Rio de Janeiro takes tougher action against claw machines as illegal gambling

Jack Aylmer

IN TOY STORY – THE CLAW IS THE DECISION.

BUT IN RIO – THE POLICE ARE TAKING BACK CONTROL.

AUTHORITIES IN THE BRAZILIAN CITY TAKE ACTION, CALLING THE JOYSTICK-CONTROLLED MACHINES A PUBLIC ENEMY.

Rio police executed 16 search warrants this week targeting the Crane Games.

THEY SAY THESE MACHINES ARE NOT AS INNOCENT AS THEY SEEM. ACCORDING TO THE POLICE, THEY ARE NOT REALLY GAMES OF SKILL, BUT GAMES OF CHANCE, JUST LIKE SLOT MACHINES. THEREFORE, THEY ARE ILLEGAL ACCORDING TO BRAZILIAN LAW.

OFFICIALS CONFISCATED NOT ONLY CLAMMING MACHINES, BUT ALSO LAPTOPS, TABLETS, MOBILE PHONES, A FIREARM AND EVEN THE CUDDLY TOYS INSIDE.

THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT RIO’S CLAW MACHINES HAVE COME UNDER SURVEILLANCE. IN MAY, POLICE CONFISCATED 80 MACHINES IN A SIMILAR OPERATION. POLICE DISCOVERED THAT THE CLAWS ENABLED THEM TO ONLY GRAB A TOY AFTER A CERTAIN NUMBER OF TRYS, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO WIN.

Rio de Janeiro police may suspect organized crime. Criminal gangs already police other forms of gambling in the city, including illegal slot machines and a local lottery known as “Animal Game.”

IN THE U.S., CLAW MACHINES ARE CONSIDERED GAMBLING AND ARE EXPRESSLY EXEMPT FROM GAMBLING LAWS, BUT THEY MUST CONFORM TO CERTAIN STATE REGULATIONS.

AS AUTHORITIES IN RIO CONTINUE THEIR INVESTIGATION, IT IS CLEAR THAT EVEN SOMETHING AS INNOCENT AS A CLAW MACHINE CAN HAVE A DARKER SIDE.