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Lottery Winnings?


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A friend of mine & I were having a discussion regarding the lottery recently. It's pretty well known that we're encouraged to avoid playing the lottery (probably for a multitude of reasons, but in my experience, primarily) because it is a form of gambling. Also, the church doesn't accept tithing off of lottery winnings. My friend brought up a scenario. Let's say that someone buys you a lottery ticket as a gift. Do you accept it? What if it happens to win the jackpot? I suspect that the church still wouldn't accept tithing on it on principle, but would acceptance of that "gift" be wrong? I wasn't really sure how to answer my friend, so I thought I'd bring it to the board to see what others' perspectives were on it.

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CFR that the Church doesn't accept tithing off of lottery winnings. I've heard this, but have never been able to verify it. I've been asked this as a bishop, and while I strongly discourage people from gambling in any form, I've told them that if they were hypothetically to win the lottery, I would expect them to pay tithing on it (unless overruled by higher-ups). If that isn't increase, I don't know what is! :)

I have received lottery tickets, scratch tickets along with my pay stub at certain jobs before (never won anything, though). Had I won anything, I would have paid tithing on it. I did check the numbers and scratch them off, though . . . ;)

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CFR that the Church doesn't accept tithing off of lottery winnings.

I attended the Priesthood leadership meeting on the new handbooks as an assistant WML (so I didn't get a copy of my own), but in the Q&A, they talked specifically about the wording being changed for not accepting lottery/gambling winnings as tithing. Without having a manual of my own, I can't give you a better one than that.
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I attended the Priesthood leadership meeting on the new handbooks as an assistant WML (so I didn't get a copy of my own), but in the Q&A, they talked specifically about the wording being changed for not accepting lottery/gambling winnings as tithing. Without having a manual of my own, I can't give you a better one than that.

Hi guitarist... I don't understand... what wording was changed... did they change it to accepting tithing on lottery winnings?

GG

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I think that the idea the church will refuse tithing on gambling earnings is an urban legend.

The wording of the CHI has changed in the 2010 edition, but not in relation to the payment of tithing on gambling earnings, but the only change is that in the 2010 edition, members are no longer "urged to join with others who have similar concerns in opposing the legalization and government sponsorship of any form of gambling."

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Was actually asked in TR interviews in CA eons ago if I played the lottery. I asked the bishop what to do if I was given one, since they were new, and being given out as promotions for things like test driving cars, etc... His reply was that was not gambling, so no problems as long as I didn't purchase them myself. He did pose an interesting question. At the time, the option to take large prizes all up front did not exist, they were all paid out over 20 years. So if you won a million, you got 50K/year for 20 years. He stated that the church did not accept tithing on gambling winnings, but if you did not pay tithing on all your income you could not be a full tithe payer and did not qualify for a TR. Sooo...says he, do you really want to win and not be able to attend the temple for the next two decades? Interesting question.

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Couldn't you pay tithing and just not tell them it's on lottery winnings? My bishop doesn't ask me where I get my money, after all. He probably assumes I came by it honestly (which, for the record, I did :lol:).

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Hi guitarist... I don't understand... what wording was changed... did they change it to accepting tithing on lottery winnings?

GG

As I recall, the wording before was such that one wasn't explicitly told that gambling winnings were not accepted, but the meeting I attended made mention that some of the changes specifically prohibited taking gambling winnings. At least, that's what I remember. But that was 2 years ago, so I might be getting a detail or two wrong. But I do know that the 70 that was speaking to us about it (was the same one that headed up the rewrite), said that bishops were not to accept tithing on gambling/lottery. Over time, I may have translated that in my head to mean that it was in the CHI.
Couldn't you pay tithing and just not tell them it's on lottery winnings? My bishop doesn't ask me where I get my money, after all. He probably assumes I came by it honestly (which, for the record, I did :lol:).

Yeah, but even bishops recognize when your tithing amounts have jumped significantly from their normal levels, or upwards of 100 fold if you take the lump sum option.

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Couldn't you pay tithing and just not tell them it's on lottery winnings? My bishop doesn't ask me where I get my money, after all. He probably assumes I came by it honestly (which, for the record, I did :lol:).

That is kind of my thought. I've paid tithing on gambling winnings in the past. No one has ever sent me a refund check. I don't see on the tithing receipt that I submit with my tithing a place to include where the income came from.

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As I recall, the wording before was such that one wasn't explicitly told that gambling winnings were not accepted, but the meeting I attended made mention that some of the changes specifically prohibited taking gambling winnings. At least, that's what I remember. But that was 2 years ago, so I might be getting a detail or two wrong. But I do know that the 70 that was speaking to us about it (was the same one that headed up the rewrite), said that bishops were not to accept tithing on gambling/lottery. Over time, I may have translated that in my head to mean that it was in the CHI.

