Greeting card players with salam

Question

If cards and the like are being played somewhere, is it permissible on such an occasion to say “as-salamu ‘alaykum” or not?

Answer

Imam Abu Hanifa ﵀ and Imam Muhammad ﵀ have prohibited greeting with salam those who play board games with dice (like nard) and the like; and Imam Abu Hanifa ﵀ says that they may be greeted with salam with this intention: it is good if, for however long it may be, their attention turns away from this sin (the game) to something else.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

Preview. The full text opens with JavaScript enabled.