I thought it didn't matter if you won or lost because the prizes are worth less the the cost of playing :

Ira Glass on a age guessing game at a park run by someone named Sarah:"

Later, Sarah privately confirmed for me that she did intentionally take a dive. Which is fine with Cole, because it turns out, it doesn't matter if the kids guess right. The game costs $5 to play. The prizes cost less than $5. Sarah can be wrong with every single guess, and they'd still make a nice profit. In fact, it's good to lose, because people carrying prizes around the park are a walking advertisement for all the games."

https://m.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/443/tr...

> I thought it didn't matter if you won or lost because the prizes are worth less the the cost of playing

He does mention that in the video.

Mark Rober explains that in the video. Though I think there are a couple big prizes where the value exceeds the price to play.

Every retail business sells items for profit. I guess the chance involved in games enables or justifies the wishful thinking that the prices were more valuable than the bet.

Isn't this the whole point of gambling in casinos where the house has the edge?

I've always looked at the carnival game $ as the price for enjoying playing the game. The "prize" is inconsequential.

This is also the right attitude for casino gambling.

The actual video is by Mark Rober and man you gotta check out his YouTube channel [1]. I've been in a technical slump here recently and watching his videos totally re-energized me. He reminded me how great it feels to explore, build, and solve problems. Another great video is his automatic bulls eye dartboard [2].

[1] https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY1kMZp36IQSyNx_9h4mpCg

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHTizZ_XcUM

Love the bit about the center of mass and stability. It really shows when you are a good engineer.

I really don't think those things are 'games'.

I lost every interest in playing them as soon as i learned that they are rigged.

The most anti-social thing are those crane machines. I never knew that they are allowed to change the strenge of the crane.

Srlsy wtf?

I keep my money and play only something like air hockey, which is fun or eat candy stuff or ride a coaster.

Also in the ladder game, the attendant holds the ladder for people until they get around half way up to make people feel like they almost got it every time.

Isn't that common sense though?

Common sense doesn't really factor into these things, or Las Vegas wouldn't exist.

It's essentially no different from any form of gambling. The odds in any casino are stacked against you, yet people still bet money, either because they think they that "this time I'll win", or simply because they enjoy playing the game.

It's common sense that they scam you. How they do it can be more subtle.

Blog spam, actual link: https://youtu.be/tk_ZlWJ3qJI

Thanks, we've updated the link from http://wonderfulengineering.com/nasa-engineer-shows-how-carn....

I don't think I need a NASA engineer to tell me that.