Forbidden Fruit- Where Gambling is Punished By Law?
Gambling is something that has been with us since antiquity whether it be for-fun or for-profit, but the one thing that remains constant throughout history is human beings love to gamble. In some areas individuals gamble freely, while in others gambling is prohibited outright and punishable by law. This article will explore those countries where gambling is banned or restricted and what are the reasons behind it.
Why gambling was prohibited in the past?
For most of our history gambling was associated with things like crime and treason, as well as being socially unacceptable. In ancient times gambling was quite popular since those were years when it had been born. Common people used to gamble for several reasons, such as entertainment or a way of tightening bonds or even use gambling and games as a tool for making business. Also people used to make bets on the lives of the fighters who would fight in gladiator arenas during these ancient days and they made high winnings if their bet had won.
The Middle Ages were an era of prohibition for gambling in Europe. Christianity did not come along with gambling and it was considered as a serious sin and then prohibited by law and people from indulging in this activity. In some parts of the world like the Middle East it was even punished with death.
In the times of Renaissance when Europe was quite prosperous, gambling was accepted again and developed with time but on some restrictions. Gambling houses were opened for the public but players had to put up a collateral before they could be allowed to play. They had to leave this collateral as a guarantee that they will pay their losses.
In the next few centuries gambling had its ups and downs depending on the country or region we want to talk about. Nowadays we can see legalized gambling business in the form of casinos and lotteries across Europe, North America and Australia. Gambling has become a profitable business for casino owners and the state. It brings significant income to the government and even more money to a few successful gamblers. As far as it is legal, in some countries gambling is considered good fun for people who like playing games of chance. But what if it’s illegal? Where are those places where you can still be punished for playing casino games?
China
The most famous country among those that forbid all sorts of gambling, including casinos and lotteries. Chinese government banned such activities even before the revolution in 1949. Even today, Chinese citizens can be put into jail for gambling. Chinese government believes that lotteries are a tool in the hands of people whom they call “foreign devils” to corrupt and destabilize China’s economy, military power and government.The country experiences the so-called “jahai” (“paper tiger”) phenomenon: on the one hand lots of people gamble, but they use fake money or chips that have no value outside the gambling facility.
As for casinos, it is well known that all of them were closed after the revolution. However, China has recently started allowing foreign investment into their borders.
Japan
In Japan gambling is forbidden. Punishment can be imprisonment for up to 5 years, but usually there is a smaller punishment like paying a fine that depends on the amount of money you have won or lost.
Japanese law forbids both individuals and companies from running gambling activities even if they are not in Japan. Financial institutions must refuse payments and transfers related to gambling (for example online casinos).
Gambling is forbidden in Japan, but this law has only been enforced since 1948. In the past people gambled with things like geta (traditional Japanese sandals), senmae (small coin) and sekiwake (a ranking system). These gambling games are still played in rural areas but not really in cities anymore. Things that are legal in Japan and are related to gambling are machines like pachinko and pachislot, which are popular among older men.
The Yakuza is known to earn a lot of their money from gambling. They struggle with the law regarding gambling because it is illegal in Japan but nearly impossible to control. The Yakuza are going against the law and somehow intimidate officials on land so they can continue their profitable business of gambling without being punished.
Middle East
Almost in every country in the Middle East gambling is forbidden. One of the reasons for this is to help keep peace in a region that is not by nature peaceful and calm.
Most countries in the Middle East forbid gambling, but certain forms are allowed in some places. For example games like dominoes and backgammon can be played as long as no money changes hands. People who disobey these rules can be punished severely by authorities.
States in the USA
There are still some states in the USA in which gambling is illegal, and will remain illegal for a long time. Two states, Hawaii and Utah, have 100% bans for gambling. In other states it can be more or less restricted and not allowed in certain places or forms.
State governments are in power to legalize or restrict gambling. They do this because they know it can be harmful and there is a higher risk for problem gamblers if the state allows and protects it by law. It makes sense that some states still prohibit online gambling, even though it’s technically legal everywhere else.
Conclusion
Many places in the world still consider gambling as something that shouldn’t be legalized, it’s a forbidden fruit. Many states in the U.S. don’t allow any form of gambling like casinos for example in their territories, and this will most likely stay that way forever or at least for a long time.
No matter what you think about online gambling in an online casino/nettikasinot, the fact is that there are countries where it’s fully legal and widely spread and ones in which you might be punished for enjoying your time there.