How to Lease Coin-Op Arcade Machines

If you took a poll and asked Americans how many had played an arcade game at a restaurant or bar, you'd come back with a surprisingly high number of positive responses. So if you own a bar or restaurant, this can be a cash cow. The cost for the machines is low and the profit margin is high.

Contact arcade games leasing companies. They are easy to find on the web with a simple search. Some of the heavy hitters in the business are bmigaming.com and jimmiesamusements.com (see Resources below).

Talk to a sales representative about your arcade gaming needs. This conversation should be about what's popular and also what fits into your restaurant or bar business model. Ask them to provide financial statistics to back up their assertions.

Discuss the terms of the lease. Most leases in gaming require a 10 to 30 percent down payment for each machine. After that, a monthly fee kicks in. You also will be charged interest (think the way a car lease works), which can be significant. Most arcade games leases extend for no more than 2 years. This allows you to keep the games current.

Weigh the options of leasing versus buying. Leasing will cost you more over the long haul, but the advantage of never having to pay for repairs and lower monthly payments up front may be attractive to new business owners. However, when the game falls out of popularity, you will be stuck with it and will be forced to buy something more current.

Fill out the paperwork and submit your application for lease. After you fill out the initial paperwork, you will be provided with a contract. have an attorney review the document to make sure it represents what you agreed to.

Take delivery of your coin-op arcade machine, plug it in and let people play. Usually you can adjust the cost of the machine yourself. But outside of that, you should never have to bother with the machine. All you have to do is reap the profits.