Topic: Can One's Religion Compel A Compulsive Gambler To Quit Gambling (Read 419 times)

If so, people need to understand the teachings of their religion better so that they can follow the truth brought by their religion and not gamble because it is forbidden in their religion. If that person has strong religious beliefs, he will not be tempted by anything forbidden by his religion. But unfortunately, there are still many people who are easily tempted by many things that are prohibited by their religion so they still gamble to this day.

Playing gambling will depend on each person and those who will decide. And if someone really wants to stop gambling and go deeper into his religion, he has to follow his heart. And this can be a journey that will never stop because he has to suppress the desire to gamble that will probably always be in him.

I don't know what actually happened but it was a choice and he must be able to accept all the risks of having a social life or being a religious follower.
Maybe if I lived in Finland I would never do such a thing and prefer to live a normal life without gambling.

I didn't know that but what is clear is not only where I live but some other places it must be the same that some people who don't like gambling will find it bad.

Religious beliefs and teachings can shape a person's character and influence their behavior. It is a common religious principle that resources, including money, should be used responsibly and mindfully, and principles such as self-control, moderation, and management are emphasized in many religious traditions. Excessive gambling and impulsive tendencies can be deterred by these teachings.

Although gambling may conflict with religious beliefs, people with religious beliefs can still participate in it. It may be due to misinterpretation of religious teachings, weaknesses, or not adhering to religious principles.

Sure, it feels like religion and gambling are polar opposites! Your insight about character shaping obsession is apt. But, doesn't belief mold our character as well? I think that religion doesn't automatically lead to obsession. Yet, religion, through its ethics, can manage behavior. Could lack of such guidance result in impulsive tendencies?

Consider religious folks who gamble. Perhaps they've misconstrued their teachings or their traits outweigh their beliefs. It's complicated, so we shouldn't rule out religion

If am looking from your perspective, you might be right, if a person convert to another religion, he won't really want to go against what the religion is against, but it might also be just temporary, with time if the person is really a addicted gambler he might end up going back to gambling, even if he will be doing it privately so that people won't know he is gambling. I think that's what most people are doing now, they are gambling secretly so that no one will know they are gambler.

All of those things which you mentioned is against my relegion, but people still do it. It's easier to be caught when drinking alcohol compare to when gambling, when you are drunk you might endup misbehaving, which will make people notice easily that you are drunk. But as a gamber, you can be gambling secretly and nobody will know you are gambling only if you expose yourself.

In religious teachings or principles, gambling is often discouraged or prohibited, as it is considered potentially addictive and harmful to individuals and society. Teachings like these can serve as moral guides and may encourage individuals to quit gambling or obtain addiction treatment.

While practicing a religion can lead to giving up gambling or getting rid of an addiction, it's important to remember that not everyone does. You or someone you know who struggles with gambling addiction should seek professional help from addiction counselors. To overcome an addiction and address its social and economic consequences, they can provide rehabilitation.

Many people violate the rules of their religion and even leave their religion because they are too busy playing gambling, that is why it is difficult for certain religions to awaken these addicts, all of them return to themselves, the more they distance themselves from religion, the further their minds will want to stop gambling, because if they get closer to religion they will surely stay away from that gambling.

I understand some of the prohibitions in certain religions, that's why sometimes people need to get closer to their religion, then they will realize and stay away from gambling, God's love will definitely be with people who want to stop gambling and draw closer to their religion. 

It depends on he convinced himself to accept a religion or he was forced by someone to accept the religion.

In most cases if they convince themselves to accept a religion then it's high chances that they will follow all the teachings and most religions are against addiction which may help him to get back on track.

But it's too hard to happen in that way and if they were forced to accept it then we can't see any changes in their practices anyway. So addiction will not go away unless the person himself realise the bad things involved in it.

When gambling consumes a person's thoughts actions and behaviors silently when even after repeated attempts one cannot refrain from that act. But if he loves and believes in religion, he can make a gambler give up gambling. Because there are many religions where gambling is forbidden. But it usually depends on the individual. And if there is an addiction to gambling then the trend of online gambling is very high nowadays. It can be played at home with your mobile. But before that learn about gambling then move on social economic impacts horrible economic losses are caused by gambling.

of course we should play all the gambling games with which we are familiar. So we should not go to play those games where we have no experience as it may lead to financial loss. now that gambling is possible at home with just a smartphone, Internet connection and digital currencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, TRX, USDT, people's attraction towards it is increasing day by day and the number of gambling addicts is increasing day by day. 

A religion can’t force  anyone to stop gambling only if the person is having the intention to stop gambling, most religions are against gambling and as we can see lots of people are still gambling, those people gambling belongs to one religion, one of the religion that I know is strictly against gambling is Islam, but their are still lots of Muslims that still gamble because I also gamble.

Gambling have been made very easy now, with the help of your mobile phone and internet connection, we can all gamble it’s not necessary you visit any casino house before you can gamble, in the process of visiting casino house, people will see you and you will be exposed that you are a gambler, but when you gamble with your mobile devices, if you don’t inform anyone that you are gambling, no one will know about it, gambling have been made very easy now and their are lots of online gambling.

