Question Summary:
Counter Strike and Skin Gambling

Question Detail:

As Salaamu Alaykum. This question is in reference to purchasing keys for crates in CS:GO and using third party sites to open cases. With these keys to open game crates and the cases, you are given a random gun with a random design (called skins) or a knife. For simplicity, I have referred to them only as ‘skins’. Essentially, it's like being given a virtual car with a random paint job. Purpose of Skins These skins are used in game to make your guns look nicer. Some people however do other things with them. E.g. Some people trade their skins for other skins or a number of skins. Alternatively, you can officially sell the skin to someone for Steam funds - however this money CANNOT be transferred into real life currency. It is Steam credit only. Some people do trade skins for expensive games (bought on sales) – another way to trade. You can also technically and unofficially, buy a skin off someone with real life currency E.g. If you know them personally and give them money, they might give you the skin for ‘free’; though this is not approved by Steam and is NOT what I intend to do!! In CS:GO, these skins vary in virtual value. So essentially you are paying £2 and are opening a crate in which you can get any skin. The skin has a (virtual) value (with virtual currency) on the marketplace which varies in value (based on how popular it is at a particular point). The value can be more or less than £2. Because of this, some call it gambling. However, in my opinion, this seems like an awfully trivial thing to call gambling (from the Islamic perspective) and there is no actual monetary risk in it, unless you were to go insane with key-purchasing (in which case, you’d be wasting money – not a financial ‘risk’ – just carelessness) - which is the case with anything! I want to know whether this is haram. I feel like this is just like investing since u have a rough idea of what you're going to get as in the case of the third party cases, you know that there is a 10% chance you will get a good gun. This is the nature of all business, really. There is always a risk that the product is not of the same value that you paid. If it's not directly haraam can you specify how it can be for example from excessively opening cases? Jazak Allahu Khairan, As Salamu Alaykum

Answer :

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
Your query is about Counter-Strike Global Offensive (CS GO) game in which skin gambling takes place by purchasing a key for a crate of dropped items.
The issue of skin gambling is secondary.
The main issue of consideration is the Shariah position of CS GO game.
The game pits two teams against each other, the Terrorists and the Counter-Terrorists. Both sides are tasked with eliminating the other while also completing separate objectives, the terrorists, depending on the game mode, must either plant the bomb or defend the hostages, while the Counter-Terrorists must either prevent the bomb from being planted or rescue the hostages. [i]
The game like other games is actually a propaganda to portray a bad image of Islam and generalise Muslims as terrorists. [ii]
The game refers to terrorists saying Allah-Akbar. It refers to a masjid with a dua outside the masjid implying terrorist got the masjid. (Counter Strike- Dust 2) [iii]
 
Counter Strike- Dust 2
 
It is a well-known fact that video games are addictive and have an effect on ones thinking and conduct in real life.
A person addicted to such a game will eventually lose respect for Muslims and especially for those that are engaged in the truthful defence of Islam. He would begin thinking of every Muslim to be a terrorist. The game has a potential to inculcate hatred and violence against Muslims. [iv]
It is not permissible to play CS GO game.
That is apart from the fact that the procedure of purchasing a key to open a crate to choose a skin is clearly gambling. The person does not know what he will get.
Therefore, the game is a composition of a haram act with a haram act.
 
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Muhammad I.V Patel
Student Darul Iftaa
Lusaka, Zambia 
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.