How can churches support those with gambling addiction?

It has been estimated that two or three in every 100 people in the UK have some kind of gambling problem, with between eight and twelve in every hundred gambling in ways that are harmful or risk being harmful in the future. 13 million people, or one-fifth of the UK population, are harmed directly or indirectly by gambling.

Those statistics are shocking, and they have profound implications for the church. A church of a hundred people might have a dozen who have a gambling problem, are at risk of harm from gambling, or are addicted to gambling. How can the church help those who are trapped in gambling addiction?

When Jesus began his ministry, he declared his mission using words from the prophet Isaiah:

Addicts often feel poor, oppressed and imprisoned by their addiction. They need to know that Jesus has the power to set them free. This is unlikely to happen overnight, and will only be fully completed in the New Creation, but there is hope for healing from their distress through the power of the gospel.

Specialised help and input can be invaluable in fighting addiction, but the church has a key part to play in proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, speaking hope, and pointing people to Jesus, the only one who can set us fully free.

It may be that you begin your support at a moment of crisis for a friend who is addicted to gambling. It is important to remember that if someone is in immediate danger, you need not be afraid to act quickly. If they are having suicidal thoughts, you can point them toward helplines, such as:

• The Samaritans, who you can call on 116 123 any time. You can also email jo@samaritans.org for a reply within 24 hours.
• The Shout Crisis Text Line by texting “SHOUT” to 85258, or text “YM” if you are under 19.
• Childline, for those under 19, can be reached on 0800 1111 any time, and the number will not appear on your phone bill.

If someone’s life is at risk, or if you do not feel you can keep yourself or someone else safe, call 999 or visit A&E. A mental health emergency is as serious as a physical emergency. You will not be wasting anyone’s time.

Addiction thrives on secrecy. Addicts often hide the extent of their gambling, and the harm that it has caused. Scripture encourages us to bring our problems into the light, being honest with our Heavenly Father, and finding grace to help in our time of need.

David gives a good example of this in Psalm 32:

Difficult though it is, God encourages us to be honest about our difficulties and failures, confessing our sins so that we might be assured of his forgiveness.

Gently, and with compassion, we can encourage those who struggle with gambling to be honest about their problem. The NHS have some helpful questions to facilitate that conversation:

• Do you bet more than you can afford to lose?
• Do you need to gamble with larger amounts of money to get the same feeling?
• Have you borrowed money or sold anything to get money to gamble?
• Has your gambling caused you feelings of stress or anxiety?
• Has your gambling caused any financial problems for you or your household?

GambleAware has some good questions that can also help:

• I can see you’re not happy at the minute. Is there anything you want to talk about?
• I’ve noticed you’ve been gambling a lot recently, is everything OK? Is there anything I can do to help?
• Do you feel your gambling might be tipping into something less enjoyable?
• I could help you look at what support and advice is available, if that would help?

As we encourage our fellow Christians to be honest about their struggle with gambling, we need to respond by listening well. When we listen effectively to others, especially those who are going through difficulties, we reflect the character of God:

Just as the Lord listens to us, we listen to others. As we listen, we reassure those who struggle that God hears them.

Addiction carries with it a great deal of shame. Many addicts isolate themselves for fear of being found out. Speaking openly and honestly about their addiction is hard and involves confronting the shame that they have kept hidden.

We may not agree with the choices that our friends and fellow Christians might have made because of their addiction to gambling. Nevertheless, as they open up about their struggles and expose their shame, we need to respond with kindness, listening and not offering judgment. There will be practical steps that will need to be taken in due course to put things right. But our first response is loving kindness in our listening.

The apostle Paul reminds the Christians in Ephesus:

Living lives of holiness and godliness is a battle. J. C. Ryle, who was Bishop of Liverpool at the end of the nineteenth century, wrote: “True Christianity is a struggle, a fight, and a warfare… Where there is grace there will be conflict. The believer is a soldier. There is no holiness without a warfare.”

If that is true of the Christian life as a whole, it is certainly true of a Christian’s battle with addiction. Overcoming gambling addiction is a struggle in which we need the full armour of God in order to withstand the attacks of the world, the flesh, and the devil. As the puritan pastor John Owen wrote, “be killing sin, or it will be killing you.”

If the struggle against addiction is warfare, then we need fellow-soldiers in the battle to stand alongside the addict in their fight. The church can fulfil this role, by supporting an addict through their struggles, and by being honest about our own battles and difficulties too.

