Section 239: Betting houses

Any house, room, or place, which is used for any of the following purposes‐
(1) for the purpose of bets being made therein between persons resorting to the place
and‐
(a) the owner, occupier, or keeper of the place, or any person using the place; or
(b) any person procured or employed by or acting for or on behalf of any such owner,
occupier, or keeper, or person using the place; or
(c) any person having the care or management, or in any manner conducting the
business, of the place; or
(2) for the purpose of any money or other property, being paid or received therein by
or on behalf of any such owner, occupier, or keeper, or person using the place as, or
for the consideration‐
(a) for an assurance, undertaking, promise, or agreement, express or implied, to payor
give thereafter any money or other property on any event or contingency of or relating
to any horse race, or other race, fight, game sport, or exercise; or
(b) for securing the paying or giving by some other person of any money or other
property on any such event or contingency,
is called a common betting house.
Any person who, being the owner or occupier of any house, room, or place, knowingly
and wilfully permits it to be opened, kept, or used, as a common betting house by
another person, or who has the use or management, or assists in conducting the
business of a common betting house, is guilty of a misdemeanor and is liable to
imprisonment for one year, and to a fine of one thousand naira:
Provided always that nothing herein contained shall make illegal the use of a
totalisator by a race club recognised by the Government, at a race meeting, with the
approval in each case, of the superintendent of police in charge of the area where the
meeting is held. In this proviso "totalisator" means and includes the instrument,
machine, or contrivance, commonly known as the totalisator, and any other
instrument, machine, or contrivance of a like nature, or any scheme for enabling any
number of persons to make bets with one another on the like principles.