The former AMF Bradenton Lanes in the Florida city of the same name is now Bowlero Bradenton after an extensive makeover by the New York-based bowling chain. Set to open April 6, the new location will be the company’s fifth in Florida. The venue has 64 lanes, an arcade with games like Mario Kart, The Giant Crane and Sink It, as well as billiards, air hockey and corn hole. The 59,000-sq.-ft. space was transformed from a fluorescent-lit alley into a “sleek, warm, and intimate environment that brings bowling to an entirely new level,” according to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. For more info…
Author: Matt Harding
National ATM Council executive director Bruce Renard recently testified before Alaska’s House Labor & Commerce Committee in favor of allowing cardholder surcharges on international transactions conducted at independent ATMs throughout the state. The measure, HB044, got a 5-1 vote in committee and now awaits consideration in the House Rules Committee. NAC has been part of a two-year effort to close the legal loophole. “Independent ATM companies have been precluded from charging a reasonable fee for providing ATM services to international visitors in Alaska,” Renard said. “This has placed a ‘hidden tax’ on Alaskan cardholders and penalized Alaska’s small businesses who…
The 7th annual Amusement-Attraction, Park-Recreation Exhibition (ATRAX) held this year in Istanbul, Turkey from Feb. 14-16 hosted 173 companies from 21 countries. Already set for Feb. 13-15, 2020 at the Istanbul Expo Center, ATRAX says it’s the sole specialized exhibition in the nearby region for the entertainment industry. “Happy Cities” was the theme this year, which aimed to bring to the forefront attraction projects that “create more opportunities for socializing.” More information is available at www.atraxexpo.com.
A new virtual reality headset from HP with inside-out tracking is scheduled for a late April release, according to the company, which showed the product at last week’s Amusement Expo. The HP Reverb pro edition, priced at $649, features a whopping panel resolution of 2160 x 2160 per eye and a 114-degree field of view. It weighs in at 1.1 pounds, has integrated Bluetooth, headphones with spatial audio and dual microphones for a “greater immersive experience.” It supports Windows Mixed Reality and Steam VR. “With more than 2,500 VR experiences available and counting, Windows Mixed Reality continues to serve as…
Celebrating the upcoming 27th birthday of the text message, first sent by engineer Neil Papworth on Dec. 3, 1992, LAI Games is back with a sequel to its Textminator game. Textminator 2 can be set up for ticket dispensing or amusement only, features stunning LED lighting and gameplay “as habit-forming as any app.” It has four built-in games and more in development, according to LAI. The first, Generation Gap, will be a hit among the older crowd, racing against a clock as they try to interpret modern acronyms. Another, Selfie Time, will judge if players take good selfies, based on…
Starting today, April 1, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, CinemaCon dubs itself as the largest and most important gathering for the worldwide motion picture theater industry – with attendees from more than 80 different countries. The event features presentations from big-name studios like Walt Disney, Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures and Warner Brothers, a special screening of the upcoming film Long Shot, and the Big Screen Achievement Awards presented April 4 at the Colosseum to stars like Jamie Lee Curtis, Seth Rogen, Charlize Theron and Steve Buscemi. For the trade show, held April 2-4, Sacoa will be on hand to…
To recognize the 35th anniversary of laser tag’s debut on March 28, 1984, enthusiast and blogger Laurie Jean Britton completed her mission to play the game in all 50 states. She was joined at the Laser Quest of North Richland Hills, Texas by laser tag inventor George Carter III. Carter is widely regarded as the founder of the laser tag industry, and was presented with a plaque in commemoration of the 35th anniversary of opening the first laser tag location for his game Photonin the Dallas area 35 years ago. Britton, according to the Laser Tag Museum, is the first…
Colin Cummings, a student at Baylor University, recently won his 4th USAA title at the 2019 World Air Hockey Championships at Rice University, held March 15-17. Sanctioned by the U.S. Air Hockey Association and sponsored by Gold Standard Games and Valley-Dynamo, second place went to Vince Sauceda of San Antonio, third place to Jacob Weissman of Houston, fourth place to veteran competitor Andy Yevish of Philadelphia, fifth place to Avery Yebernetsky of Houston and sixth place to Brian Quezada of Chicago. At only age 19, Cummings “is already becoming one of the all-time greats in competitive air hockey’s 40+ year…
Friends Paul Jacobs of Gold Standard Games and Tony Maniscalco of Andamiro USA carve out time each spring for baseball and this year was no different. The pair have attended a New York Mets spring training game in Port St. Lucie, Fla. for the past five years since Maniscalco moved to the area. “Tony and I plan to keep this annual tradition alive for many years to come!” Jacobs wrote to RePlay.
On Monday of Expo week in Vegas, Lawry’s Restaurant opened its doors to AMOA’s past presidents, plus assorted officers, directors and friends of the national operator group for the annual dinner. Here’s a swell shot of some of those who “drove AMOAs boat” over the years taken at that prime rib factory: