My local LGS has 10 6x4 tables fully stocked with terrain (and more terrain in bins under the tabled. Next to that is an area about twice the size with about 16 bare tables for card / board / mat based games. The other 3/4ths of the stare is dedicated to merchandise, various TTG, card games, board games, and comic books. My LGS is also free to play. I have played and shopped there for 15 years now.

The one I go to charges $3 for the day, but they do have a lot of gaming space available. Since it's the only time I get to play x-wing for real since I have no friends or family who play, it's worth the cost.

I'll be honest; if my local gaming store charged me to sit down to play a game, I would have walked out the first time I walked in and never returned.

I would also have quite a bit more money.

My FLGS hosts a Wednesday night "Board Game night" where anyone can come, and either bring their own game from home or try a store copy. Back when I was a newbie gamer (I think X-Wing was my only non-generic board game at the time), I showed up for a few of these game nights, and have barely missed a Wednesday since. As a result, I have played a BUNCH of games that I would have never even picked up, let alone enjoyed, and spent more money there than a guy with as tight a budget as I should have.

Had the owners charged me a fee, I wouldn't have ever come back. Even if it was something small, (like buying a drink) I would shy away, knowing that IF I want to enjoy a game with other gamers, I HAVE to pay. It may sound cheap, or petty, but that's just how I see it.

Tournaments and other specific events, on the other hand, I have no problem paying an entry fee. Though I don't play, my store seems to have a Magic tournament going on every Saturday, and I have been to a few X-Wig tournys as well. Paying a few bucks as a way to say "Hey, thanks for the putting time and effort into making this event run smoothly, and making it enjoyable!" seems more than fair.

Spite has real money value Hoosteen, it is perfectly natural.

the stores that charge to play do they also offer 2 dollar cokes. and small bags of snacks for 2 or 3 bucks a bag? just wondering as a few stores that i have been to it seems like they make more money on food then they do games... also some of them didn't charge to play but still sold EXPENSIVE snacks.... Never really had a local game store once i left the Orlando area. the ones around my neck of the woods are all Magic stores. however there is a new one that i haven't checked out yet... Not that i have anything against magic, as i got no clue what its about except it seems like its a game about collecting SPECIAL cards and that's about it..lol also seems like the magic crowd is kind of young.. but what ever. personally i would rather play at my House. I have the space. better snacks and waaaaay better bathrooms.. and i don't have to listen to somebody drop the F bomb every couple of seconds. Also its usually quite enough to carry on a normal conversation! unless the wife is watching football in the next room then it can and WILL get quite loud!! maybe a better solution would be a "Tip" jar... good gaming stores with good service i might be willing ti "Tip"... wouldn't want to play at a pub as I have seen what happens when you get a bunch of drunk gamers together!! long long time ago when Axis and allies came out we used to get beer/snacks and play marathon games while TDY at places that obviously were not very fun places to be at..lol otherwise we would all be off base chasing women and or drinking..now i don't do ether.. lol well maybe an occasional Mikes hard lemonade on a hot day after some extensive yard work. but family life changes you.. not that i am complaining at all.. My current job is to simply be "Arm candy" for my wife.(Thats what i tell her anyway). as she still works while i hold down the fort! and now that my daughter is off at university my Job is even easier!!! lol

The ones i go, sell the snacks at the regular price you would find elsewhere.

hmm i do a bunch or bike riding and always thought a Coffee/bike shop would make a good combo.. What about a a simuler type of game store? i know some of the larger book stores around kind of do that already. just seems like there would be less problems with folks hyped up on caffeine/ Cappuccino then alcohol.. kind of like a Starbucs game store?? although i often wondered if folks just went into a starbucs and just started playing what they would do? I mean its no worst then the hipster in skinny jeans with his mega sized laptop and assorted papers strewn all over the place? Hmm maybe I ought to "Kickstart" this concept..lol

All the places around me are free - but I could see paying a "retainer" cost as well. I would never go anywhere that I had to pay to occupy an empty table, but if there were to be an event or maybe a high volume night (like a Friday or Saturday) I would be okay with paying a small fee to reserve a table on retainer for when I got there.

To clarify, my store only charges if you're reserving the space for your use. They often have kids birthday parties (and adult birthday parties, for that matter) and other events on the weekends, so if you're reserving the space, it's not available for other things. A nominal charge is (a) reasonable and (b) discourages people from reserving it and then not showing. If there's nothing going on, people are welcome to come in and play one of the couple hundred demo games, etc. at the tables.

I am constantly amazed at the number of people that expect free stuff.

is the space segregated? just wouldn't want to be playing X-wing next to a bunch of toddlers at a Birthday party!!!!

my local store doesn't charge or let's you reserve space. It's first come, first served. But the store does have 4 (miniatures)gaming tables and 4 rows of 3 (seats four people) normal tables. So space isn't really an issue, (except for the occasional magic tournament)

You are all missing the point, as do most gamers. Your favorite local game store is NOT a game store, it is a business! It exist to make profit (hopefully) and prosper. But due to special genre you need more than a register monkey to run a successful game store. A smart proprietor recognizes that his free table space is built in marketing, it promotes sales. Most players will likewise want to purchase from this store that provides them such a refuge. Now does that same player feel that affinity to purchase from the shop that charges to play? I sure don't. They are paying for the space, why not save a bunch and by online at savings.

I live in t he 3rd largest metro area in the USA. Amongst the free play and pay per play stores, we have two categories: The free play stores that are open and in business and those that used to charge to play and have closed their doors and are defunct.

