Gambling is rolling in America, with every state except Utah and Hawaii having legalized some form of betting. The state of Missouri, which legalized gambling in the early 1990's, is one of the fastest growing gaming states in the U.S. There are presently 11 casinos operating in Missouri. 

Each compulsive gambler costs society an average of $9,469 per year in economic losses. This is devised from considering employment losses, unpaid debts, civil court costs, thefts, arrests, trials, probation, incarceration, therapy, and welfare. Some estimates claim the number to be nearly $50,000 per year. 

Christians should care if gambling is legalized because gambling is sin. While there is no commandment that says, "Thou shall not gamble", all forms of gambling violate several commandments, principles, and standards of Christian behavior. 

In a small Tennessee community, a woman gambled away so much money that the bank threatened to foreclose on her home. It took a year before her husband even knew that she was gambling. By the time she told him, she had taken more than $28,000 from their home equity account. In order to stop the bank from taking the house, her husband divorced her and filed criminal charges against her. The wife explained that she continued to gamble, because "she was just hoping she could win and get it all back." The explosive growth of gambling in America is destroying lives across our country. It is imperative that we understand what is behind this gambling epidemic and that we find God's answer to this problem. In 1 Timothy, chapter 6, God gives us guidance.