Dave & Buster’s, a restaurant and arcade chain, will soon allow customers to bet on popular games.
Patrons will soon be able to place $5 wagers on the chain’s arcade games, including Hot Shots and Skee-Ball, through the Dave & Buster’s mobile app.
The betting feature is expected to launch in the coming months on the app, called D&B Rewards, on Apple and Android app stores, and will reportedly use technology from gamification software company Lucra. CNBC.
“This new partnership strengthens our commitment to providing our loyalty members with an unparalleled gaming experience in real-time and continuing to improve the customer experience through innovative, cutting-edge technology.” Dave & Attractions said Simon Murray, Senior Vice President. Basterds said in an article: press release Tuesday.
CNBC reports that more than 5 million loyalty members have already created accounts on the rewards app, which offers bonus game chips, free food and drink offers, and other discounts.
In addition to encouraging more downloads of the app, Dave & Buster’s says its upcoming betting initiatives will “help remove the stigma of cash-based competition by evolving it into a fun, friendly and sociable experience.” said.
Dave & Buster’s welcomes 30 million unique visitors annually to its 220 restaurants in the United States and Canada.
Meanwhile, Lucra has over 50,000 active players across over 150 peer-to-peer recreational betting platforms.
But Lukla is careful not to use the terms “bet” or “stakes” to describe skill-based games, saying these games are similar to what gambling operators face in probability games. Because they are not subject to the same licenses and regulations, CNBC reported.
Rather, Lucra refers to the 44 betting games available to adults 18 and older as “real money contests or challenges.”
The platform was first created in 2019 by then-Stanford School of Management classmates Dylan Robbins and Michael Madding, who worked together at Goldman Sachs, according to CNBC.
Before signing the partnership deal with Dave & Busters, Lukla had already received funding from investors including billionaire private equity manager Mark Lasry, investment firm Raptor Group, and venture capital firm 76 Capital. It had raised about $14 million.
According to CNBC, former Super Bowl champion Zach Ertz and his wife, pro soccer player Julie Ertz, are also investors in Lukla.
The terms of Lukla’s contract with Dave & Busters are not disclosed at this time.
“Lucra helps our partners drive user adoption, increase retention and engagement, and add new revenue streams to their businesses,” Lucra CEO Robbins told CNBC.
“We’re getting them to work in new ways and spend more time and money,” added Mading, Lukla’s chief operating officer.
