sprint54fan Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 Anyone doing coin shooters? Have a local resturant/bar that wants me to put 2 in the bar area and 2 in the resturant side to try them out..I see them cheap on ebay.. any help would be greatly appricated!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sprint54fan Posted April 9, 2009 Author Share Posted April 9, 2009 Still wondering if ANYONE is doing coinshooters?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nam Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 I haven't done coinshooters and not sure it would be worth the potential trouble. The laws on gambling and deciding what is a game of skill and what is a gambling device are very gray areas. Often left up to local District Attorneys and local Sheriff's to decide what they think is gambling and what is not. I would advise you not to try that in this resturant/bar because they serve alcohol. It's my understanding that in Illinois you can have quarter pushers in a Dairy Queen but not in a convience store that sells beer. In other words they tie drinking and gambling together. If the sheriff has any doubt he might look the other way if not in a place that serves alchol. This would cause you a much larger problem should he or the DA decide they want to get a little attention and go after you. I would try somewhere with no alchol. It will not matter and they do not care if you think it's not a gambling device. It doesn't matter how much you think it is a game of skill and not gambling. If they are running for office or have people complain these are gambling devices you are in trouble. They may be nice and tell the owner of the business to remove them. They may arrest or threaten to arrest the owner of the business. They may issue a warrant for your arrest and you may end up paying thousands of dollars in fines to help support some little town that needs the money. In my opinion these little machines are not going to make enough money to risk the potential problems that may come with them. These little machines are for sale everywhere! If they made good money and didn't have any problems everyone that has them wouldn't want to sell them. Just place a Shootin Hoops machine and don't try to fight city hall. nam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sprint54fan Posted April 9, 2009 Author Share Posted April 9, 2009 I thank your right nam..I always look forward to reading your post..I find them very informative.. I even voted for this post to be POTD!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antoniocinisi Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 all the poker machines everywhere that are "for amusement only" never seem to get anyone arrested though.imo the pushers wont be that much differant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nam Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 sprint54fan, Thank you for the POTD vote and hope my post prevents you from any unexpected meetings with the local authorities. nam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nam Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 antonio, I've placed alot of those 8 line poker machines, quarter pushers but not the coin shooters. It's hard to understand but you can place machines of this nature in one town and have no problem and the next town down the road will arrest you. You can place machines and run them for a long time and then one day the locations call and say the machines are unplugged and turned facing the wall and you have 24 hrs to get them out. That's if you're lucky!!! Some business owners have been arrested and taken to jail and warrants issued for the owners of the machines. I know operators whose machines have been confiscated that had been on location for years. This was because a new sheriff was elected and decided they were illegal. A friend of mine was fined over $10,000 for placing a quarter pusher in the wrong small town. Now you can fight this for sure. You can spend a small fortune trying to win your case in court but it's easier to remove your machines if given the chance. They have all the power, authority and it just isn't worth the cost to fight them. What you can do today someone may tell you tomorrow you can't. The quarter pushers or coin shooters are small potatoes and shouldn't in my opinion be put in the same class with 8 line poker machines. People losing a few quarters is pretty small compared with losing hundreds or thousands playing the poker machines. But I can tell you from experience that alot of District Attorneys and Sheriffs don't make the distinction. Coin Shooter Machinesâ€, “Coin Shooting Machinesâ€, and “Table Top Candy/Shooting Machines†are not legal in some states and are considered gambling. Some companies call them “Amusement†or “Redemption†or “Skill Gamesâ€. Contact your Attorney General’s Office and get the facts. Machines like this could be illegal now or in the future by your state. nam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antoniocinisi Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 I am pretty sure they are Illigal here.I have thought about getting a coin pusher and possibly useing tokens like they do at the carnivals around here. I have wanted to talk to someone first and getting the facts straight. my idea was to get a token machine and the pusher,put monoploly money across the playing field and what they droped was what they could cash in for"amusement".this is just a rough idea but you get the picture. these machines are very addicting.I love them and play them anytime I got to a fair or where ever they are. I wish pusherman was still around,does anyone else do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nam Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 Antonio, You have a machine on craigslist over in Champaign/Urbana right now at $850. That's not too bad but should be able to find them cheaper. The problem comes from real money coming off that edge to the customer. Tokens are no problem. If you took a normal quarter pusher and put in tokens the tokens would be all falling off the front edge to the customer. You'd be spending too much on tokens. You need a machine that is setup for tokens with tickets like you see at Chuck E Cheeses. Some of