Intro: You Want to Open a Gaming Arcade? (Insert Excessive Paperwork Here)
Okay, so you woke up one morning probably mid sip on your second gallon iced coffee, the good stuff, with oat milk because your gut gave up in 2020 and decided: Yeah, I’m gonna open a gaming arcade. Maybe it was after rage quitting Mario Kart for the 137th time, or maybe your TikTok said, pursue your dreams (first mistake right there). But before you start imagining all those blinking arcade cabinets in your neon lair, let’s talk IDs. Yes, actual government IDs not your old Blockbuster card. Because nothing says adulting like filling out forms while surrounded by mint condition Donkey Kong machines. What IDs do you really need for a gaming arcade? Grab your energy drink this is going to be a wild ride.
H2: The Tax ID AKA the Are You for Real? Number
Let’s rip the Band Aid right off: Your gaming arcade will NOT escape the clutches of the IRS. The Tax ID (a.k.a. EIN, Employer Identification Number) is your business’s social security number. And yes you have to get one. It proves to banks, tax people and that one aunt who’s just checking in that you’re not running an underground Nerf arena.
- Want a business bank account? Tax ID.
- Gonna hire real humans (not just your roommate paid in Bagel Bites)? Tax ID.
- The IRS loves it. Banks love it. You? You will learn to tolerate it.
Can you use your own SSN if you’re riding solo? Sometimes. But real talk a gaming arcade with a solo owner sounds like a TikTok gone wrong.
H2: Business License Because Apparently I Have Games Isn’t Enough
You thought getting your Tax ID was peak adult drama? Welcome to the world of business licenses. Your city/county/state wants receipts, friend.
- Most places require a general business license. That’s code for Please pay us a nominal fee to exist.
- You’ll probably need a public amusement license or something equally bureaucratic, which costs way more than you planned for (some major cities want $2,000 $10,000 just to say ya done good).
- The fee pays for something. We don’t know. No one knows.
Pro tip: Research early. Bureaucracy runs on coffee breaks and existential dread.
H2: Zoning and Permits Because the Suburbs Fear Your Pac Man
News flash: Not everywhere wants your dazzling wall of blinking retro games next to their nail salon.
- Zoning Permit:
If your building isn’t in a Commercial Entertainment zone, you better start doing interpretative dance for your planning commission. - Occupancy Permit:
Is your gaming arcade the fire hazard TikTok warned you about? The fire department will check. Get this permit so the only thing burning is the competition. - Distance Requirements:
Some places demand your arcade be X feet from schools, churches, or the mystical boundary of fun is not allowed. (Seriously, 125 250 feet is a thing in some towns.)
Bonus: You’ll get to know your local government officials and they probably won’t follow you on Instagram.
H2: Sales Tax ID Congrats! Now You Can Annoy Your State Too.
Not to sound like your dad on April 15, but if you’re selling tokens, snacks, T-shirts or just dreams you’ll need a state sales tax ID.
- This is how the state gets their slice of your pizza flavored profits.
- Usually, this means you’re collecting sales tax from customers and sending it to the state every month.
- If you forget, the state will remind you loudly and with a letter that looks like it was designed by a Bond villain.
H2: The Bonus Round Other IDs, Just in Case You Love Forms
- Food and Alcohol Permits:
Serving chicken tenders or White Claw? More permits for you! Get ready for a kitchen inspection that will haunt your nightmares. - Amusement Device License:
Some places need you to register each individual gaming cabinet like you’re drafting them into the arcade army. - Health Department Approval:
Just in case your bathroom tries to compete with the food court at the mall. Yes even your hand dryers might need a sign off.
H2: Gaming Arcade ID Survival Checklist The True Boss Fight
Before you can throw open your doors and let the Mountain Dew flow gather these sacred relics:
- IRS Employer Identification Number (EIN/Tax ID)
- Local/State Business License(s)
- Public Amusement/Entertainment Permit
- Zoning Certificate (and Occupancy Permit for bonus XP)
- State Sales Tax ID
- Optional: Fearlessness in the face of forms
Extra lives if you make it to the end without Googling What is a sole proprietorship? at 2 a.m.
Conclusion: You Made It, Arcade Overlord (But at What Cost?)
Congrats, caffeine warrior. You now know exactly which IDs will gatekeep your glorious gaming arcade dream. If you’re reading this having already filled out the paperwork, reward yourself with an unapologetically large pizza and a double shot of whatever keeps you vertical. If not? Well, you just got the ultimate side quest. Either way you’re now one Tax ID eighteen signatures and a modest bribe (kidding mostly) away from opening the greatest neon palace your town has ever rolled its eyes at. Good luck noble gamer. May your forms auto fill and your arcade tokens never jam.