A New Hampshire man who thought he had a decent ball toss says he lost his life savings—or about $2,600—playing a carnival game he claims was rigged.

Henry Gribbohm told WBZ-TV that he was attempting to win an Xbox Kinect at the Manchester carnival when things went awry.

The 30-year-old from Epsom, N.H., was playing a game called Tubs of Fun in which contestants toss balls into a tub, but the balls kept popping out.

“It’s not possible that it wasn’t rigged,” Gribbohm said. “You just get caught up in the whole ‘I’ve got to win my money back.’”

Gribbohm lost $300, WBZ-TV reports, "went home to get $2,300 more and soon lost all of that as well."

Manchester police are investigating the incident, and New Hampshire-based Fiesta Shows, which produces the traveling carnival, is pulling Tubs of Fun for the time being.

Gribbohm, who managed to win a stuffed banana with dreadlocks before dropping $2,600, says he's considering a lawsuit.

“For once in my life I happened to become that sucker,” Gribbohm said.

But he won the dreadlock banana

I read this yesterday on Yahoo...hot mess.

Those games have spring underneath the basket. What goes in...pops back out.

When I was 18 or 19, I went with some friends to the Feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy (NYC).

I played one of those basket games.

It cost me $20.00 (in the pursuit of a stuffed animal that probably was worth $2.50) to realize that the game was fixed.

Wasn't it a carnie that said there's a sucker born every minute? Case proven.

Maybe he'll when the lawsuit.

[Edited 5/1/13 12:24pm]

A fool and his money are soon parted.

Friend of me suffers gambling addiction.

She has lost a lot of money, I feel so bad for her.

These games are set up to collect money from people who have a gambling addiction.

Who would want to make money like that?

How can they enjoy that money, knowing that it's collected by ruining other people their lives?

dJJ said:

Friend of me suffers gambling addiction.

She has lost a lot of money, I feel so bad for her.

These games are set up to collect money from people who have a gambling addiction.

Who would want to make money like that?

How can they enjoy that money, knowing that it's collected by ruining other people their lives?

That addiction is a very seriuos one. It can ruin your entire life quickly.

Graycap23 said:

dJJ said:

Friend of me suffers gambling addiction.

She has lost a lot of money, I feel so bad for her.

These games are set up to collect money from people who have a gambling addiction.

Who would want to make money like that?

How can they enjoy that money, knowing that it's collected by ruining other people their lives?

That addiction is a very seriuos one. It can ruin your entire life quickly.

Yes. It's a very expensive one.

I'm very happy she told me about it and reached out for help.


She is very ashamed and not the disclosing type, so that was a big step for her.

Fortunately, she did not want to ruin her life big time.

And I'm very proud to report that coming monday she will start treatment.

dJJ said:

Graycap23 said:

That addiction is a very seriuos one. It can ruin your entire life quickly.

Yes. It's a very expensive one.

I'm very happy she told me about it and reached out for help.


She is very ashamed and not the disclosing type, so that was a big step for her.

Fortunately, she did not want to ruin her life big time.

And I'm very proud to report that coming monday she will start treatment.

Good 4 her. Most seek treatment way 2 late 4 this.

Good luck.

morningsong said:

Wasn't it a carnie that said there's a sucker born every minute? Case proven.

Maybe he'll when the lawsuit.

David Hannum of Binghampton NY said it.

Elbert Hubbard took it a step farther...

That one is born every minute is a conservative estimate.

Fury said:

Xbox is like $199 with kinect

dJJ said:

Friend of me suffers gambling addiction.

She has lost a lot of money, I feel so bad for her.

These games are set up to collect money from people who have a gambling addiction.

Who would want to make money like that?

How can they enjoy that money, knowing that it's collected by ruining other people their lives?

How can these carnival games be set up to collect money from people with gambling addictions

*

Most carnivals are only around for 2-3 days, those games were set up for fun, for a kid to try 3 or 4 dollars to win a stuffed animal or for a guy to win one for his sweet heart,

*

I've never heard of such a thing as a guy spending his life savings on a carnival game,

this isn't a person with a gambling addiction, this is a straight up FOOL

*

He had the money to buy 5 Xboxs

He's an IDIOT

Who leaves a carnival, goes home, and get your life savings, where did he have it? under the matresss?

