A Singaporean duo, who have faith that the odds will eventually be in their favour, have been testing out mystery prize vending machines to see if they eventually dispense grand prizes.

This was before such mystery prize vending machines found across Singapore have been deemed illegal by the police on Aug. 16, as dispensing concealed prizes are considered a form of public lottery.

Experiment clearing vending machine

The winsome pair, who call themselves TiffWithMi, went to the extent of spending S$340 one time to clear out an entire vending machine of all its boxes.

Here is their video put up on Aug. 9, 2018:

They pulled off this feat by testing out one vending machine at Suntec City.

The cost per box is S$5. They collected 68 boxes in total.

The experiment provided a glimpse of the types of prizes to be won from such machines, such as fidget spinners, handheld fans and playing cards, as well as bigger ticket items such as humidifiers and even a fish tank.

The grand prize dispensed from the vending machine is a limited edition Hello Kitty laptop that normally retails for about S$300:

Previously, the duo were luckier as they spent S$150, at S$10 a try, and eventually won a PS4 gaming console, which retails for about S$400:

Why illegal?

The way these machines work is to dispense random prizes upon receipt of cash payments starting from S$5.

However, the problem lies with the way the goods are being sold.

This is so as the goods dispensed are concealed.

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“Operating such machines is a form of public lottery, and it is an offence under Section 5(a) of the Common Gaming Houses Act,” the police said.

Police have already advised some of the existing merchants to cease operations.

Those found guilty of operating such machines face a prison term of up to five years, and can also be fined between S$20,000 and S$200,000.