Are Loot Boxes and Gacha Haram? Esports In-Game Spending and Shariah (Malaysia, 2026)

By KITAMEN Esports Solutions • June 2026

Disclaimer: This article shares publicly available scholarly references for general information only. It is not a fatwa, and not religious or legal advice. Rulings differ between scholars and the schools of Islamic law. Always consult a qualified Islamic scholar, your state mufti, or JAKIM before deciding on your own event.

Executive Summary

The recurring concern is paying real money for a random reward, which scholars link to gambling (maysir) and uncertainty (gharar).
Malaysian and international rulings distinguish buying a randomized crate (flagged as gambling) from directly buying a chosen item (treated differently).
This is information only, not a fatwa. Consult a qualified scholar, your state mufti, or JAKIM.

Deep Dive: Why Loot Boxes Raise a Gambling Concern

The issue scholars repeatedly identify is the structure of the transaction: you pay a fixed amount for an unknown outcome. The Islamweb Fatwa Center (Fatwa #379243) addresses video-game loot boxes directly, stating that buying them with real money is prohibited because “this is pure gambling and it is prohibited” — the player pays and may receive something useful or nothing of use. The same fatwa notes there is no harm in playing the game itself in a permissible manner without buying loot boxes.

Two concepts drive this: maysir (gambling, a wager where one side gains at another’s expense by chance) and gharar (excessive uncertainty in what is being bought).

The Malaysian Ruling on PUBG ‘UC’ and Crates

The Mufti of the Federal Territories examined this for a specific game in Irsyad al-Fatwa #626. Its conclusion: using UC (Unknown Cash) bought with real money to open random crates or loot boxes is haram, because the result depends on luck alone (nasib semata-mata) and is zero-sum. However, using the same currency for a direct, non-random purchase is permissible, comparable to ordinary in-game buying.

The ruling likens randomized boxes to the prohibited classical sales of bayʼ al-Mulamasah and bayʼ al-Munabazah (blind transactions where the buyer cannot inspect the goods; al-Bukhari 5482), and grounds the prohibition in the Qurʼan (al-Maʼidah 5:90) and al-Fiqh al-Manhaji (6/36, 8/166).

Random Versus Direct: The Line Scholars Draw

Mechanic	Example	Ruling (as cited)
Pay for a random reward	PUBG UC crates, gacha pulls, loot boxes	Gambling (maysir) — not permissible
Pay for a specific, chosen item	Buying a named skin or a battle pass with known contents	Treated as an ordinary purchase — permissible
Play without paid randomness	Free play; no loot-box spending	Permissible

An academic study indexed by Malaysia’s Ministry of Higher Education, “GACHA: An Islamic Study on the Element of Gambling (Maisir) and Uncertainty (Gharar) in Micro-Transaction”, reaches a similar distinction: the gambling concern attaches specifically when real money buys a randomized outcome.

What This Means for Players and Organisers

For players, the cited rulings point toward avoiding paid random-reward mechanics while leaving normal gameplay and direct purchases as a separate question to raise with a scholar. For event organisers, the practical takeaway is to avoid building entry, prize, or sponsor mechanics on paid randomisation or chance draws — a point that connects directly to how prize pools should be funded.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are loot boxes considered gambling in Islam?

Several rulings treat paid loot boxes as gambling. The Islamweb Fatwa Center (Fatwa #379243) states that buying loot boxes with real money is “pure gambling and it is prohibited,” because you pay a set amount for an unknown reward. Scholars cite maysir (gambling) and gharar (uncertainty). Consult a qualified scholar for your situation.

Is buying in-game currency haram?

Not necessarily. The Mufti of the Federal Territories (Irsyad al-Fatwa #626) ruled that using in-game currency for a direct, non-random purchase is permissible, while using it to open random crates or loot boxes is haram. The deciding factor is whether the reward is randomized.

Is gacha haram if I do not spend real money?

A Malaysian academic study indexed by the Ministry of Higher Education found that using a gacha system without real-money microtransactions does not fulfil the elements of gambling (maysir) and uncertainty. The concern arises specifically when real money buys a randomized outcome. Verify with a scholar.

Can I still play games that contain loot boxes?

According to the Islamweb Fatwa Center (Fatwa #379243), there is no harm in playing the game itself in a permissible manner, provided you avoid buying the loot boxes and avoid other prohibited content. The ruling cautions against excessive time spent gaming.

How does this affect esports tournament organisers?

The same gambling concern (paying into a chance-based outcome) applies to event mechanics. Scholars advise against funding prizes from pooled entry fees or using random draws to pick winners. See the related guide on funding prize pools, and consult JAKIM or your state mufti.

Call to Action

This page is for research, not a ruling. For a decision on a specific game or event, consult a qualified Islamic scholar, your state mufti, or JAKIM. For general esports questions, you can contact KITAMEN.

Versi Bahasa Melayu

Artikel ini untuk maklumat am sahaja dan bukan fatwa. Kebimbangan utama ialah membayar wang sebenar untuk ganjaran rawak (loot box, gacha, UC), yang dikaitkan ulama dengan perjudian (maisir) dan ketidakpastian (gharar). Pejabat Mufti Wilayah Persekutuan (Irsyad al-Fatwa #626) memutuskan UC untuk membuka peti rawak adalah haram, manakala pembelian terus yang bukan rawak adalah harus. Sentiasa rujuk ulama bertauliah, mufti negeri, atau JAKIM.