Many festivals have long included gambling as part of the celebration, but...

https://blogfreely.net/teresa-long85/why-was-gambling-allowed-during-saturnalia-but-banned-the-rest-of-the-year

Many festivals have long included gambling as part of the celebration, but calendars helped mark a clear end to the risk. Take Saturnalia in ancient Rome or Diwali’s popular teen patti game—set dates kept the fun from spilling into everyday life