The British Marine Insurance Act of 1745 prohibited 'wagering' or interest-free insurance policies — contracts taken out on ships or cargoes by those with no genuine financial stake — marking a critical distinction between insurance and gambling.

The Marine Insurance Act of 1745 banned wagering policies in England, reflecting Augustan moral anxiety about gambling as a social vice. This concern pervades the satire of Alexander Pope, John Gay's 'Beggar's Opera', and William Hogarth's visual commentary on speculative culture, influencing the moral landscape of literature.