…considering that cake walks, pitching pennies, betting on sports, etc. are gambling, would a tournament which you pay to enter in order to win the “pot” be gambling? (name withheld upon request)
“Gamble” is defined as ‘playing a game of chance for money or property’ or ‘to bet on an uncertain outcome.’ A tournament to which one pays an entry fee is not usually considered the same as playing a game of chance or betting, even if prizes awarded to winners are monetary. First, tournaments typically involve activity in which skill instead of chance is the primary determining factor of the outcome (e.g., a golf tournament). Second, even a monetary prize in a sporting event, for instance, is comprised of sums exceeding the entry fees, which may be derived largely from spectator admission fees and advertising (e.g., auto racing). Third, entry fees to a tournament fund more than prizes, such as expenses associated with hosting the event (e.g., county fair). I would be slow to condemn someone’s participation in a tournament, though entry fees may be associated with it. However, if I personally had a troubled conscience regarding tournaments, I would refrain from such myself to avoid violating my conscience (Romans 14:23).
