A redemption game earns credits and pays out tickets, and every ticket is a promise to hand over prize inventory at the counter. Divide what the tickets cost you by what the game took in and you have the payout percent — the single number operators use to decide whether a game is set too loose, too tight, or about right. Most aim somewhere between 20 and 30 percent.
A game that paid 18,500 tickets at 1.2 cents of prize cost each gave away $222, on $940 of revenue: a 23.62% payout.
The example
Three games from the same weekly read. Prize cost per ticket comes from the counter: total prize cost divided by total tickets redeemed, tracked over a month or two.
| A | B | C | D | E | F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Game | Tickets out | Cost/ticket | Revenue | Prize cost | Payout % |
| 2 | Coin pusher | 18,500 | $0.012 | $940.00 | $222.00 | 23.62% |
| 3 | Skee ball bank | 42,000 | $0.010 | $1,650.00 | $420.00 | 25.45% |
| 4 | Wheel spinner | 9,800 | $0.015 | $610.00 | $147.00 | 24.10% |
The formula
Dollar cost first, because that is what actually leaves the prize counter, then the percentage:
How it works
The payout percent is a cost ratio, and it takes two inputs most arcades already have:
B2*C2converts tickets into dollars. The cost-per-ticket figure is what the prize counter spends per ticket redeemed — usually one to two cents — not the face value you print on the ticket.E2/D2divides that by the game's revenue for the same period. Format it as a percentage.- Compare against the target. Under 15 percent and players feel cheated and stop playing; over 35 and the game is a prize-vending machine that loses money.
- Adjust the game's payout setting, not the prize cost. Then re-run this next week.
Card systems report tickets and revenue by game, so this whole sheet is a paste of the weekly export plus two columns.
Try it: interactive demo
Enter tickets paid out, your prize cost per ticket, and the game's revenue.
Variations
Verdict column
Turn the percentage into a word the floor manager can act on.
Room-wide payout
Sum the prize dollars and sum the revenue, then divide. Do not average the percentages — a big game and a small game do not count equally.
Pitfalls & errors
Cost per ticket drifts. When the counter restocks with pricier prizes, or a bonus-ticket promotion runs, every game's payout moves without the games changing. Recalculate the figure monthly from actual counter spend.
Track payout per game over time, not just per week. A game that creeps from 22 to 28 percent has a worn sensor or a mechanical fault, and that is a maintenance ticket, not a tuning change.
Do not divide by credits played instead of dollars earned. Bonus credits and bundle pricing mean a credit is worth different amounts on different days, and the percentage stops meaning anything.
Practice workbook
Frequently asked questions
What is a normal payout percent?
How do I get prize cost per ticket?
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