You huddle over a box with your friends. Could this be it? You slowly open the package until the realization dawns on you: it’s not the item you want. 

There’s something almost electric about buying a sealed box when you don’t know what’s inside of it. Could this be the one that everyone is chasing? That thrill and the question of what if? Blind boxes are designed to have that same psychological mechanism that makes gambling so compelling.

The most recent internet frenzy has centered on blind box toys like Labubus, plush collectibles sold by Pop Mart. The thing about these blind boxes are that some people don’t just buy one. They buy five, ten, or even more. Each person is chasing a specific version or rare design that may never appear in their haul. Each purchase becomes a small gamble and a chance to hit that jackpot. The excitement doesn’t come from only winning but from the moment right before, when it still feels possible to win. 

There’s a reason why blind boxes are so intoxicating. “Blind boxes are collectible toys packed randomly in the box, which share certain similarities with gambling and are popular among the young population,” according to ScienceDirect. That factor of randomness is not unintentional; it is how the product is being sold. That dopamine rush and the factor of what if? is what’s being sold. 

According to The Guardian, the Labubu craze makes the link between gambling and blind boxes even clearer. In interviews with buyers, the article describes how opening blind boxes becomes a practice driven by hope and fueled by disappointment and the urge to try again. “It became like a game … Most of the time I didn’t want the stuff, I just liked the excitement of waiting, finding and obtaining them,” 55-year-old Bethan, who uses a pseudonym, said. Bethan has become addicted to buying blind box toys. 

Many buyers have admitted to the fact that they feel compelled to keep buying, even after receiving duplicates and convincing themselves that the next box will be different. According to The Guardian, many consumers have stated that they have buyer’s guilt after the endless cycle. This logic perfectly mirrors the logic used to trap consumers into gambling. Losses don’t end the cycle; they fuel it. 

This cycle works because blind boxes rely on the reward system used by slot machines and lotteries. Your brain releases dopamine not when you win, but when you might win. Each and every unopened box holds the promise of maybe being the one where you might win. Every failed attempt strengthens the illusion that success is just one purchase away and that possibility is enough fuel for you to keep on buying, according to The Rowan Center for Behavioral Medicine.

Blind boxes aren’t just cute collectibles. They are carefully engineered experiences that exploit uncertainty and desire. Beneath the cute designs and pastel color palette is a system that feels a lot like gambling. This system is one built on anticipation, the powerful belief that maybe this time, luck is on your side.