Yeah, but even bishops recognize when your tithing amounts have jumped significantly from their normal levels, or upwards of 100 fold if you take the lump sum option.

So, when I pay tithing on an inheritance, or a capital gain, or an insurance benefit, the bishop is going to question me? Hasn't happened in the past and I don't expect it to happen in the future.

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The statement in Handbook 2 "The Church opposes gambling in any form, including government-sponsored lotteries" seems pretty clear. It would seem very hypocritical of the church to oppose a lottery, but then benefit (in the form of tithes and offerings) if a member were to win.

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A related question is what about Latter-day Saints who live in, say, Las Vegas. If a Latter-day Saint accepts a job at a casino, is he or she allowed to pay tithing on the money? After all, such a situation could be construed as the church benefiting from the gambling industry.

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A related question is what about Latter-day Saints who live in, say, Las Vegas. If a Latter-day Saint accepts a job at a casino, is he or she allowed to pay tithing on the money? After all, such a situation could be construed as the church benefiting from the gambling industry.

I don't live in Lost Wages, but my understanding is that you can be an accountant/Cook/Hotel staff in a casino with no problem. But if you actually work on the casino floor as say, a pit boss, obtaining a TR is going to be a problem.

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When I was broke and in college I was called to be a Temple Worker. I had no Temple Clothing (I had rented till then) and none of the other white clothing I needed for the calling. I told God he had to sort this out and put it on my credit card.

The next day at work my boss passed out goodie packs to all employees including a lottery scratch-off card. I won $200 on my card. I paid off my credit card and put the rest in Fast Offerings (with the exception of one meal I figured God wanted me to have).

Sadly I am not able to tell this faith-promoting story in sacrament meeting. :(

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Can I be a professional poker player and pay tithing on my winnings? Can I own a brewery and pay tithing on my profits? In Canada lottery winnings are not taxable(yeah).If the Church refuses to accept some of my winnings as tithing, they will not refuse it as FO or Humanitarian or any number of other places on the receipt.

Can one pay tithing on profits from the stock market? That's a form of gambling if anything is!

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The current interpretation by the church defines 'increase' as 'income'. Unless you gamble for a living (a profession that would likely prevent you from holding a temple recommend and also likely keep you away from activity in the church) I do not see how lottery winnings could be interpreted as income. The instruction I have received in the past as a local leader was not to accept tithing on lottery winnings. This is not the purpose of tithing. One is free to donate to other categories, however. Of course, if you do not tell anybody where the money came from, nobody would know or care.

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A related question is what about Latter-day Saints who live in, say, Las Vegas. If a Latter-day Saint accepts a job at a casino, is he or she allowed to pay tithing on the money? After all, such a situation could be construed as the church benefiting from the gambling industry.

It comes down to the principle of tithing. You are to pay on what you earn as an honest laborer. Gambling does not involve honest labor. It is almost entirely based on luck, and most people loose. In a recent study of lottery winners in British Columbia, the vast majority loose their earnings within 12 months. If you are a horse doctor, much of your earnings may be from horses involved in races which is funded by gambling. The doctor, in my opinion, earned an honest living. When he practices his profession, he gets paid. It is not a game of chance. He gets paid, even if the horses he cares for loose the races.

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CFR that the Church doesn't accept tithing off of lottery winnings. I've heard this, but have never been able to verify it. I've been asked this as a bishop, and while I strongly discourage people from gambling in any form, I've told them that if they were hypothetically to win the lottery, I would expect them to pay tithing on it (unless overruled by higher-ups). If that isn't increase, I don't know what is! :)

I have received lottery tickets, scratch tickets along with my pay stub at certain jobs before (never won anything, though). Had I won anything, I would have paid tithing on it. I did check the numbers and scratch them off, though . . . ;)

You are exactly right. There is a lot of folklore on this topic but nothing in the handbooks. I know of a professional gambler (poker) who pays tithing on his winnings and has a temple recommend.

There are many members who live in Las Vegas who directly and indirectly profit from gambling.

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So, when I pay tithing on an inheritance, or a capital gain, or an insurance benefit, the bishop is going to question me? Hasn't happened in the past and I don't expect it to happen in the future.

This is precisely the question. I know many options traders who make a good living, and I know one professional poker player. Playing the odds is playing the odds, and at a point it is not "gambling" at all- it is a certainty over time that you will make a living.

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Is investing in stocks gambling?

Is owning a business which might fail gambling?

Is working for an employer who's business might fail gambling?

Every time you get out of bed, you take on a risk

Edited by mfbukowski
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