View source for Gambling

{{Short description|Wagering something of value on a random event}}
{{Several terms|Gamble|Gambler|Betting|Bets}}
{{pp-semi|small=yes}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
[[File:Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi) - The Cardsharps - Google Art Project.jpg|thumb|upright=1.15|[[Caravaggio]], ''[[The Cardsharps]]'' ({{circa|1594}}), depicting [[card sharp]]s]]
'''Gambling''' (also known as '''betting''' or '''gaming''') is the wagering of something of [[Value (economics)|value]] ("the stakes") on a [[Event (probability theory)|random event]] with the intent of winning something else of value, where instances of [[strategy (game theory)|strategy]] are discounted. Gambling thus requires three elements to be present: [[consideration]] (an amount wagered), [[risk]] (chance), and a [[prize]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Rose|first1=I. Nelson|last2=Loeb|first2=Robert A.|title=Blackjack and the Law|date=1998|publisher=RGE Pub.|location=Oakland, CA|isbn=978-0-910575-08-9|page=109|edition=1st}}</ref> The outcome of the wager is often immediate, such as a single roll of [[dice]], a spin of a [[roulette]] wheel, or a horse crossing the finish line, but longer time frames are also common, allowing wagers on the outcome of a future sports contest or even an entire sports season.

The term "gaming"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1990/Ukpga_19900026_en_1.htm |website=United Kingdom Office of Public Sector Information|title= Definition as Gaming |access-date=2012-09-22}}</ref> in this context typically refers to instances in which the activity has been specifically permitted by [[law]]. The two words are not mutually exclusive; ''i.e.'', a "gaming" company offers (legal) "gambling" activities to the public<ref>{{cite web |last=Humphrey |first=Chuck |url=http://www.gambling-law-us.com/ |title=Gambling Law US |website=Gambling-Law-US.com |access-date=2012-09-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505193705/http://www.gambling-law-us.com/ |archive-date=5 May 2016 }}</ref> and may be regulated by one of many [[gaming control board]]s, for example, the [[Nevada Gaming Control Board]]. However, this distinction is not universally observed in the English-speaking world. For instance, in the United Kingdom, the regulator of gambling activities is called the [[Gambling Commission]] (not the Gaming Commission).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/ |title=UK Gambling Commission |website=Gamblingcommission.gov.uk |access-date=2012-09-22}}</ref> The word ''gaming'' is used more frequently since the rise of [[computer games|computer]] and [[video game]]s to describe activities that do not necessarily involve wagering, especially [[online game|online gaming]], with the new usage still not having displaced the old usage as the primary definition in common dictionaries.  "Gaming" has also been used euphemistically to circumvent laws against "gambling". The media and others have used one term or the other to frame conversations around the subjects, resulting in a shift of perceptions among their audiences.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.worldcasinodirectory.com/articles/gambling-or-gaming |title=Gambling or Gaming, Does it Matter |publisher=World Casino Directory |date=2019-12-02 |access-date=2019-12-13}}</ref>

Gambling is also a major international commercial activity, with the legal gambling market totaling an estimated $335 billion in 2009.<ref>{{cite news |date=8 July 2010 |title=You bet |newspaper=The Economist |url=https://www.economist.com/leaders/2010/07/08/you-bet |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191208092453/https://www.economist.com/leaders/2010/07/08/you-bet |archive-date=8 December 2019}}</ref> In other forms, gambling can be conducted with materials that have a value, but are not real money. For example, players of [[Marble (toy)#Games|marbles games]] might wager marbles, and likewise games of ''[[Pogs]]'' or ''[[Magic: The Gathering#Gambling|Magic: The Gathering]]'' can be played with the collectible game pieces (respectively, small discs and trading cards) as stakes, resulting in a [[metagame]] regarding the value of a player's collection of pieces.

==History==
{{Expand section|date=July 2022}}
Gambling dates back at least to the [[Paleolithic]] period, before written history. In [[Mesopotamia]] the earliest six-sided [[dice]] date to about 3000&nbsp;[[Common Era|BCE]]. However, they were based on [[Astragalomancy|astragali]] dating back thousands of years earlier. In China, gambling houses were widespread in the first millennium BCE, and betting on fighting animals was common. Lotto games and dominoes (precursors of [[Pai Gow]]) appeared in China as early as the 10th century.<ref>{{cite book|last1= Schwartz|first1= David|title= Roll The Bones: The History of Gambling|year= 2013|publisher= Winchester Books|isbn= 978-0-615-84778-8}}</ref>

Playing cards appeared in the 9th century CE in China. Records trace gambling in Japan back at least as far as the 14th century.<ref>
{{cite book
|last1= Murdoch
|first1= James
|author-link1= James Murdoch (Scottish journalist)
|year= 1926
|title= A History of Japan
|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=32HnwxdP4pMC
|volume= 3
|edition= reprint
|location= London
|publisher= Psychology Press
|publication-date= 1903
|pages= 325–326
|isbn= 978-0-415-15417-8
|access-date= 2018-04-06
|quote= Many Japanese are naturally prone to gambling; in the old Kyoto court the vice was rife, and in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries samurai would often stake their arms, armour, and horse trappings on a cast of the dice, even on the eve of a battle, and so have to go into action in incomplete panoplies, and sometimes with no armour at all. In Tokugawa times the vice did not reach this extent among the samurai, but it became common in Yedo and continued to be so throughout the history of the city.
}}
</ref>

[[Poker]], the most popular U.S. card game associated with gambling, derives from the Persian game [[As-Nas]], dating back to the 17th century.<ref>{{cite book|last1= Wilkins|first1= Sally|title= Sports and Games of Medieval Cultures|year= 2002|publisher= Greenwood|isbn= 978-0-313-36079-4}}</ref> 

