"Scam" was certainly hyperbole, I just exaggerated it to drive home the point. The casino bit could have been worded better too. Playing the game or collecting cards when you know what you are buying is not gambling, it is opening packs that's like going to the casino.

Paying for a pack that you have no idea what the contents are hoping for a big card is no different than putting money down on a hand of blackjack and hoping for a payout. The game or the collecting is just what we use to justify the gambling as buying something with real world utility.

I don't exactly have a problem with the business strategy (other than targeting kids), go ahead and gamble, and I can't claim to be above participating. It's just that the players need to be aware of what is happening and that our brains are a lot more easily manipulated than we think we are. Entertainment value with a drip feed of dopamine hits is pretty powerful.