Lotteries (Regulation) Act, 1998
No: 17 Dated: Jul, 07 1998
Lotteries (Regulation) Act, 1998
(Act No. 17 of 1998)
An Act to regulate the lotteries and to provide for matters connected therewith and incidental thereto.
BE it enacted by Parliament in the Forty-ninth Year of the Republic of India as follows:—
1. Short title, extent and commencement.—(1) This Act may be called the Lotteries (Regulation) Act, 1998.
(2) It extends to the whole of India.
(3) It shall be deemed to have come into force on the 2nd day of October, 1997.
2. Definitions.—In this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context,—
(a) “bumper draw of a lottery” means a special draw of lottery conducted on or during any festival or other special occasion wherein the prize money offered is greater than the prize money offered in the case of other ordinary draw of lotteries;
(b) “lottery” means a scheme, in whatever form and by whatever name called, for distribution of prizes by lot or chance to those persons participating in the chances of a prize by purchasing tickets;
(c) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Act.
3. Prohibition of lotteries.—Save as otherwise provided in section 4, no State Government shall organise, conduct or promote any lottery.
4. Conditions subject to which lotteries may be organised, etc.—A State Government may organise, conduct or promote a lottery, subject to the following conditions, namely:—
(a) prizes shall not be offered on any pre-announced number or on the basis of a single digit;
(b) the State Government shall print the lottery tickets bearing the imprint and logo of the State in such manner that the authenticity of the lottery ticket is ensured;
(c) the State Government shall sell the tickets either itself or through distributors or selling agents;
(d) the proceeds of the sale of lottery tickets shall be credited into the public account of the State;
(e) the State Government itself shall conduct the draws of all the lotteries;
(f) the prize money unclaimed within such time as may be prescribed by the State Government or not otherwise distributed, shall become the property of that Government;
(g) the place of draw shall be located within the State concerned;
(h) no lottery shall have more than one draw in a week;
(i) the draws of all kinds of lotteries shall be conducted between such period of the day as may be prescribed by the State Government;
(j) the number of bumper draws of a lottery shall not be more than six in a calendar year;
(k) such other conditions as may be prescribed by the Central Government.
5. Prohibition of sale of ticket in a State.—A State Government may, within the State, prohibit the sale of tickets of a lottery organised, conducted or promoted by every other State.
6. Prohibition of organisation, etc., of lottery.—The Central Government may, by order published in the Official Gazette, prohibit a lottery organised, conducted or promoted in contravention of the provisions of section 4 or where tickets of such lottery are sold in contravention of the provisions of section 5.