I should not talk about religion here, but I am saying it anyway. Religion often helps keep people away from gambling as we know Islam does not support gambling as halal. So people of Islamic faith think twice before going to gamble and many try to stay away from gambling. and I don't know if gambling is allowed in religions other than Islam but people in today's modern world are becoming addicted to gambling without thinking about religion. So even though religion opposes gambling, people are forgetting religion and moving towards gambling and the amount is increasing day by day.

I think that you missed what OP tried to say, Woodie.
OP is talking about a situation where someone who suffers from problem gambling or gambling addiction could find the help needed by focusing more in their own spirituality rather than continuing to partake in casinos and game houses.

I personally think that it is possible religion could help people to straighten their life to a certain degree, but it is also important to seek for professional help whenever possible, in the case of the religion a follow; it encourages the seeking of professional help. 

Again, it is a very personal thing, it depends on each one of us...

a religion can help someone really avoid addiction and gambling if that person really understands the teachings of that religion.
I won't say what religion it is, but I realized that if an addict understood everything the religion taught him, he would feel very guilty and would actually avoid gambling forever.
but this is no guarantee that one can avoid gambling addiction if they convert to a certain religion by force and continue to gamble secretly.

but at least some religions can help gambling addicts a little to really stop addiction.

Since the OP is making the point from a religious view, no argument is relevant in this perspective. But what is true is that it will totally depend on the individual. It would be better if gambler could stay away from gambling keeping religious view but it would be depend on entirely up to him. Many people conduct gambling even knowing about religion, but it is hidden. There are even news that clerics of various religions conduct gambling behind the scenes which never come to light. Because they know that people will look at them negatively if they know the fact.

Those newly converted on their religion cannot do anything but to follow what their religion dictate to them. But for old dudes who alread been there for long time I doubt they stop just because of religion reasons. For sure they still gamble and just hide this to the public.

Online gambling is gaining so much fame si for sure this will be their another option since they can play at home hiding to anyone who can see this.

Some religion has zero tolerance for gambling once you are a convert you are expected to adhere to the tenet of their teachings, they kicked against gambling because some believe that the money won by a gambler was lost by another gamblers somewhere which might had hurt that person, while some religion might preach against gambling but kick against addiction i.e moderation in thing they embark on, personally I think participation in gambling is an individual decision, however the most important issue is avoid gambling addiction that might have a devastating effect on the personality of the gambler if possible gamble for fun.

Any gambler willing to turn on and change because of his new religion has to do that because he's willing to change and not because he's being compelled to change as a condition attached to his new religion, if he's truly determined to take this new lifestyle he has to adapt to change, this first comes with leaving down some personal immoralities he does such as smoking and drinking, avoid gambling and keep distance from anything that could facilitate gambling, remain committed to what he's doing and be truthful in all ways.

Religion is more on brainwashing, while the person opens himself to all the doctrines of the religion, this vulnerability of the person is taken advantage of by the religion by inputting doctrines and ideas.  So if the brainwashing is successful, the person will follow the doctrine of the religion and possibly stop all his gambling activities.  But if the person has high resistance to this kind of brainwashing then he will always go back to his past activities such as gambling.

They often trigger this brainwashing by triggering the need of the person to be saved in the coming "judgment".  Then they tap the person's emotions, and psychology, and implant the needs to do in order to be saved.

For starters Religion has nothing to do with gambling and should be removed from the conversation.

Secondly, what makes a compulsive gambler compulsive is not religion but one's personal character or perhaps one's love for material stuff and the alike and simply put lack of control leads to compulsive behavior !
Bte If we are going to say religion here, then we are saying religion teaches all its followers to be compulsive by nature which is false, Religion borders around the element of peace and love and these can not make you compulsive.

Spot on. Shame doesn't need religion to fuel it but it helps. I think it's frowned upon no matter where you live, especially if you are doing it a lot. Which is weird. In finland it means you are contributing to lots of charities as well when you gamble. So it should be viewed as a public service to put your money in.

I guess people see the generic gambler as irresponsible, even if they don't know anything about their lives. And i am guessing there's a bit of jealousity when gamblers win and because gamblers dare to live more on the edge, while non-gamblers deny that from themselves. So they are easy bunch to hate or pity. I still see haters as a minority as most people know you can gamble while not being an addict or irresponsible.

If he is a gambling addict, he will continue playing no matter the circumstances, especially when he still has the money. Maybe he will regret everything he has done, including gambling, especially when he has lost a lot of money and destroyed his family so maybe he can just stop. But if he is still okay with his gambling addiction, even though many people force him to stop gambling or because religion forbids him, he will still play, even in secret. It was because he had found his passion in gambling and it was difficult to stop unless he finally realized his mistake.

Religion is but a doctrine to keep people on the right track with said punishments if they sway from that track - nothing more.

The final decision to commit a crime or do something un-religious depends on the person itself and their morals. I dont mean that gambling is an immoral thing to do, as long as it is in moderation, it can be fun.

