[Johnny1A.2]

This would be a legal procedure. It might actually have been tried in reality, but I don't recall hearing about it.

Imagine a society that believes in the medieval concept of 'trial by ordeal'. (Note that this scales separately of technical advancement, it could be anything from a Bronze Age city-state to a galaxy-spanning empire).

However, it works a bit differently in that whoever is bringing the charges, even if its the state, must post a 'bond', and if the defendant survives and 'passes 'the ordeal, he is not only exonerated but claims the bond.

The ordeal is nasty enough to make it unlikely someone would risk it for the money, but the sum is substantial. Now, a quirk of the system is that you can hire somebody to take your place in the ordeal. If your hireling fails, both he and you face the penalty together (prison, death, whatever). But he 'passes', you're cleared too and you get the bond and he gets his wages (very likely a portion of the bond).

The worse the penalty at risk, the bigger the bond sum.

The ordeal isn't just plain torture, though, it's usually something like a quest or a challenge, though pain and suffering may well be involved in doing it.

The gaming possibilities should be self-evident...