Here's Why It's Practically Impossible To Beat Claw Machines

You already knew claw machines at the local arcade/ carnival/ olde-timey milk bar were rigged. But now there’s video evidence to explain how precisely.

Recently, Vox journo Phil Edwards investigated how one might snatch a prize from the claw’s grasp.

What he found… well, did not shock him exactly, but proved it was indeed a fool’s errand.

Basically, the instructions on setting up these kinds of machines revealed the “secret” as to why the claw never seems to grip all that well.

Turns out, to maximise profits, full power will only be sent to the claw “once every 21 games or so.”

Don’t think that sitting by a claw machine and playing every 21 times will guarantee you success though; the times in which full power is administered is totally random.

How do the claw machine makers get away with it? Regulations are only set on prize size, and not the strength of the claw itself.

Watch the exposé below and let us know if you've had any success with these things. This writer certainly hasn't.