A bill currently circulating through the Illinois state legislature would ban not only Dave & Buster’s app, which allows patrons to bet against each other, but also all other companies’ arcade betting mechanisms.
Senator Wants to Keep Arcades Family-Friendly
Last year, Illinois State Representative Dan Didech sponsored the Family Amusement Wagering Prohibition Act, which would prohibit businesses like Dave & Buster’s from offering wagering on their arcade-style games. The bill failed to gain traction and eventually died before the session ended.
Didech said at the time his bill was announced, “Gambling entities, businesses involved in Illinois and elsewhere, it’s a heavily regulated sector for a whole host of good reasons. When the press reports came out earlier this week that Dave & Buster’s was in partnership to begin unregulated and unlicensed gambling games on-premise, that raises a whole host of issues of if it’s possible in a way we consider safe and responsible.”
Senator Cunningham Revives Effort
However, State Senator Bill Cunningham has picked up the mantle this year and announced a similar bill, HB 2724, that would also ban Dave & Buster’s app that allows its customers to bet against each other in arcade games like Hot Shots basketball and Skee-Ball.
“We’ve been extremely careful with how we regulate gambling in Illinois, whether that is on sports, table games, or video poker,” Cunningham said in a press release. “Arcades marketing as family fun shouldn’t be in the business of exposing minors to gambling.”
The bill has cleared one of its initial hurdles by advancing through the Senate Executive Committee, where proponents are hoping it will cross the finish line this year and become law. As with Representative Didech’s bill last year, Cunningham’s bill would also extend to other non-gaming companies offering similar games.
Industry Response
Dave & Buster’s has not commented on the legislation and how it would impact its business at its five Chicago suburban locations in Lombard, Orland Park, Rosemont, Schaumburg, and Vernon Hills. However, its technology partner, Lucra, which created the peer-to-peer wagering app, has advocated for its place in a family-friendly establishment.
“Friendly competition really is a big fuel for our economy… There’s so many ways that you can compete with friends and family, and I think gamifying that and digitizing all this offline stuff that’s happening is a massive opportunity,” Lucra CEO Dylan Robbins said in an interview last year.
Nevada Says No
Illinois is not the only state that has taken a look at Dave & Buster’s peer-to-peer betting app, as Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Nevada legislators have also taken steps to ban the practice. However, Nevada is the only state that has successfully convinced the company not to offer the app to its Silver State customers.
The app never got a chance to get off the ground, as the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) enforcement agents advised Dave & Buster’s corporate executives that it would not be welcome in a state whose economy is driven by licensed gambling establishments.
“The Nevada Gaming Control Board takes a hardline stance against any company that may be engaged in unlicensed gaming. Furthermore, the NGCB consistently opposes activities that could promote underage gambling,” said Kirk Hendrick, NGCB chair.
