Definitely the vast majority of chess players are happy to just play casual games with friends. But I think that many of the people who join chess clubs, which

Definitely the vast majority of chess players are happy to just play casual games with friends. But I think that many of the people who join chess clubs, which often emphasize ranking and competition, are interested in progressing as high as they can. And if eventually you’ll reach a point where you have to invest money in materials, it is cold comfort if clubs claim to be open to everyone regardless of socioeconomic level.