Is There a Difference between Investing and Gambling? A Christian Perspective

Journal of Biblical Integration in Business, Vol. 19, p. 57-71, 2016

15 Pages Posted: 16 Nov 2016 Last revised: 12 Dec 2016

Date Written: January 1, 2016

Abstract

To an economist, investment represents a mutually beneficial transfer of capital that fuels the engine of economic growth and leads to improved standards of living. A gamble tends to be an entertaining, zero-sum, short-term bet. The increasing popularity of a gambling culture along with increasing short-term speculation with derivative financial instruments has blurred the line between investing and gambling. This paper considers a biblical perspective on investment and gambling and seeks to delineate the two.

Keywords: Investment, Zero Sum Game, Gambling

JEL Classification: G10

Suggested Citation

Saunders, Kent T., Is There a Difference between Investing and Gambling? A Christian Perspective (January 1, 2016). Journal of Biblical Integration in Business, Vol. 19, p. 57-71, 2016, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2868759

Kent T. Saunders (Contact Author)

Anderson University ( email )

316 Boulevard
Anderson, SC 29621
United States

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
451
Abstract Views
1,516
Rank
117,669
PlumX Metrics