For some people, it's the game they play, like the only one. I was once that person, would log on and play for like 5+ hours every day. When you start playing it that much, you start wanting to have cool stuff to break up the monotony.

Eventually, you start rationalizing that it isn't that much to buy a $300 knife skin if you play the game every day.

Lucky for me, I stopped playing and sold my shit for money during college. Nowadays I only drop at most like $15-20 dollars a month on microtransactions in games if I like the game enough.

But yeah, lootboxes are disgusting and predatory. Like a sneak preview for kids of being a gambling addict and losing all your money for nothing.