Hey there Arcade Gamers, before I start posting guides on how to profit off arcade games, there are a few basic principles everyone needs to know, and some good rule of thumbs to go by. So if you're interested in learning how to play for profit, here are the basics you need to understand before you even put your first token into a machine.
1. Get the Fantasy's out of your head.
If you're going into this with the mindset of being able to quit your day job and make a fortune off playing at Arcades, you are going to fail. Yes you can get some cool stuff for cheap, and even re-sell high ticket items for a profit if you're good enough, but you are NOT going to make a living this way. Your goal should be to have fun, and make the most out of playing arcade games.
2. Understand what you want to gain.
Everyone is different in regards to why they choose to play for profit. Some people play for big items such as Ipads or video games that they can easily sell to make a profit. Spending 100$ in games, to get 200$ worth of prizes could get you some decent profit, and if anything pay for your arcade trips. As for me, I don't have the patience to do that, my goal is usually to get something for myself, or something I think would make a nice gift for someone else, and try to get it cheaper then I would going to a store. A few years ago when I was at Dave and Busters (there isn't a D&B where I live, so I don't get to go here often) I ended up spending around 150$, and by the end of the day I won a Nintendo DSi, and an Xbox 360 game. Had I bought both of those at a store, I would have spent probably over 200$, so I ended up saving myself 50 bucks, and got to have a whole day of playing at an Arcade. To me, that is a successful day, but to someone who is looking to resell, that would be a small profit margin for them. Everyone is different, and if you identify what you want to accomplish, you'll be on a better track.
3. Realize that Arcades exist to make money
Remember those times as a kid, where you would play Stacker, and get right at the very top to win a major prize like an Xbox, and at the very last round, you SWEAR you hit it right, but the game said you lost? And then you probably cried about it and everyone said you were just a sore loser? Turns out, you were actually right, plenty of games are actually designed like Casino games to be impossible to win until the machine has earned enough money. In fact, comparing arcade games to casino games is actually a very great way to explain this. To put it simply, lets say there is a game with a 100$ gift card as a prize. The machine could actually be programmed to always lose no matter what the player does, until the machine has received 150$ in plays. Then the game becomes skill based, and a player can win the prize. This is how arcades make their money, because in that example, the arcade makes at least 150$ for that 100$ gift card. Its a fair practice that you can't blame the arcades for, but knowing how to identify which games are programmed like this is the first step you should take. While most games are programmed with a predetermined payout, some games do rely on skill and skill alone. These are the kinds of games you want to focus on, because with practice, you could consistently hit jackpots and win big.
4. Read Game manuals
I just explained how some games have a rigged payout system, but I didn't explain how to tell which games do and don't have them. The easiest way to find out for yourself of course is to use the power of the internet, and look up the game's manuals. If you've ever bought a video game, you know games come with manuals, and arcade games are no different. Most Arcade game vendors, have the game's manuals on their website, intended for arcade owners to be able to look them over before purchasing. Of course that also means we as players can use this to our advantage to look out for games that are designed to lose. If you were to look up a Stacker machine's manual, you would see a section on how to set a payout. If you see something like this for any game, its probably a game you don't want to play. If you read the manual and don't see anything about how the arcade can set how often the game win's or loses, then that is a game you want to spend more time on. Basically, you gotta do a little research.
5. Pick a good time/location to play
This last tip can vary depending on what you are trying to accomplish, but this rule is very important for those looking to make a profit. If you're looking to make big profits, you're likely going to spend 4-7 hours on one machine, playing over and over again, while tickets pour out of the machine with no sign of stopping. This attracts A LOT of attention, both from spectators, and employees. So you should pick a time where there won't be as much traffic for a number of reasons. First, you're hogging a machine for hours, and that is actually out of your control. If you hit 3 jackpots in a row, even if you get up to let someone else play a round, you are still going to have to wait a good 10 minutes for your tickets to finish dispensing, and even though that isn't your fault, you might get a parent of a kid who gets annoyed with you and complains. Second, you might attract children who will steal tickets from you, or beg you to share with them. I usually do give alot of prizes/tickets away to kids because I like making people happy, but if you're playing for a profit, that isn't something you can really do, and its going to be hard to explain that to someone. If you play during times where kids are at school, and people are at work, you'll avoid problems. The location is also very important too. Big chain arcades like Dave and Busters or Gameworks, typically don't have a problem with Advantage players. In their eyes, customers seeing you hit jackpot after jackpot are going to make them want to play more, and they won't do as well as you thus making them money. I was on a first name basis with many Gameworks employees back when we had one where I live, and they knew I was making profit off them, but I was never asked to leave or stop playing. However I have been asked to leave smaller arcades in the past, because small arcade owners typically struggle to get by, and fear players like me could put them out of business. Most recently was a few years ago where I found a Skill Based Claw Machine, and was cleaning the machine out of all its prizes, and giving them to spectators, I was asked to leave by a manager. So if you're playing for profit, go to a big arcade, if you can't then make sure you always respect and follow what local arcades say. If you cause trouble, you not only make other advantage players look bad, but you risk not being able to return to that arcade. If you really want to fight it, respectfully ask to talk to a manager, share some of your knowledge of arcade games and try to make them understand that you aren't making a bazillion dollars at their expense like they may fear.
Hopefully this helps you get started on your arcade adventures. If even one person reads this, and uses my advice to win big at an arcade, I'll know this blog is worth it. One day when I open my own arcade, I'm going to make sure I only have skill-based games, and encourage players to try and improve their game.
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