History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c63.992.3

v4.c63.992.3

20 lays down the fee as five per cent and allows the sabhika to charge hire for supplying gambling accessories (such as dice, leather pieces) and for supplying water and accommodation. The sabhika receiving protection from the king was to pay to the king the tax agreed upon by him, was to recover from the defeated gambler the stake (by means of confinement or restraint order) and pay it over to the victor and was to be honest and forbearing⁹⁹⁸ (Yāj. II. 200, Kāt. 940, Nār. XIX. 2). Kāt. (937) states that the sabhika⁹⁹⁹ may give to the winner the money won out of his own pocket and may recover from the losing gambler within three fortnights or at once if there is fear of losing the money. Kāt. (935)¹⁰⁰⁰ holds that if gambling was to be allowed it must be carried on openly with an arch constructed near the door in order that respectable people might not be misled (about its real nature) and it should yield revenue to the king. If the sabhika is unable to make the defeated gambler pay the stake to the victor, the king would make the former pay to the latter provided the gambling was done openly in the presence of the sabhika and a group of gamblers and the king's dues were paid by the sabhika, but not otherwise (Yāj II. 201). Nār. XIX. 6-7 and Yāj. II. 202 provide that when gambling is carried on secretly and without the king's permission or with false dice or other deceitful tricks, the gamblers and the sabhika would not be able to gain their object (i. e.