Topic: Claw Machines: a category of gambling? - page 8. (Read 1247 times)

Although the game makes it seem like it's a game of skill  and so the players are trying to use their skills to "properly" capture the prize, I think whether the prize will be in your hands in the end totally depends on luck, so, I consider it as gambling. Everyone who played on Claw Machines even just couple of times in their life knows that. It's almost like thinking that if you stop the rolling of the reels on a slot at the "right" moment you'll win a big prize.

These stupid claw machines extract a decent amount from me whenever I go with my children to some entertainment place. It is useless for me to persuade children to give up such entertainment since I am sure that the machines are configured in such a way that, at the right moment, their desired toy will fall. In addition, in a simple store, these prizes are much cheaper than the number of coins that we spend on the next attempt. However, I don’t think that this is a game of chance; otherwise, one would suspect the children of gambling. It's just fun, and getting some laughter and joy is always good, especially when kids laugh.

I have heard rumors, that claw machines are programmed that claws will fully close only every 10th, for example, attempt. In all other 9 attempts, claw did not close full. Since people randomly choose toys and aim randomly, it is hard to tell which attempt will be «that one that is true». This might be fake, I am not an expert, did not test that strategy. But how else can we describe why toys squeeze out from claws most of the time, and there is one attempt when they close as strong as bear trap. If there were no skill needed, everyone would always win. For me gambling is combination of a bet, random/luck, prize. Claw machine has all of these, so it is gambling for me.

I really do not think this is gambling. This is fun rather because of the nature of the game. This game can be played with the family in a kind of outing where you and your family can just try their luck one after the other in the open and it is always done in the open for all to see.
This type of game does not require skills or tactics to win them but rather being smart enough to play the game. I believe good gamers are likely to win this more because they always play game often and know how to play games of this nature without any much stress on their path.

No, I don't think that is gambling. I played that just recently with my kids and it's just a game. But, I don't really like playing those because the chances of losing are way higher than it is with winning, yeah that sounds like gambling.
Those claws are always slippery, they made it that way so that it's rare to win or else they keep on refilling those boxes with toys and plushies. I am not good at it, that's all I can say. One of my kids though was happy when he played it, he clawed a lot of ticket bracelets out so he got to buy some toys in exchange for those tickets. It can still bring happiness to kids but I don't it can with oldies who knows it's difficult to win those claw games. I mean I'd rather buy the damn plushies than waste way more money in trying to get them that way.

It is gambling because you have to insert coin which is like the deposit we do in casinos in return to have a chance to win a stuff toy or anything that's inside the claw machine.

I don't usually win there and it's like 1:100 to me.

Both IMHO.

I am not sure with those tiktok videos that they're able to cheat out a claw machine and they were winning like it's a normal day to them for every token they insert.

OP it is 100% gambling. One you can mostly find claw machines in the casinos, so you are charged a certain amount to play it. The risk in the game is extremely high since it is to successfully have a strong grab after several failed attempts.

By the way i still see claw machines as a rigged game. And i expect gamblers to take less risk playing claw games. There is wide spread of rumors that the owner of claw machines mostly customized it to win 1/50 attempts, some who have pity would make it 1/20. Such game is consider having lesser payouts to the gamblers. Although it is cheaper to lay that is why people try so many times to see if they can win by all means.

It's funny how gambling are defined, but in my opinion, the moment people pay for a chance to win something, then we're dealing with gambling. If people were paying and receiving something without having any chance of losing their money because they didn't get it right, then that is gambling. gambling is any game that involves money and bets on a specific event. If two people are playing cards without betting money, then it is not gambling, but when they bet money, then it is gambling. and I believe that these Claw Machines need a license to be operated


source: https://thesun.my/style-life/going-viral/claw-machines-are-a-form-of-gambling-and-it-is-a-sin-to-play-them-LC9307409

I must agree with the words of this Malaysian government department, in a way this game can destroy children, because they will think that they need to play to win things and if parents take children to play frequently, then the consequences in the future will be serious. Children shouldn't play games to have some kind of compensation. they must play with toys that their parents buy. but our society is heading down an ungoverned path. Many parents don't have time for their children so to make it up to their children they will do things like this

Though, if those claw mechanisms are truly something which we could consider to be some kind of soft scam, then I wonder who they are allowed to operate and get imported to countries of both the developed world and the developing world.
At least, when you play lottery or dices on an online casino, you have some disclaimer on the stadisitical approximate chances you have in order to win the prize. With these claw machines there is no disclaimer or easy way for one to be aware what they actual possibilities are. Perhaps, that is what the operators of those machines count on, on the ignorance of the people and the greed when they see those big prizes stockpilled at the bottom of the machine.
I am sure less people would feel appealed by those claws if there was a disclaimer by the machines saying the chances of winning are approximately 1 in a 100.000 or something like it.

Since gambling is a regulated business, they are in the obligation to be probably fair and inform their gamblers of the chances of winning and also about the values of gambling responsibly. Claws are not regulated, it seems, so I bet it is a very grey area for people to make money with them in fairs and events, when children are around.

Gambling is any form of staking a fund and expecting a possible outcome in your favour, provided you are risking something to get another which isn't it's equivalent then there's every tendency of gambling in what you are doing so gambling doesn't have to be when you visit a casino and then you place a bet on a certain game and then you hope to win and if you don't you would then assume it wasn't a fair enough.

I will literally consider this to be gambling because it also has got some point of possible addiction,it can actually get to the point where it will become addictive to those who always goes to try and see if they will ever get lucky with it and just like t he casino game they may aswell lose their funds too and if they aren't disciplined enough to know when to stop, they would most likely end up loosing all their funds trying to get sometimes off their trials on the machine with several attempts so it's actually a gambling game but then this actually looks more fun and less serious.

