privacy | contact | about

Amusement Machines

If you're thinking of starting a business that includes amusement machines, then you are just about to take your own piece of a seven billion dollar pie. For almost forty years, amusement machines - a form of vending machine that sells entertainment as opposed to an actual product - have been consistently making money for the business owners who place and maintain them. From video games to other forms of fun, all you need to do to make your money is find a location for your machines and then collect the coins every month or two.

There are two main kinds of amusement machines: video games and impulse machines. There are, indeed, other forms of amusement machine - such as table sports, prize dispensers, and music - but these are less common than the two primary types.

Video game amusement machines are those with a screen displaying graphics and which have a control device of some kind to allow them to be interactive. This can mean everything from buttons and a joystick to squares on the floor to step on. There are two main elements to remember when you want to run a business that involves video game amusement machines: space and length of popularity. Space is an important factor because it helps you to decide what kind of machine you can use and where you can put it. The length of the popularity is important because if your game is no longer desirable, people simply won't play it anymore. Why would they play an old game like Pong when they have far better options available elsewhere?

Impulse machines, on the other hand, are little games that take a very short period of time to run. This can include examples such as a love tester, fitness tester, small rides for children, or even memory quizzes. They're machines that are most effective in areas where people are standing around and are most likely to act simply on a whim in order to be temporarily entertained. As strange as they may seem, these machines remain consistently popular. In fact, these are currently among the most widely used form of amusement machine currently available.

Though arcades, taverns and bars do pull in a lot of money from these machines, significant profit can be made by looking into any number of alternative locations. The competition for these top locations is so fierce that it can be cost prohibitive to try to bid on them against other larger companies. Instead, consider malls and retail stores where you can place only one - or a maximum of two - amusement machines. These are places that won't have a tremendous amount of competition because the larger vending machine companies will have avoided them due to the low number of machines that can be placed there.

While you will likely need to pay a commission to the location (typically around 20% to 30%), which is not the case with many other kinds of vending machines, keep in mind that as there is no product involved and that you are making a great deal more from every coin that is inserted into the machines. The amount you pay in commissions will certainly not hold you back from being able to make a tidy profit. This will allow you to continually grow your business and increase your income as you do so.

Name:

Email:

Any questions about
the vending business?



MORE VENDING ARTICLES

How to Get Insurance, Permits and Licenses

Getting Vending Machine Locations: Hiring a Local Scout

Commissions and Placement Agreements for Vending Machine Locations

Getting Locations

Location Targeting Strategies

Getting Locations Yourself

Amusement Machines

Coin Mechanisms & Bill Acceptors

Honor Snack and Drink Vending

Packaged Snack Vending

Cold Drink Vending

Fun Size Snack Vending

Bulk Vending: It's All In the Bottom Line

How to Start a Vending Machine Business

6 Reasons Why Vending Machine Businesses Are Great

Top 5 Reasons People Fail with Their Vending Machine Business

5 Things to Watch Out for in the Vending Business

Sources for Vending Machines & Which is Best

Things to Consider When Setting Up Your Vending Machine Business