Jamboo
Recently, the US Supreme Court overturned a federal law prohibiting sports betting.
The landmark decision gave the state the right to legalize the industry. Following America, similar laws were adopted in many other countries where gambling was banned.
My goal today is not to discuss the legality of sports gambling. Rather, it is a focus on gambling in the context of biblical truth and everything that God does for us.
According to the American Gaming Association, gambling in the United States is an industry with a turnover of $240 billion, employing 1.7 million people in forty states.
Why is gambling so popular?
The former New Jersey state compliance director told the conference that Atlantic City's success was down to how well it sold its "products." He explained:
"This product is not intended for entertainment, recreation or leisure. In fact, it is adrenaline: a biological substance capable of arousing excitement, usually caused by anticipation of a future event, especially when its outcome is in doubt."
According to the industry's chief regulator, gambling is a kind of mind-altering drug.
Psychologists name several reasons for the popularity of gambling in our culture:
* It gives us the feeling of partial reinforcement that we crave so much. "I'll be lucky next time" is a powerful bait.
* Some fall into the "gambler's delusion", believing that a series of losses increases the probability of winning.
* The illusion of control leads many players to believe that they have some power over the outcome (whether it's choosing numbers in a lottery or playing dice before throwing them).
* Rejection of losses is the main motivator: we feel more pain because of the loss of $ 100 than joy because of the $100 win. When a player loses money, he or she is motivated to keep playing to get back what was lost.
The landmark decision gave the state the right to legalize the industry. Following America, similar laws were adopted in many other countries where gambling was banned.
My goal today is not to discuss the legality of sports gambling. Rather, it is a focus on gambling in the context of biblical truth and everything that God does for us.
According to the American Gaming Association, gambling in the United States is an industry with a turnover of $240 billion, employing 1.7 million people in forty states.
Why is gambling so popular?
The former New Jersey state compliance director told the conference that Atlantic City's success was down to how well it sold its "products." He explained:
"This product is not intended for entertainment, recreation or leisure. In fact, it is adrenaline: a biological substance capable of arousing excitement, usually caused by anticipation of a future event, especially when its outcome is in doubt."
According to the industry's chief regulator, gambling is a kind of mind-altering drug.
Psychologists name several reasons for the popularity of gambling in our culture:
* It gives us the feeling of partial reinforcement that we crave so much. "I'll be lucky next time" is a powerful bait.
* Some fall into the "gambler's delusion", believing that a series of losses increases the probability of winning.
* The illusion of control leads many players to believe that they have some power over the outcome (whether it's choosing numbers in a lottery or playing dice before throwing them).
* Rejection of losses is the main motivator: we feel more pain because of the loss of $ 100 than joy because of the $100 win. When a player loses money, he or she is motivated to keep playing to get back what was lost.