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The Bible never mentions gambling. The word does not appear in the World English Bible or the King James Version, and neither does dice. The closest practice is casting lots, which appears in 21 verses of the WEB: Israel used lots to divide land and settle disputes (Joshua 18:6, Proverbs 16:33), and Roman soldiers cast lots for Jesus' clothing (Matthew 27:35). What Scripture does address is the heart behind gambling: wealth that comes quickly (Proverbs 13:11, 28:22), the love of money that leads people into many griefs (1 Timothy 6:9-10), and the warning that a person's life does not consist of the abundance of his possessions (Luke 12:15). Christians draw different lines on lotteries and cards, and these are the verses most often brought to the question.
Counts from this page's curated collection (12 books of Scripture).
"But those who are determined to be rich fall into a temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful lusts, such as drown men in ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some have been led astray from the faith in their greed, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows."
"But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."
"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we certainly can’t carry anything out. But having food and clothing, we will be content with that."
"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content."
"Wealth gained dishonestly dwindles away, but he who gathers by hand makes it grow."
"Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase."
"A stingy man hurries after riches, and doesn’t know that poverty waits for him."
"He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him."
"One who works his land will have an abundance of food; but one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty."
"He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread: but he that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough."
"The plans of the diligent surely lead to profit; and everyone who is hasty surely rushes to poverty."
"The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want."
"Don’t weary yourself to be rich. In your wisdom, show restraint. Why do you set your eyes on that which is not? For it certainly sprouts wings like an eagle and flies in the sky."
"Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven."
"The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from Yahweh."
"The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD."
"The lot settles disputes, and keeps strong ones apart."
"The lot causeth contentions to cease, and parteth between the mighty."
"He who loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he who loves abundance, with increase: this also is vanity."
"He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity."
"The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the abundance of the rich will not allow him to sleep."
"The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep."
"He said to them, “Beware! Keep yourselves from covetousness, for a man’s life doesn’t consist of the abundance of the things which he possesses.”"
"And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth."
"He spoke a parable to them, saying, “The ground of a certain rich man produced abundantly. He reasoned within himself, saying, ‘What will I do, because I don’t have room to store my crops?’ He said, ‘This is what I will do. I will pull down my barns, and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. I will tell my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.”’ “But God said to him, ‘You foolish one, tonight your soul is required of you. The things which you have prepared—whose will they be?’ So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”"
"And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."
“Don’t lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don’t break through and steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t serve both God and Mammon.
"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."
"When they had crucified him, they divided his clothing among them, casting lots,"
"And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots."
"Be free from the love of money, content with such things as you have, for he has said, “I will in no way leave you, neither will I in any way forsake you.”"
"Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."
"Not that I speak because of lack, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content in it. I know how to be humbled, and I know also how to abound. In everything and in all things I have learned the secret both to be filled and to be hungry, both to abound and to be in need. I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me."
"Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”
"Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s."
"Put to death therefore your members which are on the earth: sexual immorality, uncleanness, depraved passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry;"
"Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:"
"For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: “If anyone will not work, don’t let him eat.” For we hear of some who walk among you in rebellion, who don’t work at all, but are busybodies. Now those who are that way, we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread."
"For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread."
"In all hard work there is profit, but the talk of the lips leads only to poverty."
"In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury."
"Let him who stole steal no more; but rather let him labor, producing with his hands something that is good, that he may have something to give to him who has need."
"Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth."
"Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other commandments there are, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love doesn’t harm a neighbor. Love therefore is the fulfillment of the law."
"Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law."
"Remove far from me falsehood and lies. Give me neither poverty nor riches. Feed me with the food that is needful for me; lest I be full, deny you, and say, ‘Who is Yahweh?’ or lest I be poor, and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God."
"Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain."
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible and the King James Version (both public domain), checked word for word against the full text. Updated October 3, 2026.
No verse says gambling is a sin by name. The Bible's warnings are about greed, trusting in riches and chasing wealth that does not come from work (1 Timothy 6:9-10, Proverbs 13:11, Luke 12:15). Many Christians conclude that gambling for profit feeds those problems, and many churches ask members to avoid it. Others see a small, budgeted game as entertainment. Scripture gives the principles, and each person has to apply them.
Not in purpose. Casting lots in Scripture was a way to make a decision before God, such as dividing the land among the tribes (Joshua 18:6) or choosing Matthias in Acts 1:26, and Proverbs 16:33 says the outcome belongs to Yahweh. Gambling for money is a game of chance played for profit. The Bible's lots are the nearest ancient practice, which is why the question comes up.
Nothing directly, since lotteries as we know them did not exist. The verses people apply are Proverbs 13:11 (wealth gained by vanity dwindles, wealth gathered by labor grows), 1 Timothy 6:9-10 on the desire to be rich, and Hebrews 13:5 on keeping life free from the love of money and being content with what you have.
It treats greed as a form of idolatry (Colossians 3:5) and warns that the one who loves money will never have enough (Ecclesiastes 5:10). Jesus told the parable of the rich fool to show that a life is more than possessions (Luke 12:15-21).
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