Are Claw Machines Rigged?
Are claw machines rigged? Well there are different kinds of machines. I own multiple claw machines and have a ton of experience with them.
For a short answer YES, some claw machines are rigged, but that doesn't mean they are impossible. I personally have won thousands of plush from claw machines.
When you see a claw machine there are some things you should look for. If the machine is a lot older then there is a much better chance that it is not rigged. On older machines like the Toy House claw machine (which is known as a rainbow crane) is technically skill is still able to be made easier or harder to win. These are the machines that you will find at Walmart. On rainbow cranes there is a setting known as a “fixed strength setting.” The fixed strength setting basically allows the operator to set how strong the claw is. have you ever played a claw machine and it didn't even close? The reason that happens is because the strength is set extremely low. If the strength is set higher then the claw will be stronger.
The way the claw works is when the claw is dropped over a prize and hits the bottom of the machine, the computer sends a signal to the claw which makes the electric magnet on the inside contract. The magnet is just a coil and a rod. It’s like when you wrap a copper coil around a metal stick and then stick paper clips to it in science class. It’s just on a much bigger scale.
However there are many claw machines that are rigged. A great example is a Elaut machine. You can find these Elaut claw machines everywhere. You will see them in almost every arcade that you go to. These machines have a setting known as a payout rate. This is basically a setting that will only allow someone to win a prize 1 in every X amount of plays. Normally vendors want to double or triple their money. Say for example you find a machine with a stuffed bear. The bear costs the vendor probably $1.50. The machine costs $0.50 to play. Therefor after the machine has been played 6–9 times ($3.00-$4.50), it will “payout” a prize. Now say you find a machine with Ipads in it. The ipad costs $500. The machine costs $1.00 a play. Therefor the machine will only give out an ipad every 1000–1500 plays.
The way a claw machine rigs you is when the claw is rising back up to the top. Have you ever played a claw machine and every time you played the machine kept dropping the prize in the exact same spot at the exact same time. Well that’s how they can rig you. when the claw goes down and grabs a prize, it will normally grab it at full strength. Then when it gets around half way up then the machine weakens and makes the prize fall out. some vendors are more generous. These machines will pick up the prize and bring it all the way up. But as it is on its way to the prize chute, it falls. This is another setting that a vendor can set. Most of the time they will set it to fall right next to the prize chute to make the player more likely to keep playing.
If you have ever gone to an arcade and played a claw machine and won a prize, then you may have heard it doing a celebration. If the machine starts saying winner or saying your so close and to try again, then thats a good indication that it could be rigged. If it is making these noises then that means it has a sensor called a prize sensor. This prize sensor is normally to track how many times the machine has been played so the machine knows when to payout a prize. Just because the machine is “ready to payout,” doesn't mean you will win it first try. you still have to get a good grab around the prize.
The best way to win a claw machine is to 1. Use your angles: when playing a claw machine you always want to use your angles. When you are trying to line up the prize instead of just looking from the front of the machine look from the side. Sometimes when it looks like it is lined up, it really isn't. 2. double tap: If a machine has a button separate from the joystick then it may have a feature known as the double tap. basically what you do is when the claw is dropping towards the prize, if you tap the button a second time after you have dropped it then it will close as soon as you press the button. This will be helpful when the claw goes down to far. If you have ever played a claw machine and the claw just keeps going down and then turns over, then you can prevent that by using the double tap method. 3. Check the claw size: When playing a claw machine and the claw is way bigger / smaller than the prize, then you probably shouldn't play it. If the claw is way to big, then the prize will likely keep slipping out. If the claw is too small, then the prize cant even fit in the claw. Also if the prize is heavier, then the claw might not be able to pick it up.
Next time you go to an arcade, look for these key things and see if the machine is “ready to payout.” If the machine keeps dropping it then that’s a good sign to give up. However you never know when it will be ready to payout. It could always be the next try.