Imagine a time when you are in a fair, standing in front of a claw machine, your hands on the handle, you are just about to get the picked item into the chute and suddenly, the prize drops into the pile. Frustrating right? But if you live in Hong Kong, you might get rid of this very soon.
On Wednesday (Dec 18), Hong Kong’s consumer watchdog announced that it is thinking about putting regulations on claw machines after receiving multiple complaints. The consumer council said a man spent around $64 within 45 minutes to win a waffle maker but got “nothing more than a few trinkets”. The council further added that these machines “capitalise on consumers’ enthusiasm for testing their luck”. It also urged people to “spend rationally and be mindful of addiction”.
42 complaints in 11 months
The council revealed at least 42 complaints were filed in the first 11 months of this year.
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In a statement, the council said “The industry often modifies claw settings or introduces obstacles inside claw machines to make winning more challenging… Excessive difficulty or unfair settings could aggravate consumers”. The council’s chief said it’s about time to review whether they should regulate the claw machine business or not.
But Jayden Chen, the founder of a claw machine rental company in Singapore talked to BBC and said the programmed machines are “actually part of the fun”. He clarified that a player feels excited while using the claw machine and gets motivated to try again if not win the first time. He said there wouldn’t be any fun if he or she won on the first try.
“Regulations will kill off the fun element,” Chen said.
In another case filed, a woman said every time she was about to move her desired toy to the chute, the machine loosened its grip. The machine had a “guaranteed grab” mechanism for people who had spent at least $12 without winning. That means on their next try, the claw would maintain its grip until the toy is taken out. The woman said the mechanism was a “dishonest trade practice”.
The council has advised people to record a video of their gameplay so they have evidence at the time of complaining.
(With inputs from agencies)