Agreements by way of wager, void
Section 30 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872 deals with agreements by way of wager, void. 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. The Act came into force on 01 Sep 1872.
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.
Section 30, The Indian Contract Act, 1872 (Act 9 of 1872).
Cross-references
Extracted from the operative text of the enactments themselves. Every destination below exists in our corpus.
This section refers to
Related judgements & precedents
These are some judgments that construed this section, and hold precedence value. They hold authority on how to read, interpret and use this section.
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Peter P.A. v. State of Kerala
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
Final Order order-1.pdf 2007-03-28 DATE VERIFIED. Thottathil B. Radhakrishnan J. WP(C) 2913/2007 (Sports Super Bumper lottery). Isolates Contract 30: a lottery is an agreement by way of wager and is void; even a State-run lottery remains gambling / res extra commercium; the State cannot guarantee prize payment (Kerala Paper Lotteries Rules r.9(1) held unconstitutional). Cites B.R. Enterprises and Chamarbaugwala. Do not pad Contract 23.
On this section: A lottery is an agreement by way of wager, void under Contract 30; the State cannot guarantee lottery prizes (Peter P.A.).
The holding above is the ratio decidendi as extracted from the judgment by eCourts India, reproduced unaltered — it is a rendering of the court's reasoning, not a substitute for its words. Read the order itself before relying on it.
Questions about Section 30
What have the courts held on Section 30 of the Indian Contract Act?
Peter P.A. v. State of Kerala (28 Mar 2007) is the leading judgment on this section among those set out below: A lottery is an agreement by way of wager, void under Contract 30; the State cannot guarantee lottery prizes (Peter P.A.).
How do I find court cases under Section 30 of the Indian Contract Act?
In judgments and charge sheets this section is written several ways, and each form finds a different set of orders. These search the full text of every order eCourtsIndia holds, best matches first: Contract Act 30, section 30 Contract Act, section 30 of the Indian Contract Act. People searching for it also type contract employees act 30 of 2023. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome. 1 reported judgment on this section is set out on this page, beginning with Peter P.A. v. State of Kerala (28 Mar 2007).
What should I read with Section 30 of the Indian Contract Act, and has it changed?
Its own text turns on Indian Penal Code 294A (Keeping lottery office), so none of them can safely be read on its own.
When did Section 30 of the Indian Contract Act come into force?
Section 30 of the Indian Contract Act, cited as Contract Act 30, came into force on 01 Sep 1872, having been enacted on 25 Apr 1872. It is in force as at the date shown on this page.
Other sections of this Act
- 73. Compensation for loss or damage caused by breach of contract1822 words
- 23. What considerations and objects are lawful, and what not596 words
- 74. Compensation for breach of contract where penalty stipulated for577 words
- 28. Agreements in restraint of legal proceeding void512 words
- 25. Agreement without consideration, void, unless it is in writing and registered, or is a promise to compensate for something done, or is a promise to pay a debt barred by limitation law423 words
- 16. "Undue influence" defined397 words
Source and method. Compiled from the enactments of Parliament and of the State legislatures as published on India Code, and republished together with commentary and other original matter under section 52(1)(q)(ii) of the Copyright Act, 1957. Structured, cross-referenced and maintained by eCourtsIndia. Text as in force on 15 Oct 2026. This page is not a substitute for legal advice.