The Bombay Prevention of Gambling Act, 1887
The Gujarat Prevention of Gambling Act, 1887
The Bombay Prevention of Gambling Act, 1887 regulates illegal gambling, betting, and wagering across the State of Gujarat. It penalizes operating, managing, or visiting a common gaming-house, as well as gambling in public streets, betting on commodity prices or digits like Worli Matka, and publishing materials that facilitate gambling. The law grants police specific powers to search premises under warrants, arrest suspects, and seize gambling instruments. It affects ordinary citizens by drawing a strict line between illegal games of chance and lawful activities, explicitly exempting games of pure skill and licensed horse-race betting, while imposing mandatory minimum penalties for offenders.
- 0. Preamble
- 1. Short title. Extent.
- 2. [Repealed.]
- 3. "Gaming" defined. "Instruments of gaming" defined. "Common gaming house" defined.
- 3A. Punishment for printing or publishing pictures, digits or figures relating to Worli Matka or other form of gaming.
- 4. Keeping common gaming-house.
- 5. Gaming in common gaming-houses.
- 5A. Seizure of register, record or writing by certain police officers.
- 6. Entry, search etc. by Police Officers in gaming-houses.
- 6A. Punishment for giving false names and addresses.
- 7. Presumptive proof of keeping or gaming in common gaming-house.
- 8. On conviction for keeping or gaming in common gaming-house, instruments of gaming may be destroyed.
- 9. Proof of playing for money not required for conviction.
- 10. Indemnification of certain witnesses.
- 12. Power to arrest, without warrant for gaming, and setting birds and animals to fight in public streets. Seizure and destruction of instruments found.
- 12A. Power to arrest without warrant for printing, publishing or distributing any news or information.
- 13. Saving of games of mere skill.
PDF: pending for this language.