11 points) have been dealt, it is no longer possible to achieve a natural (a 21 with two cards). This fact forms the basis for some systems where it is possible to overcome the house advantage.

In some games an advantage may go to the dealer, the banker (the individual who collects and redistributes the stakes), or some other participant. Therefore, not all players have equal chances to win or equal payoffs. This inequality may be corrected by rotating the players among the positions in the game. Commercial gambling operators, however, usually make their profits by regularly occupying an advantaged position as the dealer, or they may charge money for the opportunity to play or subtract a proportion of money from the wagers on each play. In the dice game of crapswhich is among the major casino games offering the gambler the most favourable oddsthe casino returns to winners from 3/5 of 1 percent to 27 percent less than the fair odds, depending on the type of bet made. Depending on the bet, the house advantage (vigorish) for roulette in American casinos varies from about 5.26 to 7.89 percent, and in European casinos it varies from 1.35 to 2.7 percent. The house must always win in the long run. Some casinos also add rules that enhance their profits, especially rules that limit the amounts that may be staked under certain circumstances.

Many gambling games include elements of physical skill or strategy as well as of chance. The game of poker, like most other card games, is a mixture of chance and strategy that also involves a considerable amount of psychology. Betting on horse racing or athletic contests involves the assessment of a contestants physical capacity and the use of other evaluative skills. In order to ensure that chance is allowed to play a major role in determining the outcomes of such games, weights, handicaps, or other correctives may be introduced in certain cases to give the contestants approximately equal opportunities to win, and adjustments may be made in the payoffs so that the probabilities of success and the magnitudes of the payoffs are put in inverse proportion to each other. Pari-mutuel pools in horse-race betting, for example, reflect the chances of various horses to win as anticipated by the players. The individual payoffs are large for those bettors whose winning horses are backed by relatively few bettors and small if the winners are backed by a relatively large proportion of the bettors; the more popular the choice, the lower the individual payoff. The same holds true for betting with bookmakers on athletic contests (illegal in most of the United States but legal in England). Bookmakers ordinarily accept bets on the outcome of what is regarded as an uneven match by requiring the side more likely to win to score more than a simple majority of points; this procedure is known as setting a point spread. In a game of American or Canadian football, for example, the more highly regarded team would have to win by, say, more than 10 points to yield an even payoff to its backers.

Unhappily, these procedures for maintaining the influence of chance can be interfered with; cheating is possible and reasonably easy in most gambling games. Much of the stigma attached to gambling has resulted from the dishonesty of some of its promoters and players, and a large proportion of modern gambling legislation is written to control cheating. More laws have been oriented to efforts by governments to derive tax revenues from gambling than to control cheating, however.

Gambling is one of mankinds oldest activities, as evidenced by writings and equipment found in tombs and other places. It was regulated, which as a rule meant severely curtailed, in the laws of ancient China and Rome as well as in the Jewish Talmud and by Islam and Buddhism, and in ancient Egypt inveterate gamblers could be sentenced to forced labour in the quarries. The origin of gambling is considered to be divinatory: by casting marked sticks and other objects and interpreting the outcome, man sought knowledge of the future and the intentions of the gods. From this it was a very short step to betting on the outcome of the throws. The Bible contains many references to the casting of lots to divide property. One well-known instance is the casting of lots by Roman guards (which in all likelihood meant that they threw knucklebones) for the garment of Jesus during the Crucifixion. This is mentioned in all four of the Gospels and has been used for centuries as a warning example by antigambling crusaders. However, in ancient times casting lots was not considered to be gambling in the modern sense but instead was connected with inevitable destiny, or fate. Anthropologists have also pointed to the fact that gambling is more prevalent in societies where there is a widespread belief in gods and spirits whose benevolence may be sought. The casting of lots, not infrequently dice, has been used in many cultures to dispense justice and point out criminals at trialsin Sweden as late as 1803. The Greek word for justice, dike, comes from a word that means to throw, in the sense of throwing dice.

European history is riddled with edicts, decrees, and encyclicals banning and condemning gambling, which indirectly testify to its popularity in all strata of society. Organized gambling on a larger scale and sanctioned by governments and other authorities in order to raise money began in the 15th century with lotteriesand centuries earlier in China with keno. With the advent of legal gambling houses in the 17th century, mathematicians began to take a serious interest in games with randomizing equipment (such as dice and cards), out of which grew the field of probability theory.

Apart from forerunners in ancient Rome and Greece, organized sanctioned sports betting dates back to the late 18th century. About that time there began a gradual, albeit irregular, shift in the official attitude toward gambling, from considering it a sin to considering it a vice and a human weakness and, finally, to seeing it as a mostly harmless and even entertaining activity. Additionally, the Internet has made many forms of gambling accessible on an unheard-of scale. By the beginning of the 21st century, approximately four out of five people in Western nations gambled at least occasionally. The swelling number of gamblers in the 20th century highlighted the personal and social problem of pathological gambling, in which individuals are unable to control or limit their gambling. During the 1980s and 90s, pathological gambling was recognized by medical authorities in several countries as a cognitive disorder that afflicts slightly more than 1 percent of the population, and various treatment and therapy programs were developed to deal with the problem.

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Gambling | Britannica.com

So whats wrong with spending a dollar for a chance to win a million? Or slipping a few cents into a slot machine, or cutting the cards, or tossing the dice? Its all right, isnt it, to place a friendly bet on the football game or the horse race?

After all, you deserve a lucky break.

A lot of people are looking for that lucky break. And theyre willing to wager that fortunes favor is just one more gamble away.

Legalized gambling is widely touted as an appropriate form of entertainment and a painless way for governments and organizationseven churchesto increase revenues. A 1982 Gallup poll showed that 82 percent of the American people approve of some form of gambling. (See Gaming Business, Nov. 1982, pp. 57.)

This trend is obvious in many countries around the world. In the United States, for example, gambling of one kind or another is already legal in forty-six of the fifty states; only Hawaii, Indiana, Mississippi, and Utah prohibit itand proposed legislation would shorten even that brief list.

Government-operated lotteries are allowed in twenty-two states and in Washington, D.C., and legislators in other states are currently proposing additional state-run lotteries. Some officials even endorse a national lottery.

Thirty-six states allow pari-mutuel gamblingbetting on such competitions as horse and dog races.

Casino gambling is legal on both sides of the countryin Nevada and in Atlantic City, New Jersey. And in January of this year, Louisianas governor encouraged legislators to legalize casino gambling in New Orleans and on Mississippi River cruise ships.

Should Latter-day Saints be concerned about this trend? Whats wrong with gambling if it is controlled and regulated? Proponents point to many noble benefits, such as a lower tax burden, more money for education and other worthy causes, and a way to fight illegal gambling and organized crime. And it provides a chance, they say, for average people to get rich quick.

If you dont make a fortune, some people reason, at least youll have a good time.

