Yes, and I still play.... not even remotely comparable... we are talking about games you play at home.
In games you give a coin to play in establishment, aka rent a machine for a given time. Pretty clear. Before that you had pinballs, pool halls, and more. Same concept, but everyone was equal and progression was dependent on your skill.
With today loot boxes a you pay "for something random" so you can get some kind of desirable upgrade, or advantage, otherwise you will have to grind your way to the game...
In games you give a coin to play in establishment, aka rent a machine for a given time. Pretty clear. Before that you had pinballs, pool halls, and more. Same concept, but everyone was equal and progression was dependent on your skill.
With today loot boxes a you pay "for something random" so you can get some kind of desirable upgrade, or advantage, otherwise you will have to grind your way to the game...