^ I don't really think that cartels should be PROFITABLE. But the money earned should be enough to cover for your gang's load outs, just not 1 person...
I mean back in the day you roughly got 10mil a week from HOLDING cartels 24/7 which today would only be 1mil (current money system) for a WHOLE gang... if you take that into perspective that isn't that much for having to hold down a cartel that long from opposing gang members, since you are spending money on ifrits, vests, orcas, and TONS of loadouts.
Please, just revert it back to arms dealer gives money and the fridges are removed and the money is directly deposited into the gang account, i literally don't even cap cartels THAT much anymore due to the fact that not many people fight + you can just do banks / feds / turtles and other shit for MORE money than sitting at a cartel for 20 min to get about 10k/hour...
same what bikstok said, gangs would not be so mean / hostile towards normal players of the servers / cops.