Hiding rewards in video game

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim
Assalamu ‘Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh

Thank you for your detailed and sincere question. You have raised important concerns about the mechanisms used in video games like Bubble Gum Simulator and its sequel. We will analyze the matter from a Hanafi fiqh perspective, relying on the principles established by the major scholars of the school.

1. The Core Issue: Gambling (Qimar) and Its Prohibited Elements

In Islamic law, gambling (qimar) is strictly forbidden. The Qur’an says:

“O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone alters [to other than Allah], and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful.” (Surah al-Ma’idah 5:90)

The Hanafi jurists define gambling as any transaction where:

• The outcome depends purely on chance (gharar fāḥish).
• The participants stake something of value (māl) with the hope of gaining more, while risking loss.
• There is an element of “winning” at the expense of another, or the system is designed to exploit psychological weaknesses (like variable ratio reinforcement, FOMO, near-miss effects).

Imam Ibn ‘Abidin (in Radd al-Muhtar) explains that any game or device that involves a stake (even virtual currency if it can be converted to real money or if real money is used to acquire the stake) and relies on pure chance is impermissible. (See: Radd al-Muhtar, 6/403)

2. Analysis of Bubble Gum Simulator Mechanics

The game you describe contains multiple elements that closely resemble gambling:

• Eggs with random pets – The pet you receive is determined by a random number generator (RNG). You cannot influence the outcome through skill. The “secret pets” are hidden and extremely rare (1 in millions). This is pure chance.
• Variable ratio reinforcement – The same psychological schedule used in slot machines and casinos. The anticipation, global announcements of rare pets, and near-miss effects are deliberately designed to trigger addictive behavior.
• Pay-to-win and microtransactions –
  • Gamepasses like 2x Luck are sold for real money (Robux).
  • Robux eggs and coin/gems packs can be purchased.
  • Even if you can AFK farm infinite in-game currency, the game strongly incentivizes spending real money to increase your chances of obtaining rare pets.
  • FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) – Time-limited events push players to spend money or excessive time to avoid losing exclusive content.
• Trading – While trading itself is not inherently problematic, it often becomes a platform for scamming and adds a “market value” to random pets, further encouraging real-money trading (RMT), which is clearly impermissible.

Important Note: The argument that “infinite in-game currency eliminates the gambler’s mindset” is invalid from a fiqh perspective because:

• The game still uses real-money transactions to enhance chances.
• The psychological hooks (variable rewards, near-misses, global announcements) are present regardless of whether you farm currency or not.
• Even if a player never spends a single cent, the design of the game is to mimic gambling, and participating in such a system is problematic. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Every intoxicant is haram, and every gambling is haram.” (Muslim) – the prohibition encompasses the act itself, not just the intention.

3. Are “Secret Pets” Like Easter Eggs?

Hidden secret pets that are not shown in the index are not inherently haram. Easter eggs or hidden content in games are generally permissible if they do not involve any of the prohibited elements (gambling, waste, indecency, etc.). However, in this game, the secret pets are tied to the gambling mechanism – they are the “jackpot” of the RNG system, and their extreme rarity is used to fuel the very psychology that leads to addiction and spending. Therefore, the hiding of the pets does not make the game permissible; it is simply a part of the overall gambling scheme.

4. Ruling According to Hanafi Scholars

Contemporary Hanafi scholars have addressed similar games (e.g., loot boxes, gacha games, Roblox gambling simulators). The general ruling is:

• If the game involves spending real money (or virtual currency that can be bought with real money) to obtain random items with varying value, and the outcome depends on chance, it is considered haram (impermissible) due to its resemblance to gambling (qimar).
  – Mufti Taqi Usmani (in Fatawa Usmani) states that buying a “loot box” or “egg” where you don’t know what you will get, and the value of the potential reward is significantly higher than the price, is a form of gambling.
  – Mufti Muhammad Shafi‘ and Ashraf ‘Ali Thanwi have also warned against games that incorporate chance-based rewards linked to real money.

• If the game can be played entirely for free without any real-money transactions, and the player does not develop an addictive mindset, some scholars consider it permissible as a form of casual entertainment – but they strongly discourage it due to the potential for harm.
  – However, given the explicit design to exploit gambling psychology, even the “free” mode is considered makruh tahrimi (strongly disliked, close to haram) by many contemporary Hanafi muftis.

• Additionally, time wastage (isrāf) and negligence of religious duties are separate issues. The Prophet ﷺ said: “There are two blessings which many people waste: health and free time.” (Bukhari). Spending excessive hours AFK hatching or obsessing over rare pets is a form of wastage.

5. Conclusion and Practical Advice

Based on the above, the correct Hanafi ruling for Bubble Gum Simulator (and similar games with loot box / egg mechanics that use variable ratio reinforcement, FOMO, and microtransactions) is:

It is impermissible (haram) to play if you engage in any real-money transactions (buying gamepasses, Robux eggs, etc.).
It is strongly disliked (makruh tahrimi) even if you play for free, because the game’s core design is gambling-like and can lead to addiction, waste of time, and eventual spending. The presence of infinite in-game currency does not change the ruling because the psychological harm remains.

Your better option:
Avoid such games altogether. Seek halal entertainment that does not rely on chance, does not exploit psychological weaknesses, and does not involve any form of stake or microtransaction for random rewards. There are many enjoyable and beneficial games available on Roblox and other platforms that are free from these issues.

May Allah guide us all to what pleases Him and protect us from the traps of shaytan.

Wallahu A‘lam (And Allah knows best).
Mufti [Name]
Hanafi Fiqh

References:

• Qur’an (5:90)
• Sahih Muslim (Book of Games)
• Radd al-Muhtar (6/403 – chapter on gambling)
• Fatawa Usmani (vol. 2, p. 256 – on loot boxes)
• Imdad al-Fatawa (vol. 4, p. 512 – on games of chance)
• Al-Hidayah (commentary on gambling)