Dont bet on it! According to Latter-day Saint leaders, the stakes in gambling are too high. And the list of losers includes everyone who plays.

Some may object to such strong statements. What could it hurt, really, to do a little harmless gambling now and then? You dont see people quitting their jobs just because they bought a lottery ticket. Why do we need to become involved in opposing it?

In 1972, Elder Dallin H. Oaks, then president of Brigham Young University, examined five reasons. Included in his discussion were such activities as playing cards for money and betting on horses. He also mentioned casino gambling, lotteries, raffles, bingo for money, and dice. (See Ensign, Nov. 1972, p. 47.)

First, gambling weakens the ethics of work, industry, thrift, and servicethe foundation of national prosperityby holding out the seductive lure of something for nothing. By the same token, gambling encourages idleness, with all of its resulting bad effects for society. (Dallin H. Oaks, Ensign, Nov. 1972, p. 45.)

The idea of getting gain without earning it is contrary to scriptural admonitions, both ancient and modern. Reward is clearly tied to labor. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, Adam was told. (Gen 3:19.) The labourer is worthy of his hire, said the Savior. (Luke 10:7.) Blessings are for those who work with their talentsnot for the idle. (See Matt. 25:2428.)

Nephi taught his people to be industrious. (See 2 Ne. 5:17.) King Benjamin worked for his own living rather than burdening others. (See Mosiah 2:14.) Mosiah taught that priests and teachers should labor with their own hands for their support. (Mosiah 27:5.)

In our own day, the Lord told the Prophet Joseph Smith that the Church cannot be built up by those who expect others to support them: He that is idle shall not eat the bread nor wear the garments of the laborer. (D&C 42:42.)

Gambling disregards this divine directive. Those who gamble are seeking to receive what they have not earned.

Even a small payoff is counter to the spirit of the work ethic. The size of the prize is irrelevanteven if the gambler breaks even. The deterioration and damage comes to the person, whether he wins or loses, to get something for nothing, something without effort, something without paying the full price, said President Spencer W. Kimball. (Ensign, May 1975, p. 6.)

In the process, the gamblers view of realityof the relationship between work and chancecan become distorted. Those who work for an honest livingand yet who gamble for that elusive stroke of luckcan misguide themselves into thinking that chance is the governing force in life. President Stephen L Richards said, So obsessed do some people become with it that they cannot contemplate or think of any other way in which to increase their means and their income except by taking the chance that gambling affords. (Where Is Wisdom? Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1955, p. 55.)

To some extent, this mistaken view of life is also encouraged by sweepstakes and giveaways promoted by some advertisers. Even though the consumer may not have to pay to enter the competition, he is enticed into playing a game of chanceand into believing that life and prosperity are determined by happenstance.

A second evil of gambling is that it promotes greed and covetousness and inevitably involves and encourages the base practice of overreaching and taking from ones neighbor. (Oaks, p. 46.)

Greed is indeed a strong motivation for most gamblers. How many, when asked why theyve bought lottery tickets, will respond that theyre doing it to pay for education and the care of the elderly?

Small winnings rarely satisfy. Lean payoffs usually increase the urge to try for higher and higher stakes. The odds are pretty good that the occasional gambler who plays the slot machines just for funto see how long a roll of coins will lastwill keep going until both his initial investment and his earnings have disappeared. Even the $5.6 million winner in the 1982 New York lottery still buys lottery ticketsat $20 a shotto get another piece of the dream. (Newsweek, 2 Sept. 1985, p. 18.)

One reason greed is so devastating is that it leads the gambler to try to get rich at someone elses expense. As President Stephen L Richards said, gambling proceeds upon the assumption that one has to lose for another to gain. (Where Is Wisdom? Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1955, p. 54.)

This is true for everything from the penny-ante poker game, where the loser is out only a few cents, to the horse race, where lifetime savings can be lost by the margin of a few millimeters.

How can activities of this kind be condoned in light of the Saviors commandment to love one another? And how can the loser help but covet what he has lostas well as what he hasnt gained?

Greed and covetousness can be especially damaging to human relationships when friends compete against friends for material gain. When all participants in a game pay an equal amount for a chance at the prize, some losers may resent their lossand feelings of good-will can easily dissipate.

President Brigham Young understood this possibility. When urging the Relief Society against raffling quilts to benefit the poor, he suggested that the sisters contribute the money they would have wagered for the quilt and then donate the quilt to a needy person. In this way, they would prevent jealousy and dissension and still accomplish their charitable purposes. (See Juvenile Instructor, 1 Oct. 1902, p. 593.)

Greed afflicts governments, too. When gambling is legalized, government officials begin to count on its revenues; yet, no matter how much money comes in, the states appetite usually keeps growing. And as the need for more and more painless tax revenue rises, or as profits from state-operated gambling diminish, the government finds itself in the position of aggressively promoting gambling, where it had earlier prohibited or simply tolerated it. Instead of protecting its citizens from being victimized by the lure of gambling, the state mounts massive advertising campaigns to encourage people to participate. Citizens who otherwise may have opposed gambling embrace it because of the governments endorsement.

Gambling, whether it is promoted by the state or by your next-door neighbor, is just not worth the effort.

No amount of money is worth the damage to personal relationships and the loss of integrity that often follow gambling. The odds that youll strike it rich through gamblingespecially playing the lotteryare very slim anyway. In recent U.S. lotteries, for example, odds of winning the jackpot were one in 1.9 million in Massachusetts, one in 3.5 million in New York, and one in 9 million in Ohio. (See The Charlotte Observer, 10 Mar. 1984, p. 9A; Washington Post, 13 May 1984, p. A7; USA Today, 3 Aug. 1984, p. 3A.)

Unfortunately, the majority of the losers cant afford to lose. Newsweek (2 Sept. 1985, p. 16) describes some of the victims:

The poor. A Maryland study found that the poorest one-third of state households bought half of all weekly lottery tickets and 60 percent of daily-game tickets. One churchman calls the lottery the sale of an illusion to poor people who view it as the only possibility for breaking out of the cycle of poverty they live in.

Minorities. Seventy percent of those who buy my tickets are poor, black or Hispanic, says the busiest lottery agent in New York.

The elderly. A seventy-three-year-old man spent $75 of his monthly pension check on ticketsand fought the urge to run home for the $50 he keeps for emergencies. Another elderly man waited five hours in lineonly to collapse when he finally got to the counter, taking a rack of newspapers with him to the floor. His first words after being revived: Can I have my tickets, please?

It is ironic that some of the money the states bring in through lotteries is earmarked to benefit the aged and other lottery victims! Advocates for this tax are silent about the inevitable increase in taxes brought about by social problems incident to gamblingsuch as higher welfare, law enforcement, and prison costs.

