Answer ... (a) Betting (fixed odds/pool and spread)/betting on lotteries
The Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Act defines the term ‘bet’ in Section 2(e) as follows:
‘Bet’ means any money or a valuable security or a thing staked by a person on behalf of himself or through an agent or any person procured or employed, acting for or on his behalf, to be lost or won on the happening or determination of an unascertained thing, event or contingency of or in relation to a game or sport and shall include acceptance of a bet.
However, the term ‘betting on lotteries’ is not expressly defined in gambling laws in India.
(b) Gaming (house and ring games)
The term ‘common gaming house’ is defined in the Public Gambling Act 1867 (PGA) as follows:
‘Common gaming-house’ means any house, walled enclosure, room or place in which cards, dice, tables or other instruments of gaming are kept or used for the profit or gain of the person owning, occupying, using or keeping such house, enclosure, room or place, whether by way of charge for the use of the instruments of gaming or of the house, enclosure, room or place, or otherwise howsoever.
The term ‘gaming’ is defined in the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Act as follows: “‘Gaming’ means and includes Games of Chance and Games of Skill as defined in this Act.”
Furthermore, the terms ‘games of chance’ and ‘games of skill’ are defined in the same act as follows:
2(j) ‘Games of Chance’ mean all such games where there is a preponderance of chance over skill …
2(k) ‘Games of Skill’ mean all such games where there is a preponderance of skill over chance, including where the skill relates to strategizing the manner of placing wagers or placing bets or where the skill lies in team selection or selection of virtual stocks based on analyses or where the skill relates to the manner in which the moves are made, whether through deployment of physical or mental skill and acumen, where the success in game depends on the existence of superior knowledge, training, attention, experience and adroitness of a player.
(c) Lotteries/scratch cards
The Lotteries (Regulation) Act of 1998 defines the term ‘lottery’ as follows: “2(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.”
The Arunachal Pradesh Lotteries (Regulation) Rules, 2013 further define the term ‘online lottery’ as follows:
(2)(xix) ‘Online lottery’ means a system created to permit players to purchase lottery tickets generated by the computer or online machine at the lottery terminals where the information about the sale of a ticket and the players choice of any particular number or combination of number is simultaneously registered with the central computer server.
(d) The interface with financial products (if relevant)
With respect to the interface with financial products, the terms ‘online gaming server’ and ‘online gaming website’ are defined in Sections 2(v) and 2(w) of the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Act, respectively, as follows:
2(v) ‘Online Gaming Server’ means any main frame computer or set of computers, installed or maintained by the Licensee, at a central location or any location in the State of Meghalaya that accepts, processes, stores and validates wager or transaction and otherwise manages, monitors and controls the entire system.
2(w) ‘Online Gaming Website’ means the non-restricted geo-fenced internet domain registration or URL address of the Licensee through which Games are conducted.