The first known casino, the [[Ridotto]], started operating in 1638 in Venice, Italy.<ref>
{{cite book
|last1= Thomassen|first1= Bjørn
|title= Liminality and the Modern: Living Through the In-Between
|date= 2014|publisher= Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.
|page= 160
|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=5Sd7BAAAQBAJ&pg=PA160
|isbn= 978-1-4094-6080-0
}}
</ref>

===Great Britain===

{{Main|Gambling in the United Kingdom|History of gambling in the United Kingdom}}
Gambling has been a main recreational activity in Great Britain for centuries.<ref>Roger Munting,  ''An economic and social history of gambling in Britain and the USA.'' (Manchester UP, 1996).</ref> [[Queen Elizabeth I]] chartered a lottery that was drawn in 1569.<ref name="Brenner Brenner Brenner 1990 p. 10">{{cite book | last1=Brenner | first1=R. | last2=Brenner | first2=G.A. | last3=Brenner | first3=G.A. | title=Gambling and Speculation: A Theory, a History, and a Future of Some Human Decisions | publisher=Cambridge University Press | year=1990 | isbn=978-0-521-38180-2 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f3-Z46tgupAC&pg=PA10 | access-date=2023-03-12 | page=10}}</ref> Horseracing has been a favorite theme for over three centuries.<ref>Mike Huggins, ''Flat racing and British society, 1790-1914: A social and economic history'' (Routledge, 2014).</ref> It has been heavily regulated.<ref>David Forrest,  "An economic and social review of gambling in Great Britain." ''Journal of Gambling Business and Economics'' 7.3 (2013): 1-33.</ref> Historically much of the opposition comes from [[Nonconformist (Protestantism)|Nonconformist Protestants]], and from social reformers.<ref>Roger Munting, "Social opposition to gambling in Britain: a historical overview." ''International Journal of the History of Sport'' 10.3 (1993): 295–312.</ref><ref>Mike Huggins,  "Betting, sport and the British, 1918-1939." ''Journal of Social History'' (2007): 283–306. [http://www.academia.edu/download/30530097/Betting__sport_and_the_BritishDecember_2007_issue_(Volume_41_Number_2)..pdf Online]{{dead link|date=July 2022|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

===Singapore===
{{Main|Gambling in Singapore}}

Gambling has been part of Singapore's history, though it was strictly controlled by the government for many years. In the mid-20th century, illegal gambling was common. However, with the opening of regulated casinos in 2010, the approach shifted. Today, the government enforces strict laws to promote responsible gambling and prevent illegal activities.<ref name="sentinel">{{cite web|title=Asia Sentinel - Independent news and analysis about Asia's politics, economics, culture and more|url=http://www.asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2368&Itemid=233|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101019092236/http://asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2368&Itemid=233|archive-date=19 October 2010|access-date=3 April 2010|website=Asia Sentinel}}</ref><ref name="Proposal to develop Integrated Resorts">{{cite web|author=Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong|author-link=Lee Hsien Loong|date=18 April 2005|title=Proposal to develop Integrated Resorts|url=http://app.mti.gov.sg/data/pages/606/doc/Ministerial%20Statement%20-%20PM%2018apr05.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071127000719/http://app.mti.gov.sg/data/pages/606/doc/Ministerial%20Statement%20-%20PM%2018apr05.pdf|archive-date=27 November 2007|access-date=17 January 2008|work=Developing Industries > Integrated Resorts > Ministerial Speeches & Comments|publisher=[[Ministry of Trade and Industry (Singapore)|Ministry of Trade and Industry, Singapore]]|quote=The first question was whether to have IRs at all. The answer was yes. Having settled that, the next question was whether to have one or two IRs. We decided on two IRs, because the Bayfront and Sentosa projects complement each other, because having two provides competition and critical mass, and because we believe that two projects will bring more economic benefits, without increasing the social cost commensurately; After weighing the matter carefully, the Cabinet has collectively concluded that we had no choice but to proceed with the IRs. As Prime Minister, I carry the ultimate responsibility for the decision.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Tan|first=Theresa|date=15 March 2015|title=Floating casino draws Singaporeans who loath to pay $100 levy at home|language=en|work=The Straits Times|url=https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/floating-casino-draws-singaporeans-who-loath-to-pay-100-levy-at-home|access-date=13 October 2021|issn=0585-3923}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Auto |first=Hermes |date=2022-07-31 |title=New laws on social gambling in Singapore to take effect from Aug 1 {{!}} The Straits Times |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/new-gambling-laws-including-legalising-social-gambling-to-take-effect-from-aug-1 |access-date=2022-08-01 |website=www.straitstimes.com |language=en}}</ref>

=== United States===
{{Main|Gambling in the United States}}

Gambling has been a popular activity in the United States for centuries.<ref>Roger Munting,  ''An economic and social history of gambling in Britain and the USA.'' (Manchester U. Press, 1996).</ref> It has also been suppressed by law in many areas for almost as long. By the early 20th century, gambling was almost uniformly outlawed throughout the U.S. and thus became a largely illegal activity, helping to spur the growth of the [[American mafia|mafia]] and other [[criminal organizations]].<ref>{{cite book | title=Gambling in California | date=March 1997 | chapter=History of Gambling in the United States | publisher=California State Library | url=http://www.library.ca.gov/CRB/97/03/crb97003.html | chapter-url=http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/97/03/Chapt2.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091008073125/http://www.library.ca.gov/CRB/97/03/crb97003.html | archive-date=2009-10-08 }}</ref><ref>E.g., [[Constitution of Louisiana]], 1974, Art. VII, Sec. 6(B).</ref> The late 20th century saw a softening in attitudes towards gambling and a relaxation of laws against it.

