Are Sweepstakes Haraam?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

If by 'sweepstakes' you mean what is known in the West that a man or more bet on a horse they think would win the race and the other person bets on a different horse and the one who wins takes the money, and the offices in which this is done are known as “Off track betting offices”, then there is no doubt that this is forbidden because it is gambling itself. Allaah Says (what means): {O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone alters [to other than Allaah], and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful.}[Quran 5:90] This kind of sweepstakes is forbidden because it is gambling; the participant here is either subjected to win or loss; it includes a compensation and the person does not make any effort apart from paying the money and then takes other people's money without any right.

Allaah Knows best.