Exposition:
There are several pointers in the Bible that speak against gambling. Firstly, the Bible emphasizes the sovereignty of God (Matt. 10:29- 30) and also the Lord being the shepherd of His people and the great provider of all who trust in Him (Psalm 23:1-6). Lottery and gambling, however, are based on chance (the god of fortune). The Bible condemns materialism (Matt. 6:24-26) and encourages godliness with contentment (1 Tim. 6:6; Heb. 13:5) because one’s life does not consist in the abundance of things he possesses (Luke 12:15).
Secondly, lottery and gambling breed covetousness, whereas the Bible admonishes people not to covet (Ex. 20:17) because covetousness is part of the list of sins that defile a man (Mark 7:22). It is idolatry (Col. 3:5) which shouldn’t be named among Christians (Eph. 5:3).
Again, lottery destroys good work ethic. Two biblical passages deal with the work ethic. In Colossians 3:23-24, Apostle Paul wrote “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving”. And in 2 Thessalonians 3:7,10 the Apostle again stated that, “For you yourself know how you ought to follow our example…. For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: ‘If a man will not work, he shall not eat’.”
Additionally, lottery and gambling destroy families. Lottery and gambling are a major cause of family neglect. Many of the social cost associated with gambling come from a get-rich-quick mind-set. As people get caught up in the lottery and gambling frenzy, they begin to neglect their families. Money spent on gambling and lotteries are not risk capital but income that should be spent on family needs.
Finally, those who get rich through unjust means are like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay, when their lives are half gone, their riches will desert them, and in the end, they will prove to be fools (Jer. 17:11).