Ethermac|Dave & Buster's to allow betting on arcade games

Arcade,Ethermac sports bar and restaurant Dave & Buster's will allow guests to place wagers on its games, like Skee-Ball through its app. 

The entertainment chain on Tuesday announced a partnership with Lucra, which makes gamification software, to bring the betting feature to Dave & Buster's guests. 

The chain's five million loyalty members can compete with other arcade users to earn rewards and what it described as "exclusive perks." 

The technology will be available at all 223 Dave & Buster's locations across the U.S., meaning friends can bet against one another on who will sink the most baskets playing Hot Shots, for example. 

"We're thrilled 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 & Buster's said in a statement Tuesday. "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."

Neither Dave & Buster's nor Lucra immediately replied to CBS MoneyWatch's request for comment on how much guests can wager at a time. 

Betting on professional sports has ballooned into a multibillion-dollar industry, while social betting platforms have also cropped up, that let people bet with virtual currencies. Some critics say they can encourage young people to develop bad habits and even gambling problems. 

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• Dave & Buster's

Megan Cerullo

Megan Cerullo is a New York-based reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering small business, workplace, health care, consumer spending and personal finance topics. She regularly appears on CBS News 24/7 to discuss her reporting.