Understanding the model clarifies the rules. If most revenue comes from evaluation and reset fees rather than trading profits, the firm's economics improve when rules are strict enough that most attempts fail, and its product is effectively a paid assessment.
That is not automatically predatory, but it means you should read payout terms, consistency requirements and drawdown definitions as product terms, and compare total cost to reach a payout rather than the advertised account size.
Example: a $50,000 evaluation costs $300, with a $99 reset and $85 a month in platform and data fees. A trader who resets twice and takes five months to a first payout has spent $300 + $198 + $425 = $923. A $2,000 first payout at an 80% payout-split nets $1,600, leaving $677 after costs.
Related: evaluation, reset, payout-split, consistency-rule