I don't think any special Skil is required for this because the machine literally overwrite it's position at intervals so even if you think you have studied it well enough you may still be unlucky meanwhile someone who has just tried once or twice could turn out to be the lucky one and win so it doesn't look to me like a special skill is required to be able to play the game well and possibly get lucky enough to win something off it.

I haven't really thought much about it since it's usually kids who enjoys this but I guess you could consider it gambling but in a different form or "lighter version". I mean if there's no guarantee that you could get something in return after spending money then that's similar to casino games.

Yes, if only the one you will get is also money, I mean when the prize inside the claw machine is also money, then I consider it gambling, because you will use money in order to play and also will get money when you grab something. But the thing is, a claw machine is a difficult game or machine. Even if you are skilled, you can't do anything if the machine is rigged or the machine has certain conditions or a certain number of attempts, like a probability, but I doubt a claw machine with money in the prize will let the players get or grab the prize easily. Anyway, if this claw machine with money in price becomes famous, then most likely it will only be played in physical casinos and not online because, for sure, gamblers will not play the online or virtual version of the claw machine as it can be suspicious or cannot be trusted.

I'd much rather consider the one where you just put in coins and wait for it to fall gambling than this one. Rather than gambling, I'd most likely assume that machines only allow a set % of players to actually win by manipulating say the claws grip or timer or something. It's just that there are so many things the machine owner can do to cheat the system that it doesn't seem like gambling or skill anymore, just random winners.

Though in hindsight I guess rigging it makes it more of a gamble than a skill.

You would really be able to realize for yourself that those things are indeed that soft-scam. Never ever in my life and experience on getting a stuff toy or hitting up those gadgets or money
out of a claw machine and those shit claws are designed to be that too soft or having no force whenever it clips. You could try all you want but it would really be ending up on a none good result
but if course there would really be those people who do able to get some stuff if they were lucky, but in overall i dont see for it to be a gambling but rather to be an entertainment
of a certain user who would really be tending up to deal up with it. Staked money isnt really just that too big for you to consider that you are gambling out. You've been trying out your
shot on getting some prize out of that single coin you do put on but of course it would really be just that depending or basing up on someones approach and sentiments into their minds
if they would really be treating it up as some sort of gambling.

It can be under the gambling category because people are gambling their money just to get these stuffed toys. But tell you what, very rare that a person can grab those stuffed toys. Yeah, I tried that several times before just for the sake of trying it. But the chance of getting that is slim in my opinion, given the fact that the time frame is very short. Thus, these claw machines are literally just eating your tokens.

It may not be seen as part of hard core gambling games, but in my opinion, it is considered as gambling. Just refresh your mind about the definition of gambling -

"Gambling is the wagering of something of value on a random event with the intent of winning something else of value, where instances of strategy are discounted."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gambling

I have seen those machines before here in my city and I have only tried them once or twice when I was youger. My family in general has always assumed those machines to be some kind of soft scam or something like it. 
I don't think those crane games and machines are completely related to gambling, actually, because of the luring prizes somethimes are put puporsely in them I would dare to say it would be better to wager money on sport bets or in probably fair games. Crane games are purposely too attractive to ignore (cash, high tech video consoles, expensive games and watches, etc).
It would seem to me the mechanism behind the crane is conceived on purpose so it will open a bit right before lifting the prize most of the times, to it would become very unlikely for anyone to actually pick up something good.
It is about comon sense, I think. If the owners of those machines are willing to risk literal packs of cash, still they need to guarantee the machine to be profitable, so it is likely thay are rigged somehow for someone to have almost no chances to win.
Not even keeping in mind the owners of those machines could also shield themselves behind the fact the player is the onw who decides who to manouver the claw, so there is less likely for the tricky mechanism to be spotted.

I would rather to stick to dices and a bit of plinko, it sounds fairer. 

For me, claw machine has an element of gambling because we need to risk money in order to get a reward.  With that I also think that claw machines should be included in the gambling category.  Remember to get a prize on the claw machine, a person needs to risk his money and oftentimes the player loses and does not get any items on the machine.  While many think it is not a gambling game since skill is involved in the game, it can be refuted by giving sports betting along with poker as an example where skill-based games can be considered gambling.

So for me Claw machines should be included in gambling category because there is an element of gambling on that game.


And what about the money involved?  If the claw machines is exempted to be included in gambling category because skill is required for the game, then what about poker and sports betting?  As long as there is an element of gambling, I believe it should be included in the gambling category.

Its a game but seems not a gambling game though. But you certainly have the chance to get more than the coins you insert into these machines so there is an incentive to win a bigger prize which somehow falls into a gambling category.

The games are for kids however so its sort of between the lines where you may not consider it gambling but because the prizes are just stuffed toys, gadgets, and so forth the regulators won't mind the business.

There's an existing thread about this too asking of if claw machine is gambling too, but it looks like it was moved. Well, you can't call it gambling for too many reasons. It's more like games to entertain kids and adults.
I search why it is not gambling, it its because, of lesser valuable price which is reasonable.

Yes, i know someone who work under a company with these claw machines and it is really set like it needed X numbers of plays before the claw hold tight, but it's different somewhere in Japan. I saw videos that it's much easier to play there.

Most people will not play these to get stuffed animals, these are kids versions of this game. The ones I've seen have real items inside, like plastic boxes with money, watches, phones and similar stuff. You put in a few coins and can potentially win an item worth 5 times more, but if you fail to grab it a few times you'll end up losing money.
I think that this is gambling, but I don't play them because most of them are rigged. I've seen how it's done because people on youtube open these machines up. You can set the force with which the claw closes and the speed it moves back and sometimes these machines are set so that the claw moves back fast and even if you grab an item it will fall back when the claw goes up and starts moving towards you.