By News Reporter Gabby Cedano
When Dustin Wilcox graduated from Hopkinsville High School in 2019, he already knew what he wanted to do with his life.
A passion for arcade gaming started early and by the time he was just 15, he had launched a website called Wilcox Arcade to share his opinions and insights about the arcade industry. He says he started the website in February 2017 because he wanted to share his opinions on the arcade industry, as it was something he loved and wanted to talk about.
Two years later, Wilcox took his interest to the next level. After collecting several arcade machines through auctions including one when the Roller Dome complex closed, he was ready to start his own arcade route. Wilcox says it’s a pretty common business model, but he’s always loved out-of-home entertainment and video games and although the COVID-19 pandemic caused setbacks, Wilcox used the challenge as a chance to refocus his vision.
After high school, Wilcox attended Murray State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Journalism in 2023. He says in hindsight, he might’ve skipped college and focused on cash-flowing the business but then again, he met his wife at Murray and wouldn’t trade that experience.
Despite moving away, Wilcox’s roots in Hopkinsville remain strong. Wilcox says growing up in Hopkinsville played a huge role in shaping who he is today, both as a person and as an entrepreneur.
Wilcox’s passion soon turned into action. Just before turning 18, he made it official by registering his first business license at Hopkinsville City Hall. He still remembers the excitement of placing his very first arcade machine and how local connections helped him grow early on.
He says his time away made him realize that Western Kentucky would always be home and that his next chapter would tie him even more deeply to the region.
Wilcox says one of the biggest challenges of owning an arcade route is simply helping people understand what that means. He says most people don’t realize arcade routes exist and that if he hadn’t explained it, people wouldn’t know that Lemons Coin Machines in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, operates the arcade games at Pagliai’s Pizza in Murray.
He compares his approach to that of a gas station. Wilcox says people don’t really see commercials for gas stations, because people stop wherever is convenient. But he believes Buc-ee’s changed that when they built a brand that made people want to visit. He says that’s what he’s trying to do with arcades, make people go somewhere because they want to play.
Beyond the business side, Wilcox says the real reward comes from the community that forms around arcade gaming, when people get out of their homes and just have fun together. Wilcox says when he hosts tournaments or small events, it makes him so happy to see everyone laughing and connecting.
Wilcox is clear that he’s not trying to recreate the past. He says he’s not running a retro arcade, though he loves the classics, saying his focus is on innovation. He’s leaned into indie arcade games titles that are so niche that sometimes he has the only one in Kentucky.
He’s also embraced modern technology like debit card readers and social media marketing to keep players engaged. For students and young people who dream of starting something of their own, Wilcox shares advice rooted in both realism and encouragement.
Wilcox hopes his story reminds others that there’s no perfect path to success, just persistence, passion and a willingness to start. He says if you know you’re meant to do it, don’t let anyone talk you out of it. Start now. Even if it’s small, just start.