Are raffle draws considered gambling?

[impulse709]

I have also been in a religious gathering where we bought tickets to compete in different games. The funniest part of it is that the teachings of this organisation forbid gambling. Most people didn't see it as gambling. They saw it as a means of raising funds for projects. So I would have to assume that the mindset of participants will determine if an activity is gambling or not.

There are no assumptions in life, ignorance of a law doesn’t mean the penalties of breaking such laws won’t affect you, the fact that the church doesn’t consider raffle draws as gambling doesn’t change the fact that it is actually gambling in real sense, any thing that involves using money to get money in a way that requires predictions or selections in a particular pattern amongst two or more parties is gambling, ones mindset can’t change that fact, so to me if really the church is against gambling they should avoid it in all its forms, even if the purpose is to generate money for a project doesn’t change the fact that various persons are competing and that those that lose their money won’t be angry at the end. I stand to be corrected because am not so certain but i have read some religious books but i don’t think i came across where gambling was prohibited in the bible, so i don’t really know why the church is against it, to me if people can actually gamble responsibly it won’t be a problem because the world itself is just like one is gambling, nothing is certain, no one knows tomorrow.

A raffle is not quite a raffle unless there's a purpose to it, I think, but the mechanics are important as well. With or without a church, charity or business organization, its basic attributes are the same when people pay for a ticket and the winner is selected from a random drawing. While it may be for a fundraiser. It doesn't alter the way the winner is determined. However, not all raffles are considered the same locally as some jurisdictions have special rules or exemptions for charitable raffles. Organisations that oppose gambling would be wise to be consistent with their principles. From a practical standpoint. As it can cause confusion within the organisation itself.

[KiaKia]

Anything that requires you risking money is a act of gambling, raffle draws are all gambles because you can come back with nothing, the chances of coming back empty handed is high but someone got to win.

There is nothing else we can call this than gambling, it will .because acceptable if risking money isn't involved, I can call it a game then or something else, this isn't a challenge where the winner goes home with a prize.

[ArabBTC]

I have also been in a religious gathering where we bought tickets to compete in different games. The funniest part of it is that the teachings of this organisation forbid gambling. Most people didn't see it as gambling. They saw it as a means of raising funds for projects. So I would have to assume that the mindset of participants will determine if an activity is gambling or not.

There are no assumptions in life, ignorance of a law doesn’t mean the penalties of breaking such laws won’t affect you, the fact that the church doesn’t consider raffle draws as gambling doesn’t change the fact that it is actually gambling in real sense, any thing that involves using money to get money in a way that requires predictions or selections in a particular pattern amongst two or more parties is gambling, ones mindset can’t change that fact, so to me if really the church is against gambling they should avoid it in all its forms, even if the purpose is to generate money for a project doesn’t change the fact that various persons are competing and that those that lose their money won’t be angry at the end. I stand to be corrected because am not so certain but i have read some religious books but i don’t think i came across where gambling was prohibited in the bible, so i don’t really know why the church is against it, to me if people can actually gamble responsibly it won’t be a problem because the world itself is just like one is gambling, nothing is certain, no one knows tomorrow.

A raffle is not quite a raffle unless there's a purpose to it, I think, but the mechanics are important as well. With or without a church, charity or business organization, its basic attributes are the same when people pay for a ticket and the winner is selected from a random drawing. While it may be for a fundraiser. It doesn't alter the way the winner is determined. However, not all raffles are considered the same locally as some jurisdictions have special rules or exemptions for charitable raffles. Organisations that oppose gambling would be wise to be consistent with their principles. From a practical standpoint. As it can cause confusion within the organisation itself.

Exactly my point if the church perceives gambling as being against their standards then they should avoid it in every way it presents, kicking against gambling but conducting fundraising through raffle draws in church is actually a double standard no matter the reason behind it, to me i don’t even know why some religious groups will kick against gambling, if someone makes his predictions and leaves them to chance with the mindset that he could win or lose i really don’t see the crime in it, especially when the money he used wasn’t stolen from anyone and he is not cheating his opponent in the gambling. We leave in a free world and everyone knows what they want, as long as a gambler isn’t cheating to win and the gambler is gambling responsibly and also not using stolen money i really don’t see any crime he has committed by gambling.

