What If Areala Already Called Me?

Anyone who enters the world of Torah knows that Halacha has something to say about literally everything, including the smallest details in life, even thoughts and glances. There are people who find this intimidating, but there are those who feel it brings order to their lives, providing structured and desirable guidance. One of these seemingly small details is participation in various gambling competitions. It may seem like a private and marginal matter. In practice, it's an issue that rabbinical authorities have discussed extensively throughout the generations.

"The root of this matter is found in Tractate Sanhedrin, in the Mishnah that lists people who are disqualified from giving testimony," says Rabbi Gad Lior. "One of them is the dice player, meaning gambling with dice. The Gemara discusses - why is a dice player disqualified from giving testimony? Well, there is a halachic concept stating that if a person gambles money in a way where they haven't fully decided to spend that amount, there is an element of theft for whoever wins that sum."

But if you gambled, then you gambled and took all possibilities into account, didn't you?
"If, for example, a contractor tells you he'll give you the keys to your new apartment at the beginning of Tishrei, and for each month after that, if construction isn't finished - he'll give you $500 - that's reasonable. But if someone says if I don't give you the keys at the beginning of Tishrei - you'll get a million dollars for each month - this shows he has no monetary intention to commit to such an amount, but rather wants to convince you. This is called 'Asmachta.' This action isn't valid, and therefore it's theft. How is this related to our topic? The Gemara says that the dice player doesn't truly intend to pay. That is, he thinks he will win. And since he believes he will win, if and when he loses - he didn't really fully intend to give the money, and therefore there is an element of theft."

Rabbi Lior continues explaining that there are all kinds of games, and the halachic approach to them depends on the specific type of gambling. "If the game is purely based on luck, conducted on a relatively massive scale, and the person knows they have chances of losing, there is less of a theft problem. But if two people are gambling against each other - there's more of an issue, because there's a chance that neither intended to actually part with their money."

The Gambler Loses the True Value of Money

In practice, the Halacha is divided into two today. For Ashkenazim, who follow the rulings of the Rama, playing dice - meaning filling out lottery forms - is permitted. But for Sephardim, who follow the rulings of the Shulchan Aruch and Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, it is forbidden. "Rabbi Ovadia Yosef says that in these games of chance, since the chance of winning is very small, they deceive the person," explains Rabbi Lior. "The person doesn't buy the ticket with complete judgment, but out of deception. They hear Areala on the radio calling winners and selling an illusion. In a blurred state, they buy a ticket, thinking they will win. When they lose, there's essentially an issue of Asmachta. Therefore, Rabbi Ovadia is very strict about this and says there's an issue of monetary theft. That's why throughout the years he didn't agree for his institutions to receive support from the Mifal HaPais (Israel's national lottery)."

And if I've already won and Areala has called me, what do I do with the money?
"If you're Ashkenazi, you bless it and do good things with the money. If you're Sephardi - you shouldn't have reached this situation, but if you have - everyone should consult with their rabbis. In principle, there are those who permit it after the fact, and it's not completely forbidden money."

What about gambling in general?
"A person whose main occupation is gambling, and this is his livelihood - is disqualified from giving testimony according to the Gemara, because such a person loses the true value of people's money. Therefore, he is disqualified from testifying in monetary cases, and all the more so in capital cases. His approach to this world is less serious. The Gemara says that such a person does not engage in settling the world, and this is not at all simple."What about the distinction between Lotto and Toto? Rabbi Menashe Ben Porat delves into the issue from the Sephardic-halachic perspective. "Toto is completely forbidden, because the money goes to soccer teams, some of whose games are held on Shabbat. It turns out that with our money we are assisting in transgressions. Regarding Lotto, there are rabbis who permit it, but the opinion of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef is to forbid it.

"The source is in the Gemara's words that dice players are disqualified from testimony. And there are two reasons for this in the Gemara. First, because they do not engage in settling the world. That is, they are not creative, and they do not know the value of money, because money comes and goes from them easily, so they can lie in testimony because they don't understand the importance of their testimony. According to this reason, if they engage in another profession, they are not disqualified from testimony. Second, it's theft, in the Gemara's language 'Asmachta.' Meaning, the person who committed to pay his friend in a dice game, and in our case in buying a lottery ticket, only did so because he thinks he will win, but if he knew he wouldn't win - he wouldn't commit. Therefore, giving the money is not with a full and complete heart, and the sages said this is theft. Rabbi Ovadia Yosef rules like the second reason, that it's rabbinic theft."

"But even for rabbis who permit it, certainly according to Judaism it's forbidden for a person to sit all day in a casino or playing games of chance, or buying various lotteries. Because even according to the first reason, it's a problem that he's not engaged in settling the world. And one must be very careful, even according to those who permit, that a person doesn't become addicted to this and spend a lot of money on it. There are many people who, because of the fantasy that they will earn some money in the future, have brought their families to financial ruin."

In the Haredi community, it's customary to occasionally hold raffles among donors to various charity organizations. Why is this permitted while Lotto is forbidden?

"For raffles for mitzvah purposes, everyone permits it, because a person gives the money wholeheartedly. Even if they don't win - they understand it's for a mitzvah."