Just converting to another religion is nothing more than a facade done for other reasons, it does not change the person. An addicted gambler will remain an addict unless they seek professional help.

Anyone will gamble secretly and secretly, they don't even want family members, relatives, or even fellow believers to know about the gambling activities that are being carried out.
This is a natural thing considering that there are also many gamblers who really want to be anonymous in gambling.
Apart from the religious prohibition, gambling is also badly viewed in social life.

In the neighborhood where I live, anyone who gambles is branded as a bad person and is not respected at all.

This really depends on the person, but mostly if the person's reason for converting to another religion is very personal and for his belief, for sure he can quit gambling on it as it has a spiritual effect on him as well as his belief, but again, there are still others who will play secretly. I do have a lot of friends who believe gambling, drinking alcoholic drinks, and eating pig is a sin for them, but they still do it anyway, but secretly. I also have friends who really don't do it at all. But the chances really are high for those who quit gambling due to a belief or other reason.

Generally, I don't think that you can compel someone to stop doing something or do something that they don't do, if you force them, they might act like they've left doing it or if you are making them do something, they will do it in front of you but with a heavy heart and won't actually do it from their heart which is useless in my opinion, if they do a practice themselves because they believe it is good or bad for them, that is what matters.

There are religions that prohibit gambling, like Islam, which doesn't allow Muslims to gamble because it is considered a sin and the money earned from it is considered Haram (prohibited to use), so if someone converts and becomes a Muslim, they are religiously not allowed to do it, but no one can compel them, if their religious beliefs are strong, they might stop doing it themselves.

I think that if all of this is based on a sense of coercion and compulsion, the success rate in getting the gambler to stop is very minimal. Because approaching someone even though through religious channels, but by force, usually will end badly and tend to hate that religion more. Because in my opinion, playing gambling or not, it's each person's right, the most important thing is not harming each other, I don't think there will be a problem. But if we take it into the context of religion, there are indeed some religions in this world that prohibit gambling. But what I know, there is no religious teaching that forces someone, especially people of that religion, to immediately stop playing gambling. So if you ask whether people who gamble can stop because of certain religious teachings, in my opinion the answer is relative.
Because when it comes to the awareness of the human heart, in my opinion it is a matter of the almighty, and human speech (religious experts) is only an intermediary, which cannot guarantee an outcome.

Religion forbids people to gamble but if a compulsive gambler has no intention to stop gambling, I think it's hard to happen because it depends on the gambler himself. If he embraces one religion to stop, that's good for him because he has already realized that gambling is prohibited by religion.

If we force a compulsive gambler to stop gambling, I suspect it will be some resistance from him because he has no intention of quitting yet. After all, a compulsive gambler can hide his gambling activities from others so that those around him do not know if he is a compulsive gambler.

Maybe we can only advise him to stop gambling but we cannot force him. But whatever it is, the compulsive gambler can continue playing so quietly that it means nothing even if he embraces his new religion.

I guess it depends? I'm more of the reason the person will quit because you just don't get "converted" into a religion. It means you believe in it or its beliefs resonate with you. Now I'm not a religious fanatic, but a basic change in a person's beliefs can go a long way, not just in religions really. Who knows, the person may actually just need a reason to stop gambling, and his new religion may be enough of a factor to push it.

But I wouldn't pull out playing secretly. An addict doesn't exactly stop doing what he's addicted to all at once. It's a slow process. If he can manage that, then I reckon it should be possible. If not, well, withdrawals have a high chance of happening and in that case, quitting may just be far from actually happening.

Yes.

You don't have to when it's already successful. These gamblers will change for their own betterment if that's what they're looking for. But if they don't think that they've got a reason to do that even if you force them with these things to change, they won't change.

Yes.

At the beginning, it's hard to change instantly but eventually these secret bets might even be gone when the will power is stronger to change.

Considering that gambling can become an addiction and disease as strong as alcohol, cigarettes or other illicit drugs, I believe that there are several possibilities for each situation.

Most religions prohibit gambling, so most people who are not atheists could be in this situation.
Whether you actually drop games or continue playing occasionally or play in secret depends on many personal factors:

First, imagine someone who is forced by his parents not to play because the family's religion forbids it, I believe he will easily play hide and seek.

Now, imagine someone who went through great financial difficulties, got into debt to the point of losing a car or his house, his wife left him and his children no longer respect him... then he bowed in faith and got a second chance at life. life to start over. It is very likely that he will never play again.

It is possible that he'll comply with the religion's rule of not gambling and at the same time gambling secretly. At the end of the day, this will depend on the gambler's willingness to submit to its religion and if he's really pursuing to change, he'll follow what rules are said to that religion.
While those that are still helping themselves and looking for ways to stop themselves so that they won't get addicted will find this as a solution. But then again, this will depend on their willingness so all of the answers to the questions are possible.

