Festivals have long included gambling as a fun, communal way to celebrate, but...

https://danteuoqx487.theburnward.com/why-do-people-bet-on-the-grand-national-even-if-they-never-bet-otherwise

Festivals have long included gambling as a fun, communal way to celebrate, but setting clear end dates helped keep things in check. Think of Saturnalia’s timed games or Diwali’s teen patti, where the calendar marked when play should stop