Weird Utah Law Bans Gambling Using Candy

Utah is not a state that approves of gambling. There is no lottery, slot machines or horse racing. Add to that betting with candy. You heard that right. Don’t go trying to drum up a game of poker using peanut M&M’s. Don’t try racing your neighborhood dogs with a King Size Kit Kat on the line. 

There is a law in Salt Lake that bans gambling with candy: 

15.08.110: GAMBLING: 

No person shall play or bet at or against any game which is played, conducted, dealt or carried on with cards, dice, slot machine, wheels or other device, for money, chips, credit, cigars, candy, merchandise or any other thing representative of value, or maintain or exhibit any cards, dice, table, wheel, machine or other instrument or device for betting, gambling or gaming. (Ord. 49-15, 2015) 

I would love to know the back story to this law. I can picture some guy walking into the Beehive Pub and getting shuffled into a backroom. A man with a green visor slips up to him with a pencil and a notebook and says, “You want to get in the game?”  

The man slaps down a Mar’s candy fun pack on the table. The man in the visor smiles and nods. 

Just then, a squad of Utah’s finest breaks down the door and tells everyone to freeze. 

The next day in the Deseret News they report 300 pounds of chocolate, and three super-size Skittles packs were seized. Meanwhile the Salt Lake Tribune bemoans the fact that all the candy was unfairly impounded, and the gamblers should be set free. 

I found several stories over the years where people have been busted in Utah for illegal gambling. I can’t find any that were using candy at the time. You can't use cigars either. Also, found no one busted for that.