I think it is possible but would depend on how strong his belief is. We are talking about impulsion here wherein it is a state that a player is gambling as part of his everyday routine, or without thinking of having to put a stop on such behavior or habit. Religion on the other hand is a belief and all of its teachings are meant to be applied on a daily basis. So if an individual would come across a religion and would take initiative to engage to its teachings, then there's a tendency for him to change behaviors and habits that are against what is wrong or in contrast with those teachings. We all know gambling is not supported to most, if not all, religion. Which is why I pointed out it dependence with the strength of that individual's faith.

I think this is entirely possible especially if that person is devoted and dedicated in following the morals/lessons of his/her religion.

Remember that there are countries where religion is the main focus and drive of the country. Specifically, Muslim countries prohibit the use of any gambling activities as they deemed it unlawful. Following this kind of prohibition, it is but obvious that these countries would completely prohibit gambling which makes it almost impossible for the inhabitants to attempt it.

Though this may be the case, there are still people who gamble even if their religion prohibits. At the end of the day, it depends upon the person if they respect their religion which makes them avoid gambling at all cost.

Converting to another religion is a hard choice and it requires 100% realization that those persons really decided to do so.

Therefore, we can assume those persons are really serious about following the so-called "doctrines" of that religion - and that includes minimizing gambling activity (if it's prohibited under that said religion). Their everyday life will surely be changed after converting and it will affect their prior usual activities e.g gambling etc.


Honestly, the bottom line here is, no one here can really give us a close answer since it should come from a person who has the experience like that. I don't know if there's a user here who has that situation and is willing to share their experience.

That's the reason why the topic is somehow no need for any further discussion. Instead, maybe it's good to ask that on a forum where there are sections for religions. However, you really need to post and ask the question manually in each thread.

if the person is indeed genuine about following his religion, he can very well opt to life-changing decision and commit to whatever his religion is teaching him to live a better life. but yes, if he is just using the religion as a front, then he can easily be swayed by personal desires. this is why religion is not the ultimate route in changing the life of a person because it is still heavily dependent on the person himself.

Religion is capable of making a genuine adherent cease from engaging in whatever activity that's not in line with his religious belief. Like Karl Marx clearly stated that "religion is an opium of the masses". It is one tool  that's fundamentally used to subdue the actions and inactions of humans and especially when it is used in the positive it is capable of changing anyone away from their old lifestyle and behavior.
Except such a new entrant never genuine got himself converted. To accept a religion is to accept ways and it belief system therefore abhorring anything the religion is not in tone with.

If the religion he is moving to doesn't accept gambling and consider it a sin, it's likely he is going to stop betting, so he will be being coherent with his decision of becoming an adept of that religion, which will have a heavy impact on several aspects of his life.

Obviously, since it's everything about the "free will" we have in life. We are on the control of the situations we face daily. We can choose being coherent or incoherent towards them. The person can continue gambling secretly, maybe because he isn't strong enough to fight his fleshly desires or maybe because he isn't aiming to be loyal to his new religion since the beginning, that is, he is just joining it for another reasons, such as social status and financial reasons (what is really common).

If you’re into gambling that much, then it will not be easy but if you are serious to change your course and start following the words of the Lord then you can achieve it and be free from any gambling stress.

Religion have their influence to their followers though believe it or not, not all are following their rules so expect that some can still gamble secretly especially those who are not serious about quitting.

The influence of the religion can totally change your perspective about gambling and if you’re serious with that Religion, you’ll follow it and later on you’ll get used to it. Most of the Religion believes that Gambling is not ok though many are still not following it. The chance to quit gambling just because of Religion is 50/50, some Religion are not that strict. Compulsive gambler is still not an addict gambler, there’s still a big chance for him to quit gambling and with a help of Religion and his activities to that Religion, he can easily stop gambling.

^That is a good thought, it should be a personal decision and not just because it is caused by religion.
But it has an impact if you are a religious person because there are some compulsive gamblers who undergo a religious conversion, the newfound faith and its teachings may inspire a genuine desire to overcome their gambling addiction. The individual may find strength, support, and guidance within their religious community, which can assist them in refraining from gambling. However, in the end, the decision is still in you not because of them.

If only people of the world was true to all the doctrims of there religion, the world would have been a more safe place to live.

In truth, there is no any one person in our world today that keeps to all the doctrims of there religion. All we can do is try but, its never enough and we are selective on what doctrim to follow and which not to. Tye onces that's suits us perhaps as it should be.

Still, gambling is just a game like any other. A game of prediction but, having a stake to it is the difference here and the main element of gambling. If one can keep to good morals even in there gambling activities, then its all cool.
Sometimes, we over rate religion.

Well the truth is that none of this things will ever happen suddenly and I wouldn't say that the convert will stick so easily but the fact is that fir a newly converted to actually focus and not get distracted to gamble at any point, he or she will actually need someone to be with them or constantly remind them of the consequences of the actions of persistent gambling  and that is why the best place to get someone corrected from addiction is to take them to a correctional center or hospital so that they can be taken proper care of.
I know of cases where some religion speaks against gambling so hard and forbids its members from gambling  but you'll agree with me that some of their members still gamble in secrets which is a prove that religion doesn't really matter but it's one's choice and behavioir.

