The National ATM Council is gathering information through March 10 on the industry’s experiences with bank account closures via an online survey. The Council says the data is vital to its “continued fight to restore reasonable bank account access for ATM providers in the U.S.” The survey takes just a few minutes and all company-specific data will remain anonymous and confidential. NAC members and non-members can participate in the survey by clicking here.
Author: Matt Harding
March 3 marked the final day of amusements for Family Fun Center in Omaha, Neb., which originally opened in 1982. According to the Omaha World-Herald, the FEC had party rooms, arcade games, laser tag, paintball and mini-golf, and moved into a larger space – dubbed Family Fun Center XL – in 2012. “Seven years later we have unfortunately found it impossible as a family-owned business to keep our doors open any longer with the changing times of video games in everyone’s homes and smart phones, as well as many other factors,” owners Chad Reznicek and Tony Farrington said in a…
Another entertainment venue in Nebraska’s largest city will close this month, according to the Omaha World-Herald. SkateDaze, which has been around in one carnation or another since 1946, plans to shut down on March 31. Owners Scott and Pam Cernik said in a statement that they “are ready to hang up their skates and pursue other passions.” Now with an arcade, laser tag and other attractions, the roller-skating rink business began when Scott’s father, Frank, purchased a portable roller rink in 1946. He bought a brick-and-mortar rink in Fremont in 1950, opened “Skateland” in Omaha in 1968 and finally SkateDaze…
Old industry friends ran into each other not once, but twice, within a couple of days recently. Celebrating his 50th birthday in Santa Monica, Calif., Jon Brady (pictured at right), VP of business development with Player One Amusement Group and his wife Alicia ran into Mehdi Eghbal, senior VP of sales and business development at Adrenaline Amusements. “What a small world, and in a city of millions, we literally ran into one another,” Jon wrote in an email to RePlay. “But it gets even smaller, as we had a flight out of LAX the next morning … and guess who…
Sylvain Larose, who has worked with the interactive attractions manufacturer Triotech since 2004, has been appointed as its chief operating officer. Most recently, Larose was the company’s chief financial officer. “Sylvain has the skills, and especially an in-depth knowledge of the market, and so will play a key role in defining our future orientations and business strategies,” said Ernest Yale, founding president of Triotech. “Renowned for his dynamic approach and his thoroughness, he will help the company reach its business goals and make sure that our products continue to stand out in amusement parks and tourist attractions around the world.”…
The AAMA’s charitable foundation has extended its deadline for people to sponsor the Honor Roll fundraiser for this year’s Amusement Expo International until today, March 4, at 3 p.m. Eastern time. They’re closing in on their $37,500 goal, which is the aim before the end of the trade show, March 28 in Las Vegas. The AAMA helped raise $112,500 in 2018 and supports various organizations like Children’s Miracle network and The Sunrise Association. To support the fundraiser, regardless of the sponsorship deadline, visit www.coin-op.org and click Honor Roll Fundraiser under the AAMA Charity tab or call 847-290-9171.
Jamie Sura, senior vice president of sales for TouchTunes, will be recognized as AMOA-NY’s “Man of the Year” on May 7 from 6-9 p.m. at Patrizia’s in New York. Sura has been with TouchTunes since 2009 and helped the company build its network to more than 65,000 locations. In addition to honoring Sura, the organization will host a yet-to-be-named “Jukebox Artist of the Year.” Last year, it was C.J. Ramone of The Ramones and Dick Manitoba of The Dictators. Past artists include B.J. Thomas, Tony Orlando and Dianne Warwick. Guests will also take part in a 13-course dinner at the…
Columbia, S.C., is getting its first arcade bar soon, but first, the owners are introducing themselves to the community through a series of free pop-up events. According to The State, Transmission Arcade + Bar doesn’t yet have a location or open date (a lease is currently in the works), but business partners Josh Rainwater, Bradley Randolph and Cam Powell will start by bringing their classic pinball machines and video games to various places in Columbia, starting March 20 at Craft & Draft, a craft beer store. “Arcade bars are in kind of all the big metro areas, except there’s not…
The headline’s the new name being used by the Family Entertainment Group’s supremo George Smith at his FECs, and now his newest “In The Game” will get its official grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony on March 13. The swank place is located at 535 Lowell Street in Peabody, Mass. Cocktails and a buffet dinner will spark the affair, and free games to add to the fun.
The arcades at night, are big and bright… deep in the heart of Texas. It doesn’t get much bigger or brighter in Texas than at Gators Fun Factory in Early, Texas – smack-dab in the center of the state. Now, the FEC is temporarily closing its doors (as of March 9) to facilitate a move to the adjacent city of Brownwood, where it expects to open with new attractions at the end of summer, according to the Brownwood Bulletin. The new Gators Fun Factory will be located in the former Diamond P Enterprises warehouse, a roughly 27,000-sq.-ft. building next to…