[Bible Light, Vol. 19, No. 4, July-August 2000, pp. 1, 7.] As the moral fiber of American civilization deteriorates and biblical values are jettisoned, activities that were once generally perceived to be harmful to society are now becoming acceptable and even achieving legal sanction. Gambling has become a viable form of amusement to millions of Americans with a view toward “getting rich quick.” Even in the church, uninformed, unstudied Christians see the purchase of lottery tickets as an innocent behavior. It is time to consider again the biblical principles which relate to gambling. Assorted dictionaries define “gambling”: “to play games of chance for money”; “to risk money on uncertain gain”; “to stake or risk money, etc., in the hope of great gain.” Consider the following four reasons why gambling is inconsistent with Christian living. Gambling Is Not Authorized by God Christians, by definition, are people who regulate their behavior by the Scriptures. The Scriptures identify three authorized means of transferring valuables from one person to another: (1) working for pay (e.g., Matthew 10:10; Luke 10:7; Ephesians 4:28; 1 Timothy 5:18); (2) selling goods or property (Matthew 13:46; Acts 2:45; 4:34; 5:4; James 4:13), and (3) free will offerings or donations without expecting a return (Luke 6:30, 34-35; 10:33-35; Acts 20:35; 2 Corinthians 8:9). Gambling will not fit into any of these categories. The first observation for a Christian to make is that gambling is a scripturally unauthorized activity. Gambling Conflictswith Christian Principles Gambling (whether lotteries, horse/dog racing, casinos or bingo) entails two or