If they're making money, they should be included as far as the publisher is concerned. We're never going to moan enough to get a company to stop doing something that is making them money. So, not buying them is the only way to get them to a point where EA and others stop putting them in because it's not a worthwhile use of resources.
You didn't really answer my question about card packs, as far as I can tell they're identical to lootboxes just for a physical game. Different tiers/valuations of pack each with a certain number of common/rare/legendary or whatever cards but you have no idea what you're actually going to get. If we use UFC packs as an example, different tiers that cost different amounts that each contain a predetermined number of whatever type of cards with no guarantee of what exactly you'll get. A progression system to unlock them without packs or being in a $60 game doesn't change whether or not this is gambling, the only thing you could really argue it changes is how ****ty a thing to do it is. Basically, I'm of the opinion that MTs are an incredibly ****ty thing to put in a game, but not gambling. Gambling to me requires a complete loss outcome, where you put things in and get nothing out. As ****ty as lootboxes are, you'll always get something.