I would say yes, they are unregulated gambling. People also spend ludicrous amounts of money on cards. Though I don’t think that should factor into whether or not something is or isn’t unregulated gambling. It’s the chance product, not the money spent on it.
So those cards have been around forever, and no one complained about them.
People care about these loot boxes because it’s easy for a young kid to get their parents credit card and rack up a ton of charges because they see a cool skin and don’t realize that ultra rare or 1/1000 chance to drop means that they won’t get t without spending a ton of money.
By definition gambling can be defined as playing games of chance for money. Well they aren’t going to win money, their reward is a collectable item.
Or to take risky action in hope of desired result. I don’t really see how this fits that definition either. There’s no risky action.
I would prefer if there were no loot boxes because I’d rather know what I’m getting, but people are focusing on the wrong thing here.
Trading cards and gambling addiction have been studied for years. TCGs may not function the same as a slot machine, but it does trigger the same thing in your brain.
You’re right. TCGs with blind draw boosters are also bad. I didn’t complain about Pokemon cards back in 2000 because I was a child and didn’t comprehend that that was what I was doing. I definitely stopped partaking in Magic: The Gathering as an adult though when I realized it was a neverending gambling treadmill. Today I frequent fighting game locals that are kept afloat by Yu Gi Oh gambling addicts who fill the trash cans with booster wrappers as they go back to the counter over and over again to buy more packs.
So those cards have been around forever, and no one complained about them.
There have definitely been complaints about gambling in relation to collectible cards. I don’t think anything has come of them in legal terms, but many complaints have been voiced.
I would say yes, they are unregulated gambling. People also spend ludicrous amounts of money on cards. Though I don’t think that should factor into whether or not something is or isn’t unregulated gambling. It’s the chance product, not the money spent on it.
So those cards have been around forever, and no one complained about them.
People care about these loot boxes because it’s easy for a young kid to get their parents credit card and rack up a ton of charges because they see a cool skin and don’t realize that ultra rare or 1/1000 chance to drop means that they won’t get t without spending a ton of money.
By definition gambling can be defined as playing games of chance for money. Well they aren’t going to win money, their reward is a collectable item.
Or to take risky action in hope of desired result. I don’t really see how this fits that definition either. There’s no risky action.
I would prefer if there were no loot boxes because I’d rather know what I’m getting, but people are focusing on the wrong thing here.
Trading cards and gambling addiction have been studied for years. TCGs may not function the same as a slot machine, but it does trigger the same thing in your brain.
And that is what’s dangerous.
Valve literally runs a marketplace that allows people to sell their skins for cash.
This is like playing for tokens that the store across the street will conveniently purchase from you.
So the issue isn’t the loot boxes and gambling to get items, it’s the resale? That’s a different issue.
Also it’s not “cash”, you can only spend that money back into steam.
You’re right. TCGs with blind draw boosters are also bad. I didn’t complain about Pokemon cards back in 2000 because I was a child and didn’t comprehend that that was what I was doing. I definitely stopped partaking in Magic: The Gathering as an adult though when I realized it was a neverending gambling treadmill. Today I frequent fighting game locals that are kept afloat by Yu Gi Oh gambling addicts who fill the trash cans with booster wrappers as they go back to the counter over and over again to buy more packs.
There have definitely been complaints about gambling in relation to collectible cards. I don’t think anything has come of them in legal terms, but many complaints have been voiced.