Singaporean students spend hundreds of dollars playing games at arcade centers, spreading concern about the situation.
One example is Alicia, not her real name, who is a student who spends roughly $2,500 every month at arcade games. When she plays, she gets tickets that, if they are enough, can be exchanged at the center for gadgets and toys.
Splurging on Arcade Games
The student is known to go to the arcade center roughly five times every single month and can spend up to two hours every time. Alicia, a Secondary student who does well at school, said the experience is a thrill.
Arcades are not allowed to admit individuals under 16 on school days except between 6:30 p.m. and 11:59 p.m., but an exception exists for some amusement centers with no computer games. As per the Straits Times, they can admit young people under 16 from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on school days if the licensee ensures they do not play video games.
The Singaporean student said that no one has ever tried to stop her because she changed her school uniform before going into arcade centers in malls near her school.
The teenage student gets the money she uses at the arcade centers from her mother and said that while she can get the toys online for much less, playing at the arcade "feels totally different."
Alicia added that her satisfaction from winning the toys alone makes her happy. In particular, she enjoys prize-redemption games, such as coin-pusher machines and claw machines that give players tickets and toys.
Getting Addicted
However, according to Asia One, observers have expressed concern that the line between gaming and gambling is blurred when players are attracted by prizes that are potentially worth more than what they spend on the machines.
Additionally, prize-redemption games are popular in places such as Hong Kong, and in the past, arcades have allowed patrons to exchange game points for cash, which was considered illegal. In 2020, media reports noted that some young gamers, lured by quick cash, became addicted to fishing games, with players shooting at sea creatures to earn points.
These individuals later found themselves mired in debts of more than $17,400, and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) also said that it had noticed a growing trend of games at amusement centers and funfairs that feature elements of chance.
Another player, 26-year-old Yvonne, who is not her real name, enjoys playing games like coin-pusher machines. She says they are similar to "legal gambling" despite giving out non-cash jackpots.
Yvonne, who works in the public relations industry, said that arcades can be considered mini-casinos as getting tickets, hitting jackpots, and collecting cards from machines is fun. She added that coin-pusher machines and other similar games are "really addictive," said Today Online.