Yes. They sell items via loot boxes where you don't know what you're buying until you've already opened it. It's gambling. Distributing purchases this way is well known to increase spending and hurt people. It's why they do it.
The stock market is also gambling. Plenty of informed consenting adults visit casinos all the time. What's the "responsible adult" way to spend your discretionary entertainment budget these days? NFTs? Disney+? Binge drinking at cocktail bars after work? High yield savings accounts? I mean seriously I'm not pro psychologically damage people with manipulative feedback spirals. But let's not ignore the fact that 1) owning a cool cosmetic and looking good stomping noobs is fun, and 2) that people are willing to pay purely for entertainment.