Depends actually on someones will and strong mind whether they could really be stopping their gambling behavior on the time that they would switch up religion. I have known someone of my neighboorhood which they are ones that drunkards' which they had eventually stopped that kind of thing on the time that they did switch up religion and it is really that surprising that there's really a change of a certain person if  they are really
that willing to quit but honestly it isnt really that actually the sole reason because it is really just that a state of mind on which if you do really like to quit then you could quit right away but if not
then you would really be continuing on doing that.

So this one falls into that situation where it would really be totally depending on someones will and discipline whether it is really that under the influence of religion or not. We could eventually quit up gambling
if we wanted or simply with just that personal approach. Although it wouldnt be so easy knowing that addiction isnt something that so simple that could really be solved out.

I am sure some of them can, but some of them will struggle because addiction is not something you can pray away. But you definitely can use religion as a walking stick trough hard times. Usually person changes other patterns in their life as well, so it will be easier to stay away from addiction.

Well obviously, but he would be doing it in secret because peer pressure of religious community. They wouldn't be trying to hide from deity they worship. Or they could even find loopholes from the religion to justify their gambling.

All he needs is a phone to play just about any casino game he wants and he can play in public as long as no one is looking down his shoulder. Religion is not a very good combination when you are into casinos. But the goal of playing casino is to win and make money, religion will not make you money. AS a matter of fact, you lose more when you're required to give to those cults.

Someone must be in the church this gambler like so much such as a woman. That woman can change a gambler to stop the habit. Religion helped in a bit to unite them together.

That depends on the religion itself, there are religions which do not forbid gambling, so I would guess that an addicted gambler which converted to such religion will not have too much of an incentive to stop gambling as it is not forbidden, now there are some religions which do in fact forbid any kind of gambling, and if the conversion of that person to the tenets of that religion is true then it is possible they could stop gambling as a way to respect their new faith.

It is possible that a religion can stop an addicted person to top gambing.  The process of replacing the uncontrollable urge to gamble with the urge to to set things straight.  Faith is a very powerful agent that can turn a person and its standpoint in an instance.

Once enlightened by religion, the person will definitely avoid or stop playing in casinos since the faith will serve as catalyst to make a gambling addict stop gambling.  Remember gambling addiction occupies a person's state of mind, faith also occupies the person's state of mind, and with faith outweighing the urge to gamble then it can really serve as way to stop gambling addiction.

Depends on a certain person because whether you do transfer out from one religion to another or havent done it at all then its up to someone whether he would be stopping or not because we know that this would really be pertaining on someones control and will whether they would be stopping or not, which it isnt basing on religious aspects. Quitting gambling is really that basing on someones will and not on other factors but
we know that there are indeed religion which is really that prohibiting gambling.If a certain individual is really that having that seriousness about divine things then he might really be having considerations on quitting
immediately because of being afraid on getting those kind of sins which is basing on religious aspect. But for sure that most of people wouldnt really be minding about whether its prohibited or not.
Gambling isnt really that bad as long you do really know your limits and we know that this is really just that something good for just fun.

the power that religion influences on a person is so great that it makes people become other people, and I'm not talking as if that were going to be a good thing, for example it's something normal for a person who likes gambling , when he joins one of these religious sects he stops gambling and then he will start telling all the people close to him that they should also stop gambling because God has shown him the whole truth, because God has shown him that gambling are things of the devil, I'm not exaggerating, I've already seen this because here in my country there are many different churches

these churches, different from my country, they brainwash people, and in my country, when people have a relative addicted to gambling, addicted to alcoholic beverages, they immediately take that person to church and after some time that person spends time in church, they leave while it's already someone else, it comes out while hating gambling and people who are playing gambling, it's something very scary, I saw a lot of people that I know who were people who liked games, they weren't addicted, they liked movies, they liked anime, but when they entered my country's church they completely changed

We cannot know 100% about the contents of a person's head and heart, so a gambler who has just converted (from an atheist to a religious believer) still has a tendency to play gambling secretly (it is difficult to fully recover 100%). gambling is addictive, without being monitored closely, then someone who has just recovered from his gambling addiction still has the opportunity to return to his bad habits, now it's back to that person, if he really has a strong determination to stop then he will definitely fight for it.

Some people are religious, but they started gambling and even with their religion, they still became addicted to Gambling. Choosing not to gamble is not a decision influenced by religion, it is a personal decision. As an addicted gambler, you will stop gambling when you decide, if you cannot help yourself, then you need help, but admitting the need to change is the first thing to do. Your personal decision matters more and will be a stronger to make you stop gambling.

You mean instant?

Nope off course, gambling is a habit. Need time and recovery to be able get out from addiction, there is no thing can quit instantly because everything need time until that person are 90-100% off gambling.

However, with religion things is the best thing to maximize your time into a good things.

I think gambling rule and faith should be a thing of choice, it should not be something they have to force people to do and not to do, but the government ofcourse can implement regulations. I personally think gambling is fun and it is profitable just like the way we have business that brings in profits. I mean no offense, look a Saudi Arabia that are spending millions of dollars of their oil money to buy players to come their country to play football but there are still some other parts of them that ban gambling, they see it as an act that goes against their believe and it is not suppose to be like that.

