As most of you know I m originaly from Greece. In my homeland, Arcades are deemed to be illegal. This all started when some people were using old arcade cabinets to disguise illegal gambling boards, that could be turned on with a turn of a switch. The situation is really unsettling here, since I haven't played an arcade game since the Naomi days! I m really jealous when all of you start talking about the latest arcades cabinets and games, and it sucks to be in the only country that arcades are banned. However, based on EC law, the banning can be easily found to be illegal. The measures taken are disproportionate to the aims sought, and it is obviously a barrier to trade (namely the arcade and parts/software business). Unfortunately, since I m not directly concerned with the matter (meaning i m not an arcade vendor, or someone who is economically affected), I cannot make a valid claim. Thus, Greece is virgin land for whoever wishes to start an arcade business. If someone wants to open a chain of arcades they can easily challenge the statute, with no cost. Just writing a letter to the Commission and explaining the facts and citing the law and some cases should be enough ( I could personally assist in that). From there on, the EU court will just send a letter to the Greek Authorities, and everything will change. Being the first and only arcade-chain business in greece after such a long period of "dryness" can be very profitable. Whoever is interested please feel free to PM me (in order to discuss business strategy, planning, finance etc), since I'm in Athens at the moment and I can do things in person if needed. PS: I m mainly in it for the gaming part of things, but starting a business is a nice prospect, too, especially with a person from the boards. I hope you understand my anguish, the last games I played were Jumbo Safari and Sega Rally 2 ! ToDo list and Schedule: - set up an arcade business on paper and make stuff ready. - bump-in to the law. - complain to EU about illegality and disproportionate measures, as a barrier to trade, citing cases and appropriate Articles - start business, installing arcade machines in established amusement centers (such as Village Center cinemas) - expand business - makes money and go on holiday to the bahamas.
Whats EC stand for? Weren't the arcades that also ran illegal casino boards in the ring linked to the mafia and gangs there?
I m not aware of what you mention, but they were banned for the following reason: Certain old arcade cabinets were used to install fruity jack-pot games etc, that could be activated after a certain time by simply hitting a switch. Ofcourse, those cabinets are obsolete, and I doubt that someone would have used a Sega Rally 2 or Jumbo Safari cabinet to do something like that. EC stands for European Community, and it is a meaning that includes EU (but not the other way around)
The trouble in Greece is that they don't really listen to the EC. While I was living there, Greece was being fined several hundred million Euros for illegal (by European law) rubbish tips and for violating some pretty serious health codes (one such tip was in Crete, close to where I lived). To my knowledge that issue has still not been sorted and they are still receiving fines on a daily basis. They aren't listening. Although I think it's a valiant attempt, you know how the situation is there with red tape. It took me 3 months to get my AFM, and IKA was is renowned for being something difficult to obtain. The thought of trying to get a license for a video arcade is more like a nightmare than a dream! I loved Greece in many ways, but their bureaucracy is a bad joke. They deliberately make everything as hard as possible to obtain to put people off even trying, I think!
Can you elaborate on why you think an arcade in Greece would be profitable, while they are pretty much globally on the decline? I think i know of only 1 arcade in Holland, apart from some small arcades in holiday-parks but those arent there because they are profitable or anything...
I think it's the lack of them more than anything. Consoles are popular but gaming is harder to get into in Greece due to a lack of dedicated games stores and so forth. At least in Crete, anyway.
Sorry, back from holidays at Halkidiki! your points about the system are indeed correct. Being greek helps alot though, since with the proper connetions one can make things much speedier than if a foreigner or the average joe asked for them. Changing the law on this subject isn't going to be very hard. There have already been parts of the law that have been applied wrongfuly to internet cafes etc, and there have been high court decisions deeming sections of the law unconstitutional, let alone contra to the EC regulations. About the profitability, this is highly subjective. Since there is no organized arcade business going on in greece, it sure would be profitable for the first ones to be there. Also, don't forget that Greece, unlike other countries around the world, has a 24/24 night/day life, and billiards are usualy full of people, who also play alot of arcades (this was indeed the case before the law). Also, the hellenic ships transfer thousands of tourists and locals every summer to greek islands, and the trips are anywhere between 1 and 10 hours - and with alot of youth going on those trips. Thats why arcades were successful aboard the ships before the law, too, so you'd find a big variety of the latest stuff there. The only visible profit to make is the one that was lost when the law was made, with the only difference being that if one central company hits the market first, the marketshare and thus the profits wouldn't split as they used to. It isn't that bad a profit - plus,who doesnt love business trips to Greece and Japan? Building profit from then on is just a matter of marketing and personal relations, as well as market tendencies. The thing with business in Greece is that if you get it right, it hits the sky. People are under a heavy influence of "mass effect" and anything that becomes a trend makes tons of profit - for example internet cafes and Counter Strike, greeks spend ALOT of time on that crap, as well as Line Age 2 and WoW (on internet cafes, not at their own homes). Its all about the game though in the end
