Dave & Buster plans to add a feature to its app that will allow customers to bet with each other on competitive games, according to an announcement from the entertainment channel Tuesday. It's just the latest sign that technology-based gambling is becoming normalized in the United States at an unprecedented pace, seemingly with little regard for long-term consequences.
Dave & Buster's, which bills itself as the world's largest entertainment center operator, is working on the app's betting features with Lucra, a gamification software company founded in 2019.
“The new strategic partnership integrates Lucra's proprietary gamification software into the Dave & Buster's app, allowing loyal members to digitally compete with each other, earn rewards and unlock exclusive perks while competing with friends at Dave & Buster's, bringing together the sports arena and the arcade for an unprecedented gamified experience,” Lucra said in a Press release posted online Tuesday.
Lucra's goal is to provide a “safe and trustworthy experience” where users can bet with friends “on a platform or venue they already know and love.” The company says it wants to “destigmatize monetary competition by transforming it into a fun, friendly and social experience.”
Why add betting to the Dave & Buster app? Obviously, it's a way to make money by encouraging new behaviors, but adding the game can also drive new traffic and “keep customers in your ecosystem longer,” according to Lucra's press release. . And no one understands that last part better than the gaming industry, which has spent decades figuring out how circulate money.
About 2.5 million Americans are considered to have a serious gambling addiction, according to the National Council on Problem Gambling, while another 5 to 8 million have mild or moderate gambling problems. And the recent legalization of sports betting in the United States doesn't help, as it allows users to bet day and night from their phones.
Like CNBC Remarks, Lucra does not use the terms “bet” or “gamble” in its marketing materials, opting for terminology such as “real money competitions or challenges”. This is because skill-based gaming is not subject to the same type of regulation as gambling, despite the fact that most Americans would use the words “bet” and “bet” to describe what they will do in the Dave & Buster game. application.
“We are excited to work with Lucra to bring this exciting new gaming platform to our customers,” Simon Murray, senior vice president of entertainment and attractions at Dave and Buster’s, said in a statement. Press release. “This new partnership provides our loyal members with unparalleled real-time gaming experiences and reinforces our commitment to continuing to improve our customer experience through innovative and cutting-edge technology.
The new app features will only be available to customers 18 and older in 44 states. Dave & Buster's did not immediately respond to emailed questions Tuesday about what kind of safeguards might be in place to ensure children can't make bets in the app.