Dave & Buster’s plan to allow betting on arcade games comes under scrutiny.

Arcade chain Dave and Busters A plan to allow customers to bet isn’t going to win everyone over.

Software company Locra Sports announced on Tuesday that it is teaming up with the entertainment chain to allow users to bet on their arcade games through the Dave & Buster app.

But some lawmakers are calling it wrong.

Illinois State Representative Daniel Dydich, a Democrat from Buffalo Grove, Filed a bill on Thursday, which is designed to prohibit family entertainment establishments from offering recreational sports betting facilities. He is seeking to criminalize the activity by amending the Illinois Penal Code. His bill has and has bipartisan support. Supported by By more than two dozen other state legislators.

“It is inappropriate for family-friendly arcades to allow unregulated gambling on their premises. These businesses simply lack the ability to supervise gambling activities in a safe and responsible manner,” Didich said in a statement. said in a statement.

Didech, who also serves as chairman of the Illinois House Gaming Committee, said he will push legislation this session to make it clear that such conduct is illegal under Illinois law. .

Didech told CNBC that he sees many problems with the idea, ranging from a lack of protections for problem gamblers to exposing younger people to gambling. While people must be 21 and older to gamble in Illinois, Lucra’s service is for people 18 and older, he said.

“The Dave & Buster’s locations don’t have any of those safeguards in place. They haven’t even remotely done their due diligence,” Dedich said.

The Ohio Gaming Control Board has also taken notice.

A spokesperson for the Ohio Casino Control Commission told CNBC, “The Commission has serious concerns about this proposal — including that it violates Ohio law regarding the facilitation of illegal prizes for skill-based amusement machines. ” “We are contacting Dave & Buster for additional information.”

Both Lucra Sports – the company that will power the stakes on Dave & Buster’s app – and Dave & Buster declined to comment on the opposition.

As sports betting has exploded since legalization in most parts of the country, companies are scrambling to cash in on the gambling craze. The idea behind Dave & Buster’s is to give consumers a new form of entertainment and keep them engaged longer and ultimately spending more money.

Most bets on its software platform, which allows users to compete for real money in friendly competitions, average about $10 in size, Lucra said. But the company has not yet decided the maximum bet amount for Dave & Buster.

Lucra said that gambling with Dave & Busters is not subject to the same gambling regulations or taxes that sportsbooks are because peer-to-peer betting is considered skill-based. Lokra also said that it is widespread. Responsible gaming Policies in place, such as self-exclusion or self-limitation options on the Platform.

Brett Abarbanel, executive director of the International Gaming Institute at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, said she is interested to see what safeguards, if any, will be implemented by Dave & Buster’s.

“Regardless of the legal classification of the activity as ‘non-gambling’ versus ‘gambling,’ it is an activity in which participants are risking something of value on an uncertain outcome. Therefore, consumer protection measures must be in place.” players, especially when the target audience is young participants,” he said.

Correction: This article has been updated to reflect the correct day that Illinois State Rep. Daniel Didech’s bill was filed.