Keeping common gaming-house, etc.

79. Keeping common gaming-house, etc. Any person who,— (a) opens, keeps or uses any building, room, tent, enclosure, vehicle, vessel, or place for the purpose of a common gaming-house; (b) being the owner or occupier of any such building, room, tent, enclosure, vehicle, vessel, or place knowingly or wilfully permits the same to be opened, occupied, kept or used by any other person for the purpose aforesaid; (c) has the care or management of, or in any manner assists in conducting the business of, any such building, room, tent, enclosure, vehicle, vessel, or place opened, occupied, kept or used for the purpose aforesaid; or (d) advances or furnishes money for the purpose of gaming with persons frequenting any such building, room, tent, enclosure, vehicle, vessel, or place, shall, on conviction, be punished with imprisonment which may extend to three years and with fine up to rupees one lakh: Provided that,— (a) for a first offence, such imprisonment shall not be less than six months and fine shall not be less than ten thousand rupees; (b) for a second offence, such imprisonment shall not be less than one year and fine shall not be less than fifteen thousand rupees; and (c) for a third or subsequent offence, such imprisonment shall not be less than eighteen months and fine shall not be less than twenty thousand rupees. In section 79 of the Principal Act,- (i) in the hanging para, for the words "one year" the words "three years" shall be substituted and after the word "fine" the words "up to rupees one lakh" shall be inserted; (ii) in the proviso,- (a) in clause (a) for the words "three months" the words "six months" and for the words "five hundred" the words "ten thousand" shall be respectively substituted; (b) in clause (b) for the words "six months" the words "one year" and for the words "five hundred" the words "fifteen thousand" shall be respectively substituted; and (c) in clause (c) for the words "nine months" the words "eighteen months" and for the words "one thousand" the words "twenty thousand" shall be respectively substituted.