@Dfner

But my point actually was that there was one way to get SEC without any gambling element involved. And that was purchasing that Premium membership when it was introduced (like I did). That way you got your Joker card, and therefore, effectively, an SEC of your choice without any gambling.

You're right, there was also a Joker card given when you filled the thermometer during last year's Black Friday promotion. This did involve gambling, but still everyone had a clear way of getting it.
This is actually not a bad idea btw: allowing everyone to win a Joker card after spending a certain amount.


@TheEmu

What was the second route of getting the 1st SECs if it wasn't gambling?
The second route was gambling. It was a way of gettiing the SECs. Without this second route there was absolutely NO way of getting a SEC if you had missed (or deliberately ignored) the original event. It was a solution that did provide the requested second way of getting the cards - that some people did not like that way of getting them does not mean that it was not a solution - albeit not a universaly acceptable one but no one ever claimed that it was.

Sorry I misunderstood your post at first, I thought you said there was a second route, then came the gambling. I get your point.
Just saying again, I'm fine with SECs part of a package: you buy the package, you get the SEC. That's the main difference for me with SECs you get only through gambling, even the 1st SECs (which haven't been offered in any other way than gambling since). You take part in the promotion, well... the chances are higher you don't get the SEC. Therefore, if most of the time you can't get what you're playing for, that's not a solution.

You can put it in a simple way: if there is another way, there will probably be less people taking part in the scratch game. If people choose not to gamble, that might just be because it's not worth the time, credits and all unwanted cards.
Exactly correct, and that is pretty well the point I have been trying to make all along. Changing things is likely to cost Totem money unless they are careful, Changing things in the simple ways that have been suggested would almost certainly cost them money - would you willingly reduce your profits ?

How can you be sure this will reduce Totem's profits?
You seem to be concerned with Totem's profits from the scratch game but you said many times yourself you get the SECs for free and even earn credits.
Many members don't gamble, if Totem gets them to buy a package with the SEC they want, that's another way of generating profit.
Plus, as I said, gambling can stay, members who want it could still gamble.

I took part in the scratch game several times this year, I gave it a go, thinking "ok, maybe we can get an SEC this way" the only SEC I got was Anastasiia which was "given" automatically after 30 or so scratch cards. Well, I came to the conclusion this method simply doesn't work, I ended up with about 100 cards I didn't want for twice or 3 times the price. That made me think, why pay for something I don't want? Since then, I realised what I ***** in these games made me want to spend less here. How is that for profit?
I haven't spent as much as members with a full collection, but most members have a partial collection. And if these members realise chasing SECs through gambling is pointless, the scratch game will become less and less profitable.

We can only speculate on the intentions, but the odds show that this game is designed to make most members pour in a lot of credits, not for most members to win an SEC.
Yes we can speculate on the intentions, but whatever the intensions were the gambling games did provide a second way to get the SECs, no matter how unpopular that way turned out to be it was still a way to get the cards.

Gambling is indeed a 2nd way of getting the package SECs, and has been the only way up to now to get the majority of SECs.