I would be very interested in opinions on SP and their sudden love of gambling. As the gambling industry known for centuries .. tempting folks with the chance of winning a prize for money is an age old profession and very profiltable. As we all know SP used to sell their products, one used to understand what you paid and what you got. Now their new philosophy, that’s not the case.
Now I’m sure SP will make the case that it’s not gambling, it’s just offering a range of possible items, for a fixed price.

I believe a case can be quite strongly made that they are simply using filler items, that are of no use, to make it seem like it isn’t pure gambling.. ie all or nothing. I also think that they are running straight into a legal mine field and are most certainly using chance to entice their players to spend money, without guaranteeing the item. This is gambling and I don’t think I’ll be the only one thinking this.
The most interested body in this is most likely to be the European courts.... interesting how this plays out!

I know we have some legal minds on here.... so thoughts?

Anyway... now shall I pay 49.99 for the chance to get some fire nemesis cells that are no doubt going to be all different....hmmmmmm I think not.

The US legal definition of gambling

—A person engages in gambling if he stakes or risks something of value upon the outcome of a contest of chance or a future contingent event not under his control or influence, upon an agreement or understanding that he or someone else will receive something of value in the event of a certain outcome

Eg 49.99 for SP - certain —— some nemesis cells of unknown quantity — uncertain

Seems like there is t much of a way to dance around it SP
But I’m not a legal mind .....

Interestingly it seems as though I’m not the only one that considers it gambling... this is from late last year.....

———Just a few weeks ago, Belgium’s Gambling Committee took up the most controversial gaming question of the season: are loot boxes gambling? Yes, they said.

Loot boxes are, in short, virtual boxes with random contents that you purchase through video games with real money. They contain everything from virtual cosmetic items to power-ups to gear that can dramatically alter your chances of winning the game. Rarer items, of course, show up in loot boxes far less often. The rush of buying them and rolling the dice on their contents has been likened to the psychological sensation one feels when gambling.

—————-

Im absolutely against chests and the gambling part of it that said in every country there are different rules about them, gambling isnt illegal for people above 18/21 years depending on which country you live, so for the adult part I think there is no issue I think the underage players are the part where you end up in a very grey area.
If you ask me Im against it but many games uses this kind of strategy so there is probably a loophole does this make it alright? not in my eyes

I hope SP don’t get into trouble and don’t have to shut down ML. Would suck big time

@Marianne-van-Es
It looks as though it’s becomming less of a Grey issue and more definitive that it is gambling.
This means a whole host of things happen from the regulations on underage gambling, the certification of the claimed percentage changes, the taxation’s on gambling in many parts of the world... its a total minefiled if it’s legally classified as gambling.

It’s very interesting, SP have decided to go from an completely unregulated product where they sell a know item for a fixed price to one where they are not and is heavily regulated in most parts of the world. It would seem the benefit couldn’t possibly outway the costs that are likely to be incurred

But I guess we will see

@Xarius
I don’t think that would be a likely outcome, most likely is they simply go back to a known item for a known price

@Swag

I guess SP can still be in greyzone

@Xarius
I hadn’t read that policy, but given that almost every major country in the world defines the legal age for gambling anywhere from 18 to 21 then I would think SP is boxing itself quite nicely into a corner

Who in their right mind is going to spend thousands of dollars in legal fees over a stupid freemium game? Seriously?

Bureaucrats in Brussels just love that sort of thing. They don't need the plebs to take a case, they thrive on it themselves

Closing this topic it has been discussed several times.