You see them at arcades, in bowling alleys, at carnivals and amusem*nt parks: Claw machines. We enjoy playing them, but sometimes, no matter how many times you try, you just can't get the claw to grab the prize. Is it you — or is the machine rigged?
"Yes, most claw machines are rigged," said Jeremy Hambly, who runs ClawStruck, a popular YouTube channel and website that shows how many different models work. "Absolutely not fair. Crane operators can change the strength of the claw throughout the day. They can even set them to pay out at different rates: One in 25, one in 50, which means you will not win unless they say so. "
On a claw machine Rossen Reports purchased from a distributor, Hambly showed TODAY national investigative correspondent Jeff Rossen how to manipulate the strength of the claw to pick up and carry prizes.
Rossen Reports even found claw machine manuals online explaining how to set specific odds for winning.
"There needs to be more oversight," Hambly said. "Right now there's basically none, and if a machine is going to pay out one in every 50 times, they should have to post [that] right on it for people."
Other tips:
- Try the "lurking" technique: Watch other people play and let them loosen the prizes a bit before you swoop in and play.
- The more expensive the prize, the more difficult it could be to win. In some cases, the odds could be as great as one in 10,000.
To suggest a topic for an upcoming investigation, visit the Rossen Reports Facebook page.
FAQs
Is it you — or is the machine rigged? "Yes, most claw machines are rigged," said Jeremy Hambly, who runs ClawStruck, a popular YouTube channel and website that shows how many different models work. "Absolutely not fair. Crane operators can change the strength of the claw throughout the day.
Are the claw machines rigged? ›
While zooming in on a section labeled “Win Rate,” Clark said the machine can be manually adjusted to make it easier or harder for the claw to grab a toy. Essentially, it's a way to hack the machine when it's “not clawing,” the TikToker says. That confirmed a long-held belief that the machines are rigged.
Is there a secret to claw machines? ›
The double tap technique is a famous trick players can use. This involves tapping the claw button twice quickly, which causes the claw to tighten its grip on the prize. However, be careful not to overuse this technique, as it can cause the claw to lose its grip on the prize.
Are claw machines programmed to drop? ›
Settings like claw strength—which is controlled by the amount of voltage sent to a claw—and "dropping skill"—the ability of a claw to drop a prize back into the machine after picking it up—are frequently modified by arcade owners to control the odds of a player winning and are often based on how much money the machine ...
Can you actually win claw machines? ›
However, if you've ever played a claw machine before, you know how hard actually winning a prize can be sometimes! Luckily, once you know how to study claw machines and go for the best prizes, you can make it a lot more likely for you to win at claw machines.
Are claw machines a con? ›
Depending on the settings selected, the machine could make it nearly impossible to win a prize. The machine would have to be played a certain amount of times, which is often cranked up to the max, before spitting out a prize.
How to always win claw machine? ›
According to the arcade fanatic, first center the claw over the toy, then press the button to release the claw. But the trick comes right after: Make sure to press again to tighten it and secure the soft toy.
Does double tapping a claw machine work? ›
If you're not familiar with this method, the first time you tap the button it drops the cloth, and then the second time you tap the button. it grabs the prize. Although this method doesn't work 100% of the time, I personally. believe it UPS your chances of winning the prize.
Are claw machines gambling? ›
YGAP defines gambling as risking something of value when you don't know if you will win or lose. Based on this definition, we consider single-play claw machines a gambling activity. “There's a business that owns the claw machines, and the primary goal of that business is to make money.
Are claw machines luck or skill? ›
Custom Claw machines incorporate both luck and skill. The skill comes from the player's ability to maneuver the claw accurately and make strategic decisions. However, the luck component comes from factors like claw strength and payout settings, which are often beyond the player's control.
From a win ratio of 1:1 all the way to 1 win for every 50 tries, making it next to impossible for anyone to actually get a prize… unless they've got a lot of time and money to spend.
How does a claw machine grabber work? ›
Once the claw is in place, the user simply pushes the down button and the claw will go down and attempt to grab the prize below. If successful, the claw will move back to the prize drop area and release the prize into the prize box. Each machine is equipped with drop sensors, so it knows once a prize has been dropped.
Why is it so hard to win a claw machine? ›
The claw is programmed to grab tightly only part of the time
Some people think the claw machine is so hard to win because the stuffed animals are packed so tightly together. But the bigger reason is more insidious than that: the claw machine is programmed to have a strong grip only part of the time.
Are claw machines fair? ›
Well, as it turns out, after thousands of cries of “this game is rigged!”, some claw machines can actually stack the odds against us. Now, we're not saying all of the claw games are completely rigged, but the vast majority of them are configured to yield prizes only after a certain amount of money has been deposited.
What is the trick to winning the claw game? ›
He explained that you need to centre the claw over the prize you're after, then hit the button to lower the claw. Now this is the important part, just as the claw attempts to grab your prize, you need to press the same claw button again to securely grab the toy. “If you don't press it again, you won't win,” he said.
Do claw machines have pity? ›
In addition, these crane games usually have a “pity” system (to borrow from gacha games), meaning if you try enough times and still can't get the prize, an attendant will move the prize for you to a much easier to win position and you can continue until you get it (which usually takes only one or two more tries to win) ...