the companies that build the machines make them for one way or the other usually but some are setup up for both. "Pot O Silver" machines is a nice quality machine that can be bought for real quarters or tokens with a ticket dispenser. Quarter pushers can make alot of money fast but the popularity of the machine will wear off after awhile. You may be making $400 to $800 a week in a location and after a few months only making $150 a month! If you serve beer with your pizza you can't have it in your business. It doesn't matter if they consume it on the premises or get it too go. If there is booze in an Illinois business it can't have the pusher. That being said you can still not run them in alot of the state. Make that the majority of the state! There are more in the southern part of Ill. and not many in northern Illinois. If you want one watch ebay or craigslist and let me see the ad before you buy. Take a picture into your local county sheriff and just talk to him. He may have seen some and know what they are and tell you right away not in his county or tell you no problem. I had more problems with county DA's and county sheriffs than city police departments. If you could run one with no problem and move it from one location to another every 3 to 4 months you'd make alot of money. I serviced my route twice a week for these machines as the customers don't play much once the prizes are off the playfield. Only collected once a week. Had some locations that I had to place multiple machines as one wouldn't do it and people would line up waiting to play. I bought some machines up in Illinois that this guy had until the local church people started picketing because they decided it was gambling and he had to pull his machines. Really! It's nice not having to worry when the phone rings that it is gonna be some sheriff telling you to get out of Dodge and don't come back in his county. Been told that exactly like that! The bulk business is much more relaxing and in the long run probably as profitable because candy and toys won't lose their interest and keep working year after year. nam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antoniocinisi Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 the sheriff has been sheriff for 20 years,lives across the pizza shop and is a friend of the family.his son, a deputy is one of my regular poker buddies. I host an almost weekly game in my game room. getting arrested for this machine is unlikely,even with local law enforcement. I have a lot of things going on,when the time is right I might do a pusher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nam Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 You have it made with the your connections for sure. Do you also know the District Attorney in your county? Sounds like you are well connected there. Often these guys are not even familar with the law on these machines and won't pay any attention to them - it's only a quarter. Often the issue is brought to their attention by a competitor that is jealous - your competitor or the locations competitor. Religious groups call the DA and push the issue so they have to take action. Most of the time the DA and Sheriff have better things to do with there time and would rather look the other way and not get involved. However, they are politicians and will do what they gotta do too. I would suggest you keep watching the ads for Missouri, Illinois and Indiana. Don't think there are any in Iowa. I know there have been issues in both Illinois and Iniana so that means there will be machines sitting in someones garage needing to be sold. I've picked up alot of these machines for $300 - $400 each. Once they've been told to remove the machine from their business it doesn't have much value anymore. Plus they probably made so much money that the machine paid for itself anyway. I wouldn't pay over much over $300 for one as know if you look you'll find one for that price. Then if you get told to get it out you'll not have much in it and hopefully made your money back. nam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antoniocinisi Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 when the DA was going for judge a few years ago I let him put a vote for sign in my yard,and other things. I am very confident that I would get away with just haveing to remove the machine. I would rather not put these people in this position though.I will have all my ducks in a row when I am ready for a coin pusher. my family has been doing business in this county and the next for almost 40 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nam Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 Very cool! I gave some thought to putting some out here. Maybe 2 seconds. We are in Maricopa County - home of Sheriff Joe Arpaio. This guy loves media attention and goes after everybody for anything! Once in his county jail he makes all the men wear pink underwear - really! He dyes their meat with green dye to make it totally unappetizing. He houses them in tents in the desert with no heat or air conditioning when it's 115 degrees. Don't think I'll try my luck with quarter pushers or coin shooters or anything else in this Sheriffs territory. nam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antoniocinisi Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 I`ve heard of the guy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nam Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 He's on all the TV talk shows and makes the national headlines on a regular basis. He thinks part of his job is to make sure anyone put in his jail doesn't want to come back. I wouldn't want to go in the first place. lol nam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reel Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 Sounds like Antonio is the local mafia capo lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nam Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 Antonio is very fortunate to have the friendship of the sheriff for sure. Even if he had to get the machine out of his business they would no doubt give him a warning first. It pays to have connections! nam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antoniocinisi Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 I have to say