State-operated lotteries are a regressive form of taxation; that is, they take a higher percentage from poorer citizens incomes than from middle- and upper-class citizens earnings. A tax by any other name is still a tax, said President Gordon B. Hinckley, except in this case the burden usually falls on the poor who can least afford to pay it. As an editorial in USA Today stated recently: Lotteries arent painlessthe overwhelming majority of players always lose. The game takes bread and money from the poor. And it is one more temptation for the compulsive gamblers who ruin careers and families with their addiction. (USA Today, 26 Aug. 1985.) In this context, it becomes a moral question. (Ensign, Nov. 1985, p. 52.)

Love of neighbor as taught by the Savior leads us to have compassion for our fellowmen, to look out for their interests as we would our own. No activity that exploits others is in keeping with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

A third evil of gambling is its tendency to corrupt the participant. (Oaks, p. 46.)

A 1984 study of prisoners in New Jersey indicated that 30 percent of male and female inmates showed clear signs of addiction to gambling and had experienced marital, family, employment, and financial problems related to this addiction. Over 40 percent admitted committing illegal activities in order to gamble or pay gambling debts. (Henry R. Lesieur, Ph.D., and Robert Klein, M.H.S., Prisoners, Gambling and Crime, paper presented to the 1985 Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Annual Meetings, Las Vegas, Nevada, 31 March4 April 1985.)

Signs of gambling problems are also evident in the U.S. on the high school level. A 1984 study showed that more than 86 percent of New Jerseys high school students had gambled during the previous year; that number, which reflects Atlantic Citys legalization of casino gambling, is twenty-six percentage points higher than the 1974 figure for the entire U.S. adult population. Furthermore, 5.7 percent of New Jerseys high school students showed clear signs of pathological gambling. The percentage of gambling-related problems among the students is high: 11 percent said that gambling had harmed their family relationships; 15 percent had lied about gambling wins and losses; and 10 percent had committed crimes in order to pay for gambling. (Henry R. Lesieur, Ph.D., and Robert Klein, M.H.S., Pathological Gambling among High School Students, paper presented to the 6th National Conference on Gambling and Risk Taking, Atlantic City, New Jersey, 912 December 1984.)

Even small-time gambling can weaken ones commitment to responsibility. What starts out as a fling can end up in tragedy when luck eludes an addicted gambler. A boy attempts suicide after squandering $6,000 on a slippery jackpot. A woman embezzles $38,000 and loses it all on the lottery. A high government official is tried for federal racketeering after prosecutors show he lost $2 million in casinos over three years.

Debtsand desperationsoar along with an unappeased appetite for one more shot at that lucky break. Reputations and lives suffer.

And all too often, one addiction can lead to another: alcoholism, drug abuse, dishonesty, immorality. The gambling spirit has proved a veritable demon of destruction to thousands, said President Joseph F. Smith. (Improvement Era, Dec. 1908, p. 144.)

Some insist that legalized gambling would stifle illegal gambling. Others, such as James E. Ritchie, former director of the Presidential Commission on the Review of the National Policy toward Gambling, say one stimulates the other. (See this and other evaluations in Larry Braidfoot, Gambling: A Deadly Game, Nashville, Tenn.: Broadman Press, 1985, pp. 8588.)

Some say legalized gambling would debilitate organized crime. Others, such as FBI Director William H. Webster, disagree: I pointed out at the time that Atlantic City was going into casinos that we knew of no situation in which legalized gambling was in place where we did not eventually have organized crime. I really dont see how one can expect to run legalized gambling anywhere without serious problems. Gambling is still the largest source of revenue for organized crime. (The American Legion Magazine, Jan. 1985, p. 14.)

A fourth disadvantage is the extraordinary waste of time involved in it. Those who while away their hours gambling frequently do so to the neglect of family and work. (Oaks, p. 46.)

John Marcher, a character in a short novel by Henry James, lives every day of his life with the constant anticipation that something truly momentous is just about to happen to himsome terrible, extraordinary destiny is to be his. As this passion consumes him, he turns down love and other opportunities for a normal life, waiting for the inevitable. In the end, he comes to the horrifying realization that his wasted lifetime was, itself, his tragedy. (See The Beast in the Jungle, Kentfield, California: Allen Press, 1963.)

Similarly, some who are infected with a passion for gambling are sure that its only a matter of time until the inevitable happens. Yet, as the dimes and dollars slip through their fingers, time dissipates as well. And, like misspent money, it is irretrievable.

Those who spend their time gambling, said President Joseph F. Smith, are wasting hours and days of precious time in [a] useless and unprofitable way. Yet those same people when approached, declare they have no time to spend as teachers in the Sabbath schools, and no time to attend either Sunday schools or meetings. Their church duties are neglected for lack of time, yet they spend hours, day after day, at cards. (Improvement Era, Aug. 1903, 6:779.) Similar judgment could be made of those who neglect family and work responsibilities in favor of gambling.

What we become is determined, in large measure, by how we spend our time. Tell me what amusements you like best and whether your amusements have become a ruling passion in your life and I will tell you what you are, said President Joseph F. Smith. (Juvenile Instructor, 1 Sept. 1903, p. 529.)

The fifth and final condemnation of gambling follows from other disadvantages already discussed. Whenever we as Latter-day Saints engage in any kind of conduct that is inconsistent with the companionship of the Spirit of the Lord, we pay an enormous price. (Oaks, p. 46.)

Indeed, said Elder Oaks, gamblings most far-reaching and evil influence may be that it dulls the spiritual sensitivities of those who participate in it. Without the companionship of the Lords Spirit, we are vulnerable to temptation, prone to criticize, and subject to being tossed to and fro and buffeted by the forces of the world and the works of the evil one. (Ensign, Nov. 1972, p. 46.)

One Latter-day Saint woman became so consumed by an appetite for playing cards, said Elder Robert L. Simpson, that she eventually gave up her calling in the Relief Society and her friendship with those with whom she had faithfully served. Sisters in the ward continuing their lives of charity and compassionate service are now termed by her as narrow-minded, as hypocritical and do-gooders, but in reality, the only thing that changed was this woman. (In Conference Report, Apr. 1969, p. 86.)

They who gamble, who walk with chance, suffer degeneration of character, said Elder John A. Widtsoe; they become spiritually flabby; they end as enemies of a wholesome society. A gambling den, however beautifully housed, is the ugliest place on earth. The tense participants live in a silence broken only, over the tables, by the swish of the wings of darkness. There is an ever-present brooding spirit of horror of an unknown evil. It is the devils own home. (Improvement Era, Apr. 1940, p. 225.)

The greed and selfishness associated with gambling are incompatible with the spirit of charity: Let thy bowels be full of charity towards all men, said the Lord.

The sapping of spiritual sensitivity that may occur is incompatible with the spirit of virtue: Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly, He commanded.

The blessings promised to the charitable and virtuous are infinitely greater than any premium gambling may offer: Then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven.

The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever. (D&C 121:4546.)

