Release time: 09:39, July 15, 2021. 

The last update time: July 15, 2021 at 12:28. Philip Conneller Read more expertise: crime, regulation, retail gambling.

Japanese video game giant Sega is facing a proposed class-action lawsuit against the arcade game console Key Master, amounting to $5 million, accusing the game of "manipulating" players.

The principle of operation of the Key Master machine is similar to that of a claw crane machine. But instead of using mechanical claws to grab prizes, players are invited to guide the key into the lock to win the goods.

As the lawsuit points out, it is advertised as a game of skill, but in fact, it has more in common with games of chance. That's because your winning prospects are predetermined, and just like a slot machine, the house advantage is included in the payout percentage.

But unlike slot machines, these machines are programmed to only allow players to win prizes at specific time intervals, depending on the number of players lost. The manufacturer sets the threshold to 700 failed attempts, although this can be modified by the operator.

In other words, no prizes will be awarded unless the machine is ready. For the rest of the time, it is programmed to slightly extend beyond the keyhole.

This is different from slot machines, in which, on average, the odds are only used as a guideline for payout time. Although the advantage is always aimed at slot players, they still have a chance to win on every spin. Key master players usually fail to do so unknowingly.

The lawsuit stated that the game was incorrectly described as "a simple game of pure skill with direct instructions."

No defendant anywhere on the Key Master Machine tells consumers the truth: these machines are manipulated, so players can only win prizes at certain times,” the lawsuit continued.

"The defendant refused to stop their deception and continued to manufacture and promote Key Master Machines as a game of skill, rather than their real illegal gambling machines. This refusal and continued marketing of Key Master Machines as a game of skill will only serve the defendant. Profit interest."

This is not the first lawsuit against Key Master. In 2019, Arizona sued a company that distributes these machines, Pittsburgh-based Betson Coin-Op, not to be confused with Swedish online gaming giant Betsson.

State Attorney General Mark Brnovich believes that the mechanics of games are more similar to slot machines, which makes them unlicensed gambling machines. Betson finally settled for $1 million and agreed to stop distributing Key Master machines in the state.

Feeling troublesome, Sega has stopped producing Key Master and now only offers a purely skill-based alternative called Prize Locker, even though Key Master machines are still in circulation internationally.

The new lawsuit argues that this is equivalent to "manipulating" the default Key Master.

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