Indian Contract Act Section 30 — Agreements by way of wager void
CHAPTER II OF CONTRACTS, VOIDABLE CONTRACTS AND VOID AGREEMENTS — Void agreements
Commercial / Corporate
Summary
Agreements made by way of a wager, or betting, are void. This means they are not legally valid or enforceable. No lawsuit can be filed to recover anything that is claimed to have been won on a bet, or money or property that was given to someone to hold while waiting for the result of a game or any other uncertain event on which a bet was made.
There is an exception for certain horse-racing prizes. This section does not make it unlawful to give money, or to agree to give money, towards a prize or sum of money worth five hundred rupees or more, as long as that prize is to be awarded to the winner or winners of a horse race.
This section does not make legal any transaction connected with horse-racing that is covered by section 294A of the Indian Penal Code. In other words, if that specific penal provision applies to a horse-racing related transaction, this section does not change its legal status.
Official Text
Agreements by way of wager are void; and no suit shall be brought for recovering anything alleged to be won on any wager, or entrusted to any person to abide the result of any game or other uncertain event on which any wager is made. Exception in favour of certain prizes for horse-racing.—This section shall not be deemed to render unlawful a subscription or contribution, or agreement to subscribe or contribute, made or entered into for or toward any plate, prize or sum of money, of the value or amount of five hundred rupees or upwards, to be awarded to the winner or winners of any horse-race. Section 294A of the Indian Penal Code not affected.—Nothing in this section shall be deemed to legalize any transaction connected with horse-racing, to which the provisions of section 294A of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860) apply.