Caution: 17 August Competitions May Contain Elements of Gambling

Competitions are one of the traditions that almost always feature in the celebration of the Republic of Indonesia’s Independence Day every 17 August. However, behind the excitement of the competitions and the prizes at stake, a question arises among Muslims: can 17 August competitions be categorised as gambling?

Ustaz Luky Nugroho Lc explained that the answer is not always the same. A competition can be gambling, but it can also not be, depending on the mechanism and the source of the prizes used.

Through a video on the Rumah Fiqih page, Ustaz Luky said that whether 17 August competitions constitute gambling or not generally depends; they can be classified as gambling but can also not be classified as gambling.

“Actually, the measure of whether a game, competition or the like falls into the category of gambling or not can be distinguished easily,” said Ustaz Luky on the Rumah Fiqih page.

At the very least, if there are four things in a 17 August competition as mentioned here, then it can be categorised as an act of gambling.

First, there are at least two parties placing a bet, whether directly or indirectly.

For example, we play football and place a bet, but we are also playing football ourselves or we are part of the football team. That is called betting directly. That can be classified as an act of gambling.

Regarding indirect betting, for example, two football teams compete, we choose one of the teams and bet against our betting opponent. If the chosen team wins, we receive the wagered assets; conversely, if the chosen team loses, we lose the wagered assets.

Second, there is something at stake in the form of assets. These assets can be various things: money, services, vehicles and so on.

For example, betting services: if the English Premier League team I support wins and yours loses, then you must clean my house for one week. Conversely, if the team I support loses, then I will clean your house for a week. That is also gambling.

Third, there is a concept or system, whether a game, draw or shuffle, to determine who wins and who loses. That system can also take the form of competitions and games. In this case, the point of contention is not the draw or the element of chance, but rather the existence of a winner and a losing party.