Dave & Busters will soon allow people to place wagers on arcade games. The company signed a deal with Lucra, a gamification software company that will enable Dave & Busters loyalty members who are 18 or older to place friendly wagers on games like Skee-Ball, Hot Shots, and air hockey.
The wagering will launch in a few months and will be available on the D&B Rewards mobile app.
"We're thrilled to work with Lucra to bring this exciting new gaming platform to our customers," Simon Murray, SVP of Entertainment and Attractions at Dave and Buster's, said in a press release. "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."
Because arcade games are considered games of skill, they are not subject to the same regulations as games of chance. Lucra Chief Operating Officer Michael Madding told CNBC that the company is careful not to use the terms "bet" or "wager" to describe its games.
"We use real-money contests or challenges," Madding explained.
Dave & Busters has around five million loyalty members and welcomes around 30 million unique visitors to its 222 locations across North America every year.