I wouldn't minimize the gambling problem as just "plan a trip to vegas and lose a few hundred dollars", even before the widespread internet gambling was a serious issue. I can't speak for the US but from where I'm from "analog" gambling has a much wider array of options than just casinos(including illegal casinos), and those tend to be available locally everywhere in some manner even today.
It probably is worse than ever I do agree, the internet age gives far too much visibility and access to it, to the point where the most popular sports games have progression pretty much tied to some form of lootboxes, and that's before even getting into the rabbit hole of gacha.
The acceptance of loot boxes because "it was just cosmetic" was a tragic slippery slope, all the problems with having cosmetics on said loot boxes aside, that turned into "you can also buy it with in-game currency", which then started offering in-game currency for purchase and making the prices to buy said things extraordinary, which generated a lot of money and allowed for a free release that would then feed the circle over again.
It probably is worse than ever I do agree, the internet age gives far too much visibility and access to it, to the point where the most popular sports games have progression pretty much tied to some form of lootboxes, and that's before even getting into the rabbit hole of gacha.
The acceptance of loot boxes because "it was just cosmetic" was a tragic slippery slope, all the problems with having cosmetics on said loot boxes aside, that turned into "you can also buy it with in-game currency", which then started offering in-game currency for purchase and making the prices to buy said things extraordinary, which generated a lot of money and allowed for a free release that would then feed the circle over again.