Speaking an ex- and now current MTG player, it most definitely has a strong gambling aspect to it. If you've hung around box openings and such, you'll see the same highs and lows, especially right now when an IN PRINT card can and will retail for > 1000 USD.
If there's anything to compare these kind of "games" with, maybe it's precisely with online gambling. They are thinly disguised online gambling, which makes them worse in my book.