This is the Barowner's FAQ section.
QuestionsIf you have a question not answered here, please feel free to email esdarts@hotmail.com.

answered in this FAQ are...

What is expected of me as the barowner?
Does Empire State Darts provide teams for my location?
How much does it cost to have a league in my bar?
Am I required to provide any hospitality (food, beer specials, etc...)?
Am I required to provide shirts for my team(s)?
How does the league work?
What do I have to do with the dartboard?
What about scoresheets, stats, and standings?
What will I need to keep track of?
How long does the league run?
What kind of leagues does ESD run?
Does ESD only run the Fall League?
How much does it cost the shooters?
What do I need to get in the league?
Is it mandatory that I have ESD (Albany Amusement) dartboards in my establishment?
How do I get people to play for my bar?
How many people do I need? - How many can I have?

What is expected of me as the barowner?
BE INVOLVED!!! ESD expects you to communicate with your patrons through your bartenders, and assist in the recruitment of teams. Your bartenders are the "soldiers on the ground", and you need them to communicate with your patrons. Any event or special you have in your location is no different from hosting a dart league...it requires promotion from your bartenders, signage, and a proactive approach to maximize the number of teams you have in your location. Locations that actively recruit teams enjoy higher sales on league nights compared to locations that do not.

Does Empire State Darts provide teams for my location?
Empire State Darts is a service. The league, like many others is responsible for the implementation, organization, and regulation of the sport of darts. Teams are provided by the sponsors who wish to place those teams in the league. It is not ESD's responsibility to provide teams.

There are times when a team is looking for a location to shoot out of, but that is more the exception than the rule. Darts is different from bands, trivia, karaoke and other sports in the sense that they charge substantially more money because their intent is to bring crowds with them. Darts is a fraction of the cost, but the crowd is cultivated by promoting within your location. It is a question asked by many barowners, and managers. If a location has no interest in recruiting teams, the odds of having a team play in their location are slim. The name of the game is to get your weekend business back in the location during the week. We can assist in providing support to help you promote your league.

How much does it cost to have a league in my bar?
Currently we are not billing a Sponsor Fee for our travelling 2 Man and 4 Man leagues. In the past we promoted the idea that locations make that money back through their share of the increased coin-drop during league play.

Nowi it is essentially incorparated nito the league dues the players play on a weekly basis.

The Math...recruit 2 teams in our 4 Man league for $0...
Locations average a boost of $300 - $500 worth of sales per night as a result of the league's presence. The average dart player will spend $800 to $1,000 per season at no cost to you. That is a better rate of return than a DJ, a band, or karaoke which can range in expense from $150 to $500 PER NIGHT.

In House Leagues are handled differently. If the House is taking care of thier own league finances, party, trophy, etc, ESD is currently charging $10 per player per session. We will take care of the logistical end of implementing your league, provide a web page with all your stats, standings and schedules, as well as an additional page called a Profile Page to promote your league.

Am I required to provide any hospitality (food, beer specials, etc...)?
It is not a requirement, but it is encouraged. Consider the benefits from offering hospitality, and how it will affect your relationship with the teams that shoot in your location...Players notice!

Am I required to provide shirts for my team(s)?
Providing shirts for your team is done at your discretion. Like hospitality, whatever you provide is optional. Providing shirts, and hospitality is another way to promote yourself, and your location to entice teams to shoot for your location. More teams...more sales. Team shirts are unfortunately a rarity. Providing them may make you the envy of your division rivals...Again, players notice!

If you decide you want shirts, ESD may be able to hook you up with an embroiderer that will make your shirts at a fair price without a lot of setup charges. It might even be a good time to shop for shirts for your staff as well to get a better deal.

How does the league work?
The league is set up and managed by our computer, which uploads all league info to an internet server. Your dartboard will be programmed to call our server to download the initial league data, as well as send matches to the server, and receive updated standings. The boards are programmed to call out between 2 and 9 am.

What do I have to do with the dartboard?
Leagues using the Arachnid Galaxy 2 and Galaxy 3 boards remain internally powered, and will dial out as long as the board is turned off by the on-board switch. Using a power strip or breaker will completely shut the board off, and render this feature useless. Depending on your setup, we can provide a modem to be able to connect o our server via dialup, or a wifi modem to connect to you rbroadband internet connection.

Locations that have a Galaxy 3 location must have wifi access for the board to be fully functional, and allow for casual or league remote play.