Read more from the original source:

Dont Bet on It!: - ensign

[gam-bling]

SynonymsExamplesWord Origin

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[gam-buhl]

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Dictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Random House, Inc. 2018

I was not with him on the 29th when he was gambling and then drove home and actually got the DUI.

She was gambling on a coin toss where somehow heads, you win would have been politically more advantageous than tails, I lose.

Is gambling culture more desirable than gay culture and counterculture?

But the other side of the coin would be, inevitably, the flowering of crime and corruption around the gambling business.

By joining a private equity firm, the former Florida governor and 2016 hopeful is gambling with his reputation.

It's Bill that's spent the money on his cussed booze and gambling.

The gambling houses can do it, and so keep on breaking the law.

My brother should have supported them, but all his money went on the race course, gambling.

This modified form of gambling is especially dangerous to the young.

There was only one passion which he did not concealthe passion for gambling.

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C18: probably variant of game 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

1726 (implied in gambling), from a dialectal survival of Middle English gammlen, variant of gamenen "to play, jest, be merry," from Old English gamenian "to play, joke, pun," from gamen (see game). Or possibly gamble is from a derivative of gamel "to play games" (1590s), itself likely a frequentative from game. Originally regarded as a slang word. The intrusive -b- may be from confusion with gambol. Related: Gambled; gambling.

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"risky venture," 1823, from gamble (v.).

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Online Etymology Dictionary, 2010 Douglas Harper

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Gambling | Define Gambling at Dictionary.com

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Use A Trusted US Site - Don't hand over a Euro, pound, or dollar until you've established that you're on a licensed casino site that is independently audited to provide fair games, and which meets all of the industry standards for quality.

Boost Your Bankroll With A Bonus - Kick-start your gaming with some extra cash. It will make your money go further to have a bigger sum to start with, and if you find play-through requirements relevant to your gaming preferences then you can make your real-cash online gaming go even further.

Pick The Games You Love - Whether it's poker, roulette, blackjack, baccarat, or slots that you enjoy, you want to make sure your money goes on your favourite games. It's important to shop around for the sites with the best choices available online before you start laying down your own money.

Choose The Best Payment Options - Some banking options for internet gambling are free to use. They also provide quick deposits and withdrawals where you live. Always check whether your local currency is available, and make sure you are eligible to make real-money transactions where you are. There may also be some form of ID verification process before a withdrawal is authorised.

Try An International Site - Don't just stick to the casinos open to you locally, there are some fantastic online casinos based overseas that are available to players in your country. They should still have respectable licenses, of course, and be available in a language that's right for you.

Find Top Online Gambling Apps For Mobile - Tablet and smartphone gamers can enjoy comprehensive real-money online casino gambling for Android and iOS devices. Pick the right gambling sites that offer no-hassle download apps and instant-play games through your smartphone.

Our online gambling experts select the greatest websites just for you. But to make it into our top rankings, sites have to pass our strict tests:

Reliability & Security - All of our top picks for gambling online come with proper licenses from respected jurisdictions. The best sites are licensed in places like Malta, Gibraltar, Alderney or the UK. Security is also a big concern. We look for signs that betting sites have proper encryption practices in place before players start gambling there.

Range Of Games - How many betting markets does a site have? Is the casino well-stocked with slots and table games, and is that poker room full of tournaments? We examine all of the best online gambling sites to make sure they offer plenty of games.

Deposits & Withdrawals - Getting your money in and out quickly and safely is vital when you are gambling online. That's why all of our rooms offer a range of banking options in lots of currencies. Whether you're wanting to move your money with a credit card, debit card or e-wallet, our online gambling sites will cater for you.

Customer Support - Everyone gets stuck sometimes. Perhaps your withdrawal request is taking a long time, or you feel the bonuses aren't strong enough. Customer service should be available by Live Chat, swift email, or even freephone. We check all of the available methods with a range of potential problems.

Spread of Bonuses and Promotions - All online gambling operators offer bonuses to draw players in. Welcome bonuses can be generous, even on sportsbetting sites, but they require different wagering, or "play through", amounts.

Ongoing promotions and VIP schemes should also be generous and open to US players on all budgets. We test out all our top gambling sites with our own real cash to make sure those bonuses really deliver.

In 2018, it's possible to win real money by betting on gambling sites via your smartphone or tablet. Gamblers across the globe can log in to a gaming account on their phones and access the best in sportsbooks, table games, and slots.

Touch-screen games are adapted especially for your smaller screen. Tables and game-screens look very similar to their online cousins, but you may miss some of the features normally found on a desktop version.

And it doesn't matter whether you're on Android, Apple iOS, BlackBerry, or Windows Phone: there will be a native app or "instant-play" site just for you.

The best slots and table games load in seconds, and you can even make real-cash deposits with a swipe of the finger. Sites are reconfigured for your smaller touch-screen but with minimal disruption. Slots and table games work in HTML5 or Flash, while poker players can compete against the same opponents as at an online client.

Apple iOS: In general, US players on an iPhone or iPad can find and download apps from the App Store. Alternatively, download straight from the casino website where you see the Apple logo. Apple devices have traditionally had a huge problem with Adobe Flash, but with dedicated apps or HTML5 slots and table games, you shouldn't have any issues.

Android: Android KitKat users and above can usually find download apps too by visiting the Google Play Store or visiting the casino or betting site direct. Whether you have a Samsung Galaxy, Kindle Fire Tablet, or HTC phone, you're in luck.

Windows Phone: Windows users are growing all the time. While Windows 8 has been rightly slated, devices like the Microsoft Lumia 640 XL and excellent Surface Pro can be used to gamble seamlessly online. You won't find too many Windows apps, but Windows mobile OS supports HTML5, Java, or Flash - whatever software is used to power instant-play games.

BlackBerry: BlackBerry have powered back from the doldrums with a series of exciting phones like the Bold Touch 9900 and BlackBerry Priv. Their new range of touch-screen devices will power many instant-play casinos and gambling sites. BlackBerry even handles Android so you can sometimes access games that way.

Our team is made up of industry experts that have been gambling online since the early slots first came out. They have been betting their own money on roulette, poker and sports since the late 1990s. That means they are perfectly placed to rate and review the best sites in the US, Europe, and beyond.

Players across the globe can rest assured that the online gambling casinos featured on our site have rated extremely high for safety, security, quality of software, range of games and markets offered, and quality of the welcome bonus.

Whether you're into poker cash games, slots tournaments, or football betting, we have a top selection of gambling sites on the net. Dip into your virtual wallet and discover the best the USA has to offer in online gambling for real money.

Want To Play Now? Try The Top US Casino Now!

What is Online Gambling?

Online gambling is playing risk-based games over the internet in the hopes of winning more than you lose from them. This can include things like slot machines, table games or video poker.

How Popular Is Online Gambling?