Religion and spirituality is very powerful. And it is a force for good.
I have seen people break free from several addictions because when they embraced religion and spirituality. Religion and spirituality entails abstaining from sin and doing all you can to please a higher power. Immediately one embraces religion they become aware of the do's and don't. And depending on what the teaching of the religion says about gambling they are either inclined to continue or do all they can with the help of their new found community to quit.
In conclusion religion is a force for change especially for those who are seeking help to quit gambling.

There have been occasions where persons who were addicted to a certain habit changed their minds, either due to a change in religion or an action that led to that shift. It makes no difference whether the person was an addict or not; once the mind is pushed to stop whatever it has been engaged in, he or she can just stop. In most circumstances, it is an instant, event, or occurrence that causes a change of mind to divert from what they were previously addicted to.


Newly converted people should be given more time to adjust their previous habits if they violate the precepts of their new religion. It is not easy to break an old habit and begin a new one. Some religions consider acting against religious principles to be a test. And passing a test is not easy; it will take time for them to be able to leave that forever. If they are willing to quit such behavior and are truthful about it, they will certainly succeed over time.

I think it's simple that if a gambler listens to religion then he quits gambling, that's a personal matter. If someone does not leave that is also his personal matter. Every religion has commandments and prohibitions on various matters, but there are some who follow it and others who reject it. I would agree with many that even though some conduct gambling in disregard of religion, they may later return to religious ideals. Religion can show you good and bad but it is one's own responsibility to follow.

There's no religion that can save a compulsive gambler, much more if this gambler in question does not have any self-control and cannot practice restraint on his own.

Humans are creatures of habit, and our brains are programmed to go back to where it gets the most pleasure from. If you find pleasure in gambling, no matter how much you turn away from it, you will always feel the urge to go back and gamble. Though if you know how to control your urges and not let it get the better of you, this wouldn't be that much of a problem to you at all.

I know there are some religions out there that are extremely strict about gambling and related stuff, but again it's entirely reliant on the person whether to act on their urges or not.

Gambling is banned like drinking alcohol in a few religions and its not optional, it even might apply national where the country is based in that religion.   So even legally you could be compelled not to continue.   What actually happens in countries with bans on gambling is the gambling continues but conducted by the black market and without any oversight.   You have to decide which is more important to you personally, I understand that some faiths require a strict less indulgent lifestyle but nobody is perfect. 

Based on what I have witnessed, I can say that religion can change a person's preference toward gambling but if he's deep into it, religion will still not be a hinder for him to quit. I have a new churchmate who is known in our community as a gambler. He has converted to our religion and is attending Sunday services regularly but regularly, he still gambles the whole week. However, we are not judging him for what he's doing because we all know how hard it is to totally turn his back from his routine. His belief will not totally change him that fast but I believe that he will still have the courage to change his perception in time.
The decision to change his life still relies on a person's decision and not on any religion. It needs courage and self-control to avoid and quit gambling because it will take a long process of willingness and commitment to change.

This came back to him, because if he seriously wanted to change his beliefs and wanted to be even better by following religious rules then of course he would provide an explanation that gambling is prohibited in any religion. It's just that here we cannot be 100% sure whether the method of prohibition is totally or in a way that is much more acceptable to gamblers, for example through several stages of meditation, self-control, trying various positive activities that have been prepared in such a way as to divert their gambling habit. So I return everything to what method he will later use in the process of studying religion.

I'm a little at a loss to respond to this thread, let alone read the title. because, based on my understanding and point of view. the religion that I believe in is not coercion, the religion that I believe in, gives you freedom. it's just that, there is no such thing as absolute freedom. one must know, what is not allowed and what is allowed. religion, is just a guide for someone who believes in it. It should be noted, that what you do or someone does entirely on their own awareness. it's just that, in everything we do, we will reap the results, whether it's bad or good. At least, the concept is as simple as that. "from my personal point of view"

Now we discuss the case, whether religion can cure a compulsive gambler, even to stop. The answer is very simple, it could be yes, it could be no. However, it all depends on each individual. In fact, we've had a lot of discussion about compulsive gambling and methods for stopping it.
IMO, even without religion, someone with any addiction can stop depending on how the individual is. as I often say in discussions like this, that in essence, if someone wants to get rid of or recover from addiction. the problem is with him, if he has a strong determination and desire to recover "in this context gambling addicts" whatever the method of healing, it will be very effective with the results.

Of course there are, even some people say they don't want to use a signature from any casino for religious reasons. Gambling is also the same, some users do not gamble even though they have quite a lot of knowledge about gambling. Gambling is expressly prohibited in all religions, but you can always choose your own path in life.

Religious reasons have also pushed some people to stop gambling especially when they are sober. But back to the main topic, they have their own way about gambling regardless of whether religion, country, community and anyone in your social sphere forbids it.

