Will vending machines be banned from public festivals due to gambling risks?

For many, a game at the grab machine is an integral part of a visit to the funfair. In Georgsmarienhütte in Lower Saxony, however, this could soon become more difficult: The town council is discussing an extensive ban on the machines at local events due to their gambling nature. Although a complete ban is unlikely, a reduction is looming. In fact, such grippers and classic gaming machines are not all that different.

Spring is showing its first signs, the days are getting longer - and in many places the anticipation of the big folk festivals is growing. Carousels, food stalls, sales stands and party tents once again attract thousands of visitors. And in the middle of it all, almost obligatory: vending machines. Together with boxing or Hau-den-Lukas devices, they are absolute classics at every funfair.

It is precisely these difficult conditions that have often brought the machines and their operators into the focus of the justice system. Incidentally, we have reported in the past that grab machines in Thailand were considered a "gateway drug" for gambling and should be banned. In Taiwan, grab machines with bikini models caused a stir.

According to the GlüStV of 2021, gambling exists "if a fee is charged for the acquisition of a chance to win and the decision on the win depends entirely or predominantly on chance". This does not fully apply to grab machines. Nevertheless, Georgsmarienhütte in Lower Saxony apparently sees a dangerous entry into the problem of addiction. The town council has therefore decided: In future, such offers should no longer be made available at public festivals in the town. A clear announcement (or rejection) - but the affected showmen are fighting back.

Between funfair and justice: Why grabbing machines are being targeted

Are vending machines really as harmless as they seem at first glance? Or is there more to it than that - possibly even gambling in the legal sense? It was precisely this question that occupied the Cottbus district court a few years ago.

• In a revealing ruling, it was made clear: The popular plush toy grippers are by no means simple vending machines. This is because the actual process does not consist of the simple purchase of a product, but rather a playful process with an uncertain outcome.
• The judges found that the decisive moment is not the insertion of the money or the choice of the desired object - but the attempt to catch the object of desire with feeling and timing. In practice, all the test subjects failed. The euro was gone, but no purchase was made.
• The verdict underlined what critics have been saying for a long time: vending machines thrive on thrills and the illusion of control - typical characteristics of a gambling mechanism.

So it's no wonder that these machines end up in a category of their own: According to the Gaming Ordinance, they are considered gaming devices with winnings from goods. Although this clearly distinguishes them from classic slot machines, it by no means makes them harmless. The concern is that, for children and young people in particular, grab machines could pave the way for problematic gambling behavior.

And this is precisely where the Georgsmarienhütte city council comes in. Based on this assessment, there should be a blanket ban - a step that many showmen felt was disproportionate.

The reaction was not long in coming: the Weser-Ems Showmen's Association strongly opposed the city's actions and referred to the existing legal situation. In fact, the resistance was successful - at least in part.

After several discussions, the city council and the showmen's association have now come closer together. A complete ban seems to be off the table. Instead, the number of vending machines at folk festivals in the region is to be reduced when they start the new season in May 2025. A compromise that may not make all sides happy, but at least ensures the basic presence of the machines.

Plush instead of jackpots: How much gambling is really in the grab machine?

On the surface, grab machines seem totally simple: flashing lights, playful sound effects and cuddly toys - typical fairground fare. But on a technical level, the devices are in fact anything but simple. They have high-precision controls and are programmed in a similarly sophisticated way to some classic slot machines.

The typical process:

1. After the money is entered, the system first checks the authenticity of the coin or bill. Then the joystick or a pair of buttons is activated - and the player can get started.
2. A motorized slide moves the claw in two axes (forwards-backwards, right-left) to the desired position. The user has a certain amount of time to do this. With some devices, the freedom of movement is more restricted.
3. At the push of a button, the gripper lowers - and grabs automatically. What happens in this final step is no longer in the user's hands.

The decisive factor here is that the gripping force varies. Depending on the setting, the claw can either grip strongly or glide through the soft toy with almost no resistance. This is not a technical defect or bad luck, but intentional - because operators can program the gripping force in a targeted manner. This usually happens in cycles, at a ratio of around 1:5. Only every fifth game is carried out with full gripping force. In the remaining attempts, a win is almost impossible - even if the position is perfect.

In contrast, classic slot machines work with reels, symbol combinations and, above all, cash prizes. The game mechanics of modern devices are purely virtual and the random control is permanently stored in the device (i.e. cannot be adjusted by the operator). Such offers are regulated by stricter legal requirements. The player has even fewer control options here and ultimately has virtually no influence on the outcome.

And yet, as shown, there are parallels that are being viewed increasingly critically, particularly with regard to criminal gambling law and the protection of minors. After all, young people are particularly susceptible to the attractions of both types of machine.

So whether it's a slot machine or a slot - in the end, it's not just the game principle that decides, but also the question: how much chance is involved and how high is the potential for addiction? This debate is unlikely to be over for a long time yet.

Conclusion

Source of the image: https://pixabay.com/photos/toy-plush-toys-plush-figures-2165123/

Central text sources: https://gamesundbusiness.de/regulierungswut-kirmes-reduziert-greifautomaten, https://www.rtl.de/leben/georgsmarienhuette-niedersachsen-will-greifautomaten-verbieten-wegen-suchtgefahr-id2163325.html, https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greifautomat, https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/spielv/__2.html