What about scoresheets, stats, and standings?
First of all, the score sheet is officially dead. The Galaxy boards handle all scoring, and match info. Your players simply show up, pay, and play. The stats and standings are transmitted to the league office via the internet. The dartboard displays the stats, and standings of all the leagues that your bar participates in with the push of a button.

What will I need to keep track of?
The only thing you'll need is a downloadable sign up sheet to keep track of people interested, and a dowloadable accounting sheet if you decide to host an In-House league. Travelling league locations will also receive a Captain's Pack for the teams they sponsor which is to be kept behind the bar for the team captains. The Captain's Pack will have the league rules, a schedule, and dues envelopes for the captains to put in the board.

How long does the league run?
The Fall league runs from September to March. Up to 21 weeks of regular season play are scheduled. Some leagues are followed by playoffs. After the playoffs, the league members and bar owners are treated to a banquet ceremony.

What kind of leagues does ESD run?
ESD can run just about any format with the games available in the Galaxy dartboard. Our Fall leagues are either Handicapped or Open. The most common games played are Cricket, 301, and 501.

Does ESD only run the Fall League?
No. ESD can run any league, at any time, for any duration. From a small in-house league, to a travelling league with any number of bars and teams in a given area. We also have the ability to run tournaments in your establishment as well. Those tournaments do require that ESD uses their own boards.

How much does it cost the shooters?
In our travelling league, members pay a $10 registration fee for each league they choose to participate in. League dues are $10 a week, and include the cost of games. $4 of the player's dues each week are returned to the shooters in the form of cash prizes at the end of the season.

Fees and dues for In-House leagues are determined by the location.

What do I need to get in the league?
You need an Arachnid Galaxy dart machine.

The Galaxy 2 and 2.5 machine can be equipped with a modem (56 kbps minimum), and an RJ-11 phone jack behind the dart board.

The Arachnid Galaxy 3 dartboard requires a Wi-Fi connection to be able to access remote capabilities.

We do not require a separate phone line, just split your existing phone line (including cable phone lines) and run a line with the RJ-11 jack behind the dartboard. Your amusement operator should assist you with setting up your phone line.

Is it mandatory that I have ESD (Albany Amusements) dartboards in my establishment?
No. The only mandatory requirement is that your amusement operator supplies you with an Arachnid Gallaxy 2, 2.5, or 3 dartboard, equipped with a modem (56 kbps minimum). If you do not have ESD (Albany Amusement) dartboards in your place of business, ESD will charge a board fee per match to your operator. You must contact your operator to make sure he/she will pay the management fee. Albany Amusement will make every effort to work with your current amusement operator. Prior history is considered when working with other operators.

How do I get people to play for my bar?
One word, communication. Get your bartenders involved, and talk to your customers. ESD will post flyers near your dartboard. Tell your bartenders to talk with customers that are reading the flyers to see if they are interested. Like any sales position, a person is more likely to inquire about joining a league if they are prompted by your staff about their interest in it. The bottom line is, you get out of it, what you put into it. If your staff ignores someone reading our flyers, they are not likely to ask questions. If your employees make the effort to attract players, they will benefit the most, especially if they work on league night. Generate interest by putting additional signs or posters near the dartboard, or around your bar. You can even use our web address in your posters.

Lack of effort is the number one reason darts hasn't flourished in our area. Many locations are missing out on the chance to generate business on what otherwise may be a slow night, especially during the winter months. As stated earlier, the location gets their sponsorship fee back by way of their share of the coin-drop from league night. Quite frankly. it is the easiest money a location could make, and by far a better investment than spending $1,000 to enter a softball team in a league, or $600 on average on a band for one night.

How many people do I need? - How many can I have?
This depends on the number of teams you wish to sponsor. Most of our travelling leagues require either 2 or 4 shooters on a team. One dartboard is capable of supporting 2 teams in the same league, making room for 4-8 people. 2 dartboards double the number of teams and players you can have in your establishment, and still maintain a balanced schedule. These teams are scheduled home one week, away the next. The best idea is to get an even number of teams. That way, you have business coming in the door every week. The more teams, the more business you'll generate. For example, if you have one dartboard, you can have an Open league with 2 teams on a Tuesday night, and a Handicapped league with 2 teams on Wednesday, and an in-house league play on Thursday.

In-House leagues can take some time to build up, so using one board is not a problem. Over time, a second board can be added to handle growth of the league.

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