Date : 30-05-2024

Question :

What is the ruling of Islamic Law on Jordan Lotto?


The Answer :

All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.


"Lotto" is essentially a new form of what is known as "charity lottery". The idea behind the Jordanian Lotto is to revive the Jordanian charity lottery and breathe new life into it. The ruling on charity lotteries and the prizes they offer was previously explained in Fatwa No. (1303), which can be summarized as follows:


The text states that what is called a "charity lottery" is religiously forbidden (haram) because it is based on gambling (maysir). God Almighty has forbidden gambling in the Holy Quran, saying: {O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling (al-maysir), [sacrifices to] idols, and divining arrows are only an abomination of [Satan's] work. So turn away from it that you may be successful.} [Quran 5:90]. Charity lottery is a part of gambling (maysir), and spending its profits on charitable works and supporting the poor does not make it permissible. This is because the ends do not justify the means. The one who buys a lottery ticket buys it with the intention of winning, and then he ends up either a winner or a loser. This is exactly the forbidden gambling (maysir).


In conclusion, "Lotto" is nothing more than a form of gambling. The participant pays a sum of money and, in return, is poised between profit and loss. This is gambling in its essence, and it is religiously forbidden (haram). And Allah the Almighty knows best.