Muslims and gambling: Some Muslim countries are betting on casinos

Betting on gambling

Jordan’s most influential Muslim opposition group has recently protested the government’s inference that a casino be opened in the Gulf port of Aqaba. It’s not the first time Muslim governments have considered the measure to attract tourists and bring sorely needed revenues to cash-strapped coffers. Jakarta wants one too and Malaysia is eyeing a casino interest in nearby Macau. And despite the turmoil in Palestine, several casinos have opened there as well, along with those in Muslim areas of the Phillipines (complete with Islamic architecture). Technically, gambling is considered not cool by Muslims, despite the Thousand And One Night stereotypes. In most cases, access to these casinos is strictly limited to foreigners (hey, what’s bad for them might be good for us, right?). In other cases, the reason is to preempt or regulate the illegal gambling that exists anyway. In Malaysia, the drive has even extended online (you are warned not to enter if you’re Muslim). Still, increasing pressure by Muslim groups to resist the easy money has stymied officials in finding religious loopholes. “We reject all plans to localize gambling as it is very much against Islam,” says one Indonesian Muslim leader referring to plans for offshore island resorts.

Zahed Amanullah is associate editor of altmuslim.com.  He is based in London, England.