12:31 - 9.09.2025

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September 9, Fineko/abc.az. In recent days, hysteria has erupted around the "Labubu" toy by Pop Mart, whose market value allegedly surpassed that of Gazprom and Tatneft combined. But behind the bright facade hides an underground gambling scheme.

According to ABC.AZ, the toys are sold in sealed boxes (Blind Box Toys format), and the buyer does not know which figure they will get. To complete a full collection, one may have to spend thousands of dollars, while rare figures are extremely difficult to find. The company’s main profit comes from avid collectors and people prone to gambling addiction.

Unlike casinos, which have restricted access, these toys can be purchased almost anywhere, making the addiction nearly invisible to others. In China, sales of such toys to children under 8 are prohibited, and for older children they are only allowed with parental consent, in order to protect them from gambling addiction.