I am thinking of putting some games on location in my hometown. Nothing major, but i noticed the campground i grown playing pinballs and vids is only carrying a teddy bear machine now.

The only location company in the area closed a few years ago as well... So, i might be interrested to start a small vids/pins location over there, nothing major, mostly for fun.. and nothing to leave my full time job either. I was wondering, what are the requirements, licences and such to run such a little business.

In other words, what do i need to be legal to the government (Quebec). I dont plan getting rich with that, just wanna make sure i do it correctly. Thx for any tips you can supply.

First of all?  ... you need some games!  

And a truck... and a shop... and parts... and location contracts...

and government permits... and a registered company...

ahah and what else goofball ?

I am talking about permits of course, games are not a problem, are they ?

I am talking one game to get a start with, i know owner of that place, the game would make 10$ i dont care, its a test...

If it's in Quebec, you need a permit.

Everything's there:
http://www.racj.gouv.qc.ca/documents/formulaires/francais/licence_app_amu_7010.pdf

At $300 per machine per year, you better ensure that it's worth it!

Don't forget that you'll need to split the ca$h with the 'landlord' PLUS any work (cleaning/fixing/etc)... c'est un pensez-y bien!

On the other hand in Ontario...

My $0.02

300$ a game... what a bunch of F#@*#@# thieves...

The Quebec government ALWAYS want a piece of the pie in something very lucrative. They singlehandedly killed almost all the arcades in the province. When some pencil-pusher saw that arcades were making lots of money, they decided that you need a permit to operate a machine in the 80's.

Now I don't know what is the percentage that goes to the person who owns the location (I thought they rented it to attract business...), but if you take that, plus the 300$, plus maintenance fees.... what is left????

..It's not by having a machine at a little campground that you are going to make a fortune... Keep in mind that the campground is open 6 months out of the year, and usually the machines are brutalized, meaning a weekly trip for maintenance and checks...

...Unless the machine is close by, and it is a great location, it is too much of a hassle...

I have a campground 5 minutes from my place and they always b**** about the service from their vendor... I have been thinking about it, but it seems to be too much of a pain...

Thx Frosken..

When i was working there, we used to split money with the owner of the machines in a proportion of 60-40. Machine owner was keeping 60% or the incomes... He was owning a lot of machines placed everywhere in the region.

I'll check it out more seriously, i can put them at some other location, bowling alley etc.. but at 300$ each yikes indeed...

1. You need to have a registered company
2. You need an operator permit
3. You need equipment
4. You need a license for each machine
4. You need excellent locations
5. You need lots of patience
6. You need money
7. You need a screw driver
8. You need a vehicle
9. You need a cell phone
10. You have to split the profit.

Yeah I was looking into it because in Gatineau there are no arcades except the movies.
When I figured out that it was 300$ per machine kind of killed the ideas
But then looking in to it some more more and more people want to play arcades again so maybe worth it but have to do more investigation.

Is the machine license a one time fee or annual ?

annual

No wonder they all disappeared...  

Yup I really miss it.
I use to go to Gatineau and buckinham allot becauser they had the best arcades in the mid 80 in ottawa
The one in ottawa where ok but was not as fun as over there.
There was more life in quebec in arcades then Ottawa go figure.
The best way to be a coin op is if your tax exempt then i could see it being worth it.
Anybody have indian as a best friend

In addition to the yearly fees in Quebec, splitting the cashbox
(often at 50%/50% between the machine owner/operator and
the location's owner), plus the maintenance/repairs,
I'd be worried about vandalism and theft.

No wonder many machines we find today often have graffitis on the cabinet,
plus these famous lock bars/holes in the front (to better secure the cashbox
against prying open too easily).

In Ontario, although machines do not need a yearly permit, at some point
(unsure now) they needed an additional isolation transformer (even in pinballs)
and the Hydro Ontario approval sticker, to operate them.


Cheers,
- Sylvain

Sylvain,

It's been a while since I've seen those 'ontario hydro' stickers on machines on location...

I must agree that I've had quite a few machines with a isolation Xformer...and/or a "Quebec (expired) vignette"...

I don't know if they would agree to this, but I would write up in your contract (with the location's owner) that you split the ca$hbox (50/50), you provide repairs (if broken), but they pick up the tab for any vandalism...broken glass/backbox, trashed cabinet, etc...

DOn't put your 'mint' game on lacotaion...or you'll probably get a 'nasty surprise'...

If you want to see machines on locationwhere the owner doesn't care about it's appearance and/or make it hard to get replays, come in the Ottawa area and check out for the "Henry Amusement" stickers...

They actually put 2"x4"s under the back legs for a 'steeper pitch' !!!!!!  

...Next time I stop by one of their machines on location, I should take pics of them...

That 2 x 4 thing is nuts !!

I think you pretty much convinced me now guys... i love Qc government... NOT !