Editing Don't Take the Bait (section)

==How it works==
'''Whaling''' is an industry term, borrowed from the world of casino gambling, used to describe the practice of extracting large sums of money from a small subset of players, often referred to as ''whales''. In the ''Let’s Go Whaling'' video (2016), a mobile game executive lays out a clear blueprint for identifying and monetizing these players using a set of psychological tools designed for maximum profit.

'''Core Tactics:'''

*Behavioral Profiling – Tracking in-game activity, spending patterns, and engagement time to pinpoint potential high-spenders.
*Scarcity & FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) – Leveraging limited-time offers, daily login rewards, and countdown timers to create urgency.
*Gacha & Random Rewards – Using loot boxes, randomized draws, and “spin-to-win” mechanics to keep players chasing rare rewards, mimicking slot machine behavior.
*Social Pressure – Encouraging spending through leaderboards, cooperative rewards, and gifting systems so players feel compelled to “keep up” or avoid letting teammates down.
*Gradual On-Ramping – Introducing players to the game for free, then easing them into small purchases that normalize spending before escalating to high-priced offers.

The presentation notably postpones any discussion of '''ethics''' until the very end, framing these practices not as moral questions but as business optimizations.

'''Terminology with Consequences:'''

By borrowing the word “whale” from gambling culture, the industry reinforces a mindset where players are reduced to revenue sources. This language not only normalizes aggressive monetization but also masks the human and ethical costs behind the term.

'''Who Is Affected:'''

While whales can include affluent players willing to spend, these tactics also disproportionately affect vulnerable groups:

*'''Minors''', who lack a mature understanding of money and probability.
*'''Compulsive spenders''' '''and gambling addicts''', who are especially susceptible to randomized reward systems.
*'''Financially insecure individuals''', who may spend beyond their means in search of in-game status or rewards.

These strategies create a finely tuned monetization engine, one that maximizes revenue while sidestepping the broader conversation about fairness, transparency, and consumer protection.