There's an entire casino gaming industry on this planet that operates on the same principles: part people and their money with any tactic you can think of. And I've worked in this industry.

I never saw a figurehead that I could classify as evil or unbalanced. Maybe because the market was legit, maybe because everyone - manufacturers, house and players - knew the score. There was also enough legal protection and patenting so that if an idea or concept was stolen, there would be a price to pay.