What is the ruling on winning in an electronic game that relies on virtual currencies, which some players may purchase with real money, knowing that I do not pay real money, and is it permissible to participate in a game where some are fined and the game owner takes the paid money?

Muslims are advised to refrain from playing the mentioned game, even if it does not involve real money, because it carries the image of gambling and wagering, and contradicts the veneration of Allah’s sacred limits. However, if the game involves real money, then the gambling in it is explicit and forbidden by the text of the Holy Quran.

Regarding participation in a game where some incur losses: If the money is a prize taken from both parties together, it is explicit and forbidden gambling. However, if the money is taken from a third party or from one of the parties without the other, it is not gambling. But the permissibility of playing depends on the type of game. If the game involves instruments of war or benefits the nation, then a prize ( عوض ) is permissible; otherwise, a prize is not permissible. It is unanimously forbidden for any game to involve gambling, which is when one party wins and the other loses.