Would you even be a guy who goes to church when you goes everyday online playing cards?
I doubt that and religion will just be a waste of time for them. Unless your family was already a member of a congregation and then suddenly you discover internet casinos. You're going to be pulled back by your family and friends to quit the casino.

One reason why a gambler becomes a church member is to steal church money. I could be wrong but he is up to something.

I don't think this is something off-topic, our characters connect how we gamble and our belief in gambling, I've been creating topics about gambling and the characters, situation, and belief, we are all governed by beliefs and our environment and people that surround us, I just witness some people that continue to gamble secretly even though their sect or group prohibit gambling, and also seen how a person totally stopped gambling after being converted, and people stopped after being converted but return afterward.
I just want to ask our members here what are their beliefs and do they know of some people whose religion made an impact on their belief in gambling.

Quitting gambling requires awareness on the part of a person and not coercion. Even if he is forced to stop, if he does not know that gambling has made him addicted to gambling, he will not stop, and maybe he will continue to gamble secretly.

It's certainly not easy to open his mind because he is already addicted to gambling. But if he realized he had made a mistake and wanted to cure his gambling addiction, he might have the chance to do so. And if he eventually converts to a certain religion and finds out that gambling is forbidden, maybe he will realize that and be able to stop gambling.

Talking about religion is actually a sensitive matter, moreover this is the realm of gambling. But let's talk about something say a person can stop gambling because of religion. Theoretically, yes, in the end, many people stop taking actions that are considered bad, not just gambling, but in any case. So I'd say religion can push a person away from gambling.
Indirectly, I have also heard a lot from any religion which in their teachings prohibits gambling. I don't want to say much about this, so I'll return to each individual.

I think the person will be gambling but could be doing it secretly so that other believers in his or her religion will not judge him if they catch him gambling, which could be considered a sin or disobedience to the true believers of their religion. Although the attitude of every human is different, some people will say that "as our faces are different, so are our attitudes and characters." Some people can really get dedicated and buried in the beliefs of their religion, which can just make them take a turn and shun gambling or anything that their religion condemns.

Cheers 🥂, Dr.Bitcoin_Strange 👺👺

That's possible, because I often see people who have started to pursue a religion or have recently changed religions because this is very likely to happen, have changed into a different person leaving many of their old activities that are not in accordance with the religion they currently adhere to, so even when it may not be possible for people who have just experienced a change in religion because they feel a new sensation that encourages them to change to become a better person, including stopping gambling, especially if it is not recommended in their new religion.

maybe when the religion he adheres to is only based on inheritance from his parents or when he does not study that religion so he only becomes a follower and not one who carries out the teachings of that religion.

Religious teachings have a very strong motivating effect, so I believe that when a person is deeply immersed in religion he can easily cope with any addiction. I have heard that even addicts who use hard drugs have overcome their addiction with the help of religion. So it is possible to get rid of gambling addiction, alcoholism, obesity and other ailments with the help of religion. But you have to understand that a deep dive into religion will change your outlook on life very much.

Is it possible to play secretly with someone you believe in? I think that in every religion, there is a reminder that God sees everything. Who will this player be trying to fool? If he considers religion to be a new trend and being a believer is just a consequence of fashion for him, then I think that the passion for both the game and money will prevail in his "religion."
Christians have an expression: "You cannot serve God and mammon", so for a real person who wants to follow the laws of religion, there should always be only one choice.

I have heard of people doing so by converting to really strong,rigid and against human rights religion like Islam is in my view.I live now in a country with the majority of the population being Muslims and I have seen a lot of ongoing talks from the I don't know how they are called the spiritual leaders that every Friday call for people to quit immorality,gambling and alcohol drinking.It has worked in some degraded persons in the sense that they are back now not doing these things anymore but they are now just robots who don't enjoy anything in life anymore,and as bottom line even this is not really stopping from gambling,mostly is stopping from life pleasures.

That will depend on two things here; first is is the new convert ready to follow that religion deligenty? or is he/she just there for the sake of being identified as a follower of that religion but they are not ready to follow their doctrine.
If they are ready to submit their self to the teaching of their religion then it will be possible for a compulsive gambler to stop gambling totally, but they will also need to be monitored during their period of their early withdrawal so that they can help with continuous advice and therapy by the religion leader.


Like I said, they will need constant monitoring because it will be difficult for them to just call it a quit all by themselves they need the support of others. If they are left to do it all by themself they is a possibility of them returning back to gambling or do it secretly if they feel they will be disgraced if noticed by others.

Religion can influence a gambler to quit. If you have ever been under a religious teaching consistency you would understand that religion is influential. It has the power to change anybody's behavior gradually and sometimes immediately. The teachings of some founders of these religions are inspirational and you can accept them without rational thinking. These religions also have good counselors that are experienced in handling many kinds of disorders. I was counseled by a religious marriage counselor and I find her advice valid today. But stopping gambling also requires the willingness of the gambler. If you are not determined to tackle gambling addiction these religious teachings will not influence you. You should accept that you have a problem and you must show readiness to control your gambling activity.

