Editing Claw machine (section)

===Asia===
Claw machines were outlawed in Thailand after being classified as gambling devices by the [[Supreme Court of Thailand]] in 2004, though, until 2019, laws prohibiting their use were rarely enforced.<ref name="khaosod">{{cite web |last1=Boonbandit |first1=Tappanai |title=Decade-Old Ban on Claw Machines |url=https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/2019/06/26/decade-old-ban-on-claw-machines-finally-enforced/ |website=[[Khaosod|Khaosod English]] |access-date=18 May 2023 |date=26 June 2019}}</ref> In 2020, the [[Ministry of Interior (Thailand)|Ministry of Interior]] in Thailand ordered a nationwide ban on claw machines after activists protested against their widespread availability.<ref name="bkokpost">{{cite news |title=Interior ministry orders ban on 'claw crane' machines nationwide |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1863574/interior-ministry-orders-ban-on-claw-crane-machines-nationwide |website=[[Bangkok Post]] |access-date=18 May 2023 |date=23 February 2020}}</ref> However, the public prosecutor of [[Chiang Mai]] ruled in 2022 that claw machines were vending machines rather than gambling machines and were therefore legal.<ref>{{cite web |title=Chiang Mai rules 'crane-claw' machines are legal, 2 years after govt ban |url=https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40012857 |website=[[The Nation (Thailand)|The Nation]] |access-date=18 May 2023 |date=27 February 2022}}</ref> South Korean law dictates that claw machines cannot carry prizes worth over [[South Korean won|₩]]5,000 to prevent addiction. An investigation by South Korea's [[Game Rating and Administration Committee]] in 2017 found that the majority of claw machines they randomly inspected broke Korean law.<ref name="kjd">{{cite web |last1=Min-ji |first1=Jin |title=Claw machines offer low cost, high reward thrill : As the arcade game makes a return, many question its longevity |url=https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2017/01/10/features/Claw-machines-offer-low-cost-high-reward-thrill-As-the-arcade-game-makes-a-return-many-question-its-longevity/3028513.html |website=[[Korea JoongAng Daily]] |access-date=8 May 2023 |date=10 January 2017}}</ref> The [[Consumer Protection Committee]] of the [[Executive Yuan]] stated in 2019 that their investigation of claw machines in [[Taoyuan, Taiwan|Taoyuan]], [[New Taipei City]], [[Kaohsiung]], [[Taipei City]], [[Tainan]], and [[Taichung]] found that 70 percent of them contained illegal adult products such as vibrators and e-cigarettes.<ref name="tnews">{{cite web |last1=Everington |first1=Keoni |title=70% of claw machine stores surveyed in major Taiwanese cities are illegal |url=https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3673239 |website=[[Taiwan News]] |access-date=11 May 2023 |date=4 April 2019}}</ref> In 2021, the [[Ministry of Home Affairs (Singapore)|Ministry of Home Affairs]] in Singapore proposed capping the value of prizes in claw machines at [[Singapore dollar|S$]]100 in order to, according to them, "address the inducement effect of high-value prizes, without increasing the regulatory burden on operators".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Meah |first1=Natasha |title=Laws to regulate claw machines, arcade games and loot boxes mooted as MHA looks to update gambling rules |url=https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/laws-regulate-claw-machines-arcade-games-loot-boxes-mooted-mha-looks-update-gambling-rules |website=[[Today (Singapore newspaper)|Today]] |access-date=7 May 2023 |date=12 July 2021}}</ref> In March 2024, [[Brunei]] has banned claw machines as they have been deemed ''[[haram]]'' due to its gambling elements.<ref>{{cite web |author=Rokiah Mahmud |title=Brunei bans claw machines |url=https://borneobulletin.com.bn/brunei-bans-claw-machines/ |website=[[Borneo Bulletin]] |access-date=10 March 2024 |date=10 March 2024}}</ref>