This is a question that makes many people emotional. It is the kind of subject that has drawn people into both extremes and absolutes very quickly. One side will yell, “It’s sin!” while the other side will be saying, “Oh, it’s no big deal; it’s just harmless!” However, what does the Bible say?
First of all, we need to understand that the Bible never discusses the “lottery” per se. It does speak to the motives of our heart in our actions though. Paul instructed the believers to “let each be fully convinced in his own mind” (Romans 14:5). In other words, if it is not explicitly mentioned as a commandment or a prohibition of something in the Bible, it is a matter of personal conviction between each believer and God.
Believers have most likely been told that purchasing a ticket is a lack of faith in God’s provision. That may be the case depending on the motive of the purchase. If it is a matter of gambling with false hope that a pot of gold is about to fall into your lap, it is greed. We see that Proverbs 28: 20 says, “He who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.” The problem is not the money but the covetous heart.
On the other hand, what if a believer purchases that dollar ticket not in greed but in simple preference? Let’s say the lottery profits fund educational scholarships or community service projects which a lot of them do. Let’s also say the believer knows the difference between luck and God and that winning is not a get-out-of-work-free card nor a solution to a financial emergency. Let’s say they are not tempting God nor leading others into temptation with their purchase. Well, in that situation, the believer’s conscience has been satisfied by God that they can do that if they want to. Romans 14: 23 tells us that “whatever is not from faith is sin.” In other words, the motivation of the heart is where it is at, not the dollar.
We also cannot ignore the character of God. He is not a game master constantly pummeling His kids for every trivial choice they make. Born-again believers live in grace not fear. God knows the difference between a heart that is coveting the lottery prize and a heart that is just exercising their freedom. He is not a bully or a control freak, so He has left some things to our conscience.
Is buying a lottery ticket wrong or personal preference? The honest, biblical, and moderate answer is it all depends on your heart. If your heart is coveting or believing a false hope, then yes, it is a lack of faith. However, if you can purchase the ticket with a clear conscience, no greed, and full trust in God’s sovereignty, then it is personal preference.
The key is don’t let someone else’s preference be your conviction. “Who are you to judge another man’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls” (Romans 14:4).
If you are living by faith, led by the Spirit, and your heart is right with God, He will direct your decisions, even on the small stuff.
So if you want to use discernment, and that’s exactly what the Bible calls for. The Lord doesn’t tell us to blindly accept what preachers say; He tells us to “test all things; hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). If a pastor preaches that buying a lottery ticket is automatically sin, he’s stepping beyond Scripture’s authority. That’s not teaching God’s Word, it’s adding to it.
Legalism does that. It takes something the Bible leaves to conscience and turns it into a rule. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for that very thing: “You reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your own tradition” (Mark 7:9). The Pharisees loved to make extra rules, claiming it made people “more holy,” but all it did was burden believers and shift focus from the heart to the outward act.
If you think about it this also brings out hypocrisy sometimes. Too many churches condemn the lottery from the pulpit, but if someone in their congregation actually won, they most likely would have no problem accepting a tithe from those winnings. That’s double-mindedness. James 3:17 says the wisdom from above is “without partiality and without hypocrisy.” God hates double standards.
The real issue isn’t whether buying a ticket is a sin. It’s whether your heart is relying on God or on chance. For some, that little slip of paper might be a temptation toward greed. For others, it’s just a harmless dollar they could’ve spent on a soda. That’s why Paul’s words in Romans 14 matter so much here: “Each of us will give an account of himself to God… let us not judge one another anymore” (Romans 14:12-13).
Yes, churches can be far too legalistic. Legalism tries to control behavior instead of guiding hearts. True shepherding teaches believers to walk by the Spirit and make godly choices through Scripture, not man-made fences. The Holy Spirit convicts personally, and that’s far more powerful than any preacher’s opinion.
So, we need to recognize the difference between man’s religion and biblical truth. If someone spends a dollar on a ticket with no greed in their heart, trusting God regardless of the outcome, it’s not our place to call them sinful. The Word of God, not church tradition, sets the line between sin and freedom.
Sola Scriptura Takeaway:
No preacher has the authority to add to the commandments God never wrote.
But no believer has the authority to twist liberty into license either.
So, the balanced and biblical position is this:
If you can buy that ticket in faith, with a pure heart before God, no greed, no false hope and full trust in His sovereignty, you have liberty. But if you can’t do it in faith, don’t do it, because for you it would be sin.
That’s Romans 14 lived out.
Our standard must be the Bible alone, not pulpits, not traditions.
