If you’re looking for a place to deck out your man cave, Worldwide Gaming is the place for you. The Hamel store sells everything you could possibly need from pool tables and slot machines to dart boards and roulette tables.
Owner Bradley Hansen created the store after his friend wanted to buy a slot machine for his mother for Christmas but realized he couldn’t spend $1,500 on a gift. Hansen found a company where he could buy four for $2,000 and after keeping one, sold the rest. He then bought a whole truckload of the games and sold them all in one week. This was in 1997; he now has a gross revenue of $3 million.
Hansen buys the used gambling equipment from corporate casinos and Native American casinos all over the United States. He refurbishes the equipment, then sells it to casinos and individuals all over the world. For his line of work, he has traveled to places including the Philippines, Russia, Macau and more.
New gambling equipment has a retail value of anywhere from $9,500 to $17,000, but Hansen sells the used equipment for $400 to $1,250 as well as more expensive pieces that are mainly for the casinos.
“My favorite part of Worldwide Gaming is to see grown men come in here and [they’re] like a kid in a candy store,” Hansen says. “I started with two nickels in my pocket and it turned out to be a thriving industry.”