Huge. The global online gambling market is worth over $35 billion and is continuing to grow. It's expected to be worth over $55 billion by 2018. More countries are embracing internet gaming, and licensed sites can be accessed in dozens of countries around the world.

Which Sports Can I Bet On?

Sports betting sites are licensed in the same way as online casinos. Gamblers can place bets on hundreds of markets on sports as diverse as football/soccer, basketball, and ice hockey. The best sports betting websites even have live betting where you can place wagers on matches as they are in progress.

Can I gamble on my mobile device?

Yes. Most casinos, poker sites and sports gambling sites offer apps for Android or iOS phones. In many cases, however, you can simply log in via your mobile web browser to access games.

Can I gamble for free?

Yes. The good news is that most (if not all) online casinos offer free-play options alongside their real-money games. In some cases, you don't even need to register an account. Just open the casino and try some games for nothing.

Will I get a welcome bonus?

Yes. Most casinos, poker sites and sportsbooks offer players some free cash when they join up. This can range from a simple deposit bonus to free slots spins, or even a little cash with no strings attached. You gamble the cash, and all winnings you make are yours to keep.

Is it safe to gamble online?

Yes. On the whole, most online casinos are safe to play at, however, there are unfortunately some that don't always play by the rules. When looking for a safe site, ensure that it has a license, particularly from a reputable regulatory authority, uses encryption to protect your data, and offers trusted banking methods. If you are unsure about where to go, take a look at our top list, where all of our recommended sites have trusted reputations and offer the highest levels of security to players.

What kind of games do they have at online casinos?

Online casinos are packed with all the games you'll find in any land casino. Take your pick from slots, roulette, blackjack, poker and many other favourites and pick your stakes from just a few cents to $500 a spin. You can even enjoy gambling online against a human croupier with 'Live Dealer' games. Take on a human dealer via a webcam and even chat to them in real time!

Can online casinos scam you?

Yes, there are some low quality online casinos that may cheat you out of money by manipulating the games, or not paying out money once you've amassed a considerable balance. The more reputable casinos go through a rigorous testing process and abide by certain fair play rules in order to maintain a trusted reputation, and earn their profit from the house edge that they enjoy. They'll win more than they lose over time because of that edge, even if they lose over the short-term to a few players. That's why we only recommend sites that are trusted, safe and secure.

What are the best online gambling sites?

The ones that have been checked and rated here by our experts. The key features players look for are variety in casino games and sports betting options, a strong selection of bonuses and promotions, and a healthy payout rate to players, with the money coming back to your account fast. Our reviews team also ensure that sites accept all popular payment methods for real money play, offer excellent device compatibility on mobile, and are tested by recognised gambling authorities for fairness.

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Top 5 Online Gambling Sites - Play for Real Money in 2018

Ever wondered how the modern, insanely popular game of Blackjack appeared? Well, that’s the question of interest to millions of researchers who wanted to know the origin, the beginning of card counting and the inspiration for the game as it is today.

Origins

Many researchers claim that the Blackjack that we know today did not have the name as it is. There were these two games, in the 15^th and 16^th century, one Italian, Sette e Mezzo (Seven and a half) and one French, Trente-un (Thirty-one) that are believed to be the predecessors of Blackjack. This was long before the really closest to Blackjack game appeared in France, called the Vingt-et-un (Twenty-one), in the 18^th. It was one of the most popular card games at the time, and it was King Louis XV’s favorite.

Now, the theory is that the Italian and Spanish versions of Blackjack actually influenced the French version, which was later on spread in America. But this was not until the 19^th century. The game, also known as 21, was brought to America, New Orleans in 1820, by the French colonizers. But at that time, gambling was not allowed, so as the card games became legalized in Nevada, 1931, the game became known as Blackjack and the first ground rules were established. Today the game is available on every single casino site and netbet.ie offers (believe it or not) 18 different variants.

Card counting

Yet, not even then did the card counting start. In fact, it started 30 years later. Naturally, within that period of time, players were fully dedicated to learn how the play the game best and how to win big. Many names pop out in the 1950s. There were System Smitty, Jess Macrum, Greasy John – players who are rumored to have been counting cards long before the secret of counting was revealed. In 1957, Baldwin, McDermott, Baldwin and Maisel, four big players of Blackjack published a book called Playing Blackjack to Win and told the world that it is all in card counting.

This was later on confirmed by Ed Thorp, who used the most ancient computers to investigate whether you can really have an advantage in Blackjack by counting cards. He came to an unforeseen discovery that using a “ten-count system” you can successfully go around the other players and win. He published this in his book Beat the Dealer in 1962 and made it a huge book hit. It was also believed that this is when Vegas bloomed.

The first big card counter

Al Francesco, the first big Blackjack player, was making a lot of effort not to be noticed that he counted cards. So, he would go to a casino with his brother, he would stand beside him and he would count the cards. As soon as he would see an opportunity, he would bet big. But soon, the pit boss would see that and would offer him a free room. This is the time Al Francesco became the “Big Player” in the Blackjack world.

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At OnlineGambling.com, we use our wealth of knowledge tobring you news, reviews and tips surrounding everythingin the online gambling world. So, youll be able to findways in which to improve your game, get guides to thebest casino games to play and receive the best welcomebonuses in the US.

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Whether you want to play at a casino, test your skill at apoker room, or place some bets on sporting events, weve gotthe knowledge to help you get the most from your money.Whether you're playing baccarat, craps, roulette, blackjack,faro, keno or just hitting the slots, weve produced anumber of handy guides, each of which deals with everythingfrom beginner tactics through to more advanced plays. So, ifyoure serious about becoming the best online gamblerpossible, they should be integral reading for you.

All of the guides we offer are written in plain English, soyou wont get stuck with needless jargon or confusingconcepts. Whats more, they are all free simply click onone and get reading straight away. Dont forget to checkback regularly as well, as our gambling experts are alwaysthinking up new and useful guides to help you become thebest online gambler possible, regardless of whether youre apoker player, slots fanatic or sports betting enthusiast.

Mobile gambling has become one of themost exciting ways to gamble around, giving you the power tohave a spin at a slot machine, or play a hand of poker,wherever you happen to be. Most online casinos and othergambling sites are now offering a mobile version of theirsites to their players, and many are also coming up withinnovative and intuitive apps. These applications enhancethe playing experience on the smartphone even further.

But how can you find great mobile casinos, poker rooms, horseracing betting and sportsbooks? The answer is simple: take alook through the reviews weve compiled of each one. Welllet you know just how good the apps and mobile sites are,plus well also tell you about the selection of mobile gamesoffered by a site, as well as the range of bonuses they havefor mobile players. Once youve finished reading, you shouldhave no problem selecting the best mobile gambling site foryour own needs.

