Almost all loot boxes nowadays include a high chance of a significant perceived loss of value though. When you really want skins (or box exclusive skins) but get worthless sprays instead, how is that a return on your investment as you ended up with stuff you'll never use or never wanted.
@Bradley Hausfeld Hence why I added the caveat. For it not to be gambling, you have to always get a return on your investment. Which means getting the exact same amount that you put in at a minimum. Gambling is anytime you place a risk on your money and suffer a loss on your investment.
@Peter Sinclair
Why the heck do you act like it MATTERS whether or not the gambling aspect has gameplay consequences? It doesn't.
You are paying for random chance items of random value and desirability. Whether it's P2W or not has zero bearing on the fact that it's still gambling.
The loot boxes you picked, however, all just provide cosmetic items. They don't change how the game works. The EA loot boxes, however, from the "surprise mechanics" comment, do have game-changing effects and do make the game pay-to-win.
@Jake Pizorno
I've never understood this logic as if so wouldn't lotteries just have to guarantee a minimum prize of 1c and then suddenly they're "not gambling" and don't have to follow regulations?
It isn't gambling per se, since there is always a return on your investment. Of course, who can say what the value of another skin is, or why certain things must repeatedly be drawn?