==Regulation==

[[File:Gamblers in the Ship of Fools, 1494.jpg|thumb|Gamblers in the [[Ship of Fools (satire)|Ship of Fools]], 1494]]
[[File:Cornelis de Vos - Players and courtesans under a tent.jpg|right|thumb|"Players and courtesans under a tent" by [[Cornelis de Vos]]]]

{{main|Gambling law}}
Many jurisdictions, local as well as national, either ban gambling or heavily control it by licensing the vendors. Such regulation generally leads to gambling tourism and illegal gambling in the areas where it is not allowed. The involvement of governments, through regulation and taxation, has led to a close connection between many governments and gambling organizations, where legal gambling provides significant government revenue, such as in [[Monaco]] and [[Macau]], China.

Most jurisdictions that allow gambling require participants to be above a certain age. In some jurisdictions, the [[gambling age]] differs depending on the type of gambling. For example, in many American states one must be over 21 to enter a casino, but may buy a lottery ticket after turning 18.<ref name="ncbi_NBK230619">{{cite book |last= Rose |first= I. Nelson |date= 1999 |title=Pathological Gambling: A Critical Review |url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK230619/ |location=Washington, D.C., USA |publisher=National Academies Press|isbn= 978-0-309-06571-9}}</ref>

There is generally legislation requiring that gambling devices be [[statistical randomness|statistically random]], to prevent manufacturers from making some high-payoff results impossible. Since these high payoffs have very low [[probability]], a house bias can quite easily be missed unless the devices are checked carefully.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gaming.nv.gov/|title=Nevada Gaming Control Board: Home|access-date=5 September 2016|archive-date=1 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160901072712/http://gaming.nv.gov/}}</ref>
===Insurance===
Because contracts of [[insurance]] have many features in common with wagers, insurance contracts are often distinguished in law as agreements in which either party has an interest in the "bet-upon" outcome ''beyond'' the specific financial terms; for example, a "bet" with an insurer on whether one's house will burn down is not gambling, but rather ''insurance'', as the homeowner has an obvious interest in the continued existence of the home ''independent of'' the purely financial aspects of the "bet" (i.e., the insurance policy). Nonetheless, both insurance and gambling contracts are typically considered [[aleatory contract]]s under most legal systems, though they are subject to different types of regulation.

===Asset recovery===
Under [[common law]], particularly [[English Law]] ([[English unjust enrichment]]), a gambling contract may not give a casino [[bona fide purchaser|''bona fide'' purchaser]] status, permitting the recovery of stolen funds in some situations. In ''[[Lipkin Gorman v Karpnale Ltd]]'', where a solicitor used stolen funds to gamble at a casino, the [[House of Lords]] overruled the High Court's previous verdict, adjudicating that the casino return the stolen funds less those subject to any [[change of position]] defence. U.S. Law precedents are somewhat similar.<ref>See 38 Am. Jur. 2d ''Gambling'' § 162.</ref> For [[case law]] on recovery of gambling losses where the loser had stolen the funds see "Rights of owner of stolen money as against one who won it in gambling transaction from thief".<ref>Annotation, 44 A.L.R.2d 1242.</ref>

An interesting question is what happens when the person trying to make recovery is the gambler's spouse, and the money or property lost was either the spouse's, or was [[community property]]. This was a minor plot point in a [[Perry Mason bibliography|Perry Mason]] novel, ''The Case of the Singing Skirt'', and it cites an actual case ''Novo v. Hotel Del Rio''.<ref>141 Cal. 2d 304, 295 P.2d 576 (3d Dist. 1956) (wife entitled to recover husband's gambling losses on the ground that he had made a gift of community property without her written consent); see also 38 Am. Jur. 2d ''Gambling'' § 175 (statutory provisions allowing third parties to recover gambling losses).</ref>

==Religious views==
[[File:Max Kaur and religious leaders, protest against gambling, Estonia, Tallinn, 2007.jpg|thumb|[[Max Kaur]] and religious leaders protest against gambling, [[Tallinn]], Estonia.]]

=== Buddhism ===
The Buddha stated gambling as a source of destruction in [[Sigālovāda Sutta|Singalovada Sutra]].

Professions that are seen to violate the [[Five_precepts#Second_precept|precept against theft]] include working in the gambling industry.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Johansen |first1=Barry-Craig P. |last2=Gopalakrishna |first2=D. |title=A Buddhist View of Adult Learning in the Workplace |journal=[[Advances in Developing Human Resources]] |date=21 July 2016 |volume=8 |issue=3 |page=342 |doi=10.1177/1523422306288426|s2cid=145131162 }}</ref>

=== Hinduism ===

Ancient [[Hindu]] poems like the [[Gambler's Lament]] and the ''[[Mahabharata]]'' testify to the existence of gambling among ancient Indians, while highlighting its destructive impact.{{where|date=August 2019}} The text ''[[Arthashastra]]'' ({{circa|4th century}} [[Common Era|BCE]]) recommends taxation and control of gambling.<ref>{{cite book|last=Bose|first=M. L.|title=Social And Cultural History of Ancient India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t_PpdZosif4C&pg=PA179|year=1998|publisher=Concept Publishing Company|isbn=978-81-7022-598-0|page=179|edition=revised & Enlarged}}</ref>