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OnlineGambling.com > #1 Online Gambling Sites Guide 2018

If you or a loved one struggle with a gambling problem, there is hope. Whether you cannot seem to stop casino gambling in Atlantic City or betting on fantasy sports from the comfort of your home, treatment and support are readily available. The Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey (CCGNJ) has helped countless people recover from disordered gambling since its inception. By facilitating access to various programs, services, and other resources, we work to educate the public about this disorder and provide aid to anyone who needs it.

Our free hotline 800-GAMBLER gives disordered gamblers and their loved ones confidential assistance 24/7. If you call or text this number, know that you will be treated with compassion and understanding. Reaching out for help signifies bravery and strength not weakness. If you or a loved one struggle with problem gambling, we offer support, treatment, and hope.

When someone contacts our hotline, we present them with several treatment and rehabilitation options that NJ residents can easily access.

Gamblers Anonymous

Our hotline can help people find local Gamblers Anonymous meetings near Freehold, Monmouth, Marlboro Township, or anywhere else in the state. Gamblers Anonymous meetings in New Jersey allow people to develop a supportive network of peers that have all committed to recovery from disordered gambling. Through this 12-step program, problem gamblers share strategies on how to resist their urges while celebrating each others success. Participating in Gamblers Anonymous greatly improves the chance of recovery.

In most cases, a disordered gamblers closest family members experience some emotional turmoil or trauma, as well. These people are also welcome to attend Gam-Anon meetings. By doing so, they often gain an enhanced understanding of disordered gambling and, in the process, become a better ally in their loved ones recovery.

Treatment Providers and In-Patient Facilities

Through our hotline, disordered gamblers can also find professional counselors that can help them stop their problematic behavior. Through therapy, people with this disorder can better understand the underlying factors or motivations that may have led them to behavior like excessive sports gambling in Atlantic City in the first place. Cognitive behavioral therapy techniques also help these individuals become more mindful of their thought patterns, giving them more control over their own behavior.

Sometimes, disordered gamblers may feel that they need a serious intervention. In those cases, in-patient facilities can give them the intensive treatment that they require. The patient would live at the facility as they receive structured care and therapy.

Text or Chat Options

Anyone who wants to learn how to stop gambling but would rather not call the hotline can text 800-GAMBLER or chat with a representative online, as well. Whatever your unique needs might be, we seek to accommodate you we only wish to provide help for gambling disorders (sometimes referred to as gambling addiction) in New Jersey to anyone who needs it.

As a private, non-profit organization 501(c)(3), we have dedicated ourselves to helping problem gamblers all throughout NJ. We focus on educating the general public, training professionals throughout the state, referring disordered gamblers and their families to appropriate treatment options, and advocating for increased services to help combat the rate of disordered gambling in the state.

The Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey also advises the New Jersey Department of Human Services and the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services, provides the executive and legislative branches of the state government with relevant data concerning disordered gambling, and offers assistance to private or public agencies in the state per request. The CCGNJ neither opposes nor endorses legalized gambling; however, we may take positions on various issues when they have an impact on the people we are trying to help.

Whether you live in Atlantic City, Freehold, Marlboro Township, Monmouth, or anywhere else in the state, we can help you recover from disordered gambling. Call or text our hotline, 800-GAMBLER, today.

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800 Gambler - Gambling Problem Hotline in NJ | Gambling ...

Is problem gambling affecting you, or those close to you?

GamCare is the leading national provider of information, advice, support and free treatment for anyone affected by problem gambling. Our expert services are confidential andnon-judgemental.

We apologise for any inconvenience, however our Chatrooms are temporarily unable to run due to a fault with our software.

One of the most common results of a gambling problem is debt, and yet debt is also used by many gamblers as a reason for their continued gambling. It plays a complex and contradictory role at the heart of the gambling experience for many of the people that we speak to. If debt has become a problem for you as a result of your gambling.

GamCare offers free, impartial and confidential advice and support about a gambling problem. Our advisers are available to talk from 8am to midnight every day of the year. Whether you are struggling with the effects of gambling issues of your own, or of someone close to you, we are here for you.

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GamCare - the UK's national organisation for gambling ...

If you or a loved one struggle with a gambling problem, there is hope. Whether you cannot seem to stop casino gambling in Atlantic City or betting on fantasy sports from the comfort of your home, treatment and support are readily available. The Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey (CCGNJ) has helped countless people recover from disordered gambling since its inception. By facilitating access to various programs, services, and other resources, we work to educate the public about this disorder and provide aid to anyone who needs it.

Our free hotline 800-GAMBLER gives disordered gamblers and their loved ones confidential assistance 24/7. If you call or text this number, know that you will be treated with compassion and understanding. Reaching out for help signifies bravery and strength not weakness. If you or a loved one struggle with problem gambling, we offer support, treatment, and hope.

When someone contacts our hotline, we present them with several treatment and rehabilitation options that NJ residents can easily access.

Gamblers Anonymous

Our hotline can help people find local Gamblers Anonymous meetings near Freehold, Monmouth, Marlboro Township, or anywhere else in the state. Gamblers Anonymous meetings in New Jersey allow people to develop a supportive network of peers that have all committed to recovery from disordered gambling. Through this 12-step program, problem gamblers share strategies on how to resist their urges while celebrating each others success. Participating in Gamblers Anonymous greatly improves the chance of recovery.

In most cases, a disordered gamblers closest family members experience some emotional turmoil or trauma, as well. These people are also welcome to attend Gam-Anon meetings. By doing so, they often gain an enhanced understanding of disordered gambling and, in the process, become a better ally in their loved ones recovery.

Treatment Providers and In-Patient Facilities

Through our hotline, disordered gamblers can also find professional counselors that can help them stop their problematic behavior. Through therapy, people with this disorder can better understand the underlying factors or motivations that may have led them to behavior like excessive sports gambling in Atlantic City in the first place. Cognitive behavioral therapy techniques also help these individuals become more mindful of their thought patterns, giving them more control over their own behavior.

Sometimes, disordered gamblers may feel that they need a serious intervention. In those cases, in-patient facilities can give them the intensive treatment that they require. The patient would live at the facility as they receive structured care and therapy.

Text or Chat Options

Anyone who wants to learn how to stop gambling but would rather not call the hotline can text 800-GAMBLER or chat with a representative online, as well. Whatever your unique needs might be, we seek to accommodate you we only wish to provide help for gambling disorders (sometimes referred to as gambling addiction) in New Jersey to anyone who needs it.

As a private, non-profit organization 501(c)(3), we have dedicated ourselves to helping problem gamblers all throughout NJ. We focus on educating the general public, training professionals throughout the state, referring disordered gamblers and their families to appropriate treatment options, and advocating for increased services to help combat the rate of disordered gambling in the state.

The Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey also advises the New Jersey Department of Human Services and the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services, provides the executive and legislative branches of the state government with relevant data concerning disordered gambling, and offers assistance to private or public agencies in the state per request. The CCGNJ neither opposes nor endorses legalized gambling; however, we may take positions on various issues when they have an impact on the people we are trying to help.

