Enhancing Understanding of Riba in Islamic Finance: An empirical study of a gaming intervention

Abstract

In this paper, a card game called "Name the Riba Transaction!©” is introduced and used to enhance understanding of Islamic finance principles. Despite the rapid growth of the Islamic finance industry (15-20% annually), a knowledge gap persists among consumers regarding its core tenets. This paper aims to intervene and then gauge the experience and performance of players after they participate. Players are introduced to riba (interest), a prohibited element in Islamic finance, through an engaging and interactive game. Preliminary findings found that players' understanding of riba improved after playing the game, indicating its potential as an educational tool.