Section 236: Gaming houses

(1) A person being the owner or occupier, or having the use of, any house, room or
place, who shall open, keep or use the same for the purpose of unlawful gaming being
carried on therein, and any person who, being the owner or occupier of any house,
room or place, shall knowingly and wilfully permit the same to be opened, kept or used
by any other person for the purpose aforesaid, and any person having the care or
management of or in any manner assisting in conducting the business of any house,
room or place opened, kept or used for the purpose aforesaid, is said to keep a
common gaming house.
Unlawful gaming
(2) In this section, "unlawful gaming" includes roulette, every game of dice except
backgammon, every game of card which is not a game of skill, the game known as
chacha and other games of cowries, and any game the chances of which are not alike
favourable to all the players, including the banker or other person or persons by whom
the game is managed or against whom the other players stake, play or bet.
(3) Any person who keeps a common gaming house is guilty of a misdemeanor and is
liable to a fine of one thousand naira or to imprisonment for two years or to both such
fine and imprisonment.
(4) Any person other than the persons mentioned in subsection (1) of this section who
is found in a common gaming house shall be deemed, unless the contrary is proved, to
be there for the purpose of unlawful gaming and is guilty of an offence and liable to a
fine of ten naira for the first offence and for each subsequent offence to a fine of forty
naira or imprisonment for three months or to both such fine and imprisonment.