Claw Machine Craze Sweeps Hong Kong Arcades

HONG KONG (GNP): Claw machine shops have surged across Hong Kong in recent years, now numbering more than 2,500 across the territory, with many operators moving into spaces left vacant by businesses that shut down during the pandemic.

The venues, filled with plushies, Labubu dolls and Pokémon collectibles, draw players of all ages, with some shops staying open around the clock. Hiu-ching, a 28-year-old radiographer, said she became so drawn to the game that she began renting her own machine to operate a small stall, describing a trip to a claw machine shop as a form of escape and admitting she often relies on lucky-draw style play rather than skill alone.

The appeal varies by player, with some content to win any prize and others drawn by the resale value of rarer collectibles. Friends Jerry and Parco have met monthly to play together since last year, with Parco recalling a single outing at Sham Shui Po’s Dragon Centre where he spent more than HK$4,000 moving between machines floor by floor.

Concerns about excessive time spent on the machines have accompanied their popularity. Hong Kong’s home and youth affairs bureau proposed stricter regulations in May, including a requirement that shops display addiction risk warnings, after a 2022 court ruling exempted claw machines from public entertainment licensing and left the industry largely unregulated.

Some regular players have also raised complaints about how machines are operated, alleging that some shop owners narrow the claw’s opening using materials such as bamboo toothpicks, needles, or plastic and metal strips to make winning harder.

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Parco, among those who raised the issue, said he found the practice frustrating given his enthusiasm for the game. Hong Kong’s consumer council reported in June that complaints about claw machines had climbed from 16 in 2023 to 138 the following year, with many players alleging operators had altered machine settings to reduce winning odds.

Despite these concerns, many players describe claw machines as an affordable outlet for stress relief. Ming Lee, a 38-year-old school cleaner, said she plays to relax and has amassed around a hundred plush toys over the past two years, citing the thrill of successfully grabbing a prize.

Ki Kwong, a 25-year-old kitchen worker who owns a claw machine shop, said he views the activity as a source of joy rather than pressure and gives away plush toys to customers who don’t win on their own. He added that he sees the machines as a way to connect with young people facing heavy day-to-day pressure, offering them a simple way to unwind.