ST forum writer: I see new rules for blind boxes, I have some thoughts, should apply to trading cards too

Following the announcement that Singapore may soon regulate blind boxes to manage gambling risks, a submission to The Straits Times' forum on Feb. 23 called for those regulations to apply to trading cards as well.

Element of chance

In his letter, Lim Guohao pointed out that trading card products, such as Pokémon cards, operate on a "similar randomised model".

You buy a pack of sealed cards without knowing what's contained in them, and what you get is left to chance.

Rare cards can fetch substantial resale prices, Lim added.

"If blind boxes warrant regulation because of their lottery-like mechanics, it is reasonable to ask whether trading cards should also be examined," Lim reasoned.

Safeguards for minors

"Social media features many young people, including those aged 16 and below, opening packs in hopes of pulling a rare card," he highlighted.

Marketing surrounding these cards often emphasises high resale values and dramatic successes, Lim said, which "reinforces the appeal of striking it lucky."

Although he acknowledged that trading cards themselves do not feature gambling and can have genuine recreational and collectible value, the psychology behind them becomes akin to gambling when "the focus shifts from play to speculation."

"Consumers pay for a chance at a much larger reward, driven by probability and anticipation," Lim remarked.

At that, Lim concluded that if blind boxes are regulated but not trading cards, the approach may appear "inconsistent".

"A coherent framework should focus not only on product labels, but also on whether value is primarily determined by randomised outcomes and marketed as such, with appropriate safeguards for minors where necessary," he ended.

Pokémon trading cards have gained popularity of late, with fans often buying entire boxes of card packs to try to increase their chances of getting rare cards.

Newly-released boxes often sell out fast, leaving fans to turn to scalpers who resell them at higher-than-retail prices.

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