Hong Kong Proposes Claw Machine Curbs After Complaints Jump to 138 as 2,500 Shops Spread
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Aug 6
Hong Kong Proposes Claw Machine Curbs After Complaints Jump to 138 as 2,500 Shops Spread
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Aug 6
Summary
138 complaints were filed over claw machines in Hong Kong last year, up from 16 in 2023, prompting authorities to propose tighter rules in May.
The proposed curbs include addiction-risk warnings after a 2022 court ruling exempted claw machines from public entertainment licences, leaving the fast-growing trade largely unregulated.
Players say some operators cut winning odds by narrowing prize holes with toothpicks, needles, and plastic or metal strips, while heavy spending has become common—one player said he spent more than HK$4,000 in a session.
More than 2,500 claw machine shops now operate across Hong Kong, often in pandemic-vacated storefronts, as customers and some owners describe the games as a cheap form of stress relief.