[viljy]

A lottery is a form of gambling. It is acceptable for a church to collect donations and sell religious items (such as prayer books, crosses, or ritual items like candles), but I cannot imagine a church holding a lottery. While there is no direct prohibition against gambling in Christianity, there is also no explicit approval for it. Therefore, the decision to hold such events is ultimately up to the local church hierarchy. This highlights the evolution and divergence of various branches of Christianity over time.

[iv4n]

• The tickets sales generated a lot of money of which the prize rewards were only about 30% of the total sales which can be considered 30% RTP

And where is the rest of the money?

- Is it right that a Religious house speaks against gambling, but allows raffle draws?

When I was young, I thought there were double standards... but I found out it's not just double standards. When you go deeper, you find out there are multiple standards, selective standards... the hypocrisy is so obvious, the rules can change at any moment.

- Can raffle draws be considered a form of gambling?

It's the same, but it's not the same... now you figure it out. If you don't wish to bother yourself with hard thinking & questioning what you see/hear, you will just accept whatever others serve you.

[bubilas]

- Can raffle draws be considered a form of gambling?
- Is it right that a Religious house speaks against gambling, but allows raffle draws?

The lottery is probably the easiest way to gamble. There are no consequences unless the ticket buyer wins the jackpot, because the internet is full of stories of such lucky winners experiencing life-changing events, often for the worse. After all, such people aren't trained in money management. As for the church, it shouldn't encourage any form of gambling. In the country where I live, the church even prohibits fortune-telling and card games, even for fun.
And I believe this should be strict in all religions.

[TypoTonic]

- Can raffle draws be considered a form of gambling?

Let's take a look at its definition: "Gambling is risking money (or another item of value) on an event of uncertain outcome, with the possibility of gaining an increased return." If we base on this, then raffle draws can easily be considered as gambling. You risk your money to buy tickets, for a chance to win something of greater value. There's also no skill involved, and the results are entirely random/luck-based.

- Is it right that a Religious house speaks against gambling, but allows raffle draws?

That's basically going against their own teachings. But if the raffle is free, then I think it's okay, since anyone will be able to join without risking their money.

[Betwrong]

~here are the questions
- Can raffle draws be considered a form of gambling?
- Is it right that a Religious house speaks against gambling, but allows raffle draws?

Gambling is when you risk your money. Risking any amount of money is gambling. Since you are saying, "I bought 4 of such tickets", the event was definitely on the gambling side. I don't know nothing about the rules of a "Religious house", so I can't say anything in that regard, but overall I think, there's nothing wrong about a good old ruffle.

[Julien_Olynpic]

Of course, this is gambling. After all, it involves chance (luck), and both losing money (more often) and winning money (less often) are possible. In my opinion, the church should not patronize such behavior. However, we are all human and we all strive to develop, and it's human nature to be curious about chance. A person must have a holistic worldview, and it's undesirable for this worldview to have significant gaps. This explains everyone's love of gambling and their genuine interest in the process itself.

[imthegreat]

I find it rather questionable that the church so readily tolerates gambling in its midst, considering that even the lottery is gambling, in my opinion. However, could the lottery become addictive?
The answer is a resounding yes. In my country, a saleswoman stole 200 lottery tickets to try her luck. As you can imagine, she couldn't control herself and wanted to get rich that way, although we're not talking about online casinos here, only lottery tickets, which at first glance appear harmless entertainment.

[swogerino]

Of course, this is gambling. After all, it involves chance (luck), and both losing money (more often) and winning money (less often) are possible. In my opinion, the church should not patronize such behavior. However, we are all human and we all strive to develop, and it's human nature to be curious about chance. A person must have a holistic worldview, and it's undesirable for this worldview to have significant gaps. This explains everyone's love of gambling and their genuine interest in the process itself.

Anything that offers incentive for you to use money with the hope of getting a better value than the money you risked then definitely is considered gambling. Even if it is a raffle draw which you get for free in a super market if you spend like 20 dollars to enter the draw to win a 2 bedroom apartment, something very common from many well known markets in December, the holidays period. Even this is considered gambling because if you have luck then you win an apartment out of nowhere  and that is all.

