Buying happiness for HK$5? Why claw machines are suddenly all over Hong Kong

Hongkonger Kage Chan spends about HK$1,000 (US$128) a week playing claw machines, using techniques he learned from online tutorials to add to his growing collection of plushies.

The 33-year-old video director is just one of the many residents who have fallen under the spell of the game, which have popped across the city as entrepreneurs set up arcades in shops left vacant by struggling retailers.

While the pincers are often too loose to hold onto the prizes, young people seem to be transfixed as they repeatedly pump HK$5 coins into the machines.

“Hongkongers are facing a lot of stress now, and many entertainment venues have closed down” Chan said, referring to karaoke lounges and party rooms. “There may be a saying that five dollars can buy you happiness. Maybe that’s why more people are interested in playing claw machines.”

Chan has spent hours watching online tutorials on how to beat the machines and mastered the techniques involved, allowing him to take home 300 toys in 18 months.

Among them are about 30 bear plushies, in different colours and patterns, made by a famous toy franchise and which took him a year and HK$3,000 in tries to collect.