A box is filled with bright lights flashing, and inside, you’ll find a toy begging to be rescued. You slide in some money, and maneuver your joystick around.

The claw drops. Your heart races as you get the perfect grab, but the claw barely grazes the prize as the toy settles back in prison. Again and again.

You just got played. Literally.

Claw machines aren’t just simple arcade games, behind them lie something way more complex. These machines are fun and exciting, but behind that unveils a psychological trap.

These attractions promise an easy reward — a small, simple plush usually — but end up luring you into a loop of false hope and a thirst for more. They immediately hook us after our first attempt, and we’ll keep on going as the suspense and chance of achieving victory are just too hard to resist.

And that’s part of why so many people love them. Though, deep down, we know something feels off. That’s because we know the truth — we’re probably not going to win.

Most people assume they can win if they just aim well enough. What they don’t realize is that claw machines aren’t like playing Pop-A-Shot or Skee-Ball. They’re machines that are capable of being programmed and rigged by the operators.

And oftentimes they are.

Many claw machines are often programmed so that the claw has a strong enough grip to hold your prize once every few tries — sometimes only 5% to 10% of the time.

In fact, in a Three Penny Press poll of 98 people, a staggering 97% said they believe claw machines are rigged.

Joseph Chii

According to a recent Three Penny Press Instagram poll, 95 of 98 people believe claw machines are rigged to be hard to win. This shows how widespread the distrust of claw machines truly is.

So yes, you may have lined everything up perfectly, but the machine simply will just decide that today isn’t your lucky day.

And the worst thing? These operators can completely change up the percentages to have the claw machine be completely impossible. Katie Clark from Melbourne, Australia showed that the claw can literally be altered by its mechanics by turning a washer to change it from one in one odds all the way to a near impossible one in 50. Imagine putting in $50 for a toy worth maybe just $3. At this point, you’re practically just handing the money over to the operators. Ouch. At this point, you’d be better off buying the toy yourself.

Just to see how “winnable” the claw machines truly are, I conducted an experiment in Houston Chinatown going to Claw Mania Kingdom, Space Claw, Claw Wonderland, Little Bubble Claw and Craft Land Claw Machine.

After 114 plays, I walked away with 17 toys. Seventeen. That means I lost 107 times and had a total win rate of 14.9%. Keep in mind, I was actually trying to win these toys. It’s not like I was going to spend almost $100 and walk away with nothing and I definitely wasn’t blindly dropping in the coins and hoping for the best.

And yet, countless times during the experiment, I watched the claw lift a prize perfectly and only to drop it at the very last second. My frustration rose to the roof, but it somehow motivated me to keep on going.

And I’m not alone in this.

In a Three Penny Press poll, 72 of 99 people said they spent more money than expected trying to win a prize, and in another poll of 85 people, 39 of them said they enjoy playing claw machines even when they don’t win at all. This just shows how strong the pull temptation is and how people crave the thrill of it.

However, at the end of the day I learned that some machines were better than others. Space Claw stood out to me as it was by far the best location that I went to. I managed to win four prizes out of 18 tries. This ratio stands at around a 22% win rate which is pretty good considering my overall percentage — but if your goal is actually winning toys, it’s still pretty underwhelming.

Gallery • 2 Photos

Joseph Chii

The 4 toys from Space Claw are being displayed on top of a machine. This was the best win ratio that I tested, with a 22% win rate.

Even after knowing that the claw machines are rigged, we’re still turning to them. And I’ll admit it — I’m guilty of this too. We tell ourselves, “I’ll win if I play it one more time,” and sometimes, against all odds, we do win.

This rare victory is intoxicating and addicting, which is probably why many cities treat them as gambling devices. It’s a form of intermittent reward which feeds into a rush of adrenaline, which is the same exact principle that makes slot machines so addictive. The occasional wins we get every once in a while keep us coming back, even when our losses heavily outweigh the wins.

So next time you see a claw machine, remember: the lights, the prizes and the flashing joy may be tempting — but the game is rigged. The real prize? Understanding why we keep playing, even when we know the odds are stacked against us. And maybe, you’ll actually get something, that is, if the claw machine gods are feeling merciful.