It sounds counterintuitive: you're running a gaming center, why add a snooker table? But the operators who've done it consistently report higher total revenue, longer average dwell time, and access to a customer segment that gaming screens alone don't attract.
The snooker crowd is different
Snooker players in India skew slightly older — 22–35 — and often come in groups of 2–4 for a casual hangout rather than a focused gaming session. They stay 1.5–2.5 hours, order food and drinks at a higher rate than screen-only customers, and come during hours when your gaming seats are quiet: late mornings, weekday afternoons.
They're not your core gaming customer. That's the point. They expand your addressable market without cannibalizing your existing one.
The economics
A decent 6×12 snooker table costs ₹25,000–₹60,000 new. Reconditioned tables from snooker halls closing down go for ₹10,000–₹20,000 and play perfectly fine.
Typical pricing: ₹30–₹60 per frame or ₹100–₹150/hr for the table.
At 4 hours of use per day at ₹120/hr, that's ₹480/day — modest, but the real value is in the food and drink orders that come with it, and the customers who notice the table, come in for snooker, and discover the gaming section.
Space considerations
A standard snooker table needs at least 5×3.5 meters of floor space including cue room. If you have a dead corner, a storage room being underused, or a side room, it likely fits.
The combo that works
The best format we've seen: main floor with gaming stations, a side area with 1–2 snooker tables, a shared food counter serving both sections.
The snooker players extend the center's energy into quieter hours. They order from the same kitchen. They occasionally wander over to the gaming section. And on a slow Tuesday afternoon when your gaming seats are at 20% occupancy, the snooker table is full.
One table is often enough to test the concept. The incremental cost is low. The incremental revenue is consistent.
