You don’t pick the toy — you pick the chance. Blind boxes are exploding in popularity, with people spending $60 on mystery keychains and resellers flipping them for $200. Ryan O’Donnell breaks down the latest blind box craze, featuring the viral “Labubu” trend, and introduces marketing expert Dr. Eugene Chan to explain the psychology behind why we keep buying things we don’t actually want.

Shane Hewitt reacts with disbelief (and a little nausea) as they connect the dots between surprise toys, dopamine hits, and slot machine mechanics. Whether it’s collectible keychains, limited drops, or loot boxes in video games, this episode asks the real question: where’s the line between fun and gambling?

Spoiler: Belgium already banned them.

Guest insight: Dr. Eugene Chan

Originally aired on2025-11-25