Hong Kong consumer watchdog urges greater transparency amid surge in claw machine complaints

Hong Kong's consumer watchdog is calling for greater transparency from claw machine operators following a significant surge in complaints over the past two years.

“

The complaints revealed that some machines displayed or positioned prizes in a way that was prone to misunderstanding; machine settings and gameplay explanations were unclear; and prize quality varied significantly.

The Consumer Council reported that complaints related to claw machines jumped nearly ninefold, from 16 cases in 2023 to 138 in 2025. The watchdog highlighted issues such as prizes being displayed or positioned misleadingly, unclear explanations of gameplay and machine settings, and a wide variation in the quality of prizes offered.

One particularly concerning complaint involved a customer who spent around HK$200 after 40 attempts to win a box, only to find it empty. The shop owner initially refused a refund, claiming the box was for decoration, but later apologized and provided a full refund after the customer complained to the council. Another player reported a machine that dropped a toy before it reached the prize chute, suspecting the machine was rigged.

“

The Council urges claw machine operators to enhance transparency by clearly displaying, on the machine or in a conspicuous location, the charges, gameplay, mechanisms and winning conditions, as well as the contact details of the responsible person.

The Council urges operators to clearly display charges, gameplay mechanics, winning conditions, and contact information for responsible personnel. They also advised operators to avoid setting excessively difficult challenges that could infringe on consumer rights. Customers are encouraged to read rules carefully, inspect prize quality, and document any abnormal machine settings with video evidence if staff are unavailable.

“

Whether a prize can be clawed out is influenced not only by machine settings and prize placement, but also by skill and luck. Consumers should weigh expected expenditure against the value of the prize to avoid over‑consumption or addiction.