AnubisG: Actually, if a bartender lets you get drunk, and something happens to you or to others as a result, he can be held liable. Same goes for parents if their kids get themselves and their friends drunk or high in the house, then they go out and get in a wreck.

There are people without impulse control who end up as alcoholics or compulsive gamblers. Then there are the many children who play games. There are good public-policy reasons to restrict gambling mechanics and other predatory microtransactions in games. I'll remind you that NBA 2K20 is rated E, for everyone. Toddlers can spin the roulette wheel and pull on the one-arm bandit. This crap has got to stop.

@AnubisG: (1) actually yes it legally is the bar's fault. They are not supposed to serve you enough to get drunk -- it's not enforced until something happens like a drunk driving tragedy, but it is technically the law. (2) even if it wasn't, if a guy gets drunk in a bar every night for a year, loses his job and sells his stuff to pay for more booze, and the bar knows it? Yes it is their fault at that point, morally as well. You should not profit from addiction.

The laws surrounding drinking in a bar, and what the bar is responsible for, is not just if the guy gets in an accident on the way home and happened to be above the legal limit. The bartender....not necessarily the bar...can be held liable for continuing to serve someone who is overly innebriated. There is no hard limit on number of drinks, or the amount of intoxication, and it is only enforced when something happens. Typically, it's a civil suit, but often it doesn't go anywhere because it requires proving negligence on the bartenders part.

@Viva

You're 2nd scenario about the guy losing his job is not the responsibility of the bar, or those serving him. They are not required to perform any kind of qualification of a person's personal information other than verify they are legally allowed to drink. If someone loses their job over their habits, then they have problems that are well beyond the scope of responsibility for any business serving them. Even if they know that that's what is happening with the person, it isn't wrong to serve them. They are the customer, who made the choice to come in on their own. The moral quandary assumes that the bar is responsible for keeping that guy on the straight and narrow, or within their limits, which they aren't.

There should also be a spending cap. Once a person reaches the limit they end up with ownership of the game and no need for further purchases.

@AnubisG
"If you go into a bar and get drunk, is that the bars fault? I don't think so."
That's why responsible serving of alcohol laws exist. Once someone is drunk you stop serving them.

You say that you and your wife live rather humbly and add that you have for 30,000$ worth of bills in a year...? lol

30K isn't that much in bills for a year really. Mortgage, 2 cars, insurance, utilities. So on and so forth. By humbly I mean we don't spend our money on extravagances like expensive vacations, more expensive houses, more expensive cars, and we don't drown ourselves in debt. I'll buy nice things when I buy stuff I want, but outside gaming, I'm not one to just spend a lot of money on things just because I might have a desire for it. My wife barely spends any money on things that aren't necessary, but has moments where she likes to splurge on clothes or something.

I know if may seem like a lot in bills, but it's probably just a matter of perspective. If I was making 30K a year, then yeah, I'd probably be struggling. I know some people make less than that in a year...and at one point in my life I have as well. I remember what it was like to live paycheck to paycheck, which is why I try to save and spend my money wisely. Gaming is probably my only real expensive vice. Woodworking is another big hobby of mine, but that doesn't require constant output of funds once you have most of the tools you would use.

Anyhow, I don't really care to keep discussing my personal finances. Bringing it up wasn't really the point of my original post. My point was that many people have plenty of disposable income for things that many others would not spend money on.

@Jrio
You’re thinking too small.this guy is enabling the predator practices of MT’s in video games.

@Racer
Your argument would work if games were going down in price.. but no, they’re staying the same. If these practices were only in free to play/mobile games? Sure.. but sadly they’re in games where costumers already give money just to buy the product.