# Christians, Tournaments, Stock Markets



## WaywardNowHome (Jun 27, 2010)

Recently, I've been thinking about an issue and I'm not really sure where to stand. It has to do with tournaments where a winning player/team or the top percentage of winning players/teams earn a prize. The issue stems from the idea of gambling and wagering for entertainment.

I assume that many here hold the stance that gambling with money is dangerous, even sinful. After all, we are told to be good stewards of what the Lord has given us, including money, and gambling it away based solely or largely on luck is not good stewardship. Even in the event of something like poker, which is largely luck but has an element of skill in math and reads, people would say it's gambling.

However, does this apply to entering tournaments where there is an entry fee and the winners receive a share of the prize pool? It doesn't necessarily have to be a gambling tournament. It could be a tournament for football, soccer, video games, archery, rock-paper-scissors, anything. Is the idea applicable, such that spending money on entry is pretty much a gamble because you're never guaranteed the prize? Even though tournaments are largely skill, there is an element of luck. Would that qualify as gambling?

On a related note, what about the stock market? If gambling is to be avoided, should we avoid participating in tournaments and the stock market?


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## Jack K (Jun 27, 2010)

If the prize pool is there just to make the event a bit more interesting and fun, I think it's probably okay. But when winning the money become the consuming interest behind taking part, it becomes unhealthy and sinful. That's when we generally start to call it gambling, even when skill is involved. Where to draw the line requires wisdom as we run across specific situations. Knowing how easily the idea of winning money tempts and consumes some people, I'd generally try to err on the side of caution and/or talk things over with the participants to learn how they're approaching it.

The stock market is an interesting question. I think many investors play the market very much like a gambling addict plays the tables, and experience the same emotions and motivations the gambler does. I was taught in business school that unless you're super, super smart or cheating, playing the market for wins and losses is essentially a game of chance. However, stocks as a long-term investment are a wise way to handle money for many people in many situations. So investing in the market is itself not sinful and possibly very wise, but _how_ you do so may be sinful.


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## kvanlaan (Jun 27, 2010)

> The stock market is an interesting question. I think many investors play the market very much like a gambling addict plays the tables, and experience the same emotions and motivations the gambler does. I was taught in business school that unless you're super, super smart or cheating, playing the market for wins and losses is essentially a game of chance. However, stocks as a long-term investment are a wise way to handle money for many people in many situations. So investing in the market is itself not sinful and possibly very wise, but how you do so may be sinful.



This is indeed a huge problem. As a financial advisor, I see it all the time. We use mutual funds almost exclusively, and pick through a fund to see it's asset allocation mix, how it's dividends are generated, etc. etc. ad nauseum so that we know the companies through and through before we advise anyone to purchase a particular fund. To me, this is investing. But if someone came in my office and I told them that I had a hot stock tip out of the blue and could probably make them 18% by tomorrow afternoon, to me, that is gambling.


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