Muslims Can Place Bets on Camel Racing

Camel racing is a very popular sport in many countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Mongolia and, surprisingly, Australia. The fact that Aussies love to bet is well-known. The Australian gambling laws fully permit sports betting, but there aren’t many venues where legal wagers on camels can be placed.

Owning a winning camel can be quite profitable, though. Many events take place in the Middle East where camels race along the desert track for miles. In fact, camels are motivated by louder shouting, which speeds them up. Many sheiks are known to have their own stables, although it is not clear if they bet under the table among themselves.

The camel racing season typically lasts form October to April. It is still puzzling why online sportsbooks in Australia don’t offer bets on these. This could certainly be an interesting development.

Even Muslim jurists speculate that bets on camel racing may be permissible. According to Muslim holy texts, Prophet Muhammad allowed for competitions involving swords as well as horse and camel races. When it comes to other races such as those involving mules or elephants, there is a disagreement among Muslim scholars.

One thing is known, as Imam Ibn al-Qayyim stated: ”Allah and His Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) permitted competition in arrow-shooting and in horse and camel racing in order to encourage Muslims to learn horse-riding and get prepared for Jihad.”

One issue interests us: Will anyone start making books on camel races? Starting an online sportsbook dedicated to the sport of camel racing could be the next hit. Why not bet a few barrels of oil on a favorite camel?