How Soft Gambling Rebranded Addiction as Self-Care for Women

BY: Dylan kretchmar

Dana Nguyen knows she has a problem.

In 2025, the 27-year-old California resident spent more than $4,000 on Labubu dolls. These dolls are small, furry, “cute,” monster-themed bag charms with pointed ears and wide, toothy smiles (Kwai, 2025). Labubus were manufactured by the Chinese company: Pop Mart. The trendy toys are highly collectible and sold in blind boxes, meaning buyers don’t know which doll they’ve purchased until they open it.

What began as a way to treat herself quickly spiraled out of control. Struggling with worsening bipolar and manic episodes, Nguyen initially bought the dolls as a harmless indulgence after seeing them in her social media feed. However, the dopamine rush of opening each box, paired with heightened spikes of impulsivity during manic periods, quickly turned this form of self-care into an abusive obsession. 

One purchase turned into two, then twenty, and kept going until Nguyen found herself hiding bank statements from her husband, surrounded by hundreds of toys she neither wanted nor needed. She fights the impulse to buy more. 

When labeling her problem, Nguyen is blunt with herself, “I’m going to say it flat out. It’s straight-up gambling” (Kwai, 2025). 

Gambling, Rebranded.

When most people picture gambling, they imagine casinos, poker tables, or sports betting; Games with high stakes built around risk and the possibility of winning big. But over the past decade, a quieter form of gambling has emerged and taken hold, one that looks less like Las Vegas vice and more like at-home self-care. 

Researchers increasingly refer to this new form of gambling as soft gambling, and its rise has coincided with a sharp increase in Psychological and Financial Abuses that are often difficult to recognize and escape from. 

Soft gambling doesn’t involve the obvious “going all in,” flashing lights, or betting slips. Instead, it appears as blind boxes, scratch lotteries, fun social casino apps, raffle discounts, spin-the-wheel coupons, and gamified shopping experiences. It presents itself as low-effort, luck-based, and harmless fun,a way to unwind after a hard day and give yourself a small treat. Despite these attempts to market these activities as harmless, the addictive dopamine-driven thrill of hard gambling remains (POP MART 2024).  

Notably, soft gambling is disproportionately targeting women.

Historically, women have participated in gambling at far lower rates than men and are statistically less likely to develop gambling-related problems, partly due to biological and behavioral differences (Women’s, 2021). Research shows that men are more drawn to sensation-seeking, competitive, social, and high-risk activities. This is reflected in traditional gambling formats like poker, blackjack, and sports betting, types of gambling that were largely designed with male users in mind (POP MART 2024).

Recent studies, however, show a sharp rise in gambling participation among women (Women’s, 2021). Researchers attribute this shift to the growth of soft gambling, which is often designed with female users in mind. While men tend to gravitate toward competitive, skill-based games, women are more likely to engage in gambling that is private, online, repetitive, and perceived as low-risk. Something that always comes with a small reward (POP MART 2024). These traits align closely with widespread soft gambling formats such as blind boxes, lottery tickets, gamified shopping, and social casino mobile games.

Motivation differs as well. Men are more often driven by money or status, while women report gambling as a way to self-soothe, manage stress, and escape daily pressures (POP MART 2024). Because soft gambling can be done online while relaxing at home, spending is framed as self-care and restful rather than risk-taking (Women’s, 2021). Notably, research shows that the further gambling moves away from accumulating money and towards pure surprise, the higher female participation becomes (POP MART 2024). Companies have noticed this. 

Labubu Dolls and the Addictive Loop of Impulse Purchases.

Pop Mart and its Labubu blind boxes have become a frequent point of discussion in conversations about soft gambling and its impact on women’s participation in gambling-like behaviors. The company reports that 75% of its blind box customers are women, with a repurchase rate of 50%. By comparison, women made up just 4% of participants in the 2025 World Series of Poker (POP MART 2024).

Pop Mart has described itself as “relentless” in its desire to “attract and build a fast-growing, young, and passionate fanbase,” arguing that blind boxes inspire repeat purchases, “due to unpredictability and fun” (Kwai, 2025). These repeat purchases foster habitual participation (POP MART 2024). 

