Is playing the lottery a sin?

A Muslim columnist talks about the lottery:

"The top story of daily Vakit was very interesting. According to Muslim theologians, playing the lottery is a sin. If that’s a fact, it's obvious that Turks don’t care what some theologians say."

"Certain individuals who are said to be experts on Islam are arguing that playing the lottery is a sin. They say that buying a lottery ticket can be considered gambling and that that is why it is a sin for Muslims.

I don't believe playing the lottery is gambling. It is a game played to have a good time.

What made me think about this was something else. If experts think like this and we continue to buy lottery tickets, doesn't this mean their influence over the nation has diminished to zero?

Don't you see the rush to buy lottery tickets? The number of people buying the tickets increases steadily every year.

What will happen now?

Will we start saying, 'We're losing our religion' or will we say, 'People no longer listen to religious experts on what they do.'

It's up to you."
Turkish Daily News - Is playing the lottery a sin?