I think it's a great idea. Everyone may think it would cause rifts among the player base, but with a little tact, I'm convinced that it could actually bring it closer.

Whatever term you try to throw at it, at the end of the day, it will be "gambling"... that's the fun of it... you're technically "gambling" even when you spar. Have you ever seen that Twilight Zone episode where the guy ALWAYS wins?... Wins, wins, wins every single time, and he ends up being in Hell. LOL. Good stuff.

I think the tokens->tickets->prizes idea would be prime (like Chuck-E-Cheeze lol). First of all, you want players to play the game. If you could gamble gralats, it seems like that would entice more arguments among players; even detour them from the game with other more beneficial jobs such as fishing (kids whine in this game over the smallest things- could you imagine randomly winning 2k from one of them? 1 word: Apocalypse) But if you gave them a currency used only for gambling, I think the tables would pop.

Do most kids in this game even know how to play Poker though?! Maybe the "go-fish" route would be a bit better xD Slots... lol... snail racing.....

Let's face it. West will never have the nice things. We can't even have a decent basing system.