A recent world number one in tennis doubles and I rode back in the car to the players hotel discussing the lottery. That night the New York state lottery was paying over 130 million US dollars to a winner. We debated the merits what it would be like to suddenly have that much money and the money that a player earned in a lifetime in comparison. Amazingly enough, I have known this player since the mid-1990's and it the first time that we have had a deep discussion and it took a lottery to do it!
I have a found a taped message that you can listen to on this subject. Often we think what does it hurt if I just do it. It is my business and my money. Listen to it and realize the impact that gambling has on all, including yourself, your children, sports and society. Listen to the entire audio message "The vice of gambling" here or read more excerpts here
Here are partial excerpts from a sermon by Tom Streeter, a Pastor in Zionsville, Indiana. -What a man does to himself or his own property generally is his own business, when this harm extends beyond himself or his own into the wider community; it is deemed a crime...Aristotle taught that gambling had both a corrupting and distracting nature...As a vice it is addictive. Destructive to individuals, families, takes advantage of the poor and ruins community.
The number of compulsive gamblers will increase to between 100 and 500% when gambling is brought into an area...Three years after casinos arrived Atlantic City went from 50th in the nation to 1st in crime. But I think that if there are people who care and really do care about the morals and ethics or our country, maybe something can be done about it. Our responsibility is more than private, it's public, it's about our country, it's about our towns, it's about our families.
