If
you or your child has ever played claw machines, then I bet you didn’t realize
they might be a form of gambling. Yeah, it’s true, many people believe claw
machines should only be in casinos or illegal for those under twenty-one.
Those
newer claw machines that look really cool to lure you in, have been built with
the ability to rig the machine so the player can’t win the prize until the payout
rate. The payout rate is a number set by the owner of the machine to only let
someone win when they have made enough money. So basically, you can only win
when the owner or vendor wants you too. Ya I know, it sucks right?
So I made a video explaining why one would believe claw machines are a form of gambling which I showed with my own claw machine.
So I made a video explaining why one would believe claw machines are a form of gambling which I showed with my own claw machine.
Types of claw machines that can be rigged:
Even though claw machines seem harmless they
might just be how gambling addictions start in kids. So maybe hold off on the free plays for your kids. If you’ve ever wondered
why you didn’t win on a claw machine when you thought your play was so perfect,
then you’re not alone and there might be a reason behind it. These set payout
rates make it pretty much impossible for the player to win unless you get
lucky. It's kinda like Vegas since that's the place to go when you're feeling lucky.
Slot machine that might be similar to a claw machine |
Because
of these pay out rates many believe it makes these machines more like gambling
machines. In David
Schwartz article, "Gambling", he stated, “Gambling is the act
of risking something of value on the outcome of an event in hopes of gain.”
(Schwartz). Because gambling is risking something to try to win your target,
it’s like claw machines with how the player will risk money in the hopes of
winning a prize.
In
epSos.de’s video, "Legal Claw Crane Gambling
for Kids", it is shown that the claw machine is rigged by
intentionally dropping the prize when the claw reaches the top of the machine. The
author believes that claw machines should be illegal because they are not
appropriate for kids.
How a claw machine is set to be rigged. |
In
an Advisory
Legal Opinion- “Crane Game Qualifies as Slot Machine” Robert Butterworth,
the attorney general of Florida, stated, “Accordingly, I am of the opinion that
a coin operated crane game having an unpredictable outcome or chance which is
inherent in the machine qualifies as a "slot machine"” (Butterworth).
Since this attorney general, Robert Butterworth, said that claw machines should
be viewed as slot machines then if gambling was illegal so should claw machines
for that area.
Claw
machines make it seem like it’s not rigging you, but most of the time it will
be. They are made to make you think the prize dropped on its own when really
the claw let it go. One video on YouTube made by, epSos.de was called, “Legal Claw Crane Gambling
for Kids”, and the camera operator showed how the claw purposely dropped the
prize. You could tell that the claw was set to look like it couldn’t even pick
up the prize which makes it rigged.
Many videos expose the ugly truth behind claw machines. |
The
claw machine could even be set to where it won’t even pick up the prize. In be prepared’s YouTube video, “Claw
machine is gambling” they showed how a claw machine could not pick up the
prize. Seeing how the claw could not even move the prize when it was perfectly around
it, something was clearly wrong.
In Casino Tek’s YouTube video, “Why you never win on a toy or candy claw machine” he talked about the different ways a claw machine can be set to rig the player, including how some won’t pick up the prize. With these different ways, a player can be rigged but only the vendor can decide when the claw can pick a prize up.
Some believe claw machines are like gambling, but we must determine what exactly gambling is first. According to the dictionary, gambling is the playing of games of chance for money. Which is similar to claw machines but usually there is only kids prizes in the machines.
In Casino Tek’s YouTube video, “Why you never win on a toy or candy claw machine” he talked about the different ways a claw machine can be set to rig the player, including how some won’t pick up the prize. With these different ways, a player can be rigged but only the vendor can decide when the claw can pick a prize up.
Some believe claw machines are like gambling, but we must determine what exactly gambling is first. According to the dictionary, gambling is the playing of games of chance for money. Which is similar to claw machines but usually there is only kids prizes in the machines.
All these claw machines are filled with plush |
Types of claw machines that are typically fair:
- Play till you win machines
- Ball filled claw machines
- Sugar Loaf claw machines
- Older machines
- Most Walmart claw machines
There
are many debates on how claw machines might be the cause of some
gambling addictions but only a few for it just being a harmless arcade game. Knowing if claw
machines cause gambling addictions is important because we don’t want our
future children to have gambling addictions from playing games we thought were
harmless. That would just lead to world with a ton of gamblers. Now it is time for you to decide which side you are on, the side
where claw machines are a form of gambling, or if they’re harmless arcade
games.