I think it’s quite a fascinating subject. In my opinion, the real problem is the stakes.
When you have RNG in a game, the only thing you have to potentially lose is the time you’ve spent in that game, so there’s a natural reasonable cap. Once you introduce outside currency, the stakes can grow way outside that bounds.
The reason gambling is so problematic is that the higher the stakes, the more adrenaline is released. This causes sensitivity to adrenaline decreases, and even bigger risks need to be taken to elicit the same reaction.
Gaming generally has a hard cap on how much you can lose, so there simply isn’t a way to increase the risk. The only thing that can happen is that you get bored of the game.
On a fundamental level, though, there’s no mechanical distinction between gambling and (some) RNG in games. In both cases you put your time on the line.
I suppose the other element is that expected value (ROI) is often >=1 in games and <1 in gambling. Usually in gaming it’s expected that if you continue to put in time you’ll eventually progress, whereas the opposite is almost universally true in gambling; the more time you put in, the more you stand to lose.
I think it’s quite a fascinating subject. In my opinion, the real problem is the stakes.
When you have RNG in a game, the only thing you have to potentially lose is the time you’ve spent in that game, so there’s a natural reasonable cap. Once you introduce outside currency, the stakes can grow way outside that bounds.
The reason gambling is so problematic is that the higher the stakes, the more adrenaline is released. This causes sensitivity to adrenaline decreases, and even bigger risks need to be taken to elicit the same reaction.
Gaming generally has a hard cap on how much you can lose, so there simply isn’t a way to increase the risk. The only thing that can happen is that you get bored of the game.
On a fundamental level, though, there’s no mechanical distinction between gambling and (some) RNG in games. In both cases you put your time on the line.
I suppose the other element is that expected value (ROI) is often >=1 in games and <1 in gambling. Usually in gaming it’s expected that if you continue to put in time you’ll eventually progress, whereas the opposite is almost universally true in gambling; the more time you put in, the more you stand to lose.