Continuing to play in the secret is hypocrisy. It shows that you are not a true believer in the religion or unwillingness to quit. It is very difficult to stop an addiction which is why it is better never to start one.

I'm sure all religions have restrictions on gambling, so there's no need to mention any religion, because almost all of them have bans on gambling, but if you're already an addict, it seems difficult to stop them, not just religion and sin, but even their families might not want to hear what if being advised about sin and religion about the gambling ban, I think it will be difficult, I have friends who have different religions and they say the same.

I think religious people know about the sin and prohibition of gambling so everyone doesn't care about it anymore or maybe those who don't believe in religion so they continue to be gamblers and play, but still religion can't force people to stop gambling because all depending on the gambler.

There are some religions that have strict rules against gambling and forbid all adherents to gamble.
But no religion can force adherents to stop gambling because it is a choice like someone who has just entered or converted to a religion that is not under any coercion from anyone.
A religion teaches truth and virtue so it depends on the people themselves whether they can comply with the prohibitions in their religion or not.

As an example, my own religion strictly prohibits gambling, but I still do it because it is my choice and I am responsible for what I choose.

Here in my country, there are many sects and religions, and I have seen some people who convert from one sect to another for convenience but still continue with their old habits, the elder or the leader of the sect or religion should monitor the convert if he really changes the habit and views about gambling so he can guide him to repent and change his ways.

Chance can really happen if he is true to his heart he converts to one religion or sect because he needs to change his way for a better life here and in the afterlife not because of conveniences from work or because he wants to have a good association and reputation.

It will be difficult for an addicted gambler to stop gambling but it is not impossible being that the level of devotion that one has to a religion can help them break free from habits and help them to change their ways to be in line with the doctrine and principles of the religion they believe in. If a religion that someone chooses abhors gambling, they have to change to become strong devoted believers of that religion. A new convert may struggle with his addiction to stop because he just got converted, but as he increases his devotion to his religion, it can help them gain self control of themselves and strong discipline to stop gambling.

This is only possible if the person is not an addicted gambler or a Chronic gambler and again such person's does really surrendered him or her self purely to the religion because I strongly understand every believer of any religion are a dedicated member who are truly routed into that commission and would never wants to act against their ethics and religious.

So, those who are merely converts may not stops gambling and until they understand the things of their doctrine and have fear to follow those things carefully may lead them to stop gambling, hence if the spirit is not convinced and the body is willing such person would certainly go back to gambling. Until the body and souls is routed and convinced then such persons will definitely quit gambling and must not be given a space otherwise whenever he comes to his carnal body he might go back to his past did.

In many religions, gambling is indeed considered a sin, but despite this, there are still individuals who choose to engage in gambling activities. It is true that religion alone may not be the sole determining factor for someone to change their behavior. Ultimately, it is up to the individual's personal beliefs, values, and choices. Religion serves to teach people what is considered right or wrong, but the acceptance and adherence to these teachings depend on the individual's own decisions and level of commitment.

I think it's obvious that yes.
there are religions that require a series of "forced" almost anti-natural actions, I'm not mentioning anything specifically, however .... asking not to bet it could be considered as something normal.

keep doing it secretly? certain religions admit error as an intrinsic part of faith.
in theory I think it's something acceptable. but I think also that each specific case is something apart...

Not actually if you are a compulsive there's still a big chance that you came back and gamble. Gambling is forbidden by Islam but I know one of my neighbor still doing it despite that its been discourage to do on their religion. So having this said its still depends on the person since no one can stop each individual to participate on activities related to gambling. Maybe there's a time they would stop buy for sure they came back especially when they start to get bored then still have an access to any gambling platform.

It all depends on the conditions attached, if the gambler newly converted is also a newbie to gambling he may easily quit and be submissive to his new faith, also if he's left with no alternatives than to depends on them for his survival then he has to go by thier dictates especially when the new religion doesn't allow gambling, but if in the case of an addicted gambler, am sorry they will have alot of efforts to give


Don't be surprised people change, especially when they have passion for what they are doing, if he truly determined to change, he can achieve that over time gradually.


He may later be caught so it's better not to start what will lead to shame, if he can't cope with their rules then he should alert them.

This is kind of off-topic and not relate to gambling discussion or gambling.

Humans are of complex behavior and anything can change them at anytime. Humans can have one behavior today and change tomorrow to something better or worst. That is just how people are.

You can see someone that give the testimony that after he become a religious person, that he is no more gambling again. You can see someone that sees it as fun because not all they call a sin in a religion that some people think are sin, example is fun gambling (and not addiction gambling) and moderate drinking of alcohol.

But in short, people are different and people's way of thinking are different. Religion may let someone not to gamble again but some people will continue to gamble. That is just how people are.

I'm not specific to any religion and hopefully, no members here will mention any religion, the topic is in general and not specific to one's religion

Can a compulsive gambler that is newly converted to one religion, compel him to stop gambling?

When we talk about religion it's about changing our ways, ideas, and beliefs so when we successfully help one compulsive gambler to convert from an example to an atheist to one's religion can we compel him to stop gambling?

Is it possible that he will continue playing but secretly?