حرّم الشرع القمار تحريمًا مطلقًا، واعتبر المال المكتسب بهذه الوسيلة كأنه غير مملوك. قال الله تعالى:

Shar’a prevented gambling absolutely, and it considered the property earned by this means as if not owned. Allah (swt) said:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّمَا الْخَمْرُ وَالْمَيْسِرُ وَالْأَنصَابُ وَالْأَزْلَامُ رِجْسٌ مِّنْ عَمَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ فَاجْتَنِبُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ * إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَن يُوقِعَ بَيْنَكُمُ الْعَدَاوَةَ وَالْبَغْضَاءَ فِي الْخَمْرِ وَالْمَيْسِرِ وَيَصُدَّكُمْ عَن ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَعَنِ الصَّلَاةِ ۖ فَهَلْ أَنتُم مُّنتَهُونَ [المائدة: 90-91]

“O you who believe! Verily khamr (alcohol/intoxicants) and gambling and idols and divining arrows are only an infamy of Satan’s handiwork. Leave them aside in order that you may succeed. Satan seeks only to cast among you enmity and hatred by means of alcohol and games of chance, and to turn you away from remembrance of Allah and from the prayer. Will you then stop (doing that)?” [Al-Ma’idah: 90-91],

لقد أُكِّد تحريمُ الخمر والميسر بصور متعددة في هذه الآية، إذ بُدئت بـ"إنّ" وهي أداةُ توكيد، وقُرنا بعبادة الأصنام، ووُصفا بأنهما رِجس. قال الله تعالى:

Prohibition of intoxicants and games of chance was emphasised in this verse in many forms of which the verse was started with ‘Inna’ which is an article of emphasis; and they were also linked with the worshipping of idols, and considered filth (Rijs). Allah (swt) said:

﴿فَاجْتَنِبُوا الرِّجْسَ مِنَ الْأَوْثَانِ﴾ [الحج: ٣٠]،

“Do not approach the filth (rijs) of idols.” [Al-Hajj: 30],

وأنها من عمل الشيطان، وليس من الشيطان إلا الشر المحض، وقد أُمر باجتنابها، وأن في اجتنابها الفلاح، وإذا كان اجتنابها فلاحًا، فإن ارتكابها خسران وهلاك. وقد بيّن أيضًا ما يحدث بسببها من ضرر وشر، وهو العداوة والبغضاء التي تقع بين الناس، من الخمر والميسر، وما يؤدي إليه من الصدّ عن ذكر الله ﷻ وعن الصلاة في أوقاتها. وقوله ﷻ: ﴿فَهَلْ أَنتُم مُّنتَهُونَ﴾ من أبلغ صيغ النهي، وهذا الأسلوب كقولك: لقد تُلي عليكم ما في الخمر والميسر من الصوارف والمحرمات، فهل أنتم منتهون بعد هذه الصوارف والمحرمات؟ ومن صور الميسر اليانصيب، مهما كان نوعه، ومهما كان الغرض الذي وُضع من أجله. ومن أنواع الميسر أيضًا المراهنة في سباقات الخيل. والمال المكتسب من الميسر حرام، ولا يجوز تملكه.

and they were made of Satan’s handiwork, and nothing comes from Satan except complete evil; and they were ordered to be avoided; and in avoiding them is the success, and if avoiding them is a success, committing them is a failure and destruction. It was also mentioned that which occurs of them of harm (evil), which is the hostilities and hatred that happen between the people, of wine and gambling, and what they lead to in turning away from remembrance of Allah (swt) and from observing the prayer times. His (swt) saying: “Will you then stop (doing that)?’ is one of the most eloquent forms of banning. This form of speech is like saying: ‘It has been recited upon you what wine and gambling have of distractions and prohibitions, so are you not giving (them) up, after these distractions and prohibitions?’ One form of gambling is the lottery, whatever is its type and whatever reason it was made for. Another type of gambling is betting in horse races. The property earned by gambling is Haram and not allowed to be owned.