===Judaism===
Ancient Jewish authorities frowned on gambling, even disqualifying professional gamblers from testifying in court.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.torah.org/features/secondlook/gambling.html |title=Gambling |author=Berel Wein |publisher=torah.org |access-date=20 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100616112335/http://torah.org/features/secondlook/gambling.html |archive-date=16 June 2010}}</ref>

===Christianity===
{{main|Toys and games in ancient Rome}}
Although the bible does not condemn gambling, instead the desire to get rich is called to account numerous times in the [[New Testament]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=What Does the Bible Say About Gambling? Is It a Sin? |url=https://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/is-gambling-a-sin/#:~:text=In%20summary,%20while%20the%20Bible,against%20the%20love%20of%20money. |access-date=2024-12-22 |website=Bible Study Tools |language=en}}</ref>

====Catholicism====
The Catholic Church holds the position that there is no moral impediment to gambling, so long as it is fair, all bettors have a reasonable chance of winning, there is no [[fraud]] involved, and the parties involved do not have actual knowledge of the outcome of the bet (unless they have disclosed this knowledge),<ref name=Kucharek>{{cite book
  | last = Kucharek
  | first = Rev. Cass
  | title = To settle your conscience a layman's guide to Catholic moral theology.
  | publisher = [[Our Sunday Visitor]]
  | year = 1974
  | isbn = 978-0-87973-877-8
  | url-access = registration
  | url = https://archive.org/details/tosettleyourcons00kuch
  }}</ref> and as long as the following conditions are met: the gambler can afford to lose the bet, and stops when the limit is reached, and the motivation is entertainment and not personal gain leading to the "love of money"<ref>{{cite web|last1=Moran|first1=Dylan|title=Is Gambling a Mortal Sin in the Bible? {{!}} tech-life-game-news|url=http://blogs.christianpost.com/tech-life-game-news/is-gambling-a-mortal-sin-in-the-bible-27660/|website=Christianpost.com|access-date=30 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160526004940/http://blogs.christianpost.com/tech-life-game-news/is-gambling-a-mortal-sin-in-the-bible-27660/|archive-date=26 May 2016}}</ref> or making a living.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://catholicexchange.com/is-gambling-a-sin|title=Is Gambling a Sin?|date=2 January 2013}}</ref> In general, Catholic bishops have opposed [[casino]] gambling on the grounds that it too often tempts people into problem gambling or addiction, and has particularly negative effects on poor people; they sometimes also cite secondary effects such as increases in loan sharking, prostitution, corruption, and general public immorality.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.miamiarch.org/CatholicDiocese.php?op=Article_11111145043338|title=ADOM :: Florida bishops oppose expanding casino gambling |access-date=5 September 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.catholiccourier.com/news/local-news/states-bishops-oppose-casino-expansion/|title=State's bishops oppose casino expansion |author=Mike Latona|date=30 September 2013 |publisher=Catholic Courier|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160611083747/http://www.catholiccourier.com/news/local-news/states-bishops-oppose-casino-expansion/|archive-date=11 June 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=13417|title=Kentucky bishops urge opposition to casino gambling: News Headlines|access-date=5 September 2016}}</ref> Some parish pastors have also opposed casinos for the additional reason that they would take customers away from church [[Bingo (U.S.)|bingo]] and annual festivals where games such as [[blackjack]], [[roulette]], [[craps]], and [[poker]] are used for fundraising.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.enquirer.com/editions/1999/05/15/loc_catholic_bishops.html|title=Catholic bishops oppose casino idea|access-date=5 September 2016|archive-date=17 August 2016|archive-url=https://archive.today/20160817083122/http://www.enquirer.com/editions/1999/05/15/loc_catholic_bishops.html}}</ref> [[St. Thomas Aquinas]] wrote that gambling should be especially forbidden where the losing bettor is underage or otherwise not able to consent to the transaction.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Poitras |first1=Geoffrey |title=Equity Capital: From Ancient Partnerships to Modern Exchange Traded Funds |date=2016 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-317-59103-0 |page=98 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8jEFDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA98|language=en}}</ref> Gambling has often been seen as having [[social cost|social consequences]], as satirized by [[Honoré de Balzac|Balzac]]. For these social and religious reasons, most legal jurisdictions limit gambling, as advocated by [[Blaise Pascal|Pascal]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.palgrave.com/page/detail/blaise-pascal-donald-adamson/?K=9780333550366%7C |title=Blaise Pascal – Mathematician, Physicist and Thinker |author=D. Adamson |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |access-date=5 September 2016 |archive-date=11 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150911121039/http://www.palgrave.com/page/detail/blaise-pascal-donald-adamson/?K=9780333550366%7C }}</ref>

====Protestantism====
Gambling views among Protestants vary, with some either discouraging or forbidding their members from participation in gambling. [[Methodists]], in accordance with the doctrine of [[outward holiness]], oppose gambling which they believe is a sin that feeds on greed. Other denominations that discourage gambling are the [[United Methodist Church]],<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.umc.org/what-we-believe/gambling | title=Book of Resolutions: Gambling}}</ref> the [[Free Methodist Church]],<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.freemethodist.org.uk/articles/the-dangerous-rise-of-gambling.php | title=The Free Methodist Church (UK) &#124; Why we don't encourage gambling | access-date=25 August 2017 | archive-date=18 June 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180618103508/http://www.freemethodist.org.uk/articles/the-dangerous-rise-of-gambling.php }}</ref> the [[Evangelical Wesleyan Church]],<ref name="EWC2015">{{cite book|title=The Discipline of the Evangelical Wesleyan Church |year=2015|publisher=[[Evangelical Wesleyan Church]]|language=en|pages=60–61}}</ref> the [[Salvation Army]],<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160213070243/http://www.waterbeachsalvationarmy.org.uk/what-to-know-more/why-dont-salvationists-drink-smoke-or-gamble "Why Don't Salvationists Drink, Smoke or Gamble?"] ''Water Beach and Soham Salvation Army Community Church'' (WaterBeachSalvationArmy.org.uk).  Archived 13 February 2016.</ref> and the [[Church of the Nazarene]].<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.crivoice.org/creednazarene.html | title=The Church of the Nazarene, Doctrinal and Ethical Positions}}</ref>

