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Uncategorized Tuesday, July 31st 2012 at 8:30 am

Turns Out Claw Machines Actually Are Rigged

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Claw machines have mostly been relegated to a sad existence in the breezeway at supermarkets or left to rot in shady bowling alleys. Many a childhood dollar has been spent in search of stuffed animals and gaudy jewelry buried within their glass confines. As it turns out, those machines had next to nothing to do with skill. Reddit user TheDJTec, who claims he is an arcade owner, has confirmed that they totally are rigged just like we always thought.

In a way, it’s like gambling, but with the added detriment that the player might just be terrible at gauging distance. Here’s what TheDJTec had to say when someone asked him specifically about claw machines being rigged:

Yes :) Indeed they are!

Most machines have a CMS (Command Module Settings) which allow the owner to change a couple factors:

* Chance of winning. Win/Loose, typically 1/12 In Cali or 1/15 In Nevada!

* PSI of claw. Most claws are 5-8 PSI requiring 10-13 to grab an item. Note, the setting module for the PSI is usually manual, there are springs on the claw that have little red marks. The module will tell you which mark to tighten the spring for the desired effect :)

* Cost/Accepted Money. Either DBA(Dollar Bill Acceptor) or Coin

Under California law my claws are set to 1/12 which means 1/12 players will have a chance to win. The example I used before is a ‘toy’ requires 10 PSI to lift. My claw during 11/12 tries will apply 4-6 PSI, or just enough to shuffle it or barely pick it up. During the 1/12 tries the claw will apply 9-11 PSI, sometimes picking it up and dropping, some successful :)

That doesn’t mean if you work the claw machine 12 times you’re guaranteed a win. Math, unfortunately, just doesn’t work that way. It does mean you have about an 8.33% chance of maybe almost getting plush treasure if you manage to actually put the claw in the right place. Scenarios like those found in Toy Story are almost pure fiction even if you too worship The Claw.

(reddit via Uproxx, image credit via arbyreed)

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  • what?

    Suckers!… There is one born every minute.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Bruce-E-Screws-Jr/5200506 Bruce E. Screws Jr.

    There are also certain items that are easier to pick up than others.  This includes a relatives positioning compared to other items and absolute as far as shape.  This, among many other variables, factors into strategy.  To say it is only luck is an over simplification.  Is Blackjack only luck or is there some skill involved there as well?

  • Rachel Gitlevich

    I got a toy out once! 

  • Toby Mole

    You mean there are still people out there that *don’t* know this?

  • Anonymous

     Exactly. I don’t know why everyone is blowing up this reddit article so much. I assumed this was common knowledge.

  • Anonymous

    I assumed it was too difficult for anybody to win, not that it was rigged — in multiple ways.

  • ExArcadeManager

    Speaking as a former arcade manager, either he’s lying or he has different claw machines than I did.  Not only were mine not programmed for that, they were so basic that I can’t see how they could be.  The claw strength was adjusted by taking an allen wrench and physically turning a bolt on the claw.

    Now I will freely admit that the company had a payout-per-play ratio they wanted me to maintain, and I was supposed to test and adjust it every time we got a different batch of prizes in it.  But that’s how all gambling works, and I was to adjust it up if it was too low just like I adjusted it down if it was too high.

  • Anonymous

     So did I.  It was an orange Lobster…  It wasn’t very big, but it was sort of cool… I think I still got it…

  • http://www.facebook.com/lalitha.cruz Lalitha Cruz

    So you don’t have to be the claw? Oh, Spongebob’s wrong

  • Jimmypopali

    Come on Lobster Harmonica! 

  • Natas

    There was a day once at a large market retailer I won’t say that use to have arcade that sounds like Mall Wart. 

    This was probably 1994 or 93.  And the Claw machine went totally ape shit, everyone that played won a prize, me and the other kids actually went out into the store and told customers that the claw machine was picking up everything.  in about 15 minutes we had almost all the toys out.

    And then apparently someone was called and a guy came in and opened the machine and messed with the part above the claw. The employees actual tried to stop people from playing claw machine until the guy got there.

    It was a beautiful day.

  • Dan Grady

    I call bullshit, explain how you can set  a 1:12 win ratio on a game that requires manual control?
    When I worked at the local arcade years ago, the boss turned the power of the claw down and I’ll stop short of saying “packed” the toys in, they were snug.
    If you know what to look for then you have a slim chance, no win / loss ratio.

  • http://twitter.com/skoslosk SteveK

    I’m a long time claw-machine player.  I divide the machines up into 3 catagories.

    1.  Easy win.  Claw grabs pretty much every time, toys are just in a big pile.  If I’m bored, I’ll empty these out.
    2.  Worth a try.  Toys in a loose pile, “random claw grab”.  I’ll give these $3, if they won’t grab tight enough in 6 tries, I give up.
    3.  Forget it.  Toys are specifically “tucked in” to each other, even if the claw grabs on tight, you have to yank the toy out of the pile.  I never play those.

  • Annika

    there is as much skill to playing blackjack as there is playing a slot machine. you are limited by the order of cards in the shoe, and your skill rests in whether to take the next card or give it to your neighbor

  • graycrimson

    I have a 90% win on most claws unless the claw itself just doesn’t grab. A couple things to keep n mind is if the claw turns when it drops, shape of the toy, and time limit. If the claw turns and there are toys suction cupped to the back mirror, rub it against them to turn the claw so when it drops it can position better. Also, go for the toys you can see are an easy win and aren’t shoved down. Best of luck :-)

  • Anonymous

    For the stuffed animal ones, they also stuff the machine impossibly full. Meaning that even if you got the claw around the toy, you wouldn’t be able to pull it out because it’s packed so tightly that you can’t move it.

  • http://www.facebook.com/tiffany.may.90475 Tiffany May

    i managed to get a prize from the claw but i knew these things were rigged so i was really happy it was a big blue angry bird and i was going to walk away when my friend said i got some thing.

  • Luis

    I took out 2 the other day, one after the other.. :)

  • frost

    Ok but just so you all know this morning I cleaned out a freshly filled toy claw game 68 toys have 3 away so 71 and only used 47$

  • kkz

    i got 11 last week…. peasants to the claw pffft