Gambling and The Law have had a rather contentious relationship throughout history. Many countries, going back centuries, have banned gambling and games of chance outright. Many religions frown on any gambling activities. Even in our ‘enlightened’ modern age there are arbitrary laws around who, where and when people can partake in a little flutter or two.

You just need to look at the ridiculous laws against online gambling to see how biased some countries are when it comes to gambling. Case in point: most countries have a National Lottery where citizens can play to win huge jackpots and the money wagered goes to the government but any form of privately owned casino or betting house is outlawed. Even countries that allow land-based casinos to operate openly and legally but ban or restrict online gambling.

The rules seem arbitrary and quite silly.

But they have nothing on some of the weirder gambling laws that have been, or are currently being, enacted.

The Online Casino Review team heard about one law that pertains to South Africa in particular and that caught our attention and interest in finding other laws from around the world that would seem a little … odd.

A ban on dog racing – South Africa

For many decades gambling was banned outright in the Republic of South Africa. An interesting outcome of this policy, and one we will go into detail on in the near future, was the establishment of one of the country’s most famous and largest casino complexes in the Bantustan state of Bophuthatswana – Sun City.

While this was a sneaky way of getting around the anti-gambling legislation, there is another law that is even stranger: the ban on dog racing.

Dog racing is seen as animal cruelty in South Africa and there are hefty fines and jail sentences given out to organisers, racers and spectators if they are caught.

While anything anti-animal cruelty deserves to be applauded, the fact that horse racing – animals that have to carry a human while being whipped to go faster – is perfectly acceptable puts this law into the weird category.

Gambling in a library – UK

While we all know the dreaded librarians that skulk through the dusty aisles searching out patrons who are (the horror!) talking or eating, the UK went a step further with the Libraries Offences Act of 1898.

While the language of the Act seems innocent enough (it prohibits annoying or disturbing other library users through disorderly behaviour, the use of vulgar or obscene language, and overstaying your welcome), it is the inclusion of ‘gambling or betting’ that really stands out.

We know that the Brits like a bet but to the extent that they had to be banned from doing it in the library? Weird.

And just by the way, the law is still in effect today. How this affects having a quick spin on the mobile slots on your phone? Who knows but, according to the letter of the law: SUPER-illegal.

Sue if you lose – Kentucky, USA

In the American state of Kentucky, a gambler is quite welcome to lose up to the amount of $5 (yes, FIVE dollars!).

If the gambler loses more than that they can sue the winner.

Wait, what?

Yep, lose more than $5 and you can sue the person who won the money from you – and you can sue them for more than you originally lost. So, you hit a game of high stakes poker, lose your $10,000 bankroll and then sue the other players for way more than you lost.

And, even weirder, is that you have up to six months to sue and, if you don’t, someone can sue on your behalf!

This law (known as the Loss Recovery Act) was actually exercised as recently as 2018 when the State of Kentucky sued the company that owns PokerStars.com for $870 MILLION plus interest on behalf of 34,000 gamblers who had lost money at the online casino.

The State lost the case but only because the judges ruled that the State was not a real person and could not therefore sue.

No nude gambling – Oklahoma, USA

Was this really so big an issue that they had to pass a law against it?

In Oklahoma, USA it is illegal for a woman to gamble in the nude, while wearing lingerie or while wearing a towel. It certainly does take the old rule of ‘no shirt, no shoes, no service’ into a whole new realm!

Again, was this an actual issue in Oklahoma? Weird.

Is it legal? – Japan

The laws on gambling in Japan are very hazy (much like the online gambling in South Africa). According to the law, gambling is illegal. But betting on the National lottery (surprise, surprise), horse racing, and motor racing is allowed (and Australian Rules Football for some reason?).

And then you have Pachinko.

America has Poker. France has Baccarat. The UK has its bookies. The Land of the Rising Sun has Pachinko, a game so popular that it generates millions every year.

Pachinko is a sort of combination slot machine and pinball game. Gamblers buy metal balls which they shoot up into the game area. The ball falls through a series of levers, traps, pins and cups until it reaches the bottom. If the ball falls into a special central area it spins a slot machine. Getting three symbols or numbers in a row triggers a win (just like lining up three symbols on a slot machine).

Players can’t get cash (that’s illegal because gambling) but they can win special tokens or balls that they can then exchange for cash at another shop.

Gambling? No dice! – Canada

When authorities discover that there are nefarious goings on taking place, they usually act quickly to stop said nefarious acts. Not in Canada.

Acting on the information that there were certain shady gamblers or casinos using remote controlled dice to cheat at Craps, the Canadian Government outlawed all use of dice in Craps games. That’s right. It’s illegal to use dice while playing Craps, a game that was invented to use the randomness of dice.

You’d think that would effectively stop any Craps games outright. Not for the canny Canucks. They play craps in casinos using cards!

No gambling in the most famous gambling city – Monte Carlo, Monaco

The Place de Casino in Monte Carlo is probably one of the most famous gambling destinations in the world after Vegas and Macau. It is the epitome of luxury, wealth, opulence and games of chance.

And yet, if you are a citizen of Monaco, it is illegal to gamble anywhere within the Principality.

Seems a bit weird but we’re sure the gorgeous vies and having the highest concentration of millionaires and billionaires in the world (alongside famous athletes, financiers, entrepreneurs and celebrities) makes it all seem worthwhile.

Just plain weird.