The Bombay Prevention of Gambling Act, 1887

{
    "id": 16725,
    "slug": "the-bombay-prevention-of-gambling-act-1887",
    "title": "The Bombay Prevention of Gambling Act, 1887",
    "short_title": "The Bombay Prevention of Gambling Act, 1887",
    "act_number": "Bombay Act No. 4 of 1887",
    "act_year": 1887,
    "act_type": "STATE",
    "location": "Gujarat",
    "law_status": "unknown",
    "enactment_date": null,
    "description": "The Bombay Prevention of Gambling Act, 1887",
    "preamble": "",
    "section_label": "Section",
    "sections": [
        {
            "number": "1",
            "title": "1. Short title.",
            "chapter": null,
            "content": "Extent:\n2. [Repeal of enactments.].\n3. \"Gaming\" defined.\n(a) on the day on which such race is to be run, and\n(b) in an enclosure which the licensee of the race-course, on which such race is to be run, has set apart for the purpose under the terms of the licence issued under section 4 of the [Bombay Race-Courses Licensing Act, 1912]\n[(c) between any individual in person, being present in the enclosure, on the one hand, and such licensee or other person licensed by such licensee in terms of the aforesaid licence on the other hand [or between] any number of individuals in person in such manner and by such contrivance as may be permitted by such licence; but does not include a lottery.]\nInstruments of gaming defined:\nCommon gaming house defined:\n(i) in the case of gaming-\n(a) on the market price of cotton, opium or other commodity or on the digits of the number used in stating such price, or\n(b) on the amount of variation in the market price of any such commodity or on the digits of the number used in stating the amount of such variation, or\n(c) on the market price of any stock or share or on the digits of the number used in stating such price, or\n(d) on the occurrence or non-occurrence of rain or other natural event, or\n(e) on the quantity of rainfall or on the digits of the number used in stating such quantity, [or]\n[(f) on the pictures, digits or figures of one or more playing cards or other documents or objects bearing numbers, or on the total of such digits or figures, or on the basis of the occurrence or nonoccurrence of any uncertain future event or on the result of any draw, or on the basis of the sequence or any permutation or combination of such pictures, digits, figures, numbers, events or draws;]\n(ii) in the case of any other form of gaming, any house, room or place whatsoever in which any instruments of gaming arc kept or used for the profit or gain of the person owning, occupying, using or keeping such house, room or place by way of charge for the use of such house, room or place or instrument or otherwise howsoever.\n`Place' defined:\n[3A. Punishment for printing or publishing [pictures, digits or figures] relating to Worli Matka or other form of gaming.",
            "footnote": "",
            "is_definition": false,
            "sort_order": 0
        },
        {
            "number": "4",
            "title": "4. Keeping common gaming house.",
            "chapter": null,
            "content": "(a) [opens, keeps or uses any house, room or place] , for the purpose of a common gaming house,\n(b) being the owner or occupier of any such house, room or place knowingly or wilfully permits the same to be opened, occupied, kept or used by any other person for the purpose aforesaid,\n(c) has the care or management of, or in any manner assists in conducting the business of, any such house, room, or place opened, occupied, kept or used for the purpose aforesaid,\n(d) advances or furnishes money for the purpose of gaming with persons frequenting any such house, room or place,\n(a) for a first offence such imprisonment shall not be less than [three months and fine shall not be less than five hundred rupees] ;\n(b) for second offence such imprisonment shall not be less than [six months and fine shall not be less than one thousand rupees] ; and\n(c) for a third or subsequent offence such imprisonment shall not be less than [one year and fine shall not be less than two thousand rupees] .]",
            "footnote": "",
            "is_definition": false,
            "sort_order": 1
        },
        {
            "number": "5",
            "title": "5. Gaming in common gaming houses.",
            "chapter": null,
            "content": "(a) for a first offence such imprisonment shall not be less than [two months and fine shall not be less than three hundred rupees] ;\n(b) for a second offence such imprisonment shall not be less than [four months and fine shall not be less than three hundred rupees] ; and\n(c) for a third or subsequent offence such imprisonment shall not be less than [nine months and fine shall not be less than three hundred rupees] .]\n[5A. Seizure of register, record or writing by certain police officers.\n(i) in any area for which a Commissioner of Police has been appointed, a police officer not below the rank of a Deputy Commissioner of Police, and\n(ii) elsewhere, a police officer not below the rank of a Deputy Superintendent of Police, is of the opinion that any register, record or writing of any kind whatsoever which contains [pictures, digits or figures or combination of pictures, digits or figures] relates to Worli Matka gaming or some other form of gaming, he shall be entitled to seize the same, and such register, record or writing shall be presumed to be an instrument of gaming unless it is shown by the person from whom it is seized that it is a register, record or writing of any transaction in connection with a lawful trade, industry, business, profession or vocation or of any lawful personal transaction of any person or it is otherwise not an instrument of gaming.]