Thread: Is it ethical to gamble millions of dollars away instead of using that money to help poor folks?

A news report today says that the former basketball star Charles Barkley has spent about 10 million dollars gambling. If he has lost that much money, why not just give it to those who could use it? Maybe he can afford to lose the money, but couldn't that money have been used in a better way?

ethical yes....logical no...it is our right as humans to spend our $$$ the way we want...thats the American way

i do not believe in gambling. At all. I think it should be illegal, and no I do not believe in the lottery either, and yes it could have been used in a better way.

To expand on what David said. There is a difference between being broke and poor. I have been broke several times over the years. I have never been poor. I am now doing well, and keep expecting to to that for some time in the future.

I go to Vegas, maybe once a year. I take some money to lose. I could give it away, but I like a little gambling fun. I hope Barkley knows when to stop.

I don't think this is a matter of being Ethical or not. I don't believe he lives according to Ethics. But even if he did Ethics is not the word here but generosity. He can spend all his money and even lose it all and still be Ethical. An Ethical person is under no obligation to be generous.

One way to look a this would be to consider those who have benefited from his gambling losses. Those employed at the casinos or other establishments where he gambles are profiting from his loss. I do believe that he has a right to spend his money anyway he sees fit. That being said, I think he would be much better off using that money more constructively. But if you think about it, do we really need all the tv's, computers, stereos, etc. that we spend money on when that money could be used to help others as well?

Gambling in just the state of Nevada employed more than two hundred thousand people in jobs where they earned a total of more than eight billion dollars. The state itself took away one billion dollars in taxes. Over fifty million people visited the state to engage in gambling there, and spent more money on hotels, food, and entertainment which in turn employed any number of other people and was taxed as well.

So let's not pretend that NOBODY benefits from legal gambling that goes on. If it were ended tomorrow it would put ridiculous amount of people out of work, cripple some state economies, and arguably not even stop a single addict from continuing to gamble illegally. It may be worth mentioning that there are many, many 'respectable' professions that are really little more than gambling as well - investing in stocks, businesses, and so on, for example.

Link below for statistics.

--If you don't mind , I will present religious idea from the Bible as to how Gambling to many was like a religion with the god or goddess of Good Luck--AND how that might be the same type of influence that is infecting people today

--Of interest is how in past times that there was a particular god or goddess referred to as the "god of good luck" , "god of destiny", "god of fortune"--THE Bibles God referred to these as false gods!

--IT IS also of interest that the once favored, people of God , the Israelites turned to these beggarly false ideas.

--(Isaiah 65:11-12) ?.*.*.But YOU men are those leaving Jehovah, those forgetting my holy mountain, those setting in order a table for the god of Good Luck and those filling up mixed wine for the god of Destiny. "

Isaiah 65:11

11" But you who turn away from the Lord, who forget My holy mountain, who set a table for the false god, Gad, and who fill cups of mixed wine for the false female goddess, Meni, 11 But you who turn away from the Lord, who forget My holy mountain, who set a table for the false god, Gad, and who fill cups of mixed wine for the false female goddess, Meni, "

--SO IF people believe in a concept so much , it can become as a religion with its own type of god, and they can become obsessed with so-called 'good luck''blessing' , 'fortune' or what ever else one would call winning!

--WHAT ELSE might account for such a search of a false sense of security and how many risk so much, as you mentioned of Barcley?
--THE SCARRY part is that many who have very little end up spending much for the chance & thrill of winning!

--AS TO something or someones actions being ethical , there are many views of ethics and many are based on poor values, so who really has the power & wisdom to judge ethics in such a materialistic world?
--MANY WILL do just about anything for money, so it would indeed need someone who has high standards of life far & beyond human values, in other words God is the ultimate judge to what we do or do not do, whether we wish to believe in him or not!

--THUS such a discussion can go no where but in circles , since many do not believe in a God of high standards!
--IT HAS also been said ---- "one cannot legislate love, generosity, mercy, kindness" etc.

--Just some food for thought!

Other people always think that they have a better idea of what to do with someone else's money. It's not your money, so you shouldn't have an opinion. Just because someone has a lot of money does not mean that they need to give it away.

Sure, I think like you do. Why did that rich guy spend 10 million on a yacht when that 10 million could buy seriously nice houses for 20 families in California? If I had 10 million, I know exactly what I would do with it... and none of it involved buying lame yachts or gambling.

I do know people who are very wealthy... and a lot of the stuff they buy makes my stomach churn. My dear friends just bought a 4 million dollar vacation home... that kills me! Especially when I think about my student loans, debt... etc. I think, geez, if they would just give me 1 million dollars, I would be set for life... but those thought are covetous. Thou shalt not covet.... They worked hard for their money and deserve to spend it in whatever way they choose to... even if it makes me bite my tongue.