[GreatArkansas]

Of course, this is gambling. After all, it involves chance (luck), and both losing money (more often) and winning money (less often) are possible. In my opinion, the church should not patronize such behavior. However, we are all human and we all strive to develop, and it's human nature to be curious about chance. A person must have a holistic worldview, and it's undesirable for this worldview to have significant gaps. This explains everyone's love of gambling and their genuine interest in the process itself.

I agree; this is crazy! I remember when I was a child, there was a celebration in our church in our village, like it's kinda a patronal fiesta. I remember, I won some raffle draws during that time, and during that night too they organized bingo games, which I remember I won an electric fan appliance 

But I don't remember if there were money involved during this time, I was really young before, like I don't think you need to pay to get participate before to raffle or bingo game.

[PostQuantumBTC]

A lottery is a form of gambling. It is acceptable for a church to collect donations and sell religious items (such as prayer books, crosses, or ritual items like candles), but I cannot imagine a church holding a lottery. While there is no direct prohibition against gambling in Christianity, there is also no explicit approval for it. Therefore, the decision to hold such events is ultimately up to the local church hierarchy. This highlights the evolution and divergence of various branches of Christianity over time.

Raffle and lottery are not both the same thing. What is talked about on this thread is about raffle and not lottery. Money is not a reward in raffle, but prizes like cars and others can be the reward. In lottery, money can be the reward or the rewards I have mentioned for raffle.

A raffle is used to raise funds.
Example is if the church needs a new sets of chairs, use raffle to make money but give a prize to the winner of the raffle. It is gambling but I think that can be accepted in church, but the church should let the church members know what is going on and what they need money for. Some people can donate the money without raffle, but just to make it fun.

Raffle is just ones in awhile, unlike lottery that can be every week or every month.

[Ishicryptic]

During church harvests celebrations I also notice this raffle draws inside the church premises and I often ask myself if it is not also gambling because it has all the functions of gambling. I don't have a problem with the raffle draws in the church because the aim is to generate money for the church during harvest celebrations but my problem is that churches condemns gambling which I see as hypocritical.

The only difference that I see with regular gambling like lottery and these raffle draws is that you cannot get addicted to raffle draws that happens like once in a year or was choosing during events to add fun and make money for the organizers. In the regular gambling you can become addicted because it is there everyday but in raffle draws that happens once in a while you cannot be addicted to it even if you wanted to. I wonder if organizers of raffle draws who condemns gambling knows that it is no different from gambling just ignores the fact because they want to make money or they are simply ignorant, whatever their reasons are we gamblers knows that there is no difference.

[LogitechMouse]

---
here are the questions
- Can raffle draws be considered a form of gambling?
- Is it right that a Religious house speaks against gambling, but allows raffle draws?

Short answer. Yes. Raffle draws are considered a form of gambling.

Raffle draws is a form of gambling IF they will require the participants to pay money in exchange for a prize. It's like when you're in a lotto where you will pay money in exchange for a bigger money. No difference, and as long as they will require you to pay money in order to participate, that's a form of gambling because winning on it is purely based on sheer luck and nothing more.

As for your second answer, isn't that a bit hypocritical that they're speaking against gambling, but they allow it? Well, if the raffle draws are free then it's not considered as gambling. For sure many here will say that "They're doing it so that they have funds to sustain the church or for the maintenance of the church, blah blah." and yes I don't see anything wrong there, but it's just that, they're becoming hypocrites if they're doing it, but going against it.

[Dave1]

During church harvests celebrations I also notice this raffle draws inside the church premises and I often ask myself if it is not also gambling because it has all the functions of gambling. I don't have a problem with the raffle draws in the church because the aim is to generate money for the church during harvest celebrations but my problem is that churches condemns gambling which I see as hypocritical.

The only difference that I see with regular gambling like lottery and these raffle draws is that you cannot get addicted to raffle draws that happens like once in a year or was choosing during events to add fun and make money for the organizers. In the regular gambling you can become addicted because it is there everyday but in raffle draws that happens once in a while you cannot be addicted to it even if you wanted to. I wonder if organizers of raffle draws who condemns gambling knows that it is no different from gambling just ignores the fact because they want to make money or they are simply ignorant, whatever their reasons are we gamblers knows that there is no difference.

