Arcades Have Become Ticket-Dispensing Scams for Children
Let’s talk about tickets. Those stupid, stupid tickets. You know what I'm referring to - You feed a machine a fortune, win 300 tickets, and proudly march over to the prize counter thinking, Okay, I’m about to clean up.
Nope.
You quickly realize that 300 tickets can only get you:
- A tiny rubber dinosaur
- A sticky hand that will collect dust and hair before you even leave the building
- A plastic Slinky (There's ALWAYS a plastic Slinky!)
Meanwhile, you spot something actually good—a brand new drone! Excited, you check the price.
40,000 tickets.
You do some mental math. That means you’d need to spend roughly $600 at whack-a-mole for a $5 drone they bought from Wish.com.
I mean… come on.
Arcades Used to Be Simple. And That Was the Beauty of It.
Back in the day, arcades had a system. And it worked.
You walked in with $5, went to the quarter machine, and got that glorious avalanche of quarters pouring into your hands. You’d feel rich. This is my budget. These are my games. And then you’d plan your night accordingly:
- How many quarters can I sacrifice to beat The Simpsons Arcade?
- Should I save some for Time Crisis?
- Do I dare challenge someone in Mortal Kombat?
Every choice mattered. Every quarter spent felt intentional.
Now? They’ve ruined it.
You don’t use quarters anymore. Instead, you get a prepaid card that you have to “load up.” And naturally, they don’t let you load $5—oh no. Instead, your options look something like this:
- Load $60 and get 50 credits + 30 tickets + 5 mystery gems!
- Load $120 and get 110 credits + 70 tickets + 10 mystery gems!
I don’t want credits.
I don’t want tickets.
I have no idea what I’m supposed to do with gems.
I just want to play the games.
Arcades Used to Earn My Money—Now They Steal It
Listen, I never had a problem with arcades trying to take my money. That’s literally what arcades were built to do.
But back then, they got my money because I wanted to keep playing. When I lost, that “CONTINUE?” screen would stare me down, counting backwards, begging me to insert another quarter. And I did. Every time.
Now? I walk around the arcade and I’m actively struggling to find anything worth playing. Because it's not meant for me - It's a casino for children. Which is very very evil!
They got rid of all the actual games and replaced them with brightly colored slot machines designed for impressionable kids. But since they know nobody would ever willingly keep playing these casino games, they force you to pay upfront. That’s why they make you load a card instead of letting you just pay per game.
They know that if we could choose where to spend our money, we’d choose not to spend it at all.
Bring Back Real Arcades, and Watch the Money Flow
Now, I know what you’re thinking: Surely there are still some real arcades left!
And yeah, there are. If you dig deep enough, you’ll find a few old-school arcades that still have the same sounds, smells, and soul as the ones we grew up with.
But 99% of arcades today?
They’re basically Chuck E. Cheese—just without the pizza.
The crazy part? There are more gamers today than ever before. From five-year-olds to 95-year-olds, gaming is mainstream. Arcades should be thriving. If they simply brought back actual games, priced fairly, they would be packed every weekend.
Instead, they chose the soulless casino route.
And that’s why arcades today aren’t magical anymore. They’re just evil.