One addict has said about their battle with addiction: “no one can do it for you, but you can’t do it alone”. Overcoming gambling addiction needs an honest and supportive community which will persevere with addicts through the ups and downs of their fight. The church ought to be just such a place. As the writer of the Hebrews urges:

Every Christian needs other Christians to spur one another on, and someone with addiction is no different. Churches can be a place where supportive friends can rally around someone struggling with gambling. From practical help, to accountability, to listening and speaking truth, churches can be communities where addicts grow in godliness and self-control. As counsellor and author, Tim Lane, has noted: “A church community that understands that we are all fellow strugglers on the same path should be a very welcoming place for addicts.”

While the opportunity for friendship with other Christians is itself very powerful, some churches run specific recovery or support groups for addicts. These can provide a safe space where struggles can be shared with openness and honesty, and Biblical truths about addition can be taught. If a church of a hundred or so has a dozen people who struggle with gambling, you may find your church has enough people to run such a group.

An addict may need other specialist support in their fight against addiction too. Counselling or therapy is very often a crucial part of finding freedom from addiction. Some talking therapies are available on the NHS, while some churches also offer free or low-cost Christian counselling. Since gambling addiction often causes relationship difficulties, marriage counselling may be an appropriate resource to take up.

Treatment services can also help an addict in the battle. There is a specialist treatment clinic for gambling as part of the NHS in England. They can provide therapy, support, and help for family and friends. You can self-refer or access treatment through your GP. Your GP can also be a key ally in finding appropriate treatment and mental health services.

One of the biggest struggles for addicts is dealing with temptation. Triggers for a gambling addict can occur in many different places, and the temptation to relapse is great.

Jesus has radical instructions when it comes to dealing with temptation:

While Jesus’ words might seem harsh, and not to be taken entirely literally, we must not dull the edge of what he says. If we know that something leads us into temptation, we must remove it entirely. It is better to go without that thing than be lead down a destructive path yet again.

For the gambling addict, one way to remove temptation is to use self-exclusion services. GamStop (gamstop.co.uk) is a free service that allows you to block access to your accounts on gambling websites and apps. GamBan (gamban.com) is a blocking tool that stops gambling apps, and also has tools to help you stop gambling. Both of these services can be accessed through TalkBanStop (gamban.com/talkbanstop) which also links to GamCare for confidential advice and support. GambleAware (gambleaware.org) also offers tools to help and advise.

Gamblers who wish to stop can also ask their bank to block money from going to gambling apps or websites. Most UK banks allow you to do this and, when you have this activated, if you try to gamble your transaction will be declined.

Once a gambling addict has begun the process of recovery, there are usually practical financial steps that need to be taken.

Those addicted to gambling often run up significant debts to fund their gambling habit. It is important to tackle this debt rather than ignore it. Many churches offer debt advice, or can signpost people to debt counselling and support. It can be hard for an addict to admit their need for financial advice in this way, but “plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed” (Proverbs 15:22).

If debts are dealt with, or a payment plan arranged, there can still be financial difficulties to overcome. Making a budget and planning ahead is vital to ensure that an addict is able to get on a sure financial footing. The church can support people by talking through their situation, offering help to plan a budget, and accountability in actions such as cutting up credit cards.

Someone trapped in gambling addiction is usually looking for a big jackpot. That substantial win that will make them wealthy and deal with all their problems. Even though the likelihood of such a win is vanishingly small, a gambling addict keeps pursuing that way to gain riches.

The Bible gives us a different approach to life. Paul tells the Thessalonians:

He tells them in his next letter “to settle down and earn the food they eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:12). It is good to work with our hands and earn our own wages, if we can. It is commendable for Christians “to do something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need” (Ephesians 4:28). It changes our mindset from ‘get rich quick’ to working hard in order to be generous. For the addict, working hard is often necessary in order to deal with debt and financial issues too.

Working with our hands is also useful to combat cravings to return to addictive behaviour. Addiction specialists counsel people to take up hobbies as a distraction when the urge to gamble gets too strong. Churches offer a multitude of ways for someone to get involved, depending on their gifts, time, and skills. Serving others is a good way to distract from the desire to gamble and give something to others instead.

There are a wide range of things that the church can do to help someone with gambling addiction. From financial help and advice, to opportunities to serve, to support groups and community, the church is well placed to be a force for good in an addict’s life.

But the church has something more important than all these things to offer: Jesus. He is the only one who can bring full healing and wholeness to the addict, who offers freedom from guilt and shame, and who gives strength for the fight against sin and the power to pursue holiness.

While the church can do many other things to help those with gambling addiction, it can – and must – point people to Jesus. Through Biblical preaching, prayer, encouragement and discipleship, the church can urge the addict to focus on Jesus. Addiction can direct our focus inward toward ourselves. The gospel pulls our eyes away from ourselves to gaze on Jesus. That enables every Christian, whether an addict or not, to focus on what is most important. As the writer of Hebrews exhorts us: