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"Lootboxes", "cases", "packs" and other chance-based systems that involve spending real money or an in-game currency that could be obtained by spending real mon
by hofrogs 7mo ago
"Lootboxes", "cases", "packs" and other chance-based systems that involve spending real money or an in-game currency that could be obtained by spending real money should be banned completely, all of those systems exploit brain vulnerabilities for profit. Also, prediction markets, sports betting, online casinos, shitcoin exchanges.
- chrisjj 7mo agoBrain vulnerabilities? So ban alcoholic drinks and thrill rides too?
- deleted 7mo ago[deleted]
- hofrogs 7mo agoThrill rides? Probably not, I don't think there are many people having their life ruined by their addiction to amusement parks. Alcoholic drinks? History of bans like that suggests that it's not a good idea. However that doesn't mean that nothing can be done. Addictions to alcohol, drugs, smoking, gambling damage both the person suffering from them and the friends/loved ones around that person. It is most likely impossible to drive the harm down to 0, but it can be reduced by denormalizing casual alcohol intake and sitations where people are peer pressured into consuming alcohol to fit in (especially in young adults), etc. People addicted to those substances/behaviors need a safe environment, a society that won't prompt them to relapse over and over because everyone around them is a casual user. Those are my thoughts, but I'm no expert.
- technothrasher 7mo agoHmm, so why do your perfectly reasonable thoughts on how to reduce alcohol abuse in light of not being able to simply ban it not apply to loot boxes as well? How is it different such that "completely banning", as you suggested, is a good idea there where it isn't for alcohol, drugs, smoking, and gambling (of which loot boxes are clearly a subcategory)?
- downsplat 7mo agoAlcohol has been deeply embedded in human culture for thousands+ years, that's why prohibition is a bad idea. Loot boxes are a new invention, if they're deemed too harmful we can just do without them.
- alex43578 7mo agoWe absolutely could do without alcohol too and it's certainly far more harmful than lootboxes by any metric.
- raw_anon_1111 7mo agoYes because Prohibition worked so well before?
- alex43578 7mo agoPeople do plenty of illegal things, but we still outlaw them to reduce the rate of people doing those things. On the contrary, if we accept that people are mature enough to choose to drink, they certainly should be mature enough to spend $20 opening loot boxes. Fewer cases of cirrhosis, drunk driving accidents, and bar fights from loot boxes.
- raw_anon_1111 7mo agoNo we outlaw them to disproportionately put minorities in jail… I would rather not give the government more power.
- lo_zamoyski 7mo agoToo much thumos, not enough nous in this conversation... 1. Alcohol may be consumed in moderation for enjoyment with no frustrating effect on our rational faculties. Even the bad effects on health are often overblown. They tend to be chronic and rooted in habitual consumption. Save for people with a predisposition for alcoholism, people generally do not experience compulsive desires for alcohol. 2. Gambling isn't comparable to alcohol. It is intrinsically irrational and inherently exploitative. It is also an intrinsically social and economic phenomenon. It requires the intentional exploitation of one party by another to work. 3. Loot boxes are intentionally designed to manipulate people psychologically for profit. It habituates bad habits by virtue of its very design. 4. While alcohol can be used that way, it is not designed for that purpose nor is its historical pedigree rooted in such malice. I would also claim that its addictive potential is lower all things considered. So they aren't comparable. It's not enough to say "both A and B can have harmful effects, therefore both A and B are 'the same' for all intents and purposes".
- lclc 7mo ago> it can be reduced by denormalizing casual alcohol intake This! I find it so strange that, in 2026, they still casually drink whisky in Hollywood movies and TV shows at the office and at home every time they encounter a tough situation. That subtle suggestion that alcohol will somehow help.
- injidup 7mo agoIt does help. (random research paper but there are many. Nit pick if you like) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6760384/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6760384/ However two thing can at the same time be true. Alcohol is one of the most dangerous and destructive drugs in society and also whisky in the evening by the fire can chill you out.
- laksjhdlka 7mo agoExactly. Somehow the internet has lead to the death of nuance, too many loud voices?
- NeutralForest 7mo agoThe current generation is already consuming much less alcohol! Just keep taxing and it'll be virtually gone.
- nephihaha 7mo agoYou'll just end up creating a black market (high tax has resulted in 1/3 of cigarettes being illegal in the UK) and home production (since anyone can make their own alcohol easily)
- NeutralForest 7mo agoTax rates have been going up on alcohol at least, just boil the frog.
- nephihaha 7mo agoAnd what does that achieve? It makes the poor poorer. The alcoholics will still drink but their families will have less. What you do do is create a black market, because people will want to buy it cheaper elsewhere. That puts money into the hands of criminals. Anyone can make alcohol unlike most drugs. It's remarkably easy to make. You just need patience, and raw materials: potatoes, fruit or whatever. You can make it in your back room. The problem is that it is not high quality, and can contain chemicals which can make you drunk.
- AngryData 7mo agoI don't believe that the taxes on it has that much of an affect on usage and is mostly just a rregressive tax on the already poor and desperate.
- elAhmo 7mo agoApples and oranges right there
- sevenzero 7mo agoYes please ban alcohol/make it hard to get.
- Sammi 7mo agoBeen tried. Not possible to ban something that can be made in a basement.
- lo_zamoyski 7mo agoOver my dead body.
- cwillu 7mo agoTwo things that famously have no age restrictions.
- Madmallard 7mo agoInstead they're getting worse yay! Hop on Kalshi
- hx8 7mo agoIt's interesting that your list skews entirely digital, and that more physical games of chance like lotteries and blackjack are not on the list. Do you see them as fundamentally different?
- sjoedev 7mo agoI think online/digital gambling is worse because it follows you everywhere. I don’t like any form of gambling, but at least with casinos there’s some escape in not physically being there. It’s also harder to enforce age requirements online.
- tialaramex 7mo agoThey all have apps these days, and just like a local bookmaker might "accidentally" remove your name from their legally required self-ban list it's very common that a "bug" in your phone app means you can keep gambling after saying you want to stop. "Mistakes" in the controlling party's favour are extremely common in such industries. Fluke 100-1 sport betting win? Oops we forget to fill out that mandatory anti-fraud paperwork, bet is off. Lost that 3-2 bet that the favourite would place in a horse race but actually you didn't show proper ID? Sorry that's your problem, we're keeping the money
- Waterluvian 7mo agoGoogle keeps accidentally forgetting that I don’t want their fucking browser.
- tialaramex 7mo agoRegulating gambling is a good idea. Gambling firms spend a lot of money on (lobbying for) ensuring the regulations are as loose as possible despite the very obvious downsides of their industry.
- cwillu 7mo agoCard packs are not digital.
- create-username 7mo agoIf you start banning everything that causes addiction, a market big enough to trade on the Nasdaq would collapse, vanish.