This 2021 lawsuit, as well as the others, claims these machines are rigged only to allow players to win prizes at certain times - specifically, at intervals determined by player losses. Key Master has been the target of multiple court cases in the past, dating back to at least 2013. With Sega, Play It! Amusements (which is owned by Sega and now called Sega Amusements) and Komuse America (which co-manufactures Key Master) are named in the suit. It’s a proposed class action lawsuit looking for $5 million in damages to be distributed amongst wronged consumers.
Marcelo Muto filed the lawsuit on Monday in a California court. It’s marketed as a game of skill, but players claim machines bar against awarding successful runs, making Key Master more of a chance-based game. A new lawsuit alleges that Key Master is intentionally rigged against players.
Sega’s Key Master arcade game is causing problems for the company once again.