I don't understand why people think there isn't any money to be made. From one article:
The defense has argued that the machines are "nickel and dime" propositions and scoffed at the idea that Ligambi and his associates were lining their pockets with profits. But some law enforcement experts have said that machines in good locations can generate profits of $500 to $1,000-a-week.

Remember these guys had over 90 of these machines. $500X52 weeksX90 machines=$2,340,000 a year (minus the vendor's cut). Didn't that one gambling bust in 2007 take in $60 million in bets in over a year? That's at least $3,000,000 in profit. Add loan sharking, extortion and minor drug trafficking and these guys are pulling in more money the most.