Working where there is lottery machine, selling lotto

24-6-2000 | IslamWeb

Question:

Can I work in a gas station, which has lottery machine, selling lotto?

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

There are three probabilities for the lottery that you mentioned in your question that is in a petrol station:

1- It may mean that a coupon is given to any person who purchases gas from this station to participate in a draw for a car, for example. These kinds of coupons are permissible according to the preponderant opinion of the contemporary Scholars .

2- You might mean that the known lottery tickets are sold separately from purchasing gas and the people who make use of the station buy them. Purchasing such coupons is forbidden because they are a kind of clear gambling. So, it is not permissible for you to sell them or help in selling them.

3- You do not play any role in distributing these coupons; like if there is a special worker for doing so, or that they are sold by an automatic machine and you have nothing to do with this machine.  In this case, you are permitted to work in this station because you do not commit this forbidden act and you do not help others to do it.

Allah knows best.