Funny thing is, officially pachinko is not gambling, people just happen to exchange the gained goods for money at unmarked counters afterwards, wink wink nudge

Funny thing is, officially pachinko is not gambling, people just happen to exchange the gained goods for money at unmarked counters afterwards, wink wink nudge style. I'd argue micropayment games should also fall into that grey area, same as the trading cards markets. Of course many players (pachinko included) don't see it as gambling and more as a very expensive hobby, in that they effectively expect no return on the money.