[forgetsusername]

>"I think we really need some oversight here."

Yeah, let's get the government involved, because they don't have better things to do than make sure people aren't spending too much on their fake farms.

>and I am not sure if its healthy.

I'll bet you have a few habits or activities that people aren't sure "are healthy".

[yshalabi]

Where did I say government? If I am not mistaken, the organizations that oversee the casinos are private sector. If they are needed here then I see no reason why it cant be setup the same.

As for your other comment... jeez. Why so passive-aggressive? You are certainly right -- we all have habits that someone would consider unhealthy. But is my taste for sweets as destructive as this? I dont know, seems like they are both serious. It might even be that the addictiveness and lack of end-game of these games make them more dangerous.

Anyways, my main concern is that these games are being played by kids. I think everyone agrees that kids are still developing. What is the impact of these kinds of games on them? Do you know for sure that its harmless?

Not meaning to insult you or anyone, but dismissing these questions without a good reason is just plain ignorance and probably irresponsible. I am not equipped to answer these questions. Which is why this post and my original one are filled with questions.

[bmelton]

> If I am not mistaken, the organizations that oversee the casinos are private sector.

You are mistaken, at least in America. Except for those Native American run, casinos in America are regulated by some form of a gaming control board.

To my knowledge, this is true of pretty much anywhere that has gambling as an industry, though I wouldn't be shocked to find out that Monte Carlo or somewhere were wholly unregulated.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaming_control_board

[forgetsusername]

>"Why so passive-aggressive?"

I consider "people are doing things I don't approve of. We should regulate that behavior" to be passive aggressive.

>"But is my taste for sweets as destructive as this?"

I'm pretty sure obesity kills more people than social games.

>"my main concern is that these games are being played by kids."

The vast majority of these games are played by adults.

>"Do you know for sure that its harmless?"

I don't care if it's "harmless". It isn't my duty, or yours, to ensure that everything everyone else does is "harmless".

[tsieling]

Would it bother you if casino methods were being applied to kids games?

[themartorana]

They are. See: Disney, et al.

Please stop invoking "won't someone please think of the children!!"

[forgetsusername]

Well, as a parent I'd do the responsible thing and ensure that the games I purchase for my children to play (because, you know, they don't have iTunes or Facebook accounts, or credit cards) don't employ those methods.

This is really a non-issue.