Basically, gambling and this competition have the same goal, namely competing for something in a certain event, but the two definitions here have different laws according to sharia. The existence of this law reviews the practical differences in transactions between the two.
The following are various points of difference between gambling and competition:
1. Transaction
In a competition contract, every participant who wins is entitled to a prize. The same is true for the Ju'ala (contest) transaction, where someone gives a task to another person and gives him wages if the person succeeds in carrying out his task. According to the agreement of scholars, this type of competition transaction is permitted by sharia and is a sunnah for people who give prizes to contestants who win.
In the practice of competition, a Muhalil is required, namely a person who finances the prizes for participants, either from a leader or from a certain party. Therefore, a competition cannot be called an event to try one's luck that does not require participants to spend money. Except for financing for competition needs other than prizes for winners such as competition equipment, drinking water, etc., it is permissible for participants to pay these costs. This is the basis of a permissible law in organizing a competition and the sunnah of giving a prize to a winner.
The role of Muhalil is not only to give prizes, he is also allowed to participate in the competition. If he loses, he must give a prize to the winning participant, while if he wins, he gets nothing.
As for gambling, it invites someone to draw fate by betting the assets of each participant. So that among them there must be those who profit and those who lose. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
مَنْ أَدْخَلَ فَرَسًا بَيْنَ فَرَسَيْنِ، وَقَدْ أُمِنَ أَنْ يَسْبِقَهُمَا فَهُوَ قِمَارٌ، وَإِنْ لَمْ يُؤْمَنْ أَنْ يَسْبِقَهُمَا فَلَيْسَ بِقِمَارٍ رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُد
“Whoever pits a horse against another horse, and each participant is required to bear the burden of the race, then it is called gambling, and if there is no burden for each participant, then it is not considered gambling.” (HR. Abu Dawud)
Therefore, the Shari'a absolutely forbids all gambling practices. The term gambling This is what is meant by al-Maisir in the Qur'an according to Sheikh Muhammad Salim Bafadhal as in the verse of the Qur'an which reads:
یَـٰۤأَیُّهَا ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوۤا۟ إِنَّمَا ٱلۡخَمۡرُ وَٱلۡمَیۡسِرُ وَٱلۡأَنصَابُ وَٱلۡأَزۡلَـٰمُ رِجۡسࣱ مِّنۡ عَمَلِ ٱلشَّیۡطَـٰنِ فَٱجۡتَنِبُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُفۡلِحُونَ
"O you who believe! Indeed, intoxicants, gambling, (sacrificing to) idols, and drawing lots with arrows are an abomination and are among the deeds of Satan. So avoid them, that you may be successful." (QS. Al-Maidah: 5 [90])
Although there are costs incurred between the competition and gambling, however, if viewed from the perspective of the source of funding, the prizes are different. In the competition, the prizes are taken from the muhalil's financing without charging any fees from the participants, while gambling requires costs for each participant to be used as financing which is then used as a prize for the winner.
2. Games
A competition is an event that requires each participant to be superior to their opponent. Competitions are usually in the form of horse racing, archery, running, and many more. With the prizes promised by the Muhalil, it can motivate the players to play more seriously to achieve victory.
Here, all participants are pitted against each other in intelligence and dexterity in a specified game. In this case, there is a point of similarity between gambling and competition, namely achieving victory. It's just that in the sharia, the competition in question is more emphasized on an event that can support a person's physical condition in fighting.
Gambling is riskier than a competition. The reason is that gamblers place bets on the results they get. This further encourages players to be more serious in playing and fear the risk of loss due to defeat.
Even though the victory is achieved by the gambler, the profit from the illicit property will still not provide true blessings and happiness for its owner. Instead, it will plunge into a pit of miserable misery.
Wallahu 'alam...