Other Protestants that oppose gambling include [[Mennonites]], [[Schwarzenau Brethren]],<ref name="DBC2021">{{cite book |title=Dunkard Brethren Church Polity |date=1 November 2021 |publisher=[[Dunkard Brethren Church]] |page=8}}</ref> [[Quakers]],<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.worldspirituality.org/moral02.html | title=Quaker View of Gambling}}</ref> the [[Christian Reformed Church in North America]],<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.crcna.org/welcome/beliefs/position-statements/gambling | title=Gambling| date=2012-06-26}}</ref> the [[Church of the Lutheran Confession]],<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://lutheranmissions.org/dedo_download/gambling/ | title=Gambling | access-date=12 July 2018 | archive-date=3 December 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241203070901/https://lutheranmissions.org/dedo_download/gambling/ }}</ref> the [[Southern Baptist Convention]],<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.sbc.net/resolutions/564/resolution-on-gambling | title=Southern Baptist Convention > Resolution on Gambling | access-date=25 August 2017 | archive-date=18 June 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180618102911/http://www.sbc.net/resolutions/564/resolution-on-gambling }}</ref> the [[Assemblies of God]],<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://ag.org/Beliefs/Topics-Index/Gambling-and-Lotteries | title=Gambling and Lotteries}}</ref> and the [[Seventh-day Adventist Church]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://stvincenttimes.com/seventh-day-adventist-church-position-on-gambling/|title=Seventh-Day Adventist Church Position On Gambling|date=2019-02-28|website=St. Vincent Times|access-date=2022-09-28}}</ref>

====Other Christian denominations====
Other churches that oppose gambling include the [[Jehovah's Witnesses]], [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Gambling|url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/topics/gambling?lang=eng|publisher=Intellectual Reserve, Inc.|website=churchofjesuschrist.org|access-date=14 May 2018}}</ref> the {{Lang|tl|[[Iglesia ni Cristo]]|italic=no}},<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://incworld.faithweb.com/info.htm | title=The Unofficial Site of the Iglesia ni Cristo}}</ref> and the [[Members Church of God International]].

===Islam===
There is a consensus among the ''<nowiki />'[[Ulema]]'<nowiki />'' ({{langx|ar|عُـلـمـاء}}, Scholars (of [[Islam]])) that [[maisir|gambling]] is ''[[haraam]]'' ({{langx|ar|حَـرام}}, sinful or forbidden). In assertions made during its prohibition, Muslim jurists describe gambling as being both un-[[Qur'an]]ic, and as being generally harmful to the Muslim [[Ummah]] ({{langx|ar|أُمَّـة}}, Community). The Arabic terminology for gambling is ''[[Maisir]]''.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Morrison|first1=Rod|title=The Principles of Project Finance |date=2012|page=50}}</ref> 
{{Blockquote|They ask you about intoxicants and gambling. Say: 'In them both lies grave sin, though some benefit, to mankind. But their sin is more grave than their benefit.' |{{Qverse|2|219|c=y}}}}
In parts of the world that implement full Shari'ah, such as [[Aceh]], punishments for Muslim gamblers can range up to 12 lashes or a one-year prison term and a fine for those who provide a venue for such practises.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Feener|first1=Michael|title=Sharia and Social Engineering|date=2013|page=145}}</ref> Some Islamic nations prohibit gambling; most other countries [[Gaming law|regulate it]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iagr.org/members/ |title=International Association of Gaming Regulators: Members |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121116151625/http://www.iagr.org/members/ |archive-date=16 November 2012 }}</ref>

===Bahá'í Faith===
According to the [[Kitáb-i-Aqdas|Most Holy Book]], paragraph 155, gambling is forbidden.

==Types==

===Casino games===
While almost any game can be played for money, and any game typically played for money can also be played just for fun, some games are generally offered in a [[casino]] setting.

====Table games====
{{Main|Casino game#Table games}}
[[File:Caesars palace night 2007.jpg|thumb|The [[Caesars Palace]] main fountain. The statue is a copy of the ancient ''[[Winged Victory of Samothrace]]''.]]
[[File:Pachinko parlor dsc04790.jpg|thumb|A [[pachinko]] parlor in [[Tokyo]], Japan]]
[[File:Ordinary mahjong.jpg|thumb|[[Mahjong tiles]]]]

====Electronic gambling====
[[File:RAY Ruusu and Tuplapotti.JPG|thumb|[[RAY (Finland)|RAY]]'s Ruusu and Tuplapotti [[slot machine]]s in [[Finland]]]]
* [[Online roulette]]
* [[Pachinko]]
* [[Sic Bo]]
* [[Slot machine]]
* [[Video poker]]
* [[Video bingo]]

====Other gambling====
* [[Bingo (U.S.)|Bingo]]
* [[Keno]]

===Non-casino games===
Gambling games that take place outside of casinos include bingo (as played in the [[Bingo (US)|US]] and [[Bingo (UK)|UK]]), [[dead pool]], [[lottery|lotteries]], [[pull-tab]] games and [[scratchcard]]s, and [[Mahjong]].

