Gashapon is a type of a Japanese vending machine in which people insert a coin to acquire a random toy capsule.
This is a variant of the loot box mechanic where players spend currency to acquire an entire set of random game items.
They are typically free-to-play games which can be played using only the currency or characters received for free through gameplay and grinding.
They are financed through the sale of virtual currency to the players who want to spend real money to progress faster or be better at competing with others.
So-called "whale" players may spend significant amounts on gacha games, leading to concerns about gambling addiction.