

Insurable interest means the risk of loss to which the assured is likely to be exposed by the happening of the event assured against. An insurance effected without insurable interest is no more than a wagering agreement and therefore void. Wagering agreement and Contract of insuranceĮvery contract of insurance requires for its validity the existence of insurable interest. Though section 30 of the Indian Contract Act 1872 is influenced by the English Gaming Act 1845there is a difference between the English and the Indian laws.The English Gaming Act, 1845, renders all collateral agreements to the wagering agreement void, whereas in India, primary agreement of wager is void but agreements collateral to it are not and enforceable as the wagering agreements are void, not illegal. For example, contracts for differences or bets on stock market indices. However, Section 18 exempts certain dealings in investments by way of business from being invalid even though they are wagering contracts. No suit can be initiated in Court of law to claim any sum of money or valuable thing alleged to be won upon any wager. The Gaming Act, 1845, declares all wagering contracts and agreements null and void. The Gaming and Wagering laws of Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and New Zealand are also based on the UK Gaming Act. 18 of the Gaming Act, which states that the contracts by way of wagering and gaming are null and void. Legislations in all Australia are based on S.

The various nations of common law jurisdictions have adopted gaming laws based on the UK Gaming Act 1845. Hence a wagering agreement is lawful under section 23 of the Contract Act and therefore the transaction collateral to the main transaction is valid and enforceable. Mahadeo Das ,the Supreme Court held that a wager is void and unenforceable.It is illegal and not forbidden by law. The payment made directly by a third party to a winner of a wagering agreement cannot be recovered from the loser.

The essentials of a wagering agreement are : A wagering agreement has the characteristic of a contingent contract but is not enforceable by Section 30. It only states that agreements by way of the wager will be void and no action can lie to contracting parties to recover anything or claim performance of the wagering agreements. The Indian Contract Act, 1872 does not define wager or a wagering agreement. If either of the parties may win but cannot lose, or may lose but cannot win, it is not a wagering contract.“ “ A wagering contract is one by which two persons, professing to hold opposite views touching the issue of a future uncertain event, mutually agree that, dependant on the determination of that event, one shall win from the other, and that other shall pay or hand over to him, a sum of money or other stakes neither of the parties having any other interest in that contract than the sum or stake he will so win or lose, there is no other consideration for the making of such contract by either of the parties. In Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball Co., wagering agreements are defined as The word ‘ wager’ means ‘a bet’ something stated to be lost or won on the result of an uncertain issue, and, hence, wagering agreements are ordinary betting agreements. Sir William Anson defines ‘ wager’ as a promise to give money or money’s worth upon the determination or ascertainment of an uncertain event.
