Could Gambling and Religion Have Something in Common


I've read that what makes casino gambling so appealing is uncertainty. People don't know what lies ahead of them in the game so they go forward. About 2% of the population has some level of gambling addiction.

It seems to me uncertainty about death is similar. If this uncertainty bothers a person maybe going forward into religion helps him. There is an old saying that doing something is always better than doing nothing.

Casino gambling often involves rituals as does religion. I've read that people believe there odds go up if they gamble at certain times of the day.

The uncertainty is a form of mystery. There is plenty of mystery in both religion and gambling. A couple of  mysteries are what happens after we die versus figuring out why sometimes people win big. Games of chance seem as old as humans as does religion.

Churches are designed to encourage the mood or mystery wanted by religious leaders. We all know about the lights and noise in casinos and how it is designed to keep people excited, entertained and willing to toss money into slot machines.

One of the biggest similarities is the effect of losing. Addiction experts say that losing in gambling triggers a reaction similar to winning. Instead of rationally observing gambling was not paying off, the addicted person perceives his odds of winning are greater because he has been losing. When bad things happen to religious people who have been praying for a better outcome, the reactions is often to pray more.

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