The gambling aspect is the predatory thing, obviously.

Dangling something a person desires in front of them and making it a 1/500 drop, which leaves them potentially able to get it in just a single key yet also never guaranteed it at all. It might be easy for many of us to simply say, "Well, that's fucking stupid." But the reality is that many people will be taken in by it. Be it a lack of understanding of statistics, being blinded by nostalgia for the this fun twist on a classic item, not having the resources to get it by just buying it so choosing to just take a chance, or just never even realizing that they could possibly make a more informed decision . . . Or just having a, y'know, gambling addiction.

There are other ways to get the mask, but the reality is Jagex is indeed preying on people. They shouldn't be selling things in randomized packaging. They should just sell things directly, simply, for one simple, listed, clearly understood, price.

No one benefits from them running a gambling game except Jagex. Not even Jagex really, just the parasitic owners that leech the vitality of RuneScape benefit.