HONG KONG, June 1 — Claw machine lover Neiki Lee carefully lowers the metal jaws of a crane with a joystick into a pool of prizes, only to have the small toy slip from its...
Trump says he’s the GOAT, bigger than Elvis, ready to headline America’s 250th after ‘third‑rate artists’ fleeThis photo taken on May 11, 2026 shows a customer standing between claw machines in an arcade centre at a shopping mall in Hong Kong .
Dozens of stores filled with claw machines have sprung up on streets and in malls across the finance hub over recent years, promising players a brief sense of fulfilment. — AFP pic! Plus, enjoy an additional FREE RM10 when you sign up using code VERSAMM10 with a min. cash-in of RM100 today. T&Cs apply.
HONG KONG, June 1 — Claw machine lover Neiki Lee carefully lowers the metal jaws of a crane with a joystick into a pool of prizes, only to have the small toy slip from its clutches again and again. Dozens of stores filled with claw machines have sprung up on streets and in malls across Hong Kong’s finance hub in recent years, promising players a treasure trove of prizes and a sense of fulfilment.
The colourfully lit machines, often seen drawing people like moths to a flame, have come under regulatory scrutiny this month, as officials raised addiction concerns over the seemingly harmless games. Lee, 48, admitted that she was “totally hooked” and that “this is definitely gambling”, adding that she bets at least five Hong Kong dollars every time she attempts to win a higher-value plush toy.
This photo taken on May 11, 2026 shows customers using claw machines in an arcade centre at a shopping mall in Hong Kong. The colourfully lit claw machines that line Hong Kong’s streets have come under the regulatory scrutiny this month, as officials raise concerns over addiction risks to the games. — AFP picAn office clerk, Lee said she has spent around HK$100,000 on claw machines over two years — roughly half her annual salary.
“For a HK$70 toy, you might eventually spend 700, or even 1,700, and still not be able to grab it,” Lee told AFP. Player Tommy Yu, 23, said he sometimes spends hundreds of dollars a day on it despite saying some machines have “traps” built-in.
“Yet it keeps driving you to play. ” Gambling counsellor Chu Ho Ming told AFP that “the more invest, the harder it is to leave empty-handed and walk away”. Chu said his team have noticed an increase in youth playing games with “gambling elements”. This photo taken on May 11, 2026 shows claw machines in an arcade centre at a shopping mall in Hong Kong.
— AFP picClaw machine operators have been able to expand and operate largely unrestricted, after a court ruled in 2022 they are not required to possess public entertainment licenses. But after a sharp rise in the number of public complaints related to so-called claw machine gambling over the last two years, Hong Kong authorities proposed this month to tighten regulations over prize-based arcades, calling the situation after the 2022 ruling “not ideal”.
The design and business models of such gaming machines are “extremely diverse”, officials said, adding that they were committed to tackle the “deep-seated issues”. Some lawmakers have suggested capping the prize value at HK$300 or below, in line with countries including Britain and Singapore. Matthew Chan, who owns three claw machine shops in town, told AFP tighter regulation was needed as the industry “was heading in the wrong direction”.
Chan bemoaned the government’s slowness to act, citing that Taiwan’s machines must offer a “guaranteed prize” if a certain amount of money is spent.
“The market already saw a downsize... consumers have lost confidence in it,” he said, adding that some machine operators were ramping up the difficulty and keeping players hooked.
“It’s impossible that a law... can be applied in a way that is both flawless and fair” for the industry, she said. ‘Our rivers are dead, our farms barren’: Mining turns India’s heat‑shield Aravalli hills to dust as temperatures soar
Neiki Lee Claw Machines Sunk Cost Fallacy Gambling Concerns Matthew Chan
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