Fatwa declares ‘lucky draws’ are haram

A fatwa released by the official fatwa centre in Abu Dhabi has deemed lucky draws where one buys a coupon to win a car, for example, as gambling, and therefore, unlawful.

“It is not permissible to buy a coupon of a specific amount for the purpose of entry in a draw for a car, because it is a prejudice, so it is a sort of gambling according to a report in Arabic newspaper, Al Khaleej.

According to the fatwa, “One who gets coupons for a draw as a result of buying goods from a shop, where the intention of the person was to buy the goods alone; and the coupons merely came along with the purchase, then it is allowed.”

The fatwa was issued by the centre in answer to a question on the legality of draws by some shopping malls where a minimum amount of money had to be spent to get entry into a draw where the prize was a car.