Is this Gambling?

Jagex says NO.

Here’s why it’s a yes.

Introduction

This post will contain imagery which is the property of Jagex.

DMCA take-downs or any legal contact from Jagex or affiliated third party contact will be posted verbatim in this article.

Jagex pays to take down content they consider controversial through a third party. Medium will most likely be contacted to remove this article.

This article focuses on a game world and the in-game currency that translates to the real world, through its players buying content that is designed to entice them to pay.

Jagex is the company that owns Runescape which is the topic of this article.

Jagex is part of Shanghai Fukong Interactive Entertainment Co., Ltd.

Runescape is an MMORPG or Massively multiplayer online role-playing game.

In the game, players have an icon of a chest that every few seconds jiggles on the screen to catch the player’s attention.

To understand what is happening you either need to be a player or go through scattered content. My goal is to place all of this in one easily readable format for anyone affected.

This money-grabbing system is called ‘’Treasure Hunter’’ and it is gambling.

it is there simply to make money. Jagex has not addressed the ongoing issue and most likely never will. it’s a cash cow that is making them money and tricking players into gambling by slowly increasing the gambling addiction of the player. There are multiple microtransaction mechanics at play which will be explained as well as Treasure Hunter.

To fully understand the Treasure Hunter and why it’s such a large problem we need to take a few steps back to the Squeal of Fortune that was started on 28 February 2012.

A Step Backwards to 2012

On 28 February 2012 the Squeal of Fortune minigame was launched.

A month later Jagex added payment methods where players could pay to buy in game tickets. Runescape players were angry about this change and held a riot in game as well as flooded the game forums with complaints.

Here’s some riot footage of that shows how jam-packed the forums were.

So with the understanding that players did not want this system lets now watch it in action. here is a player who spent $20 on the Squeal of Fortune.

Notice that there is no terms of service link in the Squeal of Fortune. Later you will see a Terms of Service button that has been added to Treasure Hunter.

They can see all of the possible awards and are hoping to get a dungeoneering lamp. This is an item that once used gives them experience in that skill. In other words, the player is hoping to win that one item.

Instead, the best thing they win is a few ‘’free spins’’ tickets, 50gold, experience lamps, and other small wins. You can also see quite a few ‘’Buy’’ options where the player can purchase more spins on this gambling mini-game.

Notice that they always win ‘’something’’

This is exactly how this game mechanic still exists because Jagex is hiding behind the details that the player is always winning some type of item.

At this point, the player is no longer playing the game Runescape that they intended to but are trying their luck on a gambling style slot machine.

When he started using the lamps you can see 4k experience given to the account. In Squeal of Fortune, you could choose any skill to level up. Later lamps were changed that although you can now win lamps that allow you to level up any skill, they are now mixed with ‘’set lamps’’ that you can only level up one skill.

Although 4k experience given for free might sound good for someone who doesn’t play the game I’ll explain in detail why this is a bad deal later.

You can also listen to the players’ enjoyment here

at one point it looked like he would have gotten a good item.. and got easily obtainable free logs instead. Then a double spin ticket.

Then the hook begins with the player lamenting the loss of cash, along with redeeming the free spin tickets.

Again this player is not playing their game. They are not traversing the world or doing quests. They are in a gambling mini-game that is designed to milk them for real-world cash.

Runescape players are WELL aware of this system. it’s called MTX or microtransactions. A simple search of ‘’MTX Runescape’’ on you-tube will pull up many many videos of players complaining about this system.

But that’s not where it ends.

Remember all those free experience lamps the person was getting?

Remember those.

With tons.. and tons.. of free experience lamps and items flooding into the game the economy went crazy. To put this in perspective there are beggars in-game begging other players for ‘’1 million please’’ Both values of items and experience gained

Led to players quitting the game

So many players started quitting that on February 23, 2013, Runescape released ‘’Old School Runescape’’ which is simply put an older version of the game, available to members (paid accounts) only.

This Old version of Runescape is called ‘’Old School Runescape’’ or OSRS

The current version overloaded with micro-transactions is called RS3

Here you can see that a lot more people play the old version of the game instead of the new one. And while all players have their reasons be it the changing of combat styles (EOC) many people quit because of the microtransactions that were slowly creeping into the game more often.

Here is where we need to take a step forward and return to 2019

where the Treasure Hunter exists (that was added on February 4, 2014)

and take a view of not only this one mechanic but them all to realize exactly how Jagex is using Runescape to make people gamble.

First, let us list the micro-transactions that exist

First Runescape raised the price of membership inside the game itself. This can be forgiven.

Runescape has a LOT of microtransactions.

From prompting you to buy bonds (virtual items redeemable for membership or other in-game items) to oddments (virtual currency used in one portion of the game)

To Keys Keys Keys. Runescape really wants you to buy keys.

Keys are the currency used for Treasure Hunter. And Treasure hunter puts this glowing chest on your main interface.

This box shakes and jiggles, and glitters and really REALLY wants you to click it. it can be closed. The keys can be ignored.

Keys! use your keys! Gamble!

And that grey area is exactly how Runescape has been ripping off players.

Pick a box! any box! maybe you will get something amazing… Also, note the Terms and Conditions link.

Nah just an experience item. You also can’t bank them because of *reasons*

Now here’s where things get controversial. Jagex says it’s not gambling because you ‘’get something every time’’

and it’s true. you do. you might even win something awesome for your character. But a lot of it is crap designed to milk the players’ wallet.

Take a look at the small prize my key gained. It tells me what I won then instantly offers an option to ‘’transfer it to oddments’’

In short, you buy more Keys to use in Treasure Hunter with oddments.

Aka this is the new ‘’Free Spins’’ item.

Is it gambling? Let’s ask a player who spent 62 thousand dollars on Runescape.

Even Old School Runescape has tried to use microtransactions

And finally, people are starting to take notice.

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmcumeds/1846/184606.htm

When asked if Treasure Hunter was gambling players had this to say

it’s a surprise mechanism lol

don’t talk about MTX you might get banned

and that’s how it goes.

Jagex moderators (people who work at Jagex) no longer even reply to posts from players on Reddit calling out microtransaction patterns or issues.

And in the meantime, they hire people to squeeze more money from players.

it is my opinion that Runescape is 100% doing this with intention.

And when players complain enough they make it rain experience lamps.

Because here’s the thing.

Runescape is a GAME.

People might spend time (and Jagex hopes money!) into it, but in the end, it is a product developed, hosted and run by Jagex. They have a totalitarian monopoly on 130 million accounts. Every item that is introduced might wreck the economy in the game, people might complain in their forums,

But those people can be muted or banned at will.

In short, a wrecked economy stays in the game. The price of items can skyrocket to the trillions of in-game gold. Nothing matters because it hardly affects the real world aside from the people paying real-world money.

People, 13 years of age can be tricked into gambling. People can rant, throw fits, quit the game… whatever.

Jagex doesn’t care because they still make money.

And for those who complain that ‘’Runescape is stealing money’’ or that the game is enticing them to gamble…

it’s just one more person crying on their forums.

Until someone looks at everything, stops agreeing that ‘’oh yes they do get something so it’s not gambling’’ and holds Jagex accountable for their actions, they will continue to keep players locked into this virtual hell.

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Have comments? Leave them below. Let me know your thoughts about this topic.

Two days after this article was posted Lottie Lynn published a article on Eurogamer with more depth into the micro-transactions problems with Runescape. It’s a great read and I’m glad to see others taking notice of this issue. take a look here