Whether you live in Atlantic City, Freehold, Marlboro Township, Monmouth, or anywhere else in the state, we can help you recover from disordered gambling. Call or text our hotline, 800-GAMBLER, today.

Read more:

800-Gambler - Gambling Problem Hotline in NJ | Gambling ...

The history of humanity is inextricably linked with the history of gambling, as it seems that no matter how far back in time you go there are signs that where groups of people gathered together gambling was sure to have been taking place. Now we are not going to attempt to track every single twist and turn in the evolution of gambling in this article, but what we are going to do is to pick out some of the most important dates to act as milestones on the road to todays gambling experience.

2300bc

2300bc

While it is almost certain that some forms of betting have been taking place since the dawn of human history, the earliest concrete evidence comes from Ancient China where tiles were unearthed which appeared to have been used for a rudimentary game of chance. The Chinese Book of Songs makes reference to the drawing of wood which suggests that the tiles may have formed part of a lottery type game. We have evidence in the form of keno slips which were used in about 200bc as some sort of lottery to fund state works possibly including construction of the Great Wall of China. Lotteries continued to be used for civic purposes throughout history Harvard and Yale were both established using lottery funds and continue to do so until the present day.

c.500bc

The Greek poet Sophocles claimed that dice were invented by a mythological hero during the siege of Troy, and while this may have somewhat dubious basis in fact, his writings around 500bc were the first mention of dice in Greek history. We know that dice existed far earlier than this, since a pair had been uncovered from an Egyptian tomb from 3000bc, but what is certain is that the Ancient Greeks and Romans loved to gamble on all manner of things, seemingly at any given opportunity. In fact all forms of gambling including dice games were forbidden within the ancient city of Rome and a penalty imposed on those caught which was worth four times the stake being bet. As a result of this, ingenious Roman citizens invented the first gambling chips, so if they were nabbed by the guards they could claim to be playing only for chips and not for real money. (Note that this ruse will not work if attempted at a Vegas casino).

c.800ad

c.800ad

Most scholars agree that the first playing cards appeared in China in the 9th century, although the exact rules of the games they were used for have been lost to history. Some suggest that the cards were both the game and the stake, like trading card games played by children today, while other sources believe the first packs of cards to have been paper forms of Chinese domino. Certainly the cards used at this time bore very little relation to the standard 52 card decks we know today.

1400s

The earliest game still played in casinos today is the two player card game of Baccarat, a version of which was first mentioned as long ago as the 1400s when it migrated from Italy to France. Despite its early genesis, it took hundreds of years and various evolutions to arrive at the game we know today. Although different incarnations of the game have come and gone, the standard version played in casinos all over the world came from Cuba via Britain to the US, with a few alterations to the rules along the way. Although baccarat is effectively more of a spectator sport than a game, it is a feature of just about every casino due to its popularity with high rolling gamblers.

c.1600

c.1600

Some suggest that the earliest forms of blackjack came from a Spanish game called ventiuna (21) as this game appeared in a book written by the author of Don Quixote in 1601. Or was it the game of trente-un (31) from 1570? Or even quinze (15) from France decades earlier? As with all of these origin stories, the inventors of games of chance were rarely noted in the historical annals. The French game of vingt-et-un in the seventeenth century is certainly a direct forefather of the modern game, and this is the game that arrived in the US along with early settlers from France. The name blackjack was an American innovation, and linked to special promotions in Nevada casinos in the 1930s. To attract extra customers, 10 to 1 odds were paid out if the player won with a black Jack of Clubs or Spades together with an Ace of Spades. The special odds didnt last long, but the name is still with us today.

1638

The earliest gambling houses which could reasonably be compared to casinos started to appear in the early 17th century in Italy. For example, in 1638, the Ridotto was established in Venice to provide a controlled gambling environment amidst the chaos of the annual carnival season. Casinos started to spring up all over continental Europe during the 19th century, while at the same time in the US much more informal gambling houses were in vogue. In fact steam boats taking prosperous farmers and traders up and down the Mississippi provided the venue for a lot of informal gambling stateside. Now when we think of casinos we tend to picture the Las Vegas Strip, which grew out of the ashes of the Depression in America.

1796

1796

Roulette as we know it today originated in the gaming houses of Paris, where players would have been familiar with the wheel we now refer to (ironically enough) as the American Roulette wheel. It took another 50 years until the European version came along with just one green zero, and generations of roulette players can be grateful for that. During the course of the 19th century roulette grew in popularity, and when the famous Monte Carlo casino adopted the single zero form of the game this spread throughout Europe and most of the world, although the Americans stuck to the original double zero wheels.

1829

Its hard to pin down the precise origin of poker as with a lot of the games mentioned here, poker seems to have grown organically over decades and possibly centuries from various different card games. Some have pokers antecedents coming from seventeenth century Persia, while others say that the game we know today was inspired by a French game called Poque. What we do know for sure is that an English actor by the name of Joseph Crowell reported that a recognizable form of the game was being played in New Orleans in 1829, so that is as good a date as any for the birth of poker. The growth of the games popularity was fairly sluggish up until world poker tournaments started being played in Vegas in the 1970s. However poker really exploded with the advent of online poker and televised events allowing spectators to see the players hands. When amateur player Chris Moneymaker qualified for and won the 2003 world poker championship after qualifying through online play, it allowed everyone to picture themselves as online poker millionaires.

1891

1891

The first gambling machine which resembled the slots we know today was one developed by Messrs Sittman and Pitt in New York, which used the 52 cards on drum reels to make a sort of poker game. Around the same time the Liberty Bell machine was invented by a Charles Fey in San Francisco. This machine proved much more practical in the sense that winnings could be precisely regulated, and marked the beginning of the real slot game revolution. The fact that some new video slot games still feature bell symbols dates back to this early invention. While early machines spewed out cigars and gum instead of money, the money dispensing versions soon became a staple in bars and casinos around the globe, and when the first video slot was invented in 1976 this paved the way for the online video slots which were to follow.

1910

1910

The United States has always had an up and down relationship with gambling, dating back to when the very first European settlers arrived. Whereas Puritan bands of settlers banned gambling outright in their new settlements, those emigrating from England had a more lenient view of gambling and were more than happy to tolerate it. This dichotomous relationship has continued until now, and in 1910 public pressure led to a nationwide prohibition on gambling. Just like the alcohol prohibition of the same era, this proved somewhat difficult to enforce and gambling continued on in an only slightly discreet manner. The Wall Street Crash and the Great Depression that this spawned in the early 1930s led to gambling being legalized again, as for many this was the only prospect of alleviating the grinding poverty which they suffered through. Although gambling is legal in a number of States today most famously in Las Vegas, Nevada - online gambling is still something of a grey area in the United States. Right now, many international internet casinos are unable to accept American clients, although the signs are that this will change in the near future.

