[NikkiA]

The machines can force a loss, but they can't force a win. If you're unlucky you're unlucky and the machine will make it up by not forcing losses later with someone with more luck and skill. Statistics give enough opportunity to not need to rig every game, and they only need to achieve a ratio over a long run, usually millions of plays ('we' always ran to 3 million plays as our statistical target, but that was fruit machines, aka slots).

[waste_monk]

I understand many (most?) claw machines these days have sensors in the prize chute and will go into a "strong claw" mode until such time as a prize is successfully dropped. So not quite forcing a win, but certainly making it more fair.