Observers worry that the line between gaming and gambling is blurred when players are enticed with prizes. Read more at straitstimes.com.
SINGAPORE – Thirteen-year-old Alicia spends about $2,500 a month at arcades, playing games that reward her with tickets that can be exchanged for gadgets and toys.
Alicia said she has never been stopped before because she changes out of her school uniform before entering the arcades in malls near her school. According to media reports in 2020, some young gamers, lured by quick cash, ended up hooked on fishing games – which involves shooting at sea creatures to earn points – and found themselves mired in debts of over HK$100,000 .
The measures include limiting the value of prizes to under $100, banning operators from giving out cash, cash equivalents, credit, merchant vouchers or coupons as prizes, and prohibiting patrons from selling prizes back to operators.$20,000 bill after daughter's game spree: Father now tracks kids' online activitiesCoin-pusher machines have tokens that look like coins that are dropped onto a constantly moving platform.
In this game, players spin a giant lit-up dice that lands on a number equal to the number of tickets they will win. They stand the chance of winning a jackpot worth thousands of tickets. The i-Cube machine at Timezone in Orchard Xchange, for example, gives patrons the chance to win an iPhone, gaming chair or hand massager if they can move and insert an S-shaped key into a keyhole.Mr James Walton, who is the transportation, hospitality and services sector leader at Deloitte Singapore, said one of the ways arcades differentiate themselves from mobile and PC games is by offering patrons tangible rewards.
“As time goes by, they may get used to the high they get from arcades and want more excitement from games with higher stakes,” he said. However, this does not mean playing these games necessarily leads to a gambling addiction. “The thrill of winning prizes and the anticipation of winning them are what compel people to keep playing. For some, these games are also an escape from reality, to get away from their problems, stress or boredom,” he said.
“Unlike gambling, which can lead to large losses, these games are usually not that expensive. For most people, it is not likely to be destructive enough in their lives to require professional help,” said Mr da Roza.Arcade games at Cow Play Cow Moo at Suntec City that have elements of chance. Many of these games reward players with tickets or prizes. ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
“There’s this sense of achievement when you see the tickets racking up. After a busy week, it helps me de-stress and relax,” she added.Mr Sathish Kumar, a 40-year-old who works in the construction industry, was playing the i-Cube machine at Timezone in Orchard Xchange. He spent about $20 trying to win an iPhone 12, which costs about $550 online.
Mr Lao Jiwei, founder of Cow Play Cow Moo, told ST that the arcade’s ticket redemption games do not allow players to win more than what they put in. Mr Lao added: “Games that are perhaps more problematic are those where you pay a small sum for the chance of winning a high-value prize, like blind box machines, where $10 could win you an iPhone.”
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