What should the contract say about getting out?
Read the exit terms before anything else, because that single clause decides how stuck you are the day a vendor underperforms. The industry's most widely used starting point, the Amusement & Music Operators Association (AMOA) standard Location Agreement, runs a 60 month initial term with automatic renewal and requires 180 days advance notice to terminate (AMOA standard Location Agreement, terms as published via RePlay Magazine, 2018, association current as of 2026).
A long term with real notice is normal in this industry. What matters is knowing the numbers before you sign, not after. Ask directly: What is the initial term, in months? Does it auto renew, and does the notice clock reset if you miss the window? How many days notice does canceling require, and by what method? What happens to the equipment the day the contract ends? A vendor who cannot answer those in a sentence each has not read their own contract closely.
How should the revenue arrangement be documented?
The revenue arrangement should spell out three things in writing: how the split is defined and calculated, when and how often it pays, and what audit or reporting rights let you verify the number yourself. Those three questions, not a percentage anyone quotes you across the bar, are what a standard revenue sharing agreement is built to answer (ContractsCounsel, guidance on revenue sharing agreement terms).
This article will not hand you a split percentage to expect, from Foxfire or anyone else, since the honest answer depends on the vendor and your market. Demand the actual math instead: how gross revenue is defined before the split applies, whether the calculation happens on the machine or is reported separately, how often payment arrives, and what audit rights you have if the number ever looks wrong. A vendor confident in their own numbers hands you that formula without hesitation.
Who handles service, and how fast?
The vendor, not you, should own maintenance and repair under the agreement, with a maximum response time measured in hours, not a promise to come "as soon as possible." Standard equipment leasing agreements place maintenance responsibility on the party who owns the equipment, normally the vendor (Toast, on leasing restaurant equipment), and the AMOA standard Location Agreement places that same responsibility on the operator.
Get answers in writing: What is the maximum hours between a service call and a technician on site? Who pays for parts if something breaks that is not your fault? Is there a loaner unit while yours is down? A dead machine on a Friday night is a lost weekend, so make the response time a number in the contract, not a conversation you have after the fact.
What proof of certification and insurance should you demand?
Ask for the certifying lab's name and its accreditation, and ask to see the actual report rather than a marketing summary. Eclipse Compliance Testing (ECT) is accredited under ISO/IEC 17025 and ISO/IEC 17020 and has tested gaming, amusement, and skill game equipment across more than 250 regulated jurisdictions, work that is independently verifiable rather than a vendor's own claim (Eclipse Compliance Testing, lab accreditation). For Foxfire's own equipment, that same lab reviewed the source code directly, and its certification report states: "This device is not a slot machine."
Certification proves what the machine does. It says nothing about who is covered if a patron gets hurt near it, a separate question with its own paperwork. Ask for a certificate of insurance naming your venue as an additional insured, covering general and product liability, since carrying that coverage is standard for a legitimate bar equipment vendor (Wexford Insurance, on insurance requirements for bar and vendor operations). If a vendor cannot produce either document on request, keep looking.
What clauses quietly cost you money?
Three clauses do the most damage without looking dramatic on the page: exclusivity, auto renewal, and buried fees. An exclusivity clause barring you from placing any other vendor's machines, jukeboxes, ATMs, or games limits your own flexibility for the life of the contract, and federal guidance treats that kind of lock in as a real competitive restriction (FTC, guidance on exclusive dealing).
Auto renewal traps reset a long notice window every year you miss the cancellation date, locking you in far longer than the original term suggested (Flag.red, on red flags in vendor agreements). The third is upfront setup fees disclosed late in the document, after the pricing already looked settled (VendingGroup, on vendor contract red and green flags). None kill a deal alone. What kills it is not knowing they are there until you are three years into a five year term.
How do you compare two vendors side by side?
Print the table below, hand it to every vendor you are evaluating, and refuse to sign until every row has an answer in writing, not a verbal assurance. Getting agreements in writing before a problem happens is standard advice for any venue bringing in outside equipment (Hotel Management, on vendor agreements). The table forces the comparison onto paper, at the same time, instead of scattered across separate sales calls.
Vendor comparison checklist
| Question | Vendor A | Vendor B |
|---|---|---|
| Initial contract term and auto renewal terms | ||
| Notice period and method required to cancel | ||
| How revenue is defined, calculated, and how often it pays | ||
| Audit or reporting rights to verify the numbers | ||
| Maximum repair response time, in hours | ||
| Who pays for parts and who provides a backup unit | ||
| Certifying lab name, accreditation, and report available on request | ||
| Proof of general and product liability insurance | ||
| Exclusivity clause, and exactly what it blocks you from adding | ||
| Who pays for power and who owns the floor space during the term |
A vendor who fills in every row without hesitation has a contract built to survive scrutiny. One who talks around two or three rows has told you where to negotiate, or where to walk away. For the setup side of this, see what it takes to add a game machine to your bar and how much floor space entertainment equipment needs. See how Foxfire's own equipment is set up and supported on how it works, or browse more guides in Resources.