1994

Microgaming is one of the largest casino and slot game developers in the world today, and they are also considered to be pioneers of online gambling. The leap into the world of virtual casinos was taken all the way back in 1994, which in internet terms is kind of like 2300bc! Online gaming was worth over a billion dollars within 5 years, and today is a multibillion dollar industry with over a thousand online casinos and growing. The first live dealer casinos appeared in 2003 courtesy of Playtech, bringing us closer to a hybrid between brick and mortar casinos and the virtual world.

2018

2018

Since New Jersey legalized online gambling in 2011, there has been a boom in the interest people have in it. America has seen a move towards legalizing it state by state, as well as experiencing the rapid rise in mobile gambling. Across the globe, internet users are gradually veering away from their desktops and towards their handheld devices. This is true of online gamblers too, wanting to be able to enjoy their favorite games whilst on the go. The top gambling sites out there have recognized a market and have stepped up to deliver. With a wave of impressive mobile focused online gambling destinations taking the world by storm, it's safe to say that desktops are being left far behind in favour of more mobile alternatives.

What Comes Next?

It is just about as difficult to predict the future for gambling as it is to uncover some of the origins of the gambling games we know so well today. Much of the focus at the moment is on the mobile gaming market, with online casinos scrambling to make more content compatible with the latest hand held devices. Virtual reality technology is just taking its first steps as a commercial proposition, and you can be sure that there will be gambling applications down the road. How would you like to sit around a virtual poker table with a bunch of your friends from all over the world, share a few laughs, try to tell if you can spot a tell-tale facial tick; and all this from the comfort of your home? VR Headsets can make it happen maybe not today, but certainly just a few years down the track if technology continues to advance in bounds and leaps.

And after that? Well who knows, but when it comes to gambling all things are possible.

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The History of Gambling - Complete Gambling History Timeline

Most people dont think about taxes on their way to a race track or casino,but what might seem like nothing more than the chance to win some extra moneyactually carries significant tax implications. As is often the case, federal and state governments single out casino winnings for unique taxes of their own. Here is what you need to know about reporting gambling winnings:

Gamblers are lucky in that casino taxes are not progressive like income taxes are. That is, you will owe the same percentage to the IRS on a $100,000 jackpot as a $10,000 one. Yet, its important to know the thresholds that require reporting. Winnings in the following amounts must be reported:

All of these require giving the payer your Social Security number, as well as filling out IRS Form W2-G to report the full amount won. In most cases, the casino will take 25 percent off your winnings for the IRS before even paying you.

Not all gambling winnings in the amounts above are subject to IRS Form W2-G. W2-G forms are not required for winnings from table games such as blackjack, craps, baccarat, and roulette, regardless of the amount.Note that this does not mean you are exempt from paying taxes or reporting the winnings. Any and all gambling winnings must be reported to the IRS. It only means that you do not have to fill out Form W2-G for these particular table-based games.

Even if you do not win as much as the amounts above, you are still legally obligated to report. You also need to report any awards or prize money you won during the year in question. Yes, even if you only win $10, you still technically have to report it (even if the casino didnt). Gambling income plus your job income (and any other income) equals your total income.

Fortunately, you do not necessarily have to pay taxes on all your winnings. Instead, if you itemize, you can claim your losses up to the amount of your winnings.

In addition to federal taxes payable to the IRS, many state governments tax gambling income as well. Each state has their own unique formulas and rules for gambling income, and some levy no gambling taxes at all. Others charge a flat percentage, while still others ramp up the percentage owed depending on how much you won.

Original post:

How Are Gambling Winnings Taxed? | The TurboTax Blog

If you or a loved one struggle with a gambling problem, there is hope. Whether you cannot seem to stop casino gambling in Atlantic City or betting on fantasy sports from the comfort of your home, treatment and support are readily available. The Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey (CCGNJ) has helped countless people recover from disordered gambling since its inception. By facilitating access to various programs, services, and other resources, we work to educate the public about this disorder and provide aid to anyone who needs it.

Our free hotline 800-GAMBLER gives disordered gamblers and their loved ones confidential assistance 24/7. If you call or text this number, know that you will be treated with compassion and understanding. Reaching out for help signifies bravery and strength not weakness. If you or a loved one struggle with problem gambling, we offer support, treatment, and hope.

When someone contacts our hotline, we present them with several treatment and rehabilitation options that NJ residents can easily access.

Gamblers Anonymous

Our hotline can help people find local Gamblers Anonymous meetings near Freehold, Monmouth, Marlboro Township, or anywhere else in the state. Gamblers Anonymous meetings in New Jersey allow people to develop a supportive network of peers that have all committed to recovery from disordered gambling. Through this 12-step program, problem gamblers share strategies on how to resist their urges while celebrating each others success. Participating in Gamblers Anonymous greatly improves the chance of recovery.

In most cases, a disordered gamblers closest family members experience some emotional turmoil or trauma, as well. These people are also welcome to attend Gam-Anon meetings. By doing so, they often gain an enhanced understanding of disordered gambling and, in the process, become a better ally in their loved ones recovery.

Treatment Providers and In-Patient Facilities

Through our hotline, disordered gamblers can also find professional counselors that can help them stop their problematic behavior. Through therapy, people with this disorder can better understand the underlying factors or motivations that may have led them to behavior like excessive sports gambling in Atlantic City in the first place. Cognitive behavioral therapy techniques also help these individuals become more mindful of their thought patterns, giving them more control over their own behavior.

Sometimes, disordered gamblers may feel that they need a serious intervention. In those cases, in-patient facilities can give them the intensive treatment that they require. The patient would live at the facility as they receive structured care and therapy.

Text or Chat Options

Anyone who wants to learn how to stop gambling but would rather not call the hotline can text 800-GAMBLER or chat with a representative online, as well. Whatever your unique needs might be, we seek to accommodate you we only wish to provide help for gambling disorders (sometimes referred to as gambling addiction) in New Jersey to anyone who needs it.

As a private, non-profit organization 501(c)(3), we have dedicated ourselves to helping problem gamblers all throughout NJ. We focus on educating the general public, training professionals throughout the state, referring disordered gamblers and their families to appropriate treatment options, and advocating for increased services to help combat the rate of disordered gambling in the state.

The Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey also advises the New Jersey Department of Human Services and the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services, provides the executive and legislative branches of the state government with relevant data concerning disordered gambling, and offers assistance to private or public agencies in the state per request. The CCGNJ neither opposes nor endorses legalized gambling; however, we may take positions on various issues when they have an impact on the people we are trying to help.

Whether you live in Atlantic City, Freehold, Marlboro Township, Monmouth, or anywhere else in the state, we can help you recover from disordered gambling. Call or text our hotline, 800-GAMBLER, today.

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800-Gambler - Gambling Problem Hotline