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Marketers often lure customers with special offers on products, allowing consumers to win prizes by luck. For example, lucky gold coins in detergent powder or chances to win a holiday with "XYZ" chips.

Is it allowed to buy such stuff which apparently involve gifts by chance? Can it be classified as gambling as many a times people fall for it and buy such products in large numbers?

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As long as the price of the good isn't increased for the promotion, and you would normally purchase the product anyway, there's no reason to consider it "gambling".

In other words, don't let the promotion affect your buying habits. Buying soap is no different than buying soap with a chance to WIN FABLUOUS PRIZES; you can just give the prize away if you don't feel comfortable accepting it.

Fatwa: islamqa.com.

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  • -1 : Not substantiated with fiqh rule\quran hadith. Why can't the product be viewed as a lottery ticket? the only difference being the paper ticket has no intrinsic value
    – Islam
    Mar 9, 2013 at 3:59
  • @ali my post explains how it would not be considered gambling; there's no need for a Qur'an or hadith quote to prove that not-gambling is permissible, and quoting unnecessary references would only detract from my answer.
    – goldPseudo
    Mar 9, 2013 at 4:41
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    @goldPsuedo how can one know whther price is increased or not , importantly .Why can't the product be viewed as a lottery ticket? the only difference being the paper ticket has no intrinsic value It seems to me clear case of forced gambling making people to buy things and get a chance to win some big prize
    – Islam
    Mar 9, 2013 at 18:14
  • @Ali, If it's a bar of soap, and on the package you see an offer to win a holiday, but you buy the soap not to win the holiday, but because you always get a bar of soap, how is that gambling? Apr 8, 2013 at 18:07
  • But should'nt we discourage products with such kinds of offers by not buying them as they may promote gambling among less aware muslims. Even if our intentions are good but their intentions are not, they want to lure people by incorporating a component of gambling in their product.
    – Islam
    Apr 9, 2013 at 4:33

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