Profit split with location owner.

Out of curiosity, how does one find out about that?

Do you rotate games around locations, or outright switch from home use ones?

iggy the first question i assume is about license/regulation? if so it can take some calling to find out or you can check out other vendors games for their tax sticker which should give you the regulating department. here the state used to handle it but years ago my state separated non payout games (gambling machines) from non paying out machine (i.e. arcade, pinball) and gave the authority to regulate to the county. (that is good and it also sucks because some county's don't charge and others do and you have to pay in each county here).

i have 170 arcade and pinballs so i usually rotate out of inventory but moving them around from one location to another works well because the same patrons don't frequent both places so it doesn't affect the game play. personally there is never enough money no matter how much you make to truly support yourself or family with games on route but it is a means to an end and nice to have alittle money instead of games just sitting around collecting dust and no money.
 
So, can you screw multiple games together to make them a single machine and thus only buy one tax stamp?
 
The problem with that is that any intelligent bar owner will realize that putting in extra seating like a table or bar space to raise capacity of drinking patrons will generate far more revenue than games ever will.

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Great way to piss of customers. Put them on free play and then start making them pay. Having them on free play will not tell you anything about how they will do when people have to pay for them.

+1 all day long.

Setting these games to free play is just going to hurt you for the first few months (at least) of setting them to pay. The made-for-TV-movie drug dealer model isn't going to work. Arcade games aren't the e-crack they use to be, where you could let people have a free sample then have them pay for seconds.

Guys, you can only take so much of the risk out of the equation. You need to eventually jump and hope you chose the right games for the right location (if games are even right for the location at all) at the right price point. You're competing against so many other sources of entertainment, that it doesn't make sense to come out of the gate as a value-less option.

Here's another thing to consider: you're allowing people to bang on the equipment for nothing. Beers get spilled. Drunks punch inanimate objects. Even if it wasn't a bar, people in general wear out sticks/buttons very quickly. Caps are being worn and screens are being burned. Very old PCB's running off of antiquated designs that weren't meant to last more than 5 years, are having juice pumped in them for at least 12 hours a day. You're going to allow random strangers to abuse your stuff for absolutely nothing? It's one thing when it's people you know in your home, it's another when it's whoever-the-fuck out in public.

Back on topic, in my limited experience, 50/50 is the norm.
 
iggy the first question i assume is about license/regulation? if so it can take some calling to find out or you can check out other vendors games for their tax sticker which should give you the regulating department. here the state used to handle it but years ago my state separated non payout games (gambling machines) from non paying out machine (i.e. arcade, pinball) and gave the authority to regulate to the county. (that is good and it also sucks because some county's don't charge and others do and you have to pay in each county here).

i have 170 arcade and pinballs so i usually rotate out of inventory but moving them around from one location to another works well because the same patrons don't frequent both places so it doesn't affect the game play. personally there is never enough money no matter how much you make to truly support yourself or family with games on route but it is a means to an end and nice to have alittle money instead of games just sitting around collecting dust and no money.

Your assumption was correct. Apologies for not making it clearer. But yeah, that's pretty much what I was looking for. I'm not sure how Maryland handles it, and I only know of one on location where I could ask. I doubt the guys at Dave and Busters would even know. But, there's a small, local(if a chain joint) eatery that has a Ms Pac/Galaga in it. The manager may know. I know Ocean City has its own set of rules. Saw it talked about in a local paper when we were there last year. They count all machines the same, but that's a local ordinance.

I've thought about getting a couple of cheap classics and doing that with them(they would be separate from my home collection), which is why I'm asking. It's not something I would "depend on" for income, just a little side investment.

I mean, it's the kind of thing I could start small, and build on. You know? I'm fairly confident in my ability to do repairs, and of course would do whatever "bulletproofing" on each one before it goes anywhere.

I appreciate the info!
 
Your assumption was correct. Apologies for not making it clearer. But yeah, that's pretty much what I was looking for. I'm not sure how Maryland handles it, and I only know of one on location where I could ask. I doubt the guys at Dave and Busters would even know. But, there's a small, local(if a chain joint) eatery that has a Ms Pac/Galaga in it. The manager may know. I know Ocean City has its own set of rules. Saw it talked about in a local paper when we were there last year. They count all machines the same, but that's a local ordinance.


yes you touched on another thing is you may have state and/or county regulations BUT as you said there might be local city regulations or permits also which would vary from city to city.

if the people at those establishments don't know anything look on the machines they have there because the tax stickers are suppose to be visable and readable on the outside of the machines which should give you the details you need to search further.
 
