Hamster (symbolic image): The rodents have now been taken out of the program, now there are fish and turtles. image: imago/Omar marques
There is litter on the floor, a water dispenser hanging on the wall and danger looming from above: In China, an arcade operator put live hamsters in slot machines.
Mar 15, 2026, 4:09 p.mMar 15, 2026, 4:09 p.m
Matti Hartmann / t-online
An arcade in the southern Chinese metropolis of Shenzhen has come under fire because live hamsters were said to have been offered as prizes in slot machines for several weeks. Pictures spread on social media: There is litter on the floor in vending machines, animals huddled together in a corner.
The machines are reminiscent of gripper arm devices, as they are also known in Germany. Except that there are living creatures to win instead of cuddly toys and that the players control a plastic bowl instead of a grasping arm with which they can catch the hamsters.
According to reports from the Nanfang Daily news platform and other local media, the machines were located in a gaming center at a shopping center in Bao’an District. Netizens in China criticized this as animal cruelty. It was said that the hamsters would show considerable stress in the cramped space due to noise, crowds and the constant hunting for them.
Arcade reacts: Instead of hamsters, there are now fish
The operators of the play center responded to the outrage and removed the hamsters from the program. When reporters went to investigate, the rodents had disappeared.
However, there were still live animals to be won: According to reports, water tanks with fish and turtles were now set up that could be fished out of the tanks. It was said that there were far too many fish in a small space in the tanks. The aquariums are very dirty and the fish are restless.
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