In what seems like just an awful, awful idea and just a cynical money grab, Dave & Buster’s has announced that it will soon offer customers the ability to place bets on games. The restaurant-arcade giant will seemingly get around gambling laws because the wagers will be on “skill” games, not games of chance. Dave & Buster’s will not be the house or operate the gambling in any way.
“Gamification” software company Lucra will provide the betting technology, which will be accessed through the D&B app. The idea is to allow people – adults 18 and over – to bet a few bucks with their friends on, say, who will win a game of Skee-Ball. Obviously, people can make friendly bets with each other without an app, but Dave & Buster’s and Lucra hope that this makes it more fun and encourages people to do it.
“Lucra helps our partners drive user adoption, increase retention and engagement and add new monetization streams to their business,” said Lucra co-founder and CEO Dylan Robbins.
“We’re creating a new form of kind of a digital experience for folks inside of these ecosystems,” added Lucra co-founder and COO Michael Madding. “We’re getting them to engage in a new way and spend more time and money.”
So, once the Lucra functionality is added to the D&B app in the next couple months, you will not only be able to watch your kid blow Power Card credits on Doodle Jump just so they can earn enough tickets to buy candy, but you can also bet your buddy that your boy will hit a certain score.
Social betting apps are not a new thing. Wagr, for instance, launched a few years ago, allowing people to place bets with each other instead of against the house. Bets could be made between friends, facilitated by the app, or even with complete strangers. Wagr was acquired by Yahoo in 2023.
At its most harmless, social betting apps just make wagering among friends easier and potentially more fun if there are other features added. Most of us have bet our college buddy or sister five bucks on the outcome of some event – these apps just provide a central hub for doing that. But inserting it into Dave & Buster’s, a place where kids go with their parents, does feel a bit more sinister. Lucra’s offering is intended only for those 18 and older, so hopefully it stays that way.