A Millbrae man who keeps suing city restaurants has a new target: Stonestown’s brand-new arcade and bowling alley, Round 1 Entertainment Inc.
In a lawsuit even the most po-faced among us would likely describe as hilarious, Alexander Xue, who also goes by You You Xue, alleges that the arcade’s claw machines are rigged. He claims he spent $52 on the machines this month and won only one stuffed animal — the horror.
Xue, 27, filed the lawsuit Thursday in San Francisco. He claims Round One rigs its claw machines, alleging the company runs “a casino for children” by programming the games to prevent wins until certain profit thresholds are met, regardless of player skill.
“[Round One] is running an unscrupulous and oppressive operation that is akin to a casino for children, and is developing the next generation of problem gamblers,” the suit states.
The lawsuit stems from Xue’s Dec. 7 visit to the entertainment center, during which he failed at numerous attempts to win a stuffie — despite what he describes as “impeccable aim and control.”
Xue did not respond to requests for comment.
“Had I known that Round One’s machines were all rigged, I would not have purchased any play credits nor paid any monies to play any of the games,” he stated in the suit.
The lawsuit accuses Round One of violations of California consumer protection laws, including unfair competition, false advertising, and fraud by concealment. He filed the suit a day after Hong Kong regulators announced they would be looking into claw machines due to an uptick in consumer complaints this year.
The suit seeks injunctive relief to halt the allegedly deceptive practices, restitution of profits, and legal costs.
Round 1 Entertainment has not responded to the lawsuit or The Standard’s request for comment. The Japanese company operates numerous arcade locations throughout the United States and internationally and opened its Stonestown location Nov. 9.
Xue has at least 40 open lawsuits in San Francisco against service-industry businesses, 36 of which were filed this year. The suits often target tacked-on fees that have drawn the ire of restaurant-goers.
Xue once ran for a seat on the Millbrae City Council, losing by just 33 votes, according to the San Mateo Daily Journal.