4 ms·

> "Loot boxes work like gambling, and they're designed like gambling. They're designed to provoke compulsive reward-seeking behavior." Just because A has some

> "Loot boxes work like gambling, and they're designed like gambling. They're designed to provoke compulsive reward-seeking behavior." Just because A has some properties of B doesn't mean that A is B. I think both gambling and loot-boxes could be categorized as subsets of the set of things that are "compulsive reward-seeking behavior".

manicdee 8y ago
Gambling is defined as the activity of playingva game for stakes or betting on an uncertain outcome. Playing poker for matchsticks is just as much gambling as playing poker for a $50k pot. The only thing changing is the stakes of the gamble.
- jerrre 8y ago
  Is monopoly gambling? Where buying property is betting on the uncertain outcome of someone landing there later, and the stakes are playmoney or the honors of winning?
  - draugadrotten 8y ago
    To argue that monopoly for playmoney is "gambling" is sophism. When one talks about gambling the bet is for real money (or other tokens with real monetary value). Playing roulette "for honors" would not be gambling either, it would be just playing. The argument you make is sophistic because you are focusing on the word gambling instead of seeing the real issue - that gambling for real money can cause addiction and worse. A random number generator is taking chances all the time, but it is not gambling for money until you connect the outcomes to real money.
  - manicdee 8y ago
    What stakes are you playing monopoly for? When the game is packed up back in its box, is the winner walking away from the table with value extracted from the other players?
Sharlin 8y ago
Semantics schemantics. Most things that fall into the category of "provoking compulsive reward-seeking behavior" (that is, are addictive) are—and should be—regulated. Gambling, alcohol, drugs...
- GuB-42 8y ago
  Everything is addictive in the right circumstances. There are people who became addicted to sudoku puzzles. Things like sports, which are usually considered beneficial can be addictive too. Reward seeking is a normal human thing, and it is essential for the survival of the specie. The general idea, I think is that addictive things shouldn't be regulated unless it is a significant threat to society. Gambling is, because it is known to put people into bankruptcy. Obviously, drugs, which alcohol and tobacco are, also pose serious problems. But lootboxes? I've never heard about families being destroyed by lootboxes. Yeah, people can spend more than intended, but for it to be a problem warranting heavy regulation, it has to be more than just scraping disposable income.
  - tehwebguy 8y ago
    Another category commonly regulated: things made for children

manicdee 8y ago

Gambling is defined as the activity of playingva game for stakes or betting on an uncertain outcome. Playing poker for matchsticks is just as much gambling as playing poker for a $50k pot. The only thing changing is the stakes of the gamble.

jerrre 8y ago
Is monopoly gambling? Where buying property is betting on the uncertain outcome of someone landing there later, and the stakes are playmoney or the honors of winning?
- draugadrotten 8y ago
  To argue that monopoly for playmoney is "gambling" is sophism. When one talks about gambling the bet is for real money (or other tokens with real monetary value). Playing roulette "for honors" would not be gambling either, it would be just playing. The argument you make is sophistic because you are focusing on the word gambling instead of seeing the real issue - that gambling for real money can cause addiction and worse. A random number generator is taking chances all the time, but it is not gambling for money until you connect the outcomes to real money.
- manicdee 8y ago
  What stakes are you playing monopoly for? When the game is packed up back in its box, is the winner walking away from the table with value extracted from the other players?

Sharlin 8y ago

Semantics schemantics. Most things that fall into the category of "provoking compulsive reward-seeking behavior" (that is, are addictive) are—and should be—regulated. Gambling, alcohol, drugs...

GuB-42 8y ago
Everything is addictive in the right circumstances. There are people who became addicted to sudoku puzzles. Things like sports, which are usually considered beneficial can be addictive too. Reward seeking is a normal human thing, and it is essential for the survival of the specie. The general idea, I think is that addictive things shouldn't be regulated unless it is a significant threat to society. Gambling is, because it is known to put people into bankruptcy. Obviously, drugs, which alcohol and tobacco are, also pose serious problems. But lootboxes? I've never heard about families being destroyed by lootboxes. Yeah, people can spend more than intended, but for it to be a problem warranting heavy regulation, it has to be more than just scraping disposable income.
- tehwebguy 8y ago
  Another category commonly regulated: things made for children