There are games of chance which can be played with dice or cards, which do not necessarily involve money. These are not necessarily sinful. It is not the money, but our reasons for doing what we do which make things sinful.

(I am not talking about other situations or acts which are specifically prohibited at all time and for any reason.)

There are also many different kinds of gambling, which do not involve money, or do not directly involve money. Risk-taking behavior is common among some people.

The person who drinks and drives takes the risk of not being involved in an accident or stopped by the police.

The person who has sex with medically unexamined partners may have convinced himself that his behavior is not risky, but it is. Either he enjoys the extra ‘thrill’ of danger, or there is an underlying sin (the lust) that urges him to take such extreme actions. The same thing holds for people who have multiple partners, or serial partners.

Physical risks (skydiving, scubadiving, hang gliding, bungee jumping, amusement park thrill-rides… the list is almost endless) can be seen as a substitute for danger and excitement in our ordinary day to day lives. It may be that when there is no challenge in our jobs or homes we may seek an artificial challenge.

So, even though the risk may be minimal (and, in the case of some extreme sports, their proponents will become quite vocal in insisting that their chosen activity is perfectly safe [but then, why would anybody try it, if it were perfectly safe...?]) the case may be that people who go in for these forms of entertainment are really looking for something else in their lives. So, here is a case where the gamble may not be a sin but a symptom.

I’m sure that you will be able to spot others, now that I have pointed out the pattern.

Why do Italian peasants go back to rebuld their vinyards on the slopes of the same volcano which has destroyed them, which has claimed the lives of their ancestors every few generations for countless thousands of years…?

Because they can’t give up the belief that it is ‘their’ land. Because they figure that another eruption is not likely to happen SOON. We estimate risks and take them when they seem low. And we forget the risks and the dangers until later, when we have overinvested and cannot pull out without serious loss. “Why,” we ask, “would anybody do something so unconscionably stupid?” It’s human nature.

I’d like to close with an anecdote by the well-known s/f author Isaac Asimov, relating an incident from his college days. he told how he had been raised not to gamble, but in college gave in to an invitation by his classmates to play poker. His conscience demanded that he confess it to his father, however.

He told him, “Father, I have to tell you the truth. I played poker with the guys. For money.”

“And what happened?”

“I lost twenty cents.”

“Thank God! You might have WON twenty cents!”

Asimov’s father was wise. He knew that a man’s entire future could be bent by the early success, the desire for just a little bit more, the false confidence and belief that one was lucky. Perhaps, at that stage of his son’s life, it was a serious sin. But he was, fortunately, spared the life-long temptation.

Similarly gambling does not create any value itself rather it redistribute already created values or wealth based on numbers or scores or particular results of incidents. It creates a basic flaw in the economy. those who earn such gambling money using tricks or formulae, what they do with that money? …

If there is a real surplus of money that is deserved by people who are not included in the economic cycle in real sense or the benefit of economic cycle does not reaches them.

As such pure gambling is a sin or sinful. Now around gambling there many other forms of business activities. They might not be sin or sinful as long as those activities are real businesses creating values. But the gambling part still be sin or sinful or destruction of economy either local or economy of other parts people come from.

There are other sides as well. People sell there belongs harming families and societies.

LoL good point Jack but most people will respond like I just did to intelligent questions.

So please, rather then taking something out of context just to Critize people, it may be a better idea for you to actually understand what you are talking about. You may actually learn something.