\n[6. Entry, search, etc. by police officers in gaming.\n[(ia) in any area of the State, not below the rank of Sub-Inspector of Police, authorised in each case by special warrant issued by the Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) or whoever is holding that post in any rank or Additional Director General of Police C.I.D. (crime); and (ib) in any area of police range not below the rank of Sub-Inspector of Police, authorised in each case by special warrant issued by the Special Inspector General of Police or Deputy Inspector General of Police appointed for the respective police range; and]\n(i) [in any area for which a Commissioner of Police has been appointed] not below the rank of a [***] Sub-Inspector and either empowered by general order in writing [by the Commissioner of Police or authorised in each case by special warrant issued by any police officer not below the rank of Deputy Commissioner of Police or, as the case may be, Superintendent of Police] , and\n(ii) elsewhere not below the rank of a Sub-Inspector of Police authorised by special warrant issued in each case [by a District Magistrate or Sub-Divisional Magistrate or by a Taluka Magistrate specially empowered by the State Government in this behalf or by] [a District, Additional, Assistant or Deputy Superintendent of Police] , [and]\n[(iii) without prejudice to the provision in clause (ii) above, in such other area as the State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette , specify in this behalf, not below the rank of a Sub-Inspector and empowered by general order in writing issued by the District Magistrate.]\n(a) to enter, with the assistance of such persons as may be found necessary, by night or by day, and by force, if necessary, any house, room or place which he has reason to suspect is used as a common gaming-house,\n(b) to search all parts of the house, room or place which he shall have so entered, when he shall have reason to suspect that any instruments of gaming are concealed therein, and also the persons whom he shall find therein whether such persons are then actually gaming or not,\n(c) to take into custody and bring before a Magistrate all such persons,\n(d) to seize all things which are reasonably suspected to have been used or intended to be used for the purpose of gaming and which are found therein:\n[6A. Punishment for giving false names and addresses.\n[7. Presumptive proof of keeping or gaming in common gaming-house.",
            "footnote": "",
            "is_definition": false,
            "sort_order": 2
        },
        {
            "number": "8",
            "title": "8. On conviction for keeping or gaming in common gaming house, Instruments of gaming may be destroyed.",
            "chapter": null,
            "content": "",
            "footnote": "",
            "is_definition": false,
            "sort_order": 3
        },
        {
            "number": "9",
            "title": "9. Proof of playing for money not required for conviction.",
            "chapter": null,
            "content": "[10. Indemnification of certain witnesses.\n11. [Payment of portion of fine to informer.",
            "footnote": "",
            "is_definition": false,
            "sort_order": 4
        },
        {
            "number": "12",
            "title": "12. Power to arrest without warrant for gaming and setting birds and animals to fight in public streets.",
            "chapter": null,
            "content": "(a) any person found [gaming] [or reasonably suspected to be gaming] in any public street, [or thoroughfare, or in any place to which the public have or are permitted to have access] [or in any race-course] ;\n(b) any person setting any birds or animals to fight in any public street, [or thoroughfare, or in any place to which the public have or are permitted to have access] ;\n(c) any person there present aiding and abetting such public fighting of birds and animals;\nSeizure and destruction of instruments found:\n[12A. Power to arrest without warrant for printing, publishing or distributing any news or information.",
            "footnote": "",
            "is_definition": false,
            "sort_order": 5
        },
        {
            "number": "13",
            "title": "13. Saving games of mere skill.",
            "chapter": null,
            "content": "[14. Repeal and Savings.\n(a) the previous operation of the Acts so repealed, or\n(b) any right, privilege, obligation or liability acquired, accrued or incurred under any Act so repealed, or\n(c) any penalty, forfeiture or punishment incurred in respect of any offence committed against any of the provisions of the Acts so repealed, or\n(d) any investigation, legal proceeding or remedy in respect of any such right, privilege, obligation, liability, penalty, forfeiture or punishment as aforesaid;\nSchedule\n(Enactments Repealed.)\n(Enactments Repealed.)\nRepealed by Act XVI of 1895\nRepealed by Act XVI of 1895",
            "footnote": "",
            "is_definition": false,
            "sort_order": 6
        }
    ],
    "metadata": {
        "Act ID": "guj149",
        "Act Number": "Bombay Act No. 4 of 1887",
        "Enactment Date": "",
        "Act Year": "1887",
        "Short Title": "The Bombay Prevention of Gambling Act, 1887",
        "Type": "STATE",
        "Location": "Gujarat"
    },
    "updated_at": "2026-09-29 21:55:19"
}