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Betting has taken America by storm over the past few years as more and more states have opted to let people legally wager on sports, and it appears Dave & Busters has caught the gambling fever based on a new feature it’s planning on rolling out.
In 1983, the first Dave & Busters location opened up in Dallas by the eponymous founders who supplemented the bar and restaurant with the sizeable lineup of arcade games that became its calling card. It gradually expanded its domain in the ensuing decades and currently boasts more than 220 locations in the United States.
The chain—which has been prominently featured in episodes of Barry and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia—is essentially the adult version of Chuck E. Cheese. As is the case with traditional arcades, players can redeem the tickets they earn by playing games for the prizes that are up for grabs, although I assume I’m far from the only person who’s opted to up the stakes by betting with my buddies while playing air hockey or Skee-Ball.
If you’re playing for cold, hard cash instead of wagering on who’s going to buy the next round of drinks, you’ll need to have some money on hand or turn to Venmo when it comes to settling up after upping the intrigue during a trip to D&B’s. However, it sounds like that’s about to change.
According to CNBC, Dave & Buster’s is gearing up to embrace what the outlet describes as “social wagering” with the help of a new feature on its app that will allow players to place bets concerning the outcome of various arcade games that pit customers against each other.
The new feature stems from a partnership with a platform called Lucra that specializes in what it prefers to refer to as “real-money contests or challenges” but are ostensibly bets. The head-to-head wagering option will be rolling out on the Dave & Buster’s app at some point in the next few months, although you will have to be a loyalty member to take advantage.