Seriously. When you think about it logically, the game costs between 50¢ and $1 to play. The prizes range between $50 and $500. If the game were possible, it would lose money. Before you try these games, think about that.

A similar type of scam in our mall is a rock-climbing wall. You pay $4 to climb the wall. If you can hit the buzzer at the top of the wall, you win your choice of an X-Box 360 or PS3. But no one ever hits that buzzer because of how the wall is shaped at the top. First, towards the top, you start losing steps. They get smaller and eventually go away entirely. If you can still make it up the top you have to climb around a lip in the wall to make it to the buzzer. The person at the booth claims people win these prizes all the time to which I reply, "Then how are you still in business?" That seems to shut them up.

So, in conclusion, if you ever see a contest or a game that you think you can win, think about the odds versus the payoff. If it doesn't seem like a logical payoff for the odds, then it's probably rigged.