Christians know that all people make mistakes and bad choices and we follow a God of grace & forgiveness who offers us a fresh start. Those who are affected by problem gambling need our love & compassion.
So often gambling compounds communities that are already disadvantaged and results in financial difficulties that deeply affects partners and children, resulting in further disadvantage. Gambling increases the likelihood of financial difficulty, marriage & family breakdown, family violence and suicide.
Common Grace longs for the flourishing of individuals, families, churches, communities and our nation. There are easy things to do to regulate gambling to prevent the excessive damage being done to our society and we believe that the church should be at the forefront of advocating for greater regulation for the good of all.
The church has been an active voice for many years in indicating the seriousness of this issue and the destructive power of gambling. You can find some helpful resources below -
- ‘Gambling and its impact in Australia: Is nothing sacred?’ National Council of Churches Australia, Social Justice Sunday, 2014
- ‘Tackling poker machines head on’, Anglican Social Issues Briefing #91 29th April 2011
- The Salvation Army's Statement for the 2013 Federal Election on Gambling Reform
- NSW & ACT Baptists website on Gambling Reform
If you know of other useful resources, we’d love to hear from you – please send them to [email protected]