Cary Lee, an Australian-based marketing specialist who studies consumer behavior, has conducted multiple studies on blind box purchasing (Kwai, 2025). He found that initial purchases among U.S. consumers are largely impulsive and that, whether they receive the toy they wanted or a disappointment, they often feel compelled to buy another box.

Lee describes this pattern as “an addictive loop of impulse purchases,” hidden inside what appears to be an innocent product. Dana Nguyen is just one of the thousands of women who have been ensnared (Kwai, 2025). 

His research also found that financial gain is rarely the core motivator. The drive to collect is emotional rather than economic. “We have an innate part of us that wants to acquire items to complete a collection,” Lee explains (Kwai, 2025). Blind boxes exploit this instinct by guaranteeing that consumers always receive something, creating a false sense of security while encouraging habitual spending (POP MART 2024).

This is gambling without the visible loss of hundreds or thousands of dollars at once. You don’t walk away empty-handed, just disappointed enough to try again. 

“Gotta Catch ‘Em All!”

Adult collecting has steadily increased over the past five years. In 2024, studies found that adults were buying more toys for themselves than for their children, and in 2025, adult toy purchases rose by 18% compared to the previous year (Kwai, 2025).

Millennials and Gen Z, many of whom grew up collecting Pokémon cards, dolls, McDonald’s Happy Meal toys, and Lego sets, have come to view collecting as a form of comfort, self-expression, nostalgia, trend participation, and even investment. Companies have been quick to capitalize on this nostalgia.

In 2019, Pop Mart acquired the rights to Labubu, and by 2024, the dolls went viral through strategic celebrity endorsements and social media marketing (Kwai, 2025). Female celebrities like BLACKPINK’s Lisa, Rihanna, Dua Lipa, Simone Biles, and Lizzo have been seen displaying the toys as playful and personalized must-have fashion statements, influencing thousands of their female fans to follow suit (Guillaume, 2024). 

Like Pokémon packs, each box guarantees that you will walk away with something,and that prize might be a rare or limited-edition figure. This virality around rare, limited-edition models created artificial scarcity, nudging consumers to buy now before the opportunity disappears. Additionally, the result is a psychological system that closely mirrors gambling mechanics, wrapped up in cuteness and aesthetic appeal.

The Deal with Deals.

Blind boxes are just one part of a much larger ecosystem that has been constructed over the years by larger companies to nurture future gamblers. Social casino apps and gamified shopping platforms have also contributed to this expansive soft-gambling environment in which people who have never previously gambled are now engaging in gambling-linked behaviors.

Social casino apps, such as Slotomania, allow users to play for virtual currency to unwind. The virtual currency can be replenished with real money once it runs out. The app reports that 72% of its users are women.

Gamified shopping platforms use similar tactics, transforming routine shopping or an unwinding activity into something addictive. Upon clicking these websites, shoppers are greeted with colorful pop-up slot machines, spinning wheels, and “exclusive” deals available for a limited time. A countdown clock in the corner of the screen, ticking the seconds away until your “deal” runs out, creates artificial urgency, encouraging shoppers to buy now and win the exclusive “jackpot,” before the deal disappears.

These systems foster the illusion of winning, even when consumers are purchasing items they don’t need or want. They also build on trends like “girl math,” where discounted spending is framed as saving money and encourages women to buy regardless of necessity. 

Online retailers such as Shein and Temu, which heavily use these gamified features, report customer bases that are 63-66% women. By contrast, platforms like Amazon, which use fewer gambling-style mechanics, are predominantly used by men.

“Whenever you get the one that you want, it’s unreal.”

Jess has never stepped inside a casino. There is no silver residue from a scratch-off in her purse, no lottery ticket on her counter, and no memory of a flashing slot machine. For her, the thrill of the gamble doesn’t exist. However, just like Nguyen, she worries she has a gambling problem (Kwai, 2025). Last summer, after Labubu unboxing videos flooded her TikTok feed, Jess bought her first blind box as a treat. Then another. Then another. Soon, she was spending up to $270 a week on blind box toys. 

