How a Claw Machine Can Help Your Business

Whether a claw machine is filled with candy, plush animals, toys, sports balls and memorabilia, or all of the above — it provides a great way to draw in a crowd. Depending on the player, claw machine games can be intense.

If you own a business with a lot of customer foot traffic, you might wonder if a claw machine can earn some extra revenue for your business. In this article, we’ll share a few benefits of investmenting in an arcade claw machine.

Claw Machines Can Bring in Extra Revenue to Support Your Business

Arcade games and machines are a great way to earn passive revenue for your business. Invented in the 1890s, businesses have been earning extra money with claw machines for years. But remember: these machines are an investment. After you buy one, you’ll have to pay for prizes, upkeep, and the electricity to run it. Additionally, you may decide to include additional lighting, signage, and music to add to the excitement.

You can influence your profits and the game’s difficulty level by setting the strength of the claw. But don’t make it too hard to win, or people will stop playing. Also, seeing a passerby with a prize from your crane game is like a walking advertisement.

How Much Money Do Claw Machines Make?

This is a frequently asked question with no tried and true answer. Across the internet, you’ll find figures stating claw machines can bring in between $350 to $500 per week. But the reality is the income your machine earns will be impacted by factors like:

• Location. Areas with high foot traffic will generate more players and income than less busy areas. Additionally, there’s a difference in the potential customer base for a claw machine in an arcade or on the boardwalk than there is in the vestibule of a grocery store.
• Prizes. The cost of the claw machine’s prizes will also factor into your income. Lower cost prizes can help you fill the machine at a lower overhead, but higher cost prizes can be more enticing for players. Consider how much you want to invest in prizes and how that will factor into your overall costs.
• Payout Rate. A claw machine with a lower payout rate will cost less in prizes but may frustrate and turn away potential customers. Meanwhile, if prizes are more expensive, a lower payout rate may be the best option to ensure an appropriate overhead.

Check out our selection of claw machines to find the most affordable option for your business.

A Low-Maintenance Machine

Running a crane game requires little maintenance, so it won’t take much time away from your business. But generating repeat customers usually requires replenishing the machine with new prizes every so often. If you can find unique prizes that customers can’t get elsewhere, they’ll be more likely to pay for a chance to win them.

And letting the prizes get so low that the claw mechanism has trouble reaching them won’t generate much passive revenue. If you want your crane game machine to help your business, keep your machine full, fresh, and functioning!

How Much Is A Claw Machine?

Commercial claw machines typically cost between $2,000 to $6,000. Mini claw machines can be purchased for significantly less, but those aren’t designed for use in businesses or arcades.

Claw machine prices vary depending on a range of factors. Older, restored claw machines will typically cost much less than a brand new machine. Although, collectibility, rarity, and other factors can also impact price.

Draw a Crowd

Oftentimes, people play claw games in order to show off their skills. When you select your location, make sure there’s also enough room for people to watch the player.

Is there anything else you can do to promote the game besides making sure it’s clean and fully stocked with a nice presentation? If you already have a Facebook page for your business, it’s fairly quick and easy to take a picture of a new claw machine prize and post it for your followers.