Still it's not an excuse just because you can't be addicted doesn't mean it's not a form of gambling itself. They are carefully using the word "raffle", but if you need money in order to join and win in return, then that is already gambling.

Yes, I do agree, it's a double edge sword for churches to declare gambling as bad or sinful and yet they allow this kind of raffles and hide it as not form of gambling but by helping the church itself to raise money.

[Cointxz]

- Can raffle draws be considered a form of gambling?
- Is it right that a Religious house speaks against gambling, but allows raffle draws?

Depending on the structure of the raffle on your case it’s not a gambling since it’s an event of a church and the prize is not a money. Raffle can be a gambling if the prize is money or items that is equivalent to the total prize pool if all the money for the event is collected. The purpose of the raffle is the one that decides if it’s gambling or not.

Again on this case, Raffle is just use as mechanics for a paid charity event. It’s the same when giving offering to the church but this time they giving back in form of items.

[AVE5]

To participate in a raffle draw one must spend an amount of money or do some tasks and also winning is also based on luck, this is what makes it more about gambling. If you have to pay money to be part of those that qualifies for it then you are automatically gambling. The answer is yes, it's gambling.

Obviously gambling is any rewarding events of participants who're deemed to be winners by meeting up a required task, it could be in playin against the house or playing against friends and can be outdoors, indoors or social events.
In some scenario's of the raffle draw you'll with buy tickets to participate or participants would have one way or the other to qualify and participate while participants either make deposits a value to reward the winner or it's an event being hosted by a single person or organization.
It's usual like a show and not just like the traditional gambling.

[Zadicar]

You have to pay money before you can be part of the people, just like lotttery. Anything that you pay money and expecting more money in return within a short period of time are gambling. Just to make this to be short, what you explained is just gambling. But it is fun, not often and no addiction and it is recreational and social.

Was suppose to say the same thing on which as long you are paying on something to win something then its basically gambling and thats just common sense not unless if there's no risks on your side then it cant be called gambling since you havent risks something. On this one then you are paying for some tickets or trying up to join some draws which usually you would be needing up to pay something then its gamble. Also, to those organizers of these draws would be needing up to get something from people to make it happen and they wouldnt just that run a draw out of theirr own pockets not unless if this would be some sort of gift or what on which it wouldnt really be taking any money from those who do want to join but this isnt that too common on which usually most of these draws does have that payment or needing up to pay for the tickets or membership etc.

[Gozie51]

Now reconnecting it to gambling,

• A lot of people bought these tickets with varying amounts of money which can be considered the staking power
• Lots of rewards were available of which most of them were X100 - X1000 of the worth of money used by people for ticket purchases
• The tickets sales generated a lot of money of which the prize rewards were only about 30% of the total sales which can be considered 30% RTP
• Tickets were bought for the possibility of winning various rewards and it was tied to a random outcome
• More ticket buys doesn't not guarantee winning, just like throwing more money into the casino doesn't validate your winning anything

One simple fact about gambling is that you have to involve money in it for the purpose of winning and attracting additional money or value of the money you have involved. If you bought a raffle ticket to aim for something bigger than the value of the raffle ticket then you are gambling. And by extension, you may buy the ticket to enter for that situational price and end up not winning it. This latter scenario is even the clearer picture of gambling as it is characterized by winning or losing.

So for all those that you have mentioned that contained in the quote, they are factors indicating that gambling is involved.

here are the questions
- Can raffle draws be considered a form of gambling?

Yes if it is the type you have mentioned in your post whether it is from a religious background is not exempted since there

it are people who won more than what the value of raffle is higher than and some didn't win. Again, the church used the opportunity to enriched themselves from the raffles sold. In other words, they have acted like casinos and house edge prevented some from winning anything  

- Is it right that a Religious house speaks against gambling, but allows raffle draws?

It is not right for religious house to go into raffle draws like you have narrated it. That's gambling. They have lured people into gambling. Gambling outcome is either for joy or pain and every participants of the raffle draw had a share of either joy or pain.

However, what religious home usually do is church bazaar where funds are raised for charity etc.