Should trading cards be considered a form of gambling?
- Thread starter Billyhoyle
- Start date
In some respects I think there is an element of gambling to it. Always has been......even if its buying a pack trying to pull your favourite players card!
The difference from cards to things like lotteries, poker machines etc is that you end up with a physical item at the end of it whether it be a box or pack break. It may be a stack of base cards but its still something!
I would consider Razz's and group breaks where you don't end up with anything at all as something more closely aligned with gambling.
Cheers
Matt
The difference from cards to things like lotteries, poker machines etc is that you end up with a physical item at the end of it whether it be a box or pack break. It may be a stack of base cards but its still something!
I would consider Razz's and group breaks where you don't end up with anything at all as something more closely aligned with gambling.
Cheers
Matt
Been thinking about this myself lately.
I'd say there is definitely an element of gambling involved. More so when there are different levels of value attached to certain cards. I know I've fallen into the mindset once or twice. I find the more you get lost in the re-sale value of a card and the money-making aspect of the hobby, the more it becomes gambling like.
The way I reframe that is to just enjoy the product for what it is, I get a little buzz even when I pull a base card of a big-name player.
Like @Matt26 has said, it's the group breaks that really ramp up the gambling aspect for me. Where they only send out hits and inserts. You can pay a lot of money and end up with nothing. I've done it, but I might start looking for more breaks that send out base cards as well (anyone know of any local NFL options?)
I'd say there is definitely an element of gambling involved. More so when there are different levels of value attached to certain cards. I know I've fallen into the mindset once or twice. I find the more you get lost in the re-sale value of a card and the money-making aspect of the hobby, the more it becomes gambling like.
The way I reframe that is to just enjoy the product for what it is, I get a little buzz even when I pull a base card of a big-name player.
Like @Matt26 has said, it's the group breaks that really ramp up the gambling aspect for me. Where they only send out hits and inserts. You can pay a lot of money and end up with nothing. I've done it, but I might start looking for more breaks that send out base cards as well (anyone know of any local NFL options?)
Billyhoyle
Im Not Juan Garcia
Billyhoyle
Im Not Juan Garcia
Partly also they now have such a monetary value. Where before it was all about set collecting....
https://www.ozcardtrader.com.au/threads/where-to-from-here.212668/
https://www.ozcardtrader.com.au/threads/where-to-from-here.212668/
West Oz Cards
WOC Group Breaks
I would say that buying any product where it states on it that the odds of pulling 'X' is 'Y'. Older Sports boxes normally had the odds to pull each type of card printed on it, newer boxes say similar in a more vague wording.
IMO, group breaking is absolutely a loose form of gambling. Against both the product odds and the other participants who are all vying for a limited number of cards in the products in the break.
eBay enforced that any sales of group breaks on their sites must include some garanteed item, so most of them state that you get a spacer/decoy card signed by the breaker PLUS all cards of (team) in a group break of (product). However the fine print states you must contact the seller to request the signed decoy be sent out. Which gets around the eBay gambling items ban and the seller doesn't actually have to send you anything if you get nothing in the break.
West Oz Cards always sends out the EVERY card from breaks, EXCEPT those products with hundreds of base such as full case breaks of hoops/prizm/ or similar. In those breaks, all hits, inserts, parallels, rookie cards and one copy of each veteran base card are sent.
IMO, group breaking is absolutely a loose form of gambling. Against both the product odds and the other participants who are all vying for a limited number of cards in the products in the break.
eBay enforced that any sales of group breaks on their sites must include some garanteed item, so most of them state that you get a spacer/decoy card signed by the breaker PLUS all cards of (team) in a group break of (product). However the fine print states you must contact the seller to request the signed decoy be sent out. Which gets around the eBay gambling items ban and the seller doesn't actually have to send you anything if you get nothing in the break.
West Oz Cards always sends out the EVERY card from breaks, EXCEPT those products with hundreds of base such as full case breaks of hoops/prizm/ or similar. In those breaks, all hits, inserts, parallels, rookie cards and one copy of each veteran base card are sent.
sgt_pepper
Amatuer Footballer
i dont think so. i guess it depends on what your definition of 'gambling' is tho.
with cards, youre actually buying a product. you might lose/make money on it, but its still a transfer of something physical. theres no 'losing' for the consumer because you end up with something either way. kinda like 'buy this product to be in the running for this additional prize'.
i think legally for something to be gambling there has to be an event where the outcome isnt predetermined. the cards in your pack/box/case are set before the purchase takes place.
with cards, youre actually buying a product. you might lose/make money on it, but its still a transfer of something physical. theres no 'losing' for the consumer because you end up with something either way. kinda like 'buy this product to be in the running for this additional prize'.
i think legally for something to be gambling there has to be an event where the outcome isnt predetermined. the cards in your pack/box/case are set before the purchase takes place.
Paul_Ambrey
OzCardTrader
With NFL breaks,my son has been going in breaks with Cherrycollectables lately.They send out all cards,from commons to hits.He has won a lot of great looking cards over the last couple of months.
Are you sure on that one? I’ve done about 4 breaks with Cherry now and only ever received inserts and above. Out of the four breaks, I’ve only received product twice.
Not a knock on Cherry either, I just think I’ll be targeting other breaks going forward that supply base cards as well. Better value for money and less of a gamble as per this whole topic.
Paul_Ambrey
OzCardTrader
I might be wrong,but all the cards he showed me look like there are some basic cards in there.He has around 200 cards from them,and if there are teams or players your after let me know,he collects LA Raiders.He most likely would trade or sell cards your after.This is the 1st page of many in his folder.
Paul_Ambrey
OzCardTrader
Your right,i thought all the shiney and coloured cards where base.He said that someone in WA is doing NFL breaks.I might be wrong,but all the cards he showed me look like there are some basic cards in there.He has around 200 cards from them,and if there are teams or players your after let me know,he collects LA Raiders.He most likely would trade or sell cards your after.This is the 1st page of many in his folder.
Brendan_B
OZCT Supporter
Absolutely a form of gambling. The biggest point of evidence to support this is how quickly people want to flip cards they get in a break or box to fund more break spots / packets / boxes.
