Covid-19 a boost for claw machine operators

THE Covid-19 pandemic brought down many entertainment businesses, but claw machine stores thrived.

Bryan Ong, co-founder of claw machine store ClawGey, said: “People couldn’t travel abroad, so to kill time, they would come and play on the claw machines.”

It was boom time for his business then. The store registered sales of about S$100,000 each month, from players who would insert money or tokens and then control an arm-like device to grab at a stuffed animal, toy or other prize in an enclosed but see-through box.