I wish this were true, but it not. There is not enough profit in pinball for it to be a viable business.
I had a couple of locations with machines, it wasn't even close to worth it. Even if it makes 200 a week which believe it or not is good earnings, with the initial investment of machine,insurance, permit, time to clean out and count the money, maint. And let's not forget breakdowns, and repairs due to abuse. It's just not worth it, the money is in selling them to the collector/home market period!

Just so you know, the guy before me failed, and the guy after me failed! Also I own a profitable hvac business, so I'm familiar with how to operate a business and make a profit, not just as a hobby or for the fun of it. If you believe in it so much you should invest in it and make money at it, why share the secret with the rest of us, use the valuable information to grow pinball and make some money.

Do the math, at .50 a play a new 8000 acdc has to be played 32,000 times before the operator will break even on the game, providing there's no maint,no breakdowns,no abuse.

Yes the phof, Disneyland, it's a specialty location that makes money, but if you recall in the 70s you could find a machine at every 7-11, diner,deli,candy store etc etc there is a reason there are pinside rs posting to find pins in the wild, the reason is there are none on location because it's not profitable, I had a b-day party yesterday for my 13 year old, 15 children from 10-14 were there, they all sat in the chill room and played Xbox360, it's the cool thing to do. I collect and wish pinball was on every corner like the old days, but it's just not ever going to happen. If not for the home collector market stern,jjp and whoever else would not make enough money to be able to stay in business.

Also I never said one negative thing about anybody trying to make a go of earning money with pins on location, btw its 32000 plays because you have to split the profits with the location so in order to make it work you have to make 16000 divide it with the location owner and that equals 8000. Don't forget insurance, are you going to leave your 8000 game in a location that could be robbed or burns down with no insurance, and believe me when uncle Sam finds out your operating a business he wants you to give a piece of the action(your a CPA) you should know this, obviously you work for somebody because this is how employees always think, they only see what the Boss is charging, never what the boss is paying in overhead.the gross is easy, the net is hard. I collect pinball machines, I believe in the hobby and want it to flourish, I'm not being negative I'm telling it like it is.

I know your for real, one pin in a busy location would earn 25.00 a week, I know other operators in NYC, and at .75 cents a game they are barely earning 100.00 a week, in a fantastic location,I'm glad someone from the real world spoke up. Thanks for telling the truth.

How about a 2000 sq ft ice cream store, with video games and air hockey
The air hockey's would make 75 a week
The pins would make 20 a week On
A good week it would be 40
So the over 21 theory didn't apply in my case
Also from time to time the teens would bring a screwdriver and pop out the plastic coin slots
To try and get the money or credits? I don't know?

Yes, I was a hobby op, did it for four years. The reason we disappear is we find out its not so easy to make money with arcades. What seems to be getting lost here is, even at 50.00
A day, you have to take into account the overhead, permit,insurance,taxes and abuse by customers.when a mom puts in a dollar and lifts her 3 yr old up to the game and all they do is push the flipper buttons continually until the ball is lost. You can operate without these things, but it is a huge risk. Believe me nobody wants to end up on the other side of an IRS audit. Also there is always some kind of split with the location owner.