that most of these friendships are because of my dad who started our other business almost 40 years ago in this town.I just do what I can. I feel it is good to have friends anywhere from the sheriff to the bus boy at dennys,ecspecialy being in business. today I got a free car wash because I always shoot the breeze with the attendant when he comes in and treat him right. in regards to placeing a coin pusher it may help that my wife is an alderman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Snacks Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 Well speaking of gambling... Anyone ever put dollar bills in capsules and mix them with other toys or gumballs? I bought a route a few years ago and the original vendor would place 1, 5 and even 10 dollar bills into the machine! The owner of a wing restaurant told me that the machine once did $200 per month! But it was discontinued when someone smashed his door glass one night and looted the machine and the money - but left the gumballs! I took out the money capsules in all but one location that insisted on keeping it. One restaurant owner was upset that his commission dropped dramatically and I eventually removed the machine because he was such a jerk about it. I have seen no other vendors in this area do this and I assume it is illegal. But if you can get away with it, it can double or triple the revenue. Hmmm... How about some dollar bills in round capsules placed into a Shootin Hoops - now THAT would be cool! I will never understand the gambling mentality, but it is extremely powerful - not to mention a source of revenue for the state and essentially a tax on the poor (who says that liberals only want to tax the rich!). Gambling suddenly becomes okay when the state (and both parties) can profit from it! The Seminole Indians just added Blackjack tables to their casinos on the "reservations" in exchange for a $100 million annual payment to the state brokered by our (Republican) Governor Crist. Funny, not even the conservatives are screaming too much about it since this state desperately needs the money. Jax Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antoniocinisi Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 I do free personal pizza coupons at A Boys and Girls club.I will try to do money in caps on a rack or two ,intresting idea. I have seen sticker machines around here with win 5 dollars on them. how do you post it on the machine? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Snacks Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 No Kelly, I was not joking. I have a few Hoops where I do vend round capsule toys and never had a problem with them breaking. Sometimes a toy will roll "funny" due to it's shape and center of gravity in the capsule - but it eventually makes it way down the ramp. But have never tried the money in one. It could be incredible when you figure that you can get a 2 or 3 times increase due to the hoops game and then another 2 or 3 times increase due to winning some money. I am very tempted to try it! One downside (besides the legality factor!) that I mentioned is that the machine is more susceptible to a smash-and-grab robbery due to the money in the machine. I would not advertise it, just place some money balls on the outer edge of the globe and see what happens. Jax Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Snacks Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 Still wondering if ANYONE is doing coinshooters??In my nine years, I have only ever seen them in one restaurant. They were in for about 6 months and then removed. Another problem is getting the owner to agree to the prize when a player hits one. He may not want to give away too many free lunches or drinks in exchange for a few quarters. Sounds like another biz-op fad gone bad to me.Jax Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nam Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 Hey Kelly, Have you got one of these in your house yet so you can practice shooting baskets yourself? My new personal record is now "21". The problem with getting a really high number is the darn gumballs will regularly roll over the center and come out even though you've made the basket. This game is a bit addicting once you start trying to better your score. If you haven't really played it give it a shot. nam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nam Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 Kelly, Great job getting those Shootin Hoops out. Did you get one of those out locating? Have you checked the first one you placed to see if it is still making around $7 a day? nam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Threeponys Posted May 24, 2009 Share Posted May 24, 2009 Well speaking of gambling... Anyone ever put dollar bills in capsules and mix them with other toys or gumballs? I bought a route a few years ago and the original vendor would place 1, 5 and even 10 dollar bills into the machine! The owner of a wing restaurant told me that the machine once did $200 per month! But it was discontinued when someone smashed his door glass one night and looted the machine and the money - but left the gumballs! I tried the dollar bills in capsules when I first got started in vending (1993). I had one of those 5 1/2 foot giant gumball machines at a location and pulled over $550 on average. Then was told by another vendor/mentor that it was illegal and get the money out of the machine. I never looked into it but he was mentoring me with great advice in the past so there was no reason to disbelieve him. Sales declined by 40%. Kept the location though until I sold that machine and relocated the business to Arizona. Looking back I don't see the harm in this because for a quarter you STILL get something for your money, unlike those worthless lottery tickets. If you're lucky, you get enough to buy 4 gumballs! However, I understand the vandalisim concern as well as the political hokey. This particular machine was in view of management and others at all times. Most on this forum will agree that good common sense in this business is important. Not every location would be a candidate for this type of marketing to increase sales. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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