The wager of the winning party would be returned, but the loser's would be forfeited to the state. While the reasoning lay, in theory, in the idea of a sacrifice to the gods, its main effect was to discourage frivolous litigation since the sums laid down as wagers were substantial.
If the winning side received their winnings back, whereas the losing side had to forfeit them to the state, the rationale behind this system was rooted in the concept of offering sacrifices to the gods. This practice aimed to discourage unnecessary legal disputes because the amounts at stake were significant.