Dave & Buster’s Will Allow Betting On Arcade Games, And People Are Predicting Mass Chaos

Nothing says “I’m a recent college grad with $30 and a dream” like going to your local Dave & Buster’s to hash it out over an intense game of The Walking Dead-themed skeeball. But how would you like to add stress and poor financial decisions to your Dave & Buster’s trip? You’re in luck!

Dave & Buster’s, the arcade bar often found in your local deteriorating mall, announced that customers will be able to make a “friendly $5 wager” with a new betting function coming soon to the official app. This means you can essentially start betting on various games at the family-friendly bar.

The system will use Lucra, a platform that encourages betting against your friends. “We’re thrilled to work with Lucra to bring this exciting new gaming platform to our customers,” said Simon Murray, senior vice president of entertainment and attractions at Dave & Buster’s. “This new partnership gives our loyalty members real-time, unrivaled gaming experiences, and reinforces our commitment to continuing to elevate our customer experience through innovative, cutting-edge technology.” Lucra should not be confused with the word “lucrative.”

Obviously, this is a weird move for a place like Dave & Buster’s, so people had opinions:

After becoming legal in more and more states, sports betting has been a popular way for adults to spend and lose money. Americans wagered over $119.84 billion on sports betting in 2023, a number that is expected to rise in 2024, especially now that you can wager on a game of Deal Or No Deal against your girlfriend. Good luck out there!

(Via NBC)