From Tokens to Tenfold: How Shark Tank’s Brad Baker Grew His Arcade Business with a Card System.

Like many arcade enthusiasts, Brad Baker cherished the nostalgia of playing pinball and arcade games with tokens. Sure, he occasionally dealt with the frustrating ticket and token jams, but the sentimental value made it all worthwhile.

However, Brad reached a breaking point when his branded tokens mysteriously vanished, and the cost of replacing them started to add up. “We found ourselves almost every two or three months having to buy another $5,000 or $10,000 worth of tokens,” Brad recalled. That’s when he decided to let go of the old and explore new arcade technology as an alternative to run his arcade.

With several years of industry experience under his belt, Brad was well-informed about the top card system companies to evaluate. After talking to each vendor, he felt Amusement Connect delivered the best experience. “They’re really the only ones willing to give us a chance with only a handful of games,” Brad stated.

Since this was Brad’s first card system, he was concerned about damaging his games during the self-install. Fortunately, other customers and members of the Amusement Connect community were willing to give him assurance, which helped him overcome his anxiety.

Customers were thrilled with the switch from tokens to game cards. The nostalgic sounds of dropping coins into the machines became a thing of the past when they experienced the incredible convenience of carrying a game card. “Their brain finally clicks when they learn this new trick of carrying a card to play games,” Brad added.

The best part of Brad’s success story was the “substantial” results he experienced after the switch to Amusement Connect. “We saw a 40% increase the first month…we did nothing that month except install card readers,” Brad exclaimed. Like many customers, they see a positive ROI on a card system without adding any new games.

Since the “substantial” revenue growth with Amusement Connect at his first location, he has expanded and added the system to his second location. Speaking about Brad’s business grow, he states, “It’s exponential because of how easy to grow with a card system.” Like many customers, his only regret is not getting Amusement Connect sooner.