At first, it was the cute, silly dolls that drew her in. Afterwards, it became just the thrill of opening the box itself. Would it be something new? Something rare? Even while waiting at home for deliveries, Jess would feel her skin begin to itch with the urge to buy more. Her habit expanded to other brands, even when the items held no interest: “I’d open them and be like, ‘Why do I now have this squishy lobster?’” “Sometimes I open things, and I don’t want them.” Like Nguyen, Jess likens the emotional highs and crashes she gets as unmistakably gambling-related: “Whenever you get the one that you want, it’s unreal.” 

This addiction has greatly impacted both her and her fiancé’s lives. “The buyer’s guilt that I get nearly every time after I’ve spent is insane,” Jess says. She admits that she often feels “debilitated” by her spending. But, even after trying to cut herself off, Jess would find herself snapping and ordering 25 more boxes. In just a few months, she spent $1,300. The couple is currently saving for their upcoming wedding (Kwai, 2025).

The Lipstick Index and the Illusion of Control During Economic Crisis.

Economists and statisticians have observed this trend that when economic pressures increase, spending on smaller luxury items also rises. This may sound contradictory, but when long-term goals like homeownership or travel feel out of reach, people tend to turn to smaller, more frequent “bets on happiness.” This phenomenon is known as the Lipstick Index, after economists observed a pattern of rises in lipstick sales during economic downturns. 

The same pattern applies to other small indulgences, such as premium coffee, clothing, or chocolates. These purchases are framed as affordable self-care and a means to cope when larger dreams feel unattainable. 

Soft gambling thrives under these conditions. Social media encourages constant self-care and small indulgences, while economic instability makes restraint feel pointless. Why not treat yourself to a fun toy or cute clothes on sale? The result is a cycle where low-cost rewards become emotional coping mechanisms, nurtured by gambling-like designs embedded in everyday life.

When Soft Gambling Becomes Abusive. 

Gambling is no longer confined to casinos. It is embedded in daily experiences, deliberately redesigned to appear safe, cute, and low-stakes to take both our money and attention. But gambling is not just a financial issue; it is a form of Psychological and Financial Abuse.

Soft gambling hijacks the brain’s reward system, drains financial resources, and exploits your vulnerability during moments of stress or emotional distress. Soft-gambling companies knowingly capitalize on mental health struggles, economic insecurity, and gendered behavioral patterns for profit. What is marketed as entertainment or “deals” often relies on the same mechanisms found in abusive relationships: manipulation, dependency, and control. One long-term study found that young people who purchased blind boxes had higher participation in gambling activities six months later compared to those who did not (Kwai, 2025).

Over time, gambling erodes autonomy, creating a loss of control over decision-making and emotional dependence on an exploitative system. Due to the fact that soft gambling doesn’t resemble traditional gambling, many people fail to recognize the harm until the damage is severe. Shame and secrecy often follow, isolating individuals and making it harder to seek help. The consequences can be long-lasting: debt, lost savings, and financial instability that affect not only the individual but also partners, families, and dependents.

However, recovery is possible. Individuals struggling with gambling-related issues can reach out for help through a variety of resources. National support is available through helplines such as the SAMHSA National Helpline, and many states offer their own dedicated gambling helplines. Additionally, organizations like Abuse Refuge Org. provide holistic support and guidance for those seeking recovery.

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References

(Guillaume, 2024) Guillaume, Jenna. “17 Celebrities Who Have Been Spotted with Their Very Own Labubu.” 

BuzzFeed, 17 Sept. 2024, www.buzzfeed.com/jennaguillaume/celebrities-spotted-with-labubus.

(Kwai, 2025) Kwai, Isabella. “A ‘Blind Box’ Addiction: Is the Labubu Craze Just a New Form of Gambling?” 

The Guardian, 18 Aug. 2025, www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/aug/18/labubu-blind-box-addiction-gambling.

(POP MART 2024) “POP MART x Labubu: How a Small Toy Sparked a Global Cultural Phenomenon.”

ChainCatcher, 15 Oct. 2024, www.chaincatcher.com/en/article/2195032.

(Women’s, 2021) “Women’s Gambling: A Hidden Issue.” Gambler’s Help, Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation, 11 May 2021, https://www.google.com/search?q=gamblershelp.com.au/lets-talk-gambling/womens-gambling-a-hidden-issue/.