Few articles have discussed how the blind box system works as an economy, but the mechanics closely resemble those of the online gambling community. Drawing on Maria Galmes-Cerezo et al.'s article (2025), we can examine the commercial strategies used by blind box companies and how they mirror those found in online gambling.
Normalization of Online Gambling
Millions of people participate in online gambling without thinking of it as gambling at all. That shift didn't happen by accident. The online gambling industry has spent years dismantling the psychological barriers that once kept people away. Three tools have done most of the work: community building, influencer marketing, and the careful reframing of what gambling actually is. Online gambling has also managed to sneak into sports, making it a side dish of the thrill and competition.
Online gambling platforms understood that people want a sense of belonging. Dedicated streamers and online communities give players a shared language, shared references, and shared identity. When someone joins a gambling community, they're joining a group with a unique culture and norms. Within that group, heavy spending is normal. Chasing a rare drop or losing a streak becomes a story worth telling. The community provides social scaffolding that makes continued participation feel reasonable, even when the odds clearly aren't. When a streamer pulls the slot machine or a celebrity posts their casino winnings, they imply that this is what successful, aspirational people do. Influencer partnerships are particularly effective because they dissolve the distance between advertisement and authentic behavior. A sponsored casino stream doesn't feel like a commercial. It feels like hanging out.
With these strategies working together, a sense of loyalty is created. Online gambling platforms encourage further spending through loyalty programs and invitation offers. These voluntary invitations expand their user base without heavy marketing spend. Rejecting a friend's offer takes more mental effort than rejecting a random online ad. All of this makes online gambling platforms highly profitable.
The Blind Box Economy
Blind box culture builds its own tribes through video platforms. Collectors share unboxing videos, trade duplicates, and post their pulls on TikTok and YouTube. Just as gambling communities normalize chasing the rare drop, blind box communities normalize hunting a chase figure across dozens of boxes. The person who pulls a rare after twenty boxes earns the attention and admiration of the whole community.
Similar to online gambling communities, blind box brands lean heavily on community building, including in-person gatherings where people trade their pulls. The community also includes secondary markets where rare pulls are exchanged for money, which encourages even more purchasing. Unlike gambling, unboxing videos are typically framed as entertainment rather than gambling, making them more likely to go viral without triggering platform moderation. Blind box companies also collaborate with other brands to attract new audiences.
What makes the blind box different is the perceived marginal benefit. In a casino, a player may lose everything. But after opening a blind box, the player still gets a figure and still has a chance to trade for what they actually want. Pulling a rare is considered lucky and even a form of additional income, especially when the collectible has a strong secondary market. In other words, the perceived marginal benefit is always positive, making people more likely to keep pulling.
Conclusion
This article isn't about telling people to stop. Plenty of people engage with collectibles, online communities, and entertainment platforms without harm. But recognizing the design behind the experience puts control back in the hands of the consumer. Awareness doesn't ruin a hobby. It makes it safer, more intentional, and ultimately more enjoyable. When you can see the architecture, you can decide for yourself what you're actually buying into.
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Maria Galmes-Cerezo, Carlota Lopez-Aza, & Gema Martinez-Navarro. (2025). Responsible Marketing Communication in Online Gambling: A Systematic Review of Strategies Targeting Youth. Review of Communication Research, 13, 189-208. https://doi.org/10.52152/RCR.V13.13
Written by
Yiming Zhu
Therapist
As a counseling psychology graduate student and mental health professional, I provide human-centered approach to supporting individuals navigating trauma, addiction, career transitions, and life's challenging moments. With a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from Yorkville University, a Graduate Certificate in Addiction Treatment from Georgian College, and dual bachelor's degrees in psychology and biology from Macalester College, my practice is grounded in both scientific understanding and compassionate care. I have worked across community mental health, career counseling, and peer support settings. Book Yiming on Purple Lotus
