Who among us hasn’t been lured into dropping a precious coin into a claw machine, knowing full well that we’ll never actually nab that shiny item tempting us through the glass, but compelled to take our chances all the same. For that is claw’s powerful siren song…maybe this time…
But perhaps now we finally have a piece of evidence that will make our logic stronger than our impulses, thanks to one woman’s curiosity.
Melbourne based renovation expert Katie Clark recently bought herself a claw machine to go in the bar of her house, and after taking a look inside the appliance’s instruction manual, she is determined to “expose the claw machine industry.”
First off, let’s talk about the claw itself.
In a viral TikTok video, Clark shows how the instructions explain that there’s a small washer which, if removed, alters the claw’s gripping ability.
“We all knew, but when it’s documented, it’s printed – it’s more legit. Now it’s confirmed,” she says in the clip.
But it’s not the only way the game is rigged.
In <a href='
@clarkatie Exposing the claw machine industry !
‘ target=”_blank”>another clip, Clark also shows how the success rate of claw machines can also be drastically changed. 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.
After Clark’s video began making the round on social media, several folks chimed in to confirm her claim.
“Took me 18 goes to win once,” one person wrote
“I worked at an arcade, smaller machines ‘paid out’ once they reached about 15 plays and bigger ones were 30/40 plays before you get a win,” wrote another.
One fellow Australian even shared “Years and years ago we found a claw machine with unlimited plays in Melbourne, stayed there for a full hour playing and all we got was one plushie.”
And yet, even after confirming our suspicions, Clark attests, “We’re all still gonna play it.” And she’s probably right. After all, millions of people still gamble and play the lottery every day, even though the odds aren’t exactly in their favor. Perhaps it makes that unlikely win even sweeter, knowing that you transcended probability.
@clarkatie Exposing the claw machine industry !
And if you’re looking to better your own claw machine odds, Clarks suggest trying to buy your own on Facebook Marketplace
Source: https://www.upworthy.com/how-claw-machines-work
