What do y’all think? I’m pretty firmly in the scam or at least scummy camp here.
Also pretty disappointed to see so many prominent wine influencers promoting what is very obviously taking advantage of consumers. I’m not sure how it’s legal either considering the loot box model has been considered gambling / lottery (outside of digital) and nearly all states consider offering alcohol as a prize in games of chance illegal.
Regardless of the legality, it’s just scummy. Take a look at all the unboxings in the promos from influencers. They’re basically selling $60-80 bottles of wine for $100 on the off chance you might get something worth more than $100. I would be shocked if their unregulated Rake isn’t 10x an actual casino.
Haha fair. I was avoiding naming names to be polite, but these are influencers that generally have good reputations in the wine industry as far as I know.
Yeah, maybe people should get smart and “follow” wine enthusiasts, as opposed to “wine influencers.” As soon as money gets involved in anything, one would be well-advised to approach with a healthy dose of skepticism.
p.s.: count me among those who’ve never even heard of this Arena Club Wine thing. Quite frankly, I think all “Mystery Box” situations or “Private Label” situations (like Cam X) are extremely stupid, except perhaps at the very low end. Even then, it’s extremely rare for them to have any appeal to me, as there is a vast world of non-mystery wine worth buying at the same price. But, there’s always that YMMV thing. These things are designed for people who like to play the lottery. I’ve never bought a lottery ticket in my life, so there’s my bias.
I’ve seen several influencers and sommeliers show posts of their winnings on Wine Arena. So far, it’s interesting, but that is just it. I have not seen any bottles I would want in my cellar!
If you enjoy gambling, and want to gamble on wine, your odds will be better going to an actual casino and then buying wine with winnings (or what’s left)
Despite others’ flippancy regarding the idea of wine influencers, lots of people get their wine information from social media. Low knowledge wine consumers are especially susceptible to being influenced because they don’t know any better. We all like to complain about restaurant prices turning new consumers away from wine, but what about quasi-gambling ripoffs being promoted by social media wine accounts with large followings? Good or bad for brining new people into the fold?