Prediction Contests with No Entry Fee: Are They Considered Gambling?
Question
Assalamu Alaikum, Shaykh.
We know that lotteries and gambling are prohibited (haram) in Islam. I have a question about some activities that seem different because there is no participation fee.
At my workplace, we have a prediction game every spring. Employees try to predict the exact date and time when the ice on a nearby river will break. The person whose prediction is closest to the actual time wins a prize. There is no entry fee, participation is completely voluntary, and no one is required to join.
I have also noticed similar promotions on Facebook. For example, a page may announce that if someone correctly predicts the score of a football match (such as Argentina vs. Egypt) before the game starts, they will receive a gift card. Again, there is no participation fee, but participants are required to follow the Facebook page to enter.
My questions are:
1. Are these types of competitions considered gambling or lotteries in Islam?
2. Are they permissible (halal), or are they prohibited (haram)?
3. Does requiring participants to follow a social media page change the ruling?
4. Is it permissible to share or promote these contests on social media so that others can participate?
Jazakum Allahu khayran for your time.
Answer
Alhamdulillah, wassalatu wassalamu ala rasulillah, wa ala alihi wa sahbihi ajmain.
1. The Shari Context
Allah has prohibited gambling (maysir) because it involves acquiring wealth through chance while exposing participants to financial loss and dispute.
Allah says:
“O you who believe! Indeed, intoxicants, gambling, sacrificial stones, and divining arrows are but filth from the work of Shaytan, so avoid them that you may be successful.”
Surat al Ma’idah 5:90
The defining feature of gambling in Islamic law is that each participant risks something of value in the hope of gaining more.
2. Scholarly Discussion
The jurists define gambling (maysir or qimar) as a transaction in which:
- Both sides, or the participants, stand to either gain or lose wealth.
- The prize is funded by the participants themselves, directly or indirectly.
- The outcome depends upon chance or speculation.
If no participant pays anything, and the prize comes entirely from a third party (such as an employer, company, or sponsor), then the majority of contemporary scholars do not classify it as gambling because the essential element of financial risk (ghurm) is absent.
Examples include:
- An employer offering a prize to employees.
- A business giving away a promotional gift from its own funds.
- A sponsor donating a prize without requiring participants to stake money.
3. Application to the Question
1. Workplace Ice-Break Prediction
If:
- There is no entry fee.
- No deduction from employees’ salaries or benefits.
- The employer alone provides the prize.
Then this is not gambling, because nobody is risking wealth.
2. Facebook Prediction Contests
Likewise, if:
- Participation is free.
- No purchase is required.
- The prize is funded by the page owner or sponsor.
Then the basic ruling is that it is permissible.
3. Does Following the Page Change the Ruling?
Merely requiring someone to:
- Follow a Facebook page,
- Like a post,
- Or subscribe to a channel,
does not by itself transform the competition into gambling, because following a page is not considered staking wealth.
However, it must not involve:
- Paying money.
- Purchasing a product solely to enter.
- Subscribing to a paid membership.
- Any deception or unlawful content.
4. Is It Permissible to Share These Contests?
If the contest itself is permissible, then sharing or informing others about it is also permissible.
However, it would not be permissible to promote contests that involve:
- Gambling.
- Interest-based promotions.
- Fraud.
- Impermissible products or services.
4. Relevant Usul Principle
الأصل في المعاملات الإباحة
The default ruling in financial transactions is permissibility.
This principle means that competitions and promotional activities are permissible unless they contain a prohibited element such as gambling, riba, fraud, or deception. Since there is no financial stake from the participants in the scenarios described, the original ruling of permissibility remains.
Final Ruling
The competitions you described are not considered gambling, because participants do not pay an entry fee or risk any wealth, and the prize is provided by a third party. Accordingly, they are generally permissible. Requiring participants to follow a social media page does not change the ruling so long as no money or unlawful condition is involved. Likewise, it is permissible to share or promote such contests if they are otherwise free of prohibited elements.
And Allah knows best.