I forgot to include the core point of my criticism.
Most RNG boxes cost roughly $3-5 USD worth of virtual currency. The minimum value of items contained in the boxes, usually are only worth a fraction of the box cost. Many Developers quantify that cost, with the fact that players can also buy the product using virtual currency obtained from using in-game currency. In other words, they don't have to buy credits with RL $USD, they can buy credits with gold, therefore it's not actually gambling with real money.
My argument has always been, that if the value of any item contained in a RNG "chance box" does not meet the real money cost of the box, then it constitutes a real money financial loss, which when coupled with a "mini-game", involving random luck, then it does indeed qualify as "gambling" and should therefore be subject to regulation.
Whether or not the player has a choice of using RL currency or in-game currency is moot. Especially considering that the currency for a game's item store is initially purchased with real currency, regardless of it's conversion methods.
For example, a player buys a "token" item worth 1000 units of game store currency, for $10 USD, and trades it to another player for in-game currency, who then uses the item to gain 1000 units of game store currency... it's actually a form of money laundering, to be perfectly honest.
So basically, you're spending real money on a chance to get an item of higher value, than the purchase of the product. The risks are that you will gain an item of less value than the purchase. That involves both financial gain and loss and therefore does constitute "gambling" and should be subject to law and appropriate licensing and community warnings.
» Edited on: 2016-05-09 13:55:01