Other non-casino gambling games include:
* Non-casino [[card game]]s, including historical games like [[Basset (card game)|Basset]], [[Ecarté]], [[Lansquenet]] and [[Put option|Put]]. Technically, a gambling card game is one in which the cards are not actually played but simply bet on.<ref>[[Parlett, David]] (1991). ''A History of Card Games''. Oxford, NY: OUP. p. 324.</ref>
* [[Carnival game|Carnival Games]] such as [[Razzle (game)|The Razzle]] or [[Hanky Pank (game)|Hanky Pank]]
* [[Coin|Coin-tossing]] games such as [[Head and Tail]], [[Two-up]]<nowiki>*</nowiki>
* [[Confidence trick]]s such as [[Three-card Monte]] or the [[Shell game]]
* [[Dice game|Dice-based]] games, such as [[Backgammon]], [[Liar's Dice|Liar's dice]], [[Passe-dix]], [[Hazard (game)|Hazard]], [[Threes (dice game)|Threes]], [[Pig (dice)|Pig]], or [[Mexico (game)|Mexico (or Perudo)]];

<nowiki>*Although coin tossing is not usually played in a casino, it has been known to be an official gambling game in some Australian casinos</nowiki><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamblinginfo.com/95_The_Game_of_Two_up.htm |title=The Game of Two up |publisher=Gambling Info |access-date=2012-09-22 |archive-date=29 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120829135407/http://www.gamblinginfo.com/95_The_Game_of_Two_up.htm }}</ref>

===Fixed-odds betting===
{{Main|Fixed-odds betting}}
Fixed-odds betting and [[Parimutuel betting]] frequently occur at many types of sporting events, and political elections. In addition many [[bookmaker]]s offer fixed odds on a number of non-sports related outcomes, for example the direction and extent of movement of various [[stock market index|financial indices]], the winner of [[television]] competitions such as ''[[Big Brother (franchise)|Big Brother]]'', and [[election]] results.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2004/s1229517.htm |title=US election betting backs Bush |publisher=ABC.net |date=2004-10-28 |access-date=2012-09-22}}</ref> Interactive [[prediction market]]s also offer trading on these outcomes, with "shares" of results trading on an open market.

====Parimutuel betting====
{{Main|Parimutuel betting}}
One of the most widespread forms of gambling involves betting on [[horse racing|horse]] or [[greyhound racing]]. Wagering may take place through [[parimutuel betting|parimutuel]] pools, or [[bookmaker]]s may take bets personally. Parimutuel wagers pay off at prices determined by support in the wagering pools, while bookmakers pay off either at the odds offered at the time of accepting the bet; or at the median odds offered by track bookmakers at the time the race started.

====Sports betting====
{{Main|Sports betting}}
[[File:Tokyo Racecourse 3.jpg|thumb|left|[[Tokyo Racecourse]] in [[Tokyo]], Japan]]

Betting on team sports has become an important [[service industry]] in many countries. Before the advent of the internet, millions of people played the [[football pools]] every week in the [[United Kingdom]]. In addition to organized sports betting, both legal and illegal, there are many side-betting games played by casual groups of spectators, such as [[NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship|NCAA basketball tournament]] Bracket Pools, [[Super Bowl]] Squares, [[Fantasy sport|Fantasy Sports Leagues]] with monetary entry fees and winnings, and in-person spectator games like Moundball.

===Virtual sports===
{{Main|Virtual sports}}
Based on Sports Betting, Virtual Sports are fantasy and never played sports events made by software that can be played every time without wondering about external things like weather conditions.

===Arbitrage betting===
{{Main|Arbitrage betting}}
Arbitrage betting is a theoretically risk-free betting system in which every outcome of an event is bet upon so that a known profit will be made by the bettor upon completion of the event regardless of the outcome. Arbitrage betting is a combination of the ancient art of [[arbitrage]] trading and gambling, which has been made possible by the large numbers of bookmakers in the marketplace, creating occasional opportunities for arbitrage.

===Other types of betting===
One can also bet with another person that a statement is true or false, or that a specified event will happen (a "back bet") or will not happen (a "lay bet") within a specified time. This occurs in particular when two people have opposing but strongly held views on truth or events. Not only do the parties hope to gain from the bet, they place the bet also to demonstrate their certainty about the issue. Some means of determining the issue at stake must exist. Sometimes the amount bet remains nominal, demonstrating the outcome as one of principle rather than of financial importance.

[[Bet exchange|Betting exchanges]] allow consumers to both back and lay at odds of their choice. Similar in some ways to a stock exchange, a bettor may want to back a horse (hoping it will win) or lay a horse (hoping it will lose, effectively acting as bookmaker).

[[Spread betting]] allows gamblers to wager on the outcome of an event where the pay-off is based on the accuracy of the wager, rather than a simple "win or lose" outcome.  For example, a wager can be based on the when a point is scored in the game in minutes and each minute away from the prediction increases or reduces the payout.

==Staking systems==
{{Main|Betting strategy}}
Many betting systems have been created in an attempt to "beat the house" but no system can make a mathematically unprofitable bet in terms of [[expected value]] profitable over time. Widely used systems include:
* [[Card counting]] – Many systems exist for [[blackjack]] to keep track of the ratio of ten values to all others; when this ratio is high the player has an advantage and should increase the amount of their bets. Keeping track of cards dealt confers an advantage in other games as well.
* [[Due-column betting]] – A variation on fixed profits betting in which the bettor sets a target profit and then calculates a bet size that will make this profit, adding any losses to the target.
* Fixed profits – the stakes vary based on the odds to ensure the same profit from each winning selection.
* Fixed stakes – a traditional system of staking the same amount on each selection.
* [[Kelly criterion|Kelly]] – the optimum level to bet to maximize your future median bank level.
* [[Martingale (betting system)|Martingale]] – A system based on staking enough each time to recover losses from previous bet(s) until one wins.

