Series of Questions on Gambling and Betting
Here are brief responses to a number of questions about gambling:
1) What is the definition of gambling in Islam?
Gambling is a set up in which one or more participants take the money or belonging of one or more other willing participants by the mechanism that is fundamentally run on the basis of chance, where any application of skills is basically subjected to the element of chance.
This is haram in Islam because it is one of the examples of 'taking other people's money unjustifiably' (4:29).
Please note I am simply sharing my view with you in answering the following questions. Scholars may have different views as you know and I am not representing any one but me.
2) How do I know if a particular situation/game is gambling or not?
You do your best to see whether the above definition applies. If you have doubt then better to avoid it.
3) Is betting haram in itself?
Application of verse 4:29 makes that kind of betting forbidden that is not directly based on the effort of a person. So no there can be betting that is not haram. I think more clarification is provided by answering your further questions below.
4) Is gambling haram because of betting?
Gambling is haram because as the result of that one possesses the money or belonging of another person unjustifiably (bil-batil).
5) Is playing games of chance (e.g backgammon, ludo) haram in themselves?
No.
6) Is playing games of chance without betting haram too?
No
7) Is chess haram? [According to my study, it’s not, but wanna know your view.]
No
8) Is betting in games/situations dependent on skill (e.g. chess) rather than chance haram too?
Not for those who play it. However I add that a believer would not engage too much on such activities. Occasional betting based on skills is ok but to make this a source of income in my view is not befitting a believer (note I am not saying it is haram).
9) Is unilateral betting haram too? [For instance, if a person says to the other that if he beats him in a race he’ll give him Rs 100 but the other one won’t have to give him anything if he couldn’t beat him.]
No. This is simply fulfilling a promise.
10) Suppose, if a school conducts a poster presentation contest, for which 100 participants pay Rs 100 each as “entry fee”, and only 10 out of those 100 participants will get the prize while the rest will get nothing, on the basis of “lucky draw” or just randomly. Is this haram and gambling too?
If the source of finance for the prizes is the entry fee, then yes, this is gambling and haram.
11) What if the prizes are distributed on the basis of their “performance” rather than chance/lucky draw/just randomly for the aforementioned scenario? Will that be haram too?
If the prize is distributed based on performance not chance then this is ok.
12) There are some apps (e.g. Amazon app) that conduct “lucky draw” contests and distribute rewards or prizes to some of their participants, while they do not charge any entry fee for the contest. Is that haram/gambling too?
If there is no entry fee then this is simply a marketing attempt and is not haram.
13) Lastly, is it haram to benefit from cashback rewards that many recharge apps give away to their users OR cashback/rewards that they give for sharing their app with others and getting others to use their app?
In my view this is not haram. When you share the app with others you are working as a marketing agent for the owners of the app. The cash back will be your fee for doing this for them.
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Farhad Shafti
September 2018
1) What is the definition of gambling in Islam?
Gambling is a set up in which one or more participants take the money or belonging of one or more other willing participants by the mechanism that is fundamentally run on the basis of chance, where any application of skills is basically subjected to the element of chance.
This is haram in Islam because it is one of the examples of 'taking other people's money unjustifiably' (4:29).
Please note I am simply sharing my view with you in answering the following questions. Scholars may have different views as you know and I am not representing any one but me.
2) How do I know if a particular situation/game is gambling or not?
You do your best to see whether the above definition applies. If you have doubt then better to avoid it.
3) Is betting haram in itself?
Application of verse 4:29 makes that kind of betting forbidden that is not directly based on the effort of a person. So no there can be betting that is not haram. I think more clarification is provided by answering your further questions below.
4) Is gambling haram because of betting?
Gambling is haram because as the result of that one possesses the money or belonging of another person unjustifiably (bil-batil).
5) Is playing games of chance (e.g backgammon, ludo) haram in themselves?
No.
6) Is playing games of chance without betting haram too?
No
7) Is chess haram? [According to my study, it’s not, but wanna know your view.]
No
8) Is betting in games/situations dependent on skill (e.g. chess) rather than chance haram too?
Not for those who play it. However I add that a believer would not engage too much on such activities. Occasional betting based on skills is ok but to make this a source of income in my view is not befitting a believer (note I am not saying it is haram).
9) Is unilateral betting haram too? [For instance, if a person says to the other that if he beats him in a race he’ll give him Rs 100 but the other one won’t have to give him anything if he couldn’t beat him.]
No. This is simply fulfilling a promise.
10) Suppose, if a school conducts a poster presentation contest, for which 100 participants pay Rs 100 each as “entry fee”, and only 10 out of those 100 participants will get the prize while the rest will get nothing, on the basis of “lucky draw” or just randomly. Is this haram and gambling too?
If the source of finance for the prizes is the entry fee, then yes, this is gambling and haram.
11) What if the prizes are distributed on the basis of their “performance” rather than chance/lucky draw/just randomly for the aforementioned scenario? Will that be haram too?
If the prize is distributed based on performance not chance then this is ok.
12) There are some apps (e.g. Amazon app) that conduct “lucky draw” contests and distribute rewards or prizes to some of their participants, while they do not charge any entry fee for the contest. Is that haram/gambling too?
If there is no entry fee then this is simply a marketing attempt and is not haram.
13) Lastly, is it haram to benefit from cashback rewards that many recharge apps give away to their users OR cashback/rewards that they give for sharing their app with others and getting others to use their app?
In my view this is not haram. When you share the app with others you are working as a marketing agent for the owners of the app. The cash back will be your fee for doing this for them.
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Farhad Shafti
September 2018
