[hofrogs]

"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.

[hx8]

It'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?

[furyofantares]

Here's a good read on the topic from Zvi Mowshowitz: https://thezvi.substack.com/p/the-online-sports-gambling-exp...

He was very much pro-legalizing online gambling. He had worked for sportsbooks, had done lots of sports betting himself, stuff like that. But has concluded that legalizing online gambling has been a disaster.

> When sports gambling was legalized in America, I was hopeful it too could prove a net positive force, far superior to the previous obnoxious wave of daily fantasy sports.

> It brings me no pleasure to conclude that this was not the case. The results are in. Legalized mobile gambling on sports, let alone casino games, has proven to be a huge mistake. The societal impacts are far worse than I expected.

The article makes a compelling argument that online gambling is a lot worse than other forms of gambling.

I have a take on this too. You know how scammers cast a really wide net, hoping to get lucky and find suckers? Well, that's really only part of the story, what actually happens is they get lucky and happen to find people when they are vulnerable. That's how smart people get scammed somewhat randomly.

When online gambling is in your pocket, it is guaranteed to be available when you're vulnerable.

[hofrogs]

Well I was thinking in the context of games, so the list is some of the stuff that you can waste unlimited amounts of real money on to get a chance for a shiny digital item. I do think that physical gambling is bad too, though it's not as easily accessible, you don't carry a (physical) roulette table in your pocket.

[hx8]

I agree that accessibility is a big aspect that makes these digital games of chance different than the physical counterparts.

[sjoedev]

I 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]

They 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]

Google keeps accidentally forgetting that I don’t want their fucking browser.

[tialaramex]

Regulating 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.

[barnabee]

Not OP but I would certainly ban adding gambling "features" to other products or services. Either you can be a gambling or betting shop/platform (regulated and restricted to adults) or something else, but not both.

[heavenlyblue]

Pokemon cards, magic the gathering fits that too

[cwillu]

Card packs are not digital.

[hofrogs]

When I was writing my comment I mentioned packs as in digital loot boxes designed to feel like physical card packs.

[canjobear]

Many locales ban physical gambling as well. It’s a defensible policy.

[estimator7292]

I think it's interesting that you're refusing to engage with the topic at hand and trying to distract with whataboutism.

You may be shocked and horrified to learn that two things can be bad at the same time, even if we only talk about one.

GP's comments trend digital because we're talking about digital games. GP is on-topic, you are trying to derail and delegetimize the conversation.

[hx8]

I think it's very interesting many people treat physical games of chance as different than purely digital ones, and wanted to explore this topic. To me, that's a more interesting topic of conversation than calling for legislation, or arguing about the merits of such legislation. Especially when it's about legislation in a jurisdiction I do not fall under.

This forum is a branching conversation pattern. I'm not derailing anything because this isn't a linear conversation. If you want to discuss something else that the parent comment said then make a post against that conversation.

[hofrogs]

Physical gambling is confined to a physical location (like a casino or a sports betting bar), so people have to go there to be harmed. It's bad, but it requires someone to spend time getting there (and if the victim has a family/friends they might ask where they're headed/intervene in some way) and there is a limit to the amount of people who can be there at once. With digital gambling, anyone can spend any amount of money, anywhere, anytime, with no oversight (however little it might be in a physical location). The harm is magnified immensely.

[Madmallard]

Instead they're getting worse yay! Hop on Kalshi

[create-username]

If you start banning everything that causes addiction, a market big enough to trade on the Nasdaq would collapse, vanish.

[hananova]

Okay, and?

[chrisjj]

Brain vulnerabilities? So ban alcoholic drinks and thrill rides too?

[hofrogs]

Thrill 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]

Hmm, 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)?

[hofrogs]

Lootboxes are not entrenched in society yet. They are a new phenomenon that could hopefully be stopped in its tracks (but probably won't since it will impact profits)

[downsplat]

Alcohol 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]

We absolutely could do without alcohol too and it's certainly far more harmful than lootboxes by any metric.

[raw_anon_1111]

Yes because Prohibition worked so well before?

[johannes1234321]

Creating a black market for loot boxes is a lot harder than for liquor or setting up a poker game in the backroom.

[chongli]

I would argue the opposite. Black market liquor (bootlegging) requires a full black market distillery industry and smuggling/distribution network. It's every bit as difficult as operating in the narcotics world, with violence and cartels everywhere.

Black market loot boxes, on the other hand, seem to me to be similar to software and media piracy and illegal streaming: easy to operate, extremely difficult to prevent.

[hofrogs]

Isn't the perceived value from "rare items" from those loot boxes based on the popularity of the game/IP that the loot box system is attached to?

[duskdozer]

A difference is that Prohibition was also criminalizing individual production and personal use, while banning lootboxes and the like is just limiting corporate use as a sales and marketing tactic. Similar to how cigarette ads were banned on TV in the US in 1970, but you can still buy and smoke cigarettes today.

[lclc]

> 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]

It does help.

(random research paper but there are many. Nit pick if you like) 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]

Exactly. Somehow the internet has lead to the death of nuance, too many loud voices?

[NeutralForest]

The current generation is already consuming much less alcohol! Just keep taxing and it'll be virtually gone.

[AngryData]

I 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.

[nephihaha]

You'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]

Tax rates have been going up on alcohol at least, just boil the frog.

[nephihaha]

And 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.

[cwillu]

Two things that famously have no age restrictions.

[sevenzero]

Yes please ban alcohol/make it hard to get.

[Sammi]

Been tried. Not possible to ban something that can be made in a basement.

[stavros]

Such as gambling.

[Sammi]

Very easy to find a basement Casino compared to a basement moonshine brewery. Don't know how you'd run a major gaming title with loot boxes from your basement.

[lo_zamoyski]

Over my dead body.

[elAhmo]

Apples and oranges right there