So nice not to have to deal with this stuff anymore.

Every location is different and it would behoove you
to consider all the factors, such as...

1. how prime is location (you may not know until a few months
of collections, to be honest, since no residence exists.)

2. possibility for theft / vandalism - how well will machines
be monitored? will liquids be allowed near them?
it is very annoying to have games down due to stuck buttons
and takes a while to replace or thoroughly clean them internally.

3. equipment maintenance - jamma junk is easy, but when
you add in classics with irreplaceable parts or games with easily-
broken things like handheld guns and games with consumables
or high maintenance (motors, gears, solenoids, mechanical parts)
you can and should ask for a higher split in this day and age since
you are providing something no normal vending company does anymore.

4. payouts - cranes, prize machines, anything that pays out something
should be considered. i took a higher split on even those "shocker"
games because the fog juice they use is expensive, but is part of the
experience.

i would also recommend starting high on game pricing and make use
of monitoring game data if the software provides it (ie: avg. playtime).
you can lower prices later. i have also seen games set on 2 lives or even
4-5 lives -- but at a higher cost. tweak settings to find sweet spots.
 
yes you touched on another thing is you may have state and/or county regulations BUT as you said there might be local city regulations or permits also which would vary from city to city.

Yeah, but Ocean City is a "tourist attraction".... where-as Baltimore County(the area I'd be specifically looking at) isn't. I'm not saying you're wrong... far from it.... but "tourist destinations" are generally different than "local watering holes". Not saying I wouldn't aggressively investigate..... I would. I was basically just looking for a starting point.

if the people at those establishments don't know anything look on the machines they have there because the tax stickers are suppose to be visable and readable on the outside of the machines which should give you the details you need to search further.

I rather figured the "counter person"/"customer service representative" wouldn't know jack. But, I've been told that there's a manager on duty at the location at all times. If true, they may not know, but would be able to point me to someone who does.

Going back to the Ocean City reference...... I did talk to someone "in the know" the last time we were there, and he told me that the "guy in charge" of the territory has the entire area "locked down". Meaning that there isn't a machine anywhere in Ocean City, Maryland that isn't under his control.

Arcade game(classic or newer), slot machine, redemption machine, etc...... he owns them all.

I'd only asked about it, because the Ms. Pac/Galaga(20 year reunion) had a fucked up joystick, and I was willing to fix it on the cheap. Mostly because I wanted to play it.
 
In SC, they charge you per joystick. So, no.

Where does the law say that?
I've never heard of that.

Also, how vigilant are the license cops around there?
I have never heard from the State people, but I've had the City people come in and see no current CITY sticker and hold up the business owner for additional cash.

The City charges $12.50 per game per year for their little sticker too.
If the game is outside of the city limits, then the town of Forest Acres or the Richland County wants a similar piece.

I think the whole thing is pathetic for low-revenue machines.
 
...Going back to the Ocean City reference...... I did talk to someone "in the know" the last time we were there, and he told me that the "guy in charge" of the territory has the entire area "locked down". Meaning that there isn't a machine anywhere in Ocean City, Maryland that isn't under his control.

Arcade game(classic or newer), slot machine, redemption machine, etc...... he owns them all....

It's probably a hereditary mobster and I would expect any machines you placed in this area to be vandalized or stolen. There are still some relics of the old days I'm sure there are still some "offers too good" being passed around.
 
It's probably a hereditary mobster and I would expect any machines you placed in this area to be vandalized or stolen. There are still some relics of the old days I'm sure there are still some "offers too good" being passed around.

Yeah, that wasn't the area I was looking at, anyway. The only reason I investigated that far, was because his Ms.Pac/Galaga machine in the hotel we were staying at needed some work. But, when the owner doesn't give 3 shits about whether the machine is working or not.... just that it brings in coins.... what can ya do?

Like I told the guy at the hotel, "If it was working, I'd easily put a roll of quarters in it. But since I got ripped off for $.50(1 game).... I'll not be putting anything else in it."

I guess he figures it's better to rip off a larger number of people for 1 game, than to have a working machine a smaller number would actually play.

Does kinda make me wonder what the guy would do, if we moved down there.... Private collection = not for profit, but no doubt he'd be unhappy about it if he found out. In some twisted way, he'd see it as cutting into his profits.
 
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