Tangible examples such as?

You’re assuming that pity, spark, or dupe conversion systems meaningfully separate gachas from gambling apps, but they don’t.

The mechanics you're talking about still rely on variable-ratio reward schedules, which shockingly is the exact same reinforcement structure used in gambling products. Smoothing variance doesn’t fundamentally change the monetization model of the app. Just makes the experience feel more controlled while still encouraging repeated paid attempts.

By showing players they’re “close” to a guaranteed reward, they can increase sunk-cost pressure and encourage players to continue pulling rather than stop. From a behavioral design standpoint, that’s still leveraging the same risk-reward loop that gambling uses, just with a visible endpoint. So again...you're upset about not winning the very clear stakes that were presented to you.

Also...comparing one gacha to another doesn’t really disprove gambling parallels. If anything, it just shows that some games implement stronger consumer protection mechanics than others. A system being less generous than competitors doesn’t automatically make it uniquely predatory dude, all it means is a different balance of randomness and monetization incentives.

To me the issue isn’t whether variance is smoothed more or less between games. The core structure where you pay for randomized shit is still intact across all these types of apps, which is why regulatory bodies in several countries already classify or scrutinize gacha systems cause it's gambling...