There’s a huge difference. You could write a terminal program in which people can buy and open loot boxes; I guarantee you it won’t be as “effective” as a fanc

There’s a huge difference. You could write a terminal program in which people can buy and open loot boxes; I guarantee you it won’t be as “effective” as a fancy loot box ceremony in an AAA video game. (I put effective in quotes because it depends on what axes you’re looking at.) Pokémon cards are clearly different enough is enough ways that they don’t cause the same amount of harm to anywhere near as many people as other forms of gambling do (such a pokies machines in bars and loot boxes in video games). Sure, the core process may be the same, but that’s not all that matters. It’s how it connects to everything else and what the overall resulting effect is.