Indoor entertainment

Books and taxes for esports and LAN gaming centers.

Hourly gaming rates, tournament entry fees, prize payouts, and a rig of gaming PCs that needs constant upgrading. Gus sorts all of it, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.

Book a call What we handle
  • From $197 a month
  • An accountant on every transaction
  • Cancel whenever
AprilExample month
$7,200
what you made

April came in at $7,200. A regional tournament brought in solid entry fees, and I kept the prize payout separate so you can see the event's real margin.

  • Hourly session salesGaming stations
  • Tournament entry feesTournament events
  • GPU and hardware orderPC hardware upgrades
  • Tournament prize payoutTournament events
  • Energy drink distributorSnacks and drinks
Money in$24,800
Money out$17,600
Set aside for taxes$1,400
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

Esports center books go wrong in the same few places.

A generalist sees hourly gaming fees and a snack fridge. Your business runs on hardware that ages out fast, tournaments with real prize payouts, and a mix of memberships and walk-in sessions. When the books do not know that, you cannot tell whether an event actually made money once prizes are paid.

  1. 1

    GPU and hardware upgrades read like a supply run

    A round of graphics card or PC upgrades across thirty stations can cost as much as a fleet of vehicles, and filed as supplies, it wrecks the month's numbers and hides that it is a long-term asset that needs planned replacement.

    What we doBooks hardware upgrades as equipment the month they happen and tracks station age so replacement is planned, not reactive.
  2. 2

    Tournament entry fees and prize payouts get netted together

    An owner who nets tournament entry fees against the prize pool paid out loses sight of what the event actually cost to run beyond the prizes themselves, like staffing and streaming setup.

    What we doKeeps tournament entry fees and prize payouts in their own category so the event's real cost and margin are both visible.
  3. 3

    Memberships and hourly rates blur together

    A monthly membership paid up front covers many hours of play across the month, and counted as income the day it is sold, one month can look inflated while the visit months after look thinner than they are.

    What we doSpreads membership income across the month it covers and keeps it apart from hourly walk-in sales.
  4. 4

    Snack and energy drink sales hide in general supplies

    A center selling energy drinks and snacks at the counter is running a small retail operation inside the gaming floor, and if that cost and revenue is not tracked apart, it is hard to see whether it is worth the shelf space.

    What we doKeeps snack and drink sales and costs in their own category apart from gaming revenue.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for an esports center.

Set up once for how you get paid and what you spend. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.

Money in

  • Gaming stationsHourly and per-session rates for PC or console stations.
  • MembershipsMonthly passes, recognized across the month they cover.
  • Tournament eventsEntry fees for hosted tournaments.
  • Party packagesGroup and birthday bookings across multiple stations.

Money out

  • PC hardware upgradesGPUs, monitors, and station hardware purchases and repair.
  • Tournament eventsPrize payouts and event staffing costs.
  • Snacks and drinksEnergy drinks and snacks sold at the counter.
  • WagesFloor attendants and tournament staff.
  • Software and licensingGame licenses and streaming or scoring software.
  • Internet and networkingHigh-speed connectivity built for low-latency gaming.

What we watch for you

  • Station age

    How old your gaming rigs are against replacement cost, since hardware ages out fast.

  • Tournament margin

    Entry fees against prize payouts and event costs, so you know if events are worth running.

  • Membership versus hourly mix

    How much revenue comes from memberships versus walk-in hourly sessions.

  • The set-aside

    What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.

Ask Gus

Things esports center owners ask Gus.

Text him like you would text anybody. He answers in plain English, and when a question is above his pay grade, an accountant looks and gets back to you.

We upgraded ten stations with new graphics cards, that was a big month for spending.

I booked it as equipment, not supplies, since it's a real fleet upgrade. Bonus depreciation is 100 percent right now, and the accountant makes the final call.

Did the tournament last weekend actually make money after we paid out the prize pool?

Once you count entry fees against the prize payout and staffing, it came out ahead, but not by much. I keep those numbers separate so you can see it clearly next time.

Do I owe anything on the shoutcaster we hired for the tournament stream?

If you pay them $2,000 or more this year and they are not on payroll, they get a 1099 by January 31. I keep that list running so it is ready.

The tax side

The tax side of an esports center.

