Dave & Buster’s Atlantic City to Open Inside Jay-Z’s Former Nightclub

Posted on: October 17, 2023, 09:46h. 

Last updated on: October 17, 2023, 06:44h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

Dave & Buster’s is nearing an official opening date in Atlantic City.

Dave & Buster's Atlantic City family friendly
Dave & Buster’s in Atlantic City is set to open in early December 2023. A fun-money sports wagering experience will be offered through the restaurant and arcade’s Rewards app. (Image: Press of Atlantic City)

The restaurant and entertainment chain popular with families announced its intentions to open a location in Atlantic City more than a year ago. After initially targeting a fall 2023 opening, officials with Dave & Buster’s now say the restaurant and arcade will open sometime “in early December.”

Dave & Buster’s is replacing Jay-Z’s former nightclub called the 40/40 Club. Once a popular spot for celebrities, the hip-hop mogul’s nightclub in Atlantic City closed in 2013. 40/40 clubs in Manhattan, Las Vegas, Atlanta, and