==Other uses of the term==
{{Original research|section|date=August 2010}}
[[File:Gloria Mundi, or The Devil addressing the sun - Pare. Lost, Book IV LCCN2001695204.jpg|thumb|''Gloria Mundi, or The Devil addressing the sun'', a cartoon showing the British politician [[Charles James Fox]] standing on a roulette wheel perched atop a globe showing [[England]] and [[continental Europe]]. The implication is that his [[penniless]] state, indicated by turned-out pockets, is due to gambling.]]

Many risk-return choices are sometimes referred to colloquially as "gambling."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/ngisc/reports/pathch2.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030308071540/http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/ngisc/reports/pathch2.pdf |archive-date=2003-03-08 |url-status=live|title=Gambling Concepts And Nomenclature}}</ref> Whether this terminology is acceptable is a matter of debate:
* Emotional or physical risk-taking, where the risk-return ratio is not quantifiable (e.g., [[skydiving]], [[political campaign|campaigning]] for political office, asking someone for a date, etc.)
* [[Insurance]] is a method of shifting risk from one party to another. Insurers use actuarial methods to calculate appropriate premiums, which is similar to calculating gambling odds. Insurers set their premiums to obtain a long term positive expected return in the same manner that professional gamblers select which bets to make. While insurance is sometimes distinguished from gambling by the requirement of an [[insurable interest]], the equivalent in gambling is simply betting against one's own best interests (e.g., a sports coach betting against his own team to mitigate the financial repercussions of a losing season).
* Situations where the possible return is of secondary importance to the wager/purchase (e.g. entering a [[raffle]] in support of a [[charitable gambling|charitable]] cause)

[[Investments]] are also usually not considered gambling, although some investments can involve significant risk. Examples of investments include [[stock]]s, [[Bond (finance)|bonds]] and [[real estate]]. Starting a business can also be considered a form of investment. Investments are generally not considered gambling when they meet the following criteria:
* Economic utility
* Positive expected returns (at least in the long term)
* Underlying value independent of the risk being undertaken

Some [[speculation|speculative]] investment activities are particularly risky, but are sometimes perceived to be different from gambling:
* Foreign currency exchange ([[forex]]) transactions
* [[Prediction markets]]
* Securities [[derivative (finance)|derivatives]], such as [[Option (finance)|options]] or [[Futures contract|futures]], where the value of the derivative is dependent on the value of the underlying asset at a specific point in time (typically the derivative's associated expiration date)

A ''{{linktext|levant}}'' or ''levanting'' characterises the act of absconding following the outcome of a bet.<ref>
{{oed | levant}}
</ref>

==Negative consequences==
{{Main|Problem gambling}}
Problem gambling has multiple symptoms. Gamblers often play again to try to win back money they have lost, and some gamble to relieve feelings of helplessness and anxiety.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/compulsive-gambling/symptoms-causes/dxc-20258394 |title= Symptoms and causes |publisher=Mayo Clinic}}</ref>

In the United Kingdom, the [[Advertising Standards Authority (United Kingdom)|Advertising Standards Authority]] has censured several betting firms for advertisements disguised as news articles suggesting falsely that a person had cleared debts and paid for medical expenses by gambling online. The firms face possible fines.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/sep/13/betting-firms-ads-asa-ladbrokes-888-skybet-casumo Betting firms could be fined over ads 'targeting vulnerable people'] ''[[The Guardian]]''</ref>

A 2020 study of 32 countries found that the greater the amount of gambling activity in a given country, the more volatile that country's [[stock market | stock-market]] prices are.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1= Blau|first1= Benjamin M.|last2= Whitby|first2= Ryan J.|date= 2020-09-01|title= Gambling activity and stock price volatility: A cross-country analysis|url= http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214635019302965|journal=Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance|language= en|volume= 27|article-number= 100338|doi= 10.1016/j.jbef.2020.100338|s2cid= 219415559|issn=2214-6350|url-access= subscription}}</ref> Legalization of online [[sports betting]] was found to decrease household saving, decrease investment with positive [[expected value]] and increase [[financial distress]].<ref name="z378">{{cite journal | last1=R. Baker | first1=Scott | last2=Balthrop | first2=Justin | last3=Johnson | first3=Mark J. | last4=Kotter | first4=Jason D. | last5=Pisciotta | first5=Kevin | title=Economic Consequences of Online Sports Betting | journal=SSRN Electronic Journal | date=2024 | issn=1556-5068 | doi=10.2139/ssrn.4881086 | page=| doi-access=free }}</ref>

[[Public opinion|Public opinions]] against or for gambling varies  by age.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gramlich |first=John |date=2025 |title=Americans increasingly see legal sports betting as a bad thing for society and sports |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/10/02/americans-increasingly-see-legal-sports-betting-as-a-bad-thing-for-society-and-sports/ |access-date=2025-10-25 |website=Pew Research Center |language=en-US}}</ref> 

