PRESS & NEWS

Fantasy Claw Arcade Teams Up With Las Vegas Headliner Mat Franco

Mat Franco brings Las Vegas magic to Fantasy Claw Arcade at Fashion Show Mall Fantasy Claw Arcade is bringing a new prize experience to our Las Vegas claw machine arcade at Fashion Show Mall. Guests can now win Mat Franco merchandise, show tickets, and VIP experiences as part of a new collaboration with the longtime Strip headliner. The partnership brings together two entertainment concepts built around creating memorable guest experiences, while giving visitors another way t

59 minutes ago3 min read

The Wall Street Journal Spotlights the Rise of Claw Machine Arcades...and Fantasy Claw

The Wall Street Journal just confirmed what we've known all along: claw machines are back. On August 20, 2026, The Wall Street Journal published a feature on the return of the claw machine, and Fantasy Claw Arcade Managing Partner Brad Howard was part of the story. The piece, written by WSJ reporter Lily Belle Poling, traces how a once-dismissed carnival relic has become one of the fastest-growing formats in experiential retail. Modern "clawcades" stocked with plush toys, des

4 days ago3 min read

Fantasy Claw Arcade Featured by Columbus Jewish News

Fantasy Claw Arcade franchise entity managing partner Brad Howard, with Todd Appelbaum and Brian Campbell, co-owners and co-operators of the Columbus location, share a moment at the June 27 grand opening at Easton Town Center. Read the full article: Fantasy Claw Arcade opens first Ohio location at Easton Fantasy Claw Arcade was recently featured by Columbus Jewish News, and the story the publication chose to tell wasn't just about a new arcade opening. It was about the relati

Jul 242 min read

Fantasy Claw Arcade Featured in CoStar: Why Claw Arcade Franchises Are Gaining Momentum

Read the full CoStar article: Claw arcades snatch up retail space as U.S. popularity grows Fantasy Claw Arcade was recently featured in a national CoStar News article about the rise of claw machine arcades in U.S. retail. For anyone researching a claw arcade franchise or watching the growth of location-based entertainment, that coverage reflects a bigger market trend: claw arcades are becoming a more established part of modern retail. In the article, CoStar examines why claw

Jul 232 min read

Fantasy Claw Arcade Opens a New Columbus Entertainment Destination in Easton Town Center

The Ohio Secretary of State, Frank LaRose, presenting Fantasy Claw Arcade with an official proclamation moments before the ribbon cutting A New Columbus Entertainment Destination Fantasy Claw Arcade officially opened its newest claw machine arcade at Easton Town Center in Columbus, Ohio on June 27, and the response was immediate. From the moment doors opened at 10:00 a.m., the store was packed, with a line still forming ahead of the 2:00 p.m. ribbon cutting. A Grand Opening C

Jul 22 min read

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5 Claw Machine Tips to Make the Most of Your Fantasy Claw Arcade Visit

A visit to Fantasy Claw Arcade is about more than choosing a machine and pressing a button. Observation, timing, positioning, and a thoughtful approach can all help guests make more informed choices and enjoy every play. To build this list, we asked Fantasy Claw Arcade team members what they see making the biggest difference on the arcade floor. These claw machine tips reflect the questions they answer, the playing habits they observe, and the practical advice they share with

Aug 54 min read

Why the Entertainment Franchise Opportunity Is Growing in Retail

The data coming out of ICSC Las Vegas 2026 points to a category-level opportunity. Every year, ICSC Las Vegas, the retail real estate industry's largest annual gathering, functions as a real-time readout of where retail real estate is heading. This year's signal was hard to miss: entertainment is no longer a nice-to-have in shopping centers. It is becoming a structural part of the tenant mix, and for entrepreneurs evaluating an entertainment franchise opportunity, the timing

May 272 min read

Claw Arcade Franchise Insurance Carries a Lower Burden. Here Is Why That Matters.

In entertainment, risk is part of the business model. The question is how much of it you are taking on. Most conversations about entertainment concepts start in the right place: guest experience, location, branding, foot traffic. Those things drive revenue, and they deserve attention. But there is a less visible factor that shapes long-term performance just as meaningfully, and it is one that operators and prospective franchisees often underestimate until they are deep into t

Apr 295 min read

Fantasy Claw Arcade Brought Its Experience to MUFC

From the show floor to our Fashion Show open house, MUFC gave Fantasy Claw Arcade the chance to showcase the brand in action. Fantasy Claw Arcade recently exhibited at MUFC, creating an opportunity to present the business in a way that felt true to who we are. We did not want to simply show up with signage and handouts. We brought a claw machine directly to our booth, creating an interactive presence that immediately stood out on the floor. It was a natural extension of the F

Apr 12 min read