Photo: Straight 8 Photography (Shutterstock)
I’m putting the pitchman/barker first, because the real “game” of a carnival is the one where the owner tries to separate marks from their money, and the game operator plays it all day, every day.
While most carnival and amusement park game operators are bored teenagers who actually don’t care what you do, occasionally, a low key conman is working these games. If your game operator starts offering special deals if you just play one more game, changing prices, and otherwise fast-talking you, walk the other way. Some of these people are skilled manipulators who can separate people from money without them even knowing it. For example, this guy in the U.K. who lost his life savings playing a carnival game. (He he did win a giant stuffed banana with dreadlocks, though.)
If you feel you’ve been swindled by a carnival game operator, you don’t have to accept defeat. If it’s at an amusement park, track down the park offices and tell them what happened. If it’s on a boardwalk, there’s no doubt a government body that keeps vendors honest. If it happens at a fly-by-night carnival, you might be out of luck, but you could complain to the carnival owner or even the local police. “The authorities” are probably going to side with you over a carnie.