==Psychological biases==
Gamblers may exhibit a number of [[Cognitive bias|cognitive]] and [[Motivated reasoning|motivational]] biases that distort the perceived odds of events and that influence their preferences for gambles.
* ''Preference for likely outcomes''. When gambles are selected through a choice process – when people indicate which gamble they prefer from a set of gambles (e.g., win/lose, over/under) – people tend to prefer to bet on the outcome that is more likely to occur. Bettors tend to prefer to bet on favorites in athletic competitions, and sometimes will accept even bets on favorites when offered more favorable bets on the less likely outcome (e.g., an underdog team).<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Simmons|first1=Joseph P.|last2=Nelson|first2=Leif D.|title=Intuitive confidence: Choosing between intuitive and nonintuitive alternatives.|journal=Journal of Experimental Psychology: General|volume=135|issue=3|pages=409–428|doi=10.1037/0096-3445.135.3.409|pmid=16846272|year=2006|citeseerx=10.1.1.138.4507}}</ref>    
* ''[[Optimism bias|Optimism]]/Desirability Bias'''.''''' Gamblers also exhibit optimism, overestimating the likelihood that desired events will occur. Fans of NFL underdog teams, for example, will prefer to bet on their teams at even odds than to bet on the favorite, whether the bet is $5 or $50.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Simmons|first1=Joseph P.|last2=Massey|first2=Cade|title=Is optimism real?|journal=Journal of Experimental Psychology: General|volume=141|issue=4|pages=630–634|doi=10.1037/a0027405|pmid=22329753|year=2012}}</ref>
* ''Reluctance to bet against (hedge) desired outcomes.''<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last1=Morewedge|first1=Carey K.|last2=Tang|first2=Simone|last3=Larrick|first3=Richard P.|date=2016-10-12|title=Betting Your Favorite to Win: Costly Reluctance to Hedge Desired Outcomes|journal=Management Science|volume=64|issue=3|pages=997–1014|doi=10.1287/mnsc.2016.2656|issn=0025-1909}}</ref> People are reluctant to bet against desired outcomes that are relevant to their identity. Gamblers exhibit reluctance to bet against the success of their preferred U.S. presidential candidates and Major League Baseball, National Football League, National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) basketball, and NCAA hockey teams. More than 45% of NCAA fans in Studies 5 and 6, for instance, turned down a "free" real $5 bet against their team. From a psychological perspective, such a "[[Hedge (finance)|hedge]]" creates an interdependence dilemma – a motivational conflict between a short-term monetary gain and the long-term benefits accrued from feelings of [[Social identity theory|identification]] with and loyalty to a position, person, or group whom the bettor desires to succeed.  In economic terms, this conflicted decision can be modeled as a trade-off between the outcome utility gained by hedging (e.g., money) and the [[Signalling (economics)|diagnostic costs]] it incurs (e.g., disloyalty). People make [[Self-perception theory|inferences]] about their beliefs and identity from their behavior. If a person is uncertain about an aspect of their identity, such as the extent to which they value a candidate or team, hedging may signal to them that they are not as committed to that candidate or team as they originally believed. If the diagnostic cost of this self-signal and the resulting identity change are substantial, it may outweigh the outcome utility of hedging, and they may reject even very generous hedges.<ref name=":0" />
* ''Ratio bias.'' Gamblers will prefer gambles with worse odds that are drawn from a large sample (e.g., drawing one red ball from an urn containing 89 red balls and 11 blue balls) to better odds that are drawn from a small sample (drawing one red ball from an urn containing 9 red balls and one blue ball).<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Pacini|first1=Rosemary|last2=Epstein|first2=Seymour|title=The relation of rational and experiential information processing styles to personality, basic beliefs, and the ratio-bias phenomenon.|journal=Journal of Personality and Social Psychology|volume=76|issue=6|pages=972–987|doi=10.1037/0022-3514.76.6.972|pmid=10402681|date=June 1999}}</ref>
* ''[[Gambler's fallacy]]/positive recency bias.''

== See also ==
{{cmn|
* [[Casino]]
* [[Faro Ladies]]
* [[Gambler's conceit]]
* [[Gambler's fallacy]]
* [[Gambler's ruin]]
* [[Gambling mathematics]]
* [[Gaming Research Center]]
* [[Gambling in the United States]]
* [[History of gambling in the United States]]
* [[History of gambling in the United Kingdom]]
* [[List of bets]]
* [[Lottery]]
* [[Mobile gambling]]
* [[Online gambling]]
}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==

* Chambers, Kerry. ''Gambling for profit: Lotteries, gaming machines, and casinos in cross-national focus'' (U of Toronto press, 2011).
* Ferentzy, Peter, and Nigel Turner. "Gambling and organized crime-A review of the literature." ''Journal of Gambling Issues'' 23 (2009): 111–155. 
* Ferentzy, Peter, and Nigel E. Turner. ''A history of problem gambling'' (Springer-Verlag, 2013) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181104081104/http://jgi.camh.net/index.php/jgi/article/download/3812/3828 |date=4 November 2018 }}
* Haller, Mark H. "The changing structure of American gambling in the twentieth century." ''Journal of Social Issues'' 35.3 (1979): 87–114.
* Richard, Brian. "Diffusion of an economic development policy innovation: Explaining the international spread of casino gambling." ''Journal of Gambling Studies'' 26.2 (2010): 287–300.  [http://aquila.usm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2368&context=dissertations Online]
* Schwartz, David G. ''Roll The Bones: The History of Gambling'' (2006), scholarly history with global perspective [https://www.amazon.com/Roll-Bones-History-Gambling-Casino/dp/0615847781/ excerpt]

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{{Wiktionary}}
{{Wikiquote}}
{{Commons category}}
* [https://gaming.library.unlv.edu/ Center for Gaming Research] – at [[University of Nevada, Las Vegas]]
* [https://www.unr.edu/business/centers/gaming Institute for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming] at the [[University of Nevada, Reno]]

{{Gambling}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Gambling| ]]