Not that I’d exactly call it gambling per se, but I have friends who definitely scratch their gambling itch with high risk RNG game mechanics that don’t cost IRL money.

Path of Exile, for example, is great at this. You can invest a whole lot of time/resources into a craft, and then the final step, it either bricks or becomes a best-in-slot item. The game is littered with this sort of mechanic, and you definitely get a rush when you coin flip with several hours of your life on the line.

So while I agree with you, I can also kinda see their point.