*

Anyone who's tried these carnival games tries a few times, and then moves on to get on rides or what-not. I took my nephews last year and on the first try won a stuffed crab and we moved on so they could get on the kiddie rollar coaster

[Edited 5/3/13 10:17am]

OldFriends4Sale said:

dJJ said:

Friend of me suffers gambling addiction.

She has lost a lot of money, I feel so bad for her.

These games are set up to collect money from people who have a gambling addiction.

Who would want to make money like that?

How can they enjoy that money, knowing that it's collected by ruining other people their lives?

How can these carnival games be set up to collect money from people with gambling addictions

Most carnivals are only around for 2-3 days, those games were set up for fun, for a kid to try 3 or 4 dollars to win a stuffed animal or for a guy to win one for his sweet heart,

I've never heard of such a thing as a guy spending his life savings on a carnival game,

this isn't a person with a gambling addiction, this is a straight up FOOL

He had the money to buy 5 Xboxs

He an IDIOT

WHo leaves a carnival, goes home, and get your life savings, where did he have it? under the matresss?

Anyone who's tried these carnival games tries a few times, and then moves on to get on rides or whatnot. I took my nephews last year and on the first try one a stuffed crab and we moved on so they could get on the kiddie rollar coaster

Yes, I wandered off topic. Sorry.

I saw this and had a hard time believing it was true at first. I mean, dude could have gone out and bought a used one for a SMALL FRACTION of what he spent. Further, how long did it take him to save that $2600? Does that not occur to you at some point and make you think, "wait! WTF am I doing?!" That's a special kind of mess up right there, and it's hard to feel sorry for somebody who would do something that stupid. Also, of course the games are rigged to almost never let you win! They've always been that way. That's why the fair only comes around once or twice a year. People wouldn't play those games if they were around all the time. Still, the carnie is kind of an ass for letting it continue for so long.

Edit: Wouldn't. WOULD NOT. Makes all the difference in the world... or in this post, anyway.

[Edited 5/2/13 14:55pm]

Timmy84 said:

In a nutshell.

There are people in the world much nicer than me.

http://www.ksl.com/?sid=2...id=queue-3

Nothinbutjoy said:

There are people in the world much nicer than me.

http://www.ksl.com/?sid=2...id=queue-3

Effa like!

Cerebus said:

I saw this and had a hard time believing it was true at first. I mean, dude could have gone out and bought a used one for a SMALL FRACTION of what he spent. Further, how long did it take him to save that $2600? Does that not occur to you at some point and make you think, "wait! WTF am I doing?!" That's a special kind of mess up right there, and it's hard to feel sorry for somebody who would do something that stupid. Also, of course the games are rigged to almost never let you win! They've always been that way. That's why the fair only comes around once or twice a year. People wouldn't play those games if they were around all the time. Still, the carnie is kind of an ass for letting it continue for so long.

Edit: Wouldn't. WOULD NOT. Makes all the difference in the world... or in this post, anyway.

[Edited 5/2/13 14:55pm]

The more I think about this...the more I think it's B.S.

I don't care HOW stupid or addicted you are...you blow 3 hundred on a carnival game, then go home to get ALL YOUR SAVINGS and come back to "win it back"???

How?

Makes no sense.

Dude blew $300 on the carnival, $2,300 at a strip joint, and is blaming the guy with the hoops so his wife/girlfriend/baby momma doesn't beat his ass.

Carnival games have always been rigged... Knew that as a kid...

Cerebus said:

Stymie said:

Cerebus said:

Effa like!

Ima go say I blew my life savings so I can get money and an Xbox too.

I know right!?! Feels like stupidity is being rewarded.

Nothinbutjoy said:

Stymie said:

Cerebus said: Ima go say I blew my life savings so I can get money and an Xbox too.

I know right!?! Feels like stupidity is being rewarded.

Exactly!!!

Life savings? I thought it would be like hundreds of thousands of dollars or something.

I have no sympathy for the fool. He could have bought 10 xboxes with the money he threw away.