Most of what goes wrong here is treating fast-aging hardware like ordinary supplies, and netting tournament prizes against fees instead of tracking both.

What your return has to get right

Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.

  • Gaming station hardwareGaming PCs, monitors, and network equipment can usually be written off up to $2,560,000 under Section 179 in the year bought, and bonus depreciation is 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
  • Contractor 1099sA tournament caster, freelance technician, or event staff member who is not on payroll and is paid $2,000 or more in 2026 gets a 1099-NEC by January 31.
  • Employee or contractorFloor attendants who work your posted schedule are usually employees, even if part time.
  • The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when the books are right all year.

Deductions esports and LAN gaming centers miss

Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.

  • GPU and hardware repair
  • Monitors and peripherals
  • Network and internet equipment
  • Tournament prize payouts
  • Game and software licenses
  • Liability insurance
  • Booking software fees
  • Card processing fees
  • Snack and drink inventory
  • Streaming equipment

General information about 2026 federal rules, not advice for your business. Your accountant looks at your actual numbers before anything gets filed.

All year, not just April

An esports center year, kept every month.

School breaks and weekend tournaments carry most of the calendar, and new game releases can spike walk-in traffic overnight. Your team keeps you ahead of both, and of taxes on their own schedule. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.

  1. January

    Plan the year

    Last year's return gets started, the 1099 list for casters and event staff is ready, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled.

  2. April

    Filed. Done.

    Your return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, because the set-aside has been running since January.

  3. July

    Halfway check

    Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether summer walk-in traffic changed the number.

  4. October

    Before the holiday push

    Holiday break bookings start filling up. Gus looks at hardware age and any upgrades worth doing before December.

What you get

Starts at$197a month

What you pay depends on what your business needs, and it does not move after that, busy season or slow. No hourly bills, no surprise invoices, no setup fee.

Book a call
  • Monthly bookkeeping

    Every transaction sorted into categories set up for esports and LAN gaming centers. You never categorize a thing.

  • An accountant checks every transaction

    Real review, every month, before your books close. Not a spot check.

  • Your business tax return, filed

    Prepared, reviewed, and signed by that same accountant every year.

  • The monthly number

    What you made, what you spent, what to set aside for taxes.

  • Your own bookkeeper

    A real person assigned to your business, in the app whenever you need them. No hold music.

  • On your books all year

    Every month, not just in April. Your team speaks up whenever something is worth your attention.

  • Cancel any time

    No contract. No cancellation call. Your books are yours.

Straight answers

Questions esports center owners ask first.

Can Gus track how old our gaming stations are?

Yes. Hardware purchases get logged as equipment with the date bought, so station age is visible and upgrades can be planned instead of reactive.

How does Gus handle tournament prize payouts?

He keeps entry fees and prize payouts in their own category rather than netting them together, so you can see an event's real cost and margin, including staffing.

Do I write off a full round of PC upgrades at once?

Often you can. Equipment bought for the business can usually be deducted in the year you buy it, and sometimes spreading it out is the better call. Gus flags the purchase and the accountant decides.

How does Gus handle monthly memberships?

He spreads membership income across the month it covers instead of counting it all on the day it renews, so a strong renewal month does not hide a slow visit month.

Our books mix hourly rates, memberships, and tournament fees into one number. Can Gus fix that?

Yes. Send the bank statements you have. Gus sorts each revenue stream into its own category, the accountant checks it, and most owners know where they stand inside a week.

Is a real accountant checking my books?

Yes. You get your own bookkeeper, Gus does the first pass on every transaction, and an accountant checks every one before your month closes. That same accountant prepares, signs, and files your business return. Goatkeeper is not a CPA firm, and we never pretend a person looked when they did not.

What does it cost, and can I cancel?

It starts at $197 a month, depending on what your business needs. No setup fee, no hourly bills, no contract. Cancel any time from the app, and your books go with you.

More in indoor entertainment

We keep books for the business next door too.

What makes a bookkeeper worth paying for Every business we keep books for

Book a call

Pick a time. That's the whole signup.

Fifteen minutes with a real person on our team. They look at where your books are, tell you straight what it takes to get caught up, and get you set up on the spot if it fits.

  • $197 a month to start
  • An accountant on every transaction
  • Cancel whenever