I felt miserable reading this. It feels like the concept of separating a fool from their money has been distilled down to a science. I remember the original 'whale' articles from many years ago where the concept was just in its infancy, and it's sad to see that it's only become more focused and gained precision. Who knows, maybe with rapid advancements in generative AI, even that becomes fully automated...
There are reasons why this type of game is heavily regulated in parts of the world, and even and illegal to operate in some countries. It's just such a deeply problematic business model IMO.
I don't know if the state of California would be interested in antagonizing a business like Zynga and their likes, because presumably they contribute to the tax base, but I find it repulsive that such businesses are seemingly unregulated simply because they don't pay out cash.
