So Winter Sale is a Winter Gambling Cashgrab? Thats not the right meaning for Sale.

Sale
noun
1. the exchange of a commodity for money; the action of selling something.
2. a period during which a shop or dealer sells goods at reduced prices.

They have gone overboard with the gambling and loot boxes in the past few years. I simply decline to participate. I’m happy with reload bonuses and direct sales on cards. Scratch cards and loot boxes are totally a waste. If somebody wants to waste their money on it though, that’s their business.

2. a period during which a shop or dealer sells goods at reduced prices.

Can you own a chance?

The key words is "goods" they are not selling any goods. They are providing a discount on a chance. Hence is a chance a good?

Is what it is but if a casino were to payout double or reduce the buy-in cost of a slot machine I am not sure in the US at least they could call that a "sale".

Seperately I always say I would prefer Totem not doing games of chance but if they do there should at least be odds posted.

The key words is "goods" they are not selling any goods.
.

Correct - Totem do not sell any goods. Full stop.

When you buy a card you do not own the card. You have only purchased the "right" to play the card. Ownership of the card remains with Totem.

The point of the Winter Sale is like any other sale.

You get offered something you don't really need at a discounted price. It is up to you whether or not you wish to purchase. The fact that you have to play games to get a discount or possibly a free card is neither here nor there. The decision to play or not play is yours and no amount of semantics about the use of the word "sale" is going to change that.

I'd rather a fixed discount rather than a purchased chance at a discount on random cards

I'd rather a fixed discount rather than a purchased chance at a discount on random cards

So probably would almost everybody else - but the major exception is Totem itself. I can't see how a month long simple price reduction would be to their advantage. They do it occassionally but never for long.

As a new member, not me, but some of the comments, the 25 game is pretty close to even money. (from comments anyway)

if you "bet" 15 and win a card, that is a good deal for anyone "new" and you even get to choose the card. you can also win other stuff credits too. yes, you can lose, but most of the comments seem to show the credits, cards, etc, seem to be a wash or work in the favor of the user.

I am guessing totem opinion:
a person who pays 20 credits for a card but plays 25 and wins a free card is winning a discounted card. the sale is still made.

just my opinion. (most games are set up for newer members since they allow for "large" amount of purchases.)

Don't be fooled, these games are surely not done in the favor of the user, everyone would be playing them otherwise. You must be lucky to get something worth your money. But gambling games are designed in the way only a few players are the lucky ones. The majority of them will lose in such games. So I fully understand OP with his comment.

so suerprised i win a special event card in the twenty five and i got no card ? what is the problem ?

so suerprised i win a special event card in the twenty five and i got no card ? what is the problem ?

@tretor - I believe I may have seen other posts that suggest that it is a synchronisation issue. Can I suggest you trying closing iStripper completely (from the taskbar), give it a few minutes, restart and then re-synchronise (go to the gear symbol top right, click on it then click on "synchronise with servers".

so suerprised i win a special event card in the twenty five and i got no card ? what is the problem ?
@tretor - I believe I may have seen other posts that suggest that it is a synchronisation issue. Can I suggest you trying closing iStripper completely (from the taskbar), give it a few minutes, restart and then re-synchronise (go to the gear symbol top right, click on it then click on "synchronise with servers".

already done and nothing ...... maybe i have to wait more ?

@tretor - we may need Customer Service to pick up on this. There is no guarantee they will see a post in the Forum so I would suggest you open a ticket with them. Go to the "i" symbol top right of the App screen, click then click on Customer Service, click on New Ticket, enter as much as you can and then send. Customer Service will hopefully respond to you in the morning.

@tretor

Check your Account History, I see Kitana Lure's Sexual Arts card awarded. Click on it & see if it takes you to the card.

Don't be fooled, these games are surely not done in the favor of the user, everyone would be playing them otherwise. You must be lucky to get something worth your money. But gambling games are designed in the way only a few players are the lucky ones. The majority of them will lose in such games. So I fully understand OP with his comment.

