Carnival Games

Alabama Mobile A nationally known fraud expert shows you the tricks to carnival midway games.

by Bill Riales

Published: Mon, October 05, 2009 - 8:22 pm CST Last Updated: Tue, October 06, 2009 - 11:16 am CST

MOBILE, Alabama - I've always wondered how I can spend dollar after dollar at carnival midway games and only walk away with a prize that's probably worth about a quarter. So, I asked nationally known fraud expert Bruce Walstad to go to the fair with me and explain how some of these games work. In short, they are designed already stacked against you. He picked out what he considers three of the most treacherous games--like Bucket Ball.
"So the carney says all you have to do is throw two in (the bucket) like this; he then throws one in for the player," says Walstad. "What the player does is he'll throw the ball in and it will stay in the basket. The carney might give the player a second free one and it stays. Then out comes the player's money." Walstad says, "so the carney takes all of the balls from the basket, and the player tries for real. The ball bounces out every single time. Why? Because the ball the carney put in the basket initially deadens the next one coming in.

Walstad says another game to look out for is Bank-a-Ball. All you have to do is bank the ball off of a slanted sign and---
"and have it go into the box--he'll demonstrat repeatedly for you that that's how easy it is," Walstad says.
But its not so easy because the player has to stand behind a foul line and when that happens it becomes almost impossible to win. Walstad says the carneys will even demonstrate from behind the foul line, but cheat, by leaning into it. Some have even been known to wear shin guards to protect their legs while doing this repeatedly during a carnival.

Walstad says what may be the worst game of all is the Hoops games. He calls it the almost completely non-winning variety of carnival game. In fact the game is advertised as the only safe game in which a concessionaire can offer valuable prizes--like cash--with a very high probablility of never having to pay out.
Walstad says, "because the surface of the target block is cut at an angle, and that's the surface the player actually gets to throw at, it is larger than the hoop. The hoop fits over the block from the backside.

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Citronellemomma Says:

Tue, Oct 06, 2009 at 3:06 pm

Where on Earth have you been Bill???? YOU need to come back to the morning show….I miss you and Jennifer Abney….but Devon Walsh and Bill Railes with John Nodar doing the weather sounds REAL good…....Dont leave out Keeshia Payton…..

mrdickxx11 Says:

Tue, Oct 06, 2009 at 3:03 pm

Glad Bill is back. What is wrong with the carnival story? A human interest story is a welcome relief from all the gloom and doom. Give us more Bill.

FLOWERCHILD Says:

Tue, Oct 06, 2009 at 12:48 pm

Glad you are back Bill Riales. We all played these games and knew that we could win - but never did. Bummer. At least I now know that I am OK. Not winning those games really gave me a complex. (just kidding)

BamaBob Says:

Tue, Oct 06, 2009 at 11:55 am

Isn’t it time for the fair? Sounds like good info to have this time of year. As a kid we tried all these games and never could figure out why they were impossible. Fascinating story!

dougstech Says:

Tue, Oct 06, 2009 at 11:43 am

Bill is back?

debbie4 Says:

Tue, Oct 06, 2009 at 9:53 am

geez, does it take a rocket scientist and a reporter to figure this out? with global warming, flooding, mobiles SKYROCKETING crime, you have nothing better to write about than carnival games….keep up the award winning work.

BamaBob Says:

Tue, Oct 06, 2009 at 5:52 am

Nip it! Nip it in the bud! Nip it! Nip it! Nip it!