Claw machines a game of gambling

A gambling counselor said on Tuesday that claw machine games may involve elements of gambling, with one “gambler” taking a loan of hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong dollars to try their luck. He also called for increased oversight by the government.

His comments came as the Consumer Council said yesterday it had received 42 complaints from January to last month, more than double the 16 complaints last year.

Read more: Gambling risk on claw machines

Lawrence Lee, an advisor with a counseling and treatment center for gamblers, told a radio program today that playing claw machines can lead to addiction similar to gambling.

He said when the prizes on offer with these claw machine games are more valuable items like smartphones or electronic appliances, it triggers addiction or gambling behaviors.

Some cases have seen people taking loans of up to hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong dollars after losing their money to these claw machine games, he said.

“These individuals refuse to accept their loss and want to chase them back…after spending their salaries on these games, they resort to a loan for their daily expenses,” Lee added.

He called on authorities to step up their oversight of claw machine games - an opinion echoed by the city’s consumer watchdog.

Consumer Council CEO Gilly Wong Fung-han said the government should make references to practices from other regions and strengthen regulations on claw machines.

"For example, Singapore strengthened regulations in 2024, limiting the retail value of prizes to below 100 Singapore dollars and prohibiting cash, cash equivalents, and merchant vouchers as gifts.

“The UK also has restrictions, such as a maximum charge per play not exceeding 1 pound and prizes not exceeding 50 pounds,” she said.

The Council reminds merchants that if claw machines do not clearly display the terms of play or if they omit or conceal essential information, it could constitute an offense under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance.