It's all optional though isn't it? You can still run a tournament, non IFPA sanctioned at no cost.

I've been doing monthly tourneys for over four years. Started with 8-12, and now I reach max capacity with ~40 players at each event. I guess I am the "odd man out" in that I ACTUALLY enjoy the "social" part of pinball events. Non-IFPA events also tends to keep the Score Queens away who are generally not much fun during a tournament, especially if they aren't winning.

Just saying....there are options.

My guess is a membership fee would generate a lot less revenue. I compete in my local league as well as in other tournaments (sometimes), but I would probably not buy a membership. Why? Ranking doesn't mean much to me. There are likely a lot of casual players who would do the same thing, especially of the membership fee were ~$25/yr. It's much easier to sneak in a $1 fee for each event.

The IFPA fees should not seem that unusual to most Americans. It's a subsidy structure. Everyone pays into it, but only a few get any benefit from it. If it were set up as a fair, "usage fee" or membership structure, it would likely have a much smaller presence unless the fees were excessively high.