I know quite a few stores that have game rooms for reservations that are often used by parties. The one I go to if there is an event and the room is not reserved then they often open it up for the event.

I think it isn't a bad business concept. Many places that have social gatherings have used private rooms that get booked for a small fee. I think that it is better to have most of your space publicly available as a first come first serve free space. I don't think a lot of gaming clubs have all of their seating as a pay only spot unless they had some other drive or incentive to get customers to use their store. There are many places to sit and have a game, it wouldn't make sense to pay for only that.

Omaha has at lease seven game stores (which is a ton for a community of its size) with play space and none of them charge. I never experienced game stores charging when I lived in Lincoln, or anywhere in southeastern WI. The expectation is, of course, that if you use space consistently that you will throw the store a bone.

If there are tournaments, there is usually a five dollar entry fee that the store uses part or all to buy prize support. When you forge a really good relationship with a store they'll contribute 100% to prize support.

Thanks for everyone's replies. At least I'm in the majority in thinking pay-to-play's a poor business model.

A new store has opened in my area, an area populated but free-to-plays, and I hope they rethink the direction they've decided on.

Charging to use the store's space isn't necessarily a bad business model, it is just almost always a bad business model here in the States. From what I have gathered reading similar threads on Warseer, it is much more common and accepted in England, and there are lots of reasons for that. Here in the States we have lots of space. That makes it very easy to find a place to spread out and play games. Many people's homes have enough room to play big wargames, stores don't usually have difficulty providing enough space, university student centers with all the space you could ever need, even occasionally church buildings available to youth groups during the week. Also, in the US everyone has a car. Unless they live in a big city, people here drive to stores, and are used to driving, sometimes 30-45 minutes to get to a store they are going to. Under those conditions it is easy for game store owners to rent space in low rent areas where they can get a lot of space for cheap. Given these conditions, finding a place to play is pretty easy and the idea of charging someone to use what they could find elsewhere with 30 seconds of thought is pretty ludicrous, so US stores almost always see play space as a loss-leader perk to be used to get people in the door. In other countries though, population density is much higher, space is limited and many (possibly most) people generally walk or take buses/trains to go shopping. Frequently game stores are smaller and located in higher rent areas so they are more accessible. In those conditions, a store may not be able to afford enough space to give everyone who wants to play space to do so, and space to play may be seen as a much more valuable commodity, so charging a nominal fee makes a lot more sense

If you have ever bought anything online, you dont have any rights to complain about pay-for-play tables. If you do complain about it, it is extremely hypocritical of you.

I think that the nature of the local gaming community makes it an imperative for stores to do what they must in order to survive. The FLGSs that I frequent do not charge, but they do have snacks/drinks available from a vending machine in once case, and alcoholic drinks at another. They're not the only such venues in town. I think it's a function of a thriving gaming community that FLGSs can afford to be so open. In communities where gaming is not as prevalent, or space is more expensive, the FLGS has to do what they can. I wouldn't be offended.

Now, I do try to throw them love of my purchases when I can as a form of tribute. I could easily order stuff online for much cheaper, and I can understand it if you do if you're on a short budget, but I do feel like I pay-to-play through the honor system of buying the products they sell.

So I've been a local at 3 different gaming stores.

First was GW. Nuff said, does what it says on the tin.

Second was The Rift in Peterborough. Great store. Has a large upstairs space that is free to use as long as the store is open. In the evenings they close the store to gen pub, but hold all their tourneys - Heroclix, Attack Wing, etc on weekdays, Magic on Friday and Sunday, Yu-gi-oh on Saturday. No charge, no pressure to buy, drinks for sale. Only reward scheme was 5% off per £100 spent.

Current is Forbidden Planet in Liverpool. Their gaming area upstairs is only open Wed eve for RPG's and all day sat for miniatures and board games. No charge, and anything you buy on gaming day is 10% off if you are a member of the club, and membership is free.

All in all, I've been fortunate in my options.

In my area I'm lucky to have 3 different game stores. None of which charges any $ to play pick up games. 1 store has a donation jar for play space. The biggest of the 3 has enough space and tables to where I could run a 64 player event. She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid. Only time we pay to play is when the store get us a prize kit. Then it's $5 per person. Same with the other venues.

So I've been a local at 3 different gaming stores.

First was GW. Nuff said, does what it says on the tin.

Second was The Rift in Peterborough. Great store. Has a large upstairs space that is free to use as long as the store is open. In the evenings they close the store to gen pub, but hold all their tourneys - Heroclix, Attack Wing, etc on weekdays, Magic on Friday and Sunday, Yu-gi-oh on Saturday. No charge, no pressure to buy, drinks for sale. Only reward scheme was 5% off per £100 spent.

Current is Forbidden Planet in Liverpool. Their gaming area upstairs is only open Wed eve for RPG's and all day sat for miniatures and board games. No charge, and anything you buy on gaming day is 10% off if you are a member of the club, and membership is free.

All in all, I've been fortunate in my options.

Wow 10% of for a free membership is good! seems like a nice place!

There'd have to be a perk for payment for me to do that. There are plenty of libraries and universities that'd let us use space for free, and pubs that'd be happy to have us as long as we ordered a beer or two. If a store wanted to charge a fee, they'd need to have something to make that up.

That being said, a local place has some rooms for rent for parties and events and such, which I've taken advantage of, but even then, the cost of the room is reduced by the price of any foods/drinks ordered by folks in the rooms. It often ends up being free, unless you have a really sedate group.

If a store wants to increase revenue, this is probably the wrong way to do it.

I would not mind a small fee too much if it translated into store credit as well.