Kocka, karte i slične igre u kojima dobitak uglavnom ovisi o sreći, nisu samo štetne zabave, poput plesa, nego su jednostavno po svojoj naravi loše i vrijedne svake pokude; zbog toga ih zabranjuju i građanske i crkvene vlasti. No, u čemu je zlo? - pitat ćeš se. U takvim se igrama ne dobiva pameću, nego srećom, a ona se često okreće onomu tko to po svojim sposobnostima i vještini uopće ne zaslužuje; to, dakako, vrijeđa pamet - no, tako smo dogovorili, reći ćeš mi. Dakako, time dokazuješ da onaj tko dobiva ne čini ništa nažao onim drugima, ali to još ne znači da se i igra i pogodba ne protive razumu.
Dobitak mora biti nagrada za vještinu i okretnost, a ovdje on nagrađuje samo sreću koja ne zaslužuje ništa jer ne ovisi o nama.
Osim toga, te igre nazivamo razonodom i radi nje su i izmišljene; ipak, one sa zabavom nemaju ništa, nego su mučan posao; niie li posao kad ti je duh stalno obuzet i napregnut neprestanom pozornošću i bez prestanka ga muče nemir, strah i tjeskoba? Ima li sumornije, žalosnije i sjetnije pozornosti od pozornosti igrača na sreću? Zbog toga u takvoi igri ne smiješ govoriti, ne smiješ zakašljati; jer inače: začas ćeš planuti.
Konačno, u takvoj se igri čovjek raduje samo dobitku, a nije li to nepravedno kad nema dobitka bez suigračeva gubitka? Takva je radost zaista sramotna. Zbog tih su triju razloga takve igre zabranjene. Veliki kralj sveti Luj, znajući da se njegov brat grof anžuvinski kocka s Valterom Nemurskim, iako bolestan, skupio je posljednje snage i nekako se dovukao do njihove sobe, zgrabio ploču, kocke i ono nešto novca što se tamo našlo, i, silno srdit, sve zajedno bacio kroz prozor u more. Sveta i čista djevica Sara, govoreći Bogu o svojoj nevinosti, reče: Gospodine, ti znaš da se nikad nisam družila s kockarima.
Sv. Franjo Saleški, crkveni naučitelj
(Odlomak iz knjige Filotea, uvod u pobožni život)
Gambling, or gaming, is the staking of money or other thing of value on the issue of a game of chance. It thus belongs to the class of aleatory contracts which the gain or loss of the parties depends on an uncertain event. It is not gambling, in the strict sense, if a bet is laid on the issue of a game of skill like billiards or football. The issue must depend on chance, as in dice, or partly on chance, partly on skill, as in whist. Moreover, in ordinary parlance, a person who plays for small stakes to give zest to the game is not said to gamble; gambling connotes playing for high stakes.
OdgovoriIzbrišiIn its moral aspect, although gambling usually has a bad meaning, yet we may apply to it what was said about betting. On certain conditions, and apart from excess or scandal, it is not sinful to stake money on the issue of a game of chance any more than it is sinful to insure one's property against risk, or deal in futures on the produce market. As I may make a free gift of my own property to another if I choose, so I may agree with another to hand over to him a sum of money if the issue of a game of cards is other than I expect, while he agrees to do the same in my favour in the contrary event.
Theologians commonly require four conditions so that gaming may not be illicit.
What is staked must belong to the gambler and must be at his free disposal. It is wrong, therefore, for the lawyer to stake the money of his client, or for anyone to gamble with what is necessary for the maintenance of his wife and children.
The gambler must act freely, without unjustThere must be no fraud in the transaction, although the usual ruses of the game may be allowed. It is unlawful, accordingly, to mark the cards, but it is permissible to conceal carefully from an opponent the number of trump cards one holds.
Finally, there must be some sort of equality between the parties to make the contract equitable; it would be unfair for a combination of two expert whist players to take the money of a couple of mere novices at the game.
newadvent.org/cathen/06375b.htm
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02539a.htm
OdgovoriIzbrišiBetting
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Naravno, ovo samo navodim da ne bi netko smatrao kladjenje i igre na srecu intrinzicno zlim. No, Crkva je takve stvari kroz povijest cesto zabranjivala jer se lako prometnu u grijeh.