The house always wins. agreed. but as the games go, this one is most favorable for a win. There are two main types of gambling games. One where the odds are low and the pay off is low. two, where the odds are terrible but the payoff is great.

The 25 game doesn't have a great payoff, but, from what I have read, seems to deal out many gift cards etc. slot machine has terrible odds, but has the big pay out.

Don't be fooled, these games are surely not done in the favor of the user, everyone would be playing them otherwise. You must be lucky to get something worth your money. But gambling games are designed in the way only a few players are the lucky ones. The majority of them will lose in such games. So I fully understand OP with his comment.

The house always wins. agreed. but as the games go, this one is most favorable for a win. There are two main types of gambling games. One where the odds are low and the pay off is low. two, where the odds are terrible but the payoff is great.

The 25 game doesn't have a great payoff, but, from what I have read, seems to deal out many gift cards etc. slot machine has terrible odds, but has the big pay out.

My experience with the games is that they may well be "fair" - by which I mean give no direct advantage to either the house or the player, at least for those of us full collections. However, to be sure of this would require averaging over a very large number of plays and I do not have access to that data. I have not played anywhere enough to be sure what the long term prospects are even for myself. but my personal experience suggests (and no more than suggests) that the games are not very far from being "fair", and are likely to favour those with small collections providing that you you regard winning a random card as being a win rather than as a loss. If this is so then they will be a good deal for some, those with small collections who just want to grow their collection, and a much worse deal for those that only want specific cards (these latter should probably choose not to play).

It should be noted that in a game, such as most of those here, that offers both relatively rare high value prizes and much more common lower value prizes that being "fair" in the sense outlined above will mean that more people will lose out when playing than will gain from it (and there will be some outliers where people lose or win heavily),

Also note that Totem would be expected to gain even if the game is biased in favour of the players (as long as that bias is not too strong) if the games encourage enough people to spend their credits earlier than they otherwise would as well as by a simple increase in the number of cards "sold".

I got stupidly ***** the other night and although I had reached my normal 500 credit loss limit I decided to carry on playing until I won another joker (I alread had one).

Final Stats are

Played 435 times (=6540 credits spent)
Won 15 credits 231 times (=3465 credits won)
Won 35 credits 35 times (=1260 credits won)
Net Cost = 1815 credits
Added to that I have 45 gift cards and 2 jokers from the game.

So really not that good a return. 47 cards (Gifts + jokers) = approx cost 38 credits each, about 3.5 times what I pay for a new card.

Was surprised that out of 435 plays I didn't get a single 150 credit win.

On the Black Friday lottery I was unable to work out how many times I played but I came out of that 105 credits better off and with the SEC + 3 Jokers.

So it really is a case of swings and roundabouts with these games. Some times I am lucky but far more times I am not.

Needless to say next time I drink 3 bottles of wine I will stay away from the games.

I got stupidly ***** the other night and although I had reached my normal 500 credit loss limit I decided to carry on playing until I won another joker (I alread had one).

Final Stats are

Played 435 times (=6540 credits spent)
Won 15 credits 231 times (=3465 credits won)
Won 35 credits 35 times (=1260 credits won)
Net Cost = 1815 credits
Added to that I have 45 gift cards and 2 jokers from the game.

Needless to say next time I drink 3 bottles of wine I will stay away from the games.

here is my addendum to your math work...
Net Cost = 1815
45 gift cards times 15 = 675 credits from the gift cards

1815 minus 675 = 1140 for the credits, etc.
1140 is what you paid for the two jokers.
570 for each joker....


Maybe it's the beer in me.... but that is my view.

here is my addendum to your math work...
Net Cost = 1815
45 gift cards times 15 = 675 credits from the gift cards

1815 minus 675 = 1140 for the credits, etc.
1140 is what you paid for the two jokers.
570 for each joker....

Unfortunately it is not quite that good,

As a triple diamond and a premium member, cards only cost me 11 credits so it is 45 x 11 = 495 credits
making the cost of the jokers 660 credits each.

Typically the Jokers normally cost me around 250 credits.