Quoted from xTheBlackKnightx:The contradiction to the above statement is people should then ask themselves is why do BLY/WMS games continue to be successfully operated 25+ years later
Eh, not really.
There are some tiny market pockets, where some WMS pins are quasi-operated.
They might operate in a Barcade, as long as there are $10 craft beers to subsidize their existence.
They might operate in an existing arcade alongside some pool tables, Galaga Assault and Hoop-Shoot-Manias.
(and those games were paid off 30 years ago - remember we are talking about Real operators).
But for 99% of the cities in America, you could not route a WMS pin as a real business.
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Now before you start typing your witty response, let's look at a very real example of the above:
1. The average small business loan is $100,000.
2. A new WMS game MMr, AFMr or TOMr is $8,000
3. So you could get 12 WMS games with the average small business loan.
4. What business plan would you give the loan officer to show how you will pay back that loan in 5 years?
There is not a loan officer in the world who would say "Wow, that is a great business plan! You really got something there."
You could probably not even afford the interest part of the loan, let alone the insurance, an employee, maintenance, trunks for TOMr, a van, gas to drive all over town, taxes, SS taxes, health insurance, web site, licenses for each game, cut for the landlord, decent salary for yourself......
You could not really run a real, money making route, could you?