The idea that library patrons were regularly fighting, swearing and gambling in the 19th century is entertaining in its own right, yet this law was not altered until 2005.
Gambling is regulated and controlled in all global regions, although the way that the authorities approach this pastime can vary wildly, resulting in some crazy and often confusing laws being created.
Here are just a few of the oddest gambling laws that are still in effect today, demonstrating just how complex this issue can be.
New Zealand
While gambling is tightly restricted in New Zealand, there are still slot machines available in bars and other public spaces. Unlike in other parts of the world, all of these machines, which are colloquially known as ‘pokies’, are operated by charities, rather than by for-profit businesses.
The fact that the government only allows good causes to run slots is undoubtedly odd, although it does mean that people participating in this hobby will be giving back to the community. Players can also access live casino services, all of which are hosted overseas.
Monte Carlo
In spite of its reputation as a global gambling hotspot, Monte Carlo is not the best place to take up permanent residence if you want to visit one of its opulent casinos. This is because it is illegal for citizens to make use of these venues, effectively making them open only to the wealthy tourists that flock to the principality each year.
Similar rules are in place in a handful of other locations worldwide, although it is more common for countries which have legal gambling options to encourage the population to participate.
Kentucky, USA
As each US state has a greater control over its own laws than the average region of a larger country, there are unsurprisingly a lot of different approaches to the regulation of gambling from place to place.
Kentucky is an interesting example of this, because it actually gives gamblers the legal right to file a lawsuit if they suffer a loss of $5 or more. Weirder still, you can sue to get back more than you originally lost, so long as you do so within six months of suffering this setback.
Japan
Many Asian nations have a blanket ban on gambling, and Japan is essentially in keeping with this trend, although there is one interesting exception: pachinko.
This classic mechanical game is the Japanese equivalent of slot machines, but since players cannot win prizes directly, an elaborate work-around involving the exchange of pachinko balls for tokens which are in turn swapped at a different location for cash exists. So while pachinko is effectively legal to play, its gambling roots are not strictly legitimate, even if the government tolerates the system as it stands today.
Canada
The popular casino game of craps revolves around the use of dice to determine the outcome of a wager, yet in Canada it is illegal to actually harness these arguably essential gambling accessories for this precise purpose.
Industry insiders argue that this move was taken not to drive down the playing of craps in Canadian casinos, but rather to avoid the rise of remotely controllable dice used by tricksters to twist the odds in their favour.
UK
Great Britain has one of the most liberal approaches to gambling of any nation worldwide, with both land-based and online casino services legally allowed and thoroughly regulated.
However, one intriguing hangover from a previous era exists as a result of the Library Offences Act, originally passed way back in 1898. This bill prohibits gambling in public libraries, partly as a side-effect of attempts to reduce instances of violence and abusive behaviour in book-borrowing venues.
The idea that library patrons were regularly fighting, swearing and gambling in the 19th century is entertaining in its own right, yet this law was not altered until 2005.
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