A Christian Response to Gambling

At its extremes, the gambling culture nourishes a radically distorted hope, suggesting that all one’s problems will be resolved if only you hit the literal jackpot. A measure of the distortion lies in one study reported to us where a class of school children, when asked what they wanted to be when they grew up replied, “Lottery winners”. Gambling encourages a kind of idolatry of wealth, and indeed one might well argue that gambling, rather than religion, is today the “opium of the people”, to adapt Marx’s phrase. Gambling subtly reinforces and justifies the distorted values of a radically and increasingly unequal society such as Britain in 2007. We do well to remember that, “the love of money is the root of all evil” (1 Timothy 6.10), and serious gambling is an obsessive form of the love of money. So, how do we respond?

Some in the churches choose to witness in response to issues related to great social problems by taking a stance that completely eschews and condemns any form of gambling, however small. While this approach will feel appropriate for some, the Council recognises that individuals ultimately decide for themselves how they wish to spend their time and their money in the light of their personal beliefs and circumstances.

Our primary concern here is less with commenting on the personal choices of individuals, and more with the huge problems which occur when gambling becomes a major element in our economy, in effect a form of redistribution of resources from the poor towards the rich and a major social pathology. In our Reformed tradition, government and regulation are often seen as a “dyke against sin”, combating, reducing and regulating harmful practices, especially those that damage the poor and the weak in society. The Church can surely both care lovingly for the victims of our gambling culture, and challenge government and society to regulate gambling in such a way that the young and vulnerable are protected, and the exploitation of the weak is discouraged.

The Church, in this matter as in everything else, should seek to prefigure the Kingdom of God in its own life. In its pronouncements it should seek to build a neighbourly society where people care for one another, and see themselves as custodians or stewards under God of their material and other resources. In announcing the good news of the gospel, Christians must denounce exploitation, especially of the weak and the vulnerable.



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Addiction, Problem Gambling and Risky Behaviours

"The prevalence of problem gambling was higher than anticipated and gambling in general is incontrovertibly commonplace among Scotland’s youths.” (Prevalence and Correlates of Youth Gambling in Scotland, 2006)

It is the view of the Royal College of Psychiatrists that the most important factors determining the incidence of excessive gambling leading to addiction are the availability of gambling facilities and the social pressures encouraging participation. It is self-evidently the case that both of these factors have increased in impact in recent years.

The Foresight project on Brain Science, Addiction and Drugs examined so-called “behavioral addiction” and identified gambling as being at the forefront of these. In common with chemical addictions, it seems to involve learning and rewards and individual susceptibility may vary. The Foresight project noted that in gambling, an important stimulus is the illusion of control that the player receives and the belief that he or she is exercising skill. Many forms of gambling are designed to give the impression that the player nearly won a major prize. Technological innovation means that it is now much simpler to provide such rewards, (a particular risk with online gambling).

The British Prevalence Study of 2000 suggested that there were between 275,000 and 370,000 problem gamblers in the UK, (0.6–0.8% of the population, depending on the diagnostic method used). Again, it must be remembered that this study is seven years out of date, seven years which have witnessed an unprecedented increase in the promotion and advertising of gambling. Problem Gamblers are people who find that their gambling causes them to run into debt, have difficulties holding down jobs, puts their homes or relationships at risk, causes health breakdown and can even push some towards suicide. Gambling is distinctive in that it allows people to get into financial difficulties very quickly. Attempts to remedy the situation by gambling to win back one’s losses (“chasing losses”) make the situation worse.

Games which allow for rapid re-staking, have “near-misses”, a combination of high top prizes and frequent winning of small prizes and where there is a suspension of judgment over the amount of money staked, are all likely to be more addictive than “soft gambling” such as the National Lottery weekly draw.

Credits
The photograph of the hand with cards was taken by Melissa Grey.


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Gambling and Sport

More than £50m was bet by British punters on the outcome of just one football match, England v Portugal on July 1 2006, and the Football World Cup as a whole was the biggest betting event in history.

Ladbrokes plc posted gross profits of £788m in 2005. The company owns and operates 2135 betting shops in the UK and boasts a ‘consumer awareness level’ higher than other High Street brands such as Next and Marks and Spencer. By far the bulk of the business is based on sports betting (mainly football or horse racing), with the majority of the take either over the counter or by telephone. The enormous commercial power – and consequent influence – of the British betting industry can only increase as the total annual gamble in the UK continues to multiply.

Those interested in watching football, whether by attending a match or watching it on television, are increasingly sucked into a culture where gambling is presented as an intrinsic and powerful part of the experience. Bets are now routinely encouraged not just on the outcome of matches, but also on matters such as transfers and managerial appointments. More than 100,000 people in Scotland attend a game in the Scottish Premier League most weekends where there are several betting facilities available before and during the match. Those watching a live game on Sky TV will be encouraged to bet on the outcome before the game and again at half-time through Sky’s own betting service. Bets can also be placed by telephone or through the TV set or internet. The average stake on a phoned bet with Ladbrokes is £91. During live games at the bigger stadia, viewers are encouraged to place bets during the game and the fluctuating odds are constantly updated on electronic hoarding round the perimeter of the pitch and therefore also clearly visible to TV viewers.

An interest in sport these days clearly runs the risk of generating an interest in gambling, which gives rise to particular concerns about the impact on young people. Particularly in the context of sport, we believe that the promotion and advertising of gambling should be subjected to far more rigorous and effective regulation than it appears to be at present.



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