Google and Belgium is incorrect with their definition of gambling.  Yours is the absolute truth

In regards with laws, the problem here is that most laws relating to gambling in general are old laws.  They don't "DEFINE" these boxes, or rng related stuff that is not exchangeable with the bank.   That is why a huge portion of enterprise and business takes advantage of it.  Most of it are define as "services".

Why are you so focused with crons when there is a bigger p2w leverage like artisans.  Artisans in a x5 multiplier and what do you think $1000 dollars worth of artisans can do.

Also did you just leverage wins or lose by stating an account value that can be sold for $500.... while it cost more than $1000.  Then tell people that there is no way to cash out.  Did you just contradict yourself?

I have to say you are right with one thing.  Gambling in this game is bad.

Do you have some moral or religious issues with gambling? Is that why you can't see it?

They above all perfectly understood the idea of "perceived value".

It doesn't matter if one can cash out or not, if he thinks the reward is worth it. Spending money in artisan's memory over and over to finally get a PEN item, or putting pieces in a slot machines and getting an interesting monetary reward, the objective value is totally different but the perceived value may be exactly the same, or one could even see more value in the virtual item. To each his own.

Defining gambling only based on the existence of a reward with objective value is an outdated reasoning, exactly the same reasoning that gaming companies are using as a loophole. Belgium, Netherlands, Slovakia too if I remember well, are in fact one step ahead.

And this "perceived value" is not new, it is used and misused by many companies (trading cards? Bundles of goods with a potential limited edition good?) but online gaming is a paradise for this strategy. 

i can tell you that it can potentially do WAY more than 0$ worth of crons and artisans. :D :D :D 

Sometimes its buy one get 3 free on the costumes, plus $200 pearl purchases get you more then 20000 pearls. then add in the coupons...Try your math again. You get FS doing the quest line, TET gear doing seasons, plus PA hands out 100 stacks like candy..yea under $1000 bucks, definitely no where close to your $50,000 figure.

Without the p2w it will take a person 4+ years at 10 hours a day to get full PEN. $1000 investment saves you 3 years 11 months, of grind, allowing time to do other things in game, such as producing intresting streams grinding caphras, competing in conquest  wars and enhancing Fallen GOD, while in full PEN instead of getting stomped in sub PEN.

At any part time job that pays minimum $15 an hour, one could have made $64,000 at 20 hours a week in time saved.

A full time job is the best grind for this game. And like you said, its a gamble at 20+ clicks per item, so it could exceed $1000 bucks for most, but not by much.

Its gambling people dont come out in the "black". House always wins.

While I disagree with Belgium stepping all over online gaming, they might as well stop children from playing simple backyard games of Hide and Seek to protect them from gaming/gambling.  Even the US (home of the free) are subject to laws officials pass under public protection.  Seat belt and motocycle helmets are something I would recommend you use. Any government stepping in and telling you to do it or get fined, they are not protecting you, they are just after your wallet.  Common sense shouldn't be written into laws.  In the US, you don't get to even vote on these "common good laws", they get put into effect inspite of your opinion.  If they deem red meat is bad for the common good, they could make it illegal.

I am not picking on anyone here, but Franklins stated, you don't "cash out" in BDO as you can in Entropia Universe.  True, but let's look at the psychological rewards.  Gambling is the act of playing for stakes in the hope of winning.  The stakes could be anything you value, not just cash.  In the short film Man from the South,  a man bets a gambler he can't light his cigarette lighter ten times consecutively. If he wins, the man gives him his new car. If he doesn't, the cost isn't in money, he loses the pinky finger on his left hand.  There is no cash in this bet but it is still gambling.  I guess he could sell the car, but who buys fingers?  The rich man is getting a psychologal thrill of watching a man sweat it out over a stupid bet.

The child playing a simple game of Hide and Seek gets a thrill out of finding his friends before they touch home.  Playing games is not likely to make you a foolish gambler, just as all people who play Monopoly are not likely to become real-estate tycoons. 

In the case of bdo you wager in game resources and outside resources (the crons and the artisans) on the chance that the game will give you higher stats (dp, ap, etc). The winner is you but the loser is also you. (the house always wins thou since if you gave PA money for costumes and artisans they already fleeced you).
We call that gambling.