licensing fees for free play?

[michelevit]

i posted the following question in another thread...

does a pizza shop / bar / other establishment need to pay fees if the game is on "Free Play"?

The answer given was no, but the door might need to be removed.
Just trying to find some more answers...

hypothetical. A pizza joint opens a restaurant with an attached arcade room. The arcade room is on free play, or with a credit button simulating coin presses.

Can the pizza joint make the room acceesible to only paying customer. ie buy a slice and a drink and enjoy some free games in our secluded arcade room.
But you can't just walk in and play for free.

Would you still need to licence the games then?
Thanks for the replies.

[Malenko]

These are questions for your local / state taxing office.

[mgb]

Well, if your plan is to run mame, I'd say its illegal.

I would think that if you have a multi game board set to free play, you'd probably not be bothered by anyone.

[pbj]

Fees?  What the hell kind of fees would you pay?

[Generic Eric]

These are questions for your local / state taxing office.

QFT

[BadMouth]

Why do you keep asking when you've been informed several times that it varies by locality?

Where I live, there are no permit fees or licenses required for coin operated games as long as they're not gambling machines.
However, if they're set to free play and you charge an entrance fee or rental fee, there's an amusement tax.
The local tax people here are ---daisies--- and would probably require you to pay the amusement tax in your above example.

Other counties in the same state have different laws.  Some require an annual permit for each machine.

[DaveMMR]

The bigger question here is: is the hassle really worth it? You'd have a free play arcade for customers but then you have people buying one slice to hang around and hog up the games.

Factor in electricity, floor space, upkeep/repairs (you think the kids in a pizza shop are going to treat the game with the same respect you would?) and remotely possible legal issues (you can say its free play but your taxman may need for you to prove it) and you're just inviting a headache.

[pbj]

This idiot doesn't have any money and is just whistling dixie to increase his post count.

Added to the ignore list! 

 

[Le Chuck]

Why on earth would you make people pay to play in this scenario?  Are you using the pizza to sell game time or are you using free game time to help sell pizza?  If the latter it's worth the small loss to put up with occassional free loaders so parents can turn their kids loose on your machines and not have to shell out for tokens.  Most people won't come to your place to freeload and not buy a slice or a drink.  Just over the coin mechs with tape (if you take the doors off someone will climb in and rip ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- apart for fun) put a sticky arrow pointing at the buttons and watch your shizzle get torn to shreds by hoardes of kids with sticky grubby paws. 

This idiot doesn't have any money and is just whistling dixie to increase his post count.

Added to the ignore list! 

 

KETTLE THIS IS POT!  COME IN KETTLE!  You're coming in black, over!

[DaveMMR]

Another question to ponder: is an arcade machine really the draw it used to be? It's not the 80's anymore. It would be more of a "yeah, that's neat" from people there to get a slice but will people flock there to play a 30 year old game when they have their PS4/Xbox One/not a WiiU at home?

(Remember we're talking about the general public here, not BYOAC denizens.)

[Generic Eric]

Another question to ponder: is an arcade machine really the draw it used to be? It's not the 80's anymore. It would be more of a "yeah, that's neat" from people there to get a slice but will people flock there to play a 30 year old game when they have their PS4/Xbox One/not a WiiU at home?

(Remember we're talking about the general public here, not BYOAC denizens.)

Not when you can play games on your phone that hit the same feels.  It would be nice to see the games at a bar, diner, pizza place.  It is also nice to see roller girls at the drive up restaurant.  But who else does that but Sonic? At limited locations at best.

The lack of acknowledgement to the basic points about different localities having different rules makes me feel like I am helping someone with there economics homework.

OK case in point.  What is your locality?  Do you own this pizza place? Or do you just want sell them and maintain machines for them?

[chopperthedog]

This idiot doesn't have any money and is just whistling dixie to increase his post count.

Funny thing, this is exactly what I think with every single post I read from you. Here's to hoping for another meltdown and sissy ass rage delete like you did before.


good day.

[pbj]

Meh, try harder.

 

[ark_ader]

This idiot doesn't have any money and is just whistling dixie to increase his post count.

Funny thing, this is exactly what I think with every single post I read from you. Here's to hoping for another meltdown and sissy ass rage delete like you did before.


good day.

Come on be nice. 

[Thenasty]

you can get more crowd if you give FREE SLICE of PIZZA

[DaveMMR]

you can get more crowd if you give FREE SLICE of PIZZA

Or just go full-fledged Chuck-E-Cheese with the place. Nolan Bushnell won't mind. 

[Mr_Numbers]

So while this legality thing keeps getting brought up let me ask the legality of tournaments.

Where exactly does that stand legally as a business running a tourney (either with a cash prize from a entry pool or something non monetary)?  How about a private citizen?

I'm curious because I just got a old cab to redo (I will post in projects once I get some more pictures  ) and lots of people have shown serious interest in a tournament of X or Y game.  It sounds like a great way to give some people that old school arcade feeling but I wouldn't want to get in legal trouble.  Thoughts?  Opinions?

[DaveMMR]

As a business owner, do you have a lawyer? Or someone for legal matters? You should be asking him/her these questions honestly if you are concerned about how it'll affect your livelyhood.

That being said - I go to a game place that has a MAME machine set up on free place for tournaments once a month. I don't think they've ever been hassled.

[Mr_Numbers]

As a business owner, do you have a lawyer? Or someone for legal matters? You should be asking him/her these questions honestly if you are concerned about how it'll affect your livelyhood.

That being said - I go to a game place that has a MAME machine set up on free place for tournaments once a month. I don't think they've ever been hassled.

No business here, I'm a private citizen and was just asking general questions about all of the scenarios. 

[ark_ader]

As a business owner, do you have a lawyer? Or someone for legal matters? You should be asking him/her these questions honestly if you are concerned about how it'll affect your livelyhood.

That being said - I go to a game place that has a MAME machine set up on free place for tournaments once a month. I don't think they've ever been hassled.

To be fair I don't think the lawyer would have much insight in the workings of arcade emulation.  I'm sure we have more knowledge on the subject as we are most often complicit.

[DaveMMR]

No business here, I'm a private citizen and was just asking general questions about all of the scenarios.

Ah, sorry. Your questions were oddly specific so I made assumptions. For the sake of the answers, let's pretend you are the proprietor of a pizza joint.

To be fair I don't think the lawyer would have much insight in the workings of arcade emulation.  I'm sure we have more knowledge on the subject as we are most often complicit.

It's not even about emulation. It's about running an amusement device in a business and what rules the owner needs to be abide by for his or her jurisdiction.