Official statement from Valve.
We shared with the NYAG that these types of boxes in our games are widely used, not just in video games but in the tangible world as well, where generations have grown up opening baseball card packs and blind boxes and bags, and then trading and selling the items they receive.
You’re right! We should stop that too!
Even before you get to the reseller sites that Valve is definitely aware of, benefiting from, and doing nothing to stop, the way the system is intended to work is still using all of the tricks out of the slot machine playbook.
Is it fair to say they’re “doing nothing to stop it”? They have indeed been shutting banning users for this, according to themselves millions of them.
Not saying it’s enough, but it’s hardly nothing.
This is true, but most things digital do the same thing if I remember correctly. I think rocket league with free loot boxes does that.
https://piefed.social/c/games/p/1870233/video-game-pegi-age-ratings-are-changing-in-europe-from-june-four-new-categories-added
To follow-up I found this post and feel like this is more the way to attack it possibly.