Some of my greatest childhood memories are of celebrations at my grandparents’ house. We’re a big Italian family, so to us, those times were occasions filled with good friends, hordes of uncles, aunts and cousins and endless plates of amazing food! At the center of the fun was Grandpa—or Big Ernie, as everyone called him. He was a huge man with a raspy voice and a cigar dangling out of his mouth. But here’s the crazy part: It was no secret that his profession was linked to the gambling industry.
Despite Grandpa’s gruff exterior and shady line of work, he had a tender heart toward his grandchildren. He’d constantly encourage us not to follow in his footsteps.
So why doesn’t he live by his own advice? I’d often ask myself.
I’ll never forget the day my cousins, brother and I were pretending to gamble. We sat in the living room of my grandparents’ house, playing with poker cards and having a great time.
Grandpa saw what we were doing, scooped up the deck of cards in his big hands and ripped them to shreds. “Don’t you kids ever play with cards again,” he scolded. “Gambling’s not good for you!”
Why is he so upset? After all, we were only playing a game, right?
Playing With Fire
Unfortunately, my teenage attitude toward gambling is the same one held by way too many guys today. I’m glad I learned the truth, despite the mixed messages from my grandfather.
Look around, and I’m sure you’ll agree: Gambling is a big business that’s everywhere—from Las Vegas to the Bahamas, from celebrity poker on TV to online gambling. Even ESPN is cashing in with its hit show “The World Series of Poker.” The network has included tense poker matches in its lineup of sports coverage, with tiny cameras showing the competing players’ cards so viewers can follow the action at home.
It all leads us to believe that gambling is a respectable pastime—and even a quick ticket to fame and fortune. Rarely do we get a glimpse of reality: shattered families and broken pocketbooks.
And here’s what alarms me: A growing number of Christian guys are placing bets on everything from professional basketball teams to local high school sports events. Some teens are playing small poker games and scratching off lottery tickets. According to Teenage Research Unlimited, nearly one in three high school students gambles on a regular basis.
High school guys do it for a variety of reasons. Some gamble to relax, while others see it as fun entertainment or a “harmless” risk. Others use it to deal with negative feelings about themselves and life. I’ve even met a few boys who make gambling part of their identity—just as some do with an interest in sports, music or cars. Gambling can fuel a false image of being different from others—special.
Seventeen-year-old Seth says he’s walked away from poker games with $300 in his pocket. Tim, 16, says a lot of sports betting goes on in the boys’ locker room at his school.
A High-Stakes High
It’s huge, it’s risky and for many teen guys it’s addictive. Psychologists agree that nearly one in 10 youths develops an addiction when he toys with the tables. With Lotto, bingo, craps, five-card stud, coin pitching, sports pools, scratch-and-wins, pull tabs, faro, racetracks, Powerball and Nambling—the variety could mesmerize anyone. Some guys are so hooked they’ll put 10 bucks on whether the next person to appear has brown eyes or blue.
When Dustin, 17, and his friends weren’t gambling, he watched it on TV or checked out the action online. This teen started gambling in the lunchroom of his high school and ended up in local casinos—even though he was underage. “My wallet was full of cash. I mean, what a great feeling when you’ve got all this money you made in just two days. You know, I had bouncers walk me out. Man, I felt like a celebrity. A teen doesn’t get treated like that every day.”
But the “high” Dustin got from gambling didn’t last, and neither did his winning streak. Eventually his life spiraled out of control, and he checked himself into Gamblers Anonymous.
Fifteen-year-old Brett said he used to bet $25 to $50 almost every day on basketball games and every Sunday on football until he wound up $700 in debt. His dad said he would pay his bookies if Brett got help. But he was still addicted. He told himself that he had had enough, but five minutes later he was on the phone making another bet.
“In the beginning you win more than you lose,” he says. “But then you begin to lose more than you win.” Brett finally joined Gamblers Anonymous.
Bottom Line: Gambling’s a Bad Bet
According to the Council on Problem Gambling, more than 200,000 teens in America are addicted to gambling. Treatment centers are popping up around the country for teen gambling addiction.
Teen gambling habits can lead to stealing from others and abusing parents’ credit cards. Researchers say that teens with a gambling addiction are more likely to engage in unsafe sex, binge drink, abuse drugs and skip school. Gamblers also have the highest suicide rate of any addictive group. A New York teen killed himself, leaving a suicide note blaming a lost $6,000 bet on the World Series.
Let’s look at gambling from another angle—a spiritual perspective. How does gambling affect your relationship with God? Even though the Bible doesn’t use the word gambling, there are still some principles that we need to check out.
“A faithful man will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished” (Proverbs 28:20).
The truth is, God doesn’t want our hearts set on riches. He wants our hearts set on His Son, Jesus Christ. The two don’t mix. Gambling is inherently a fixation on money. If you want true riches, ones that will last, be fixed on Christ.
Paul, after warning Timothy of the dangers in loving money, continued: “But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith” (1 Timothy 6:11-12).
Christ is coming back. A life lived in obedience to Him has a payoff that involves no debt, no guilt and no gamble—a jackpot that lasts forever.
Guaranteed.
• • •
I look back now on the day Grandpa ripped up the poker cards we were playing with and realize why he didn’t want us to get involved with gambling—even though it was his business, so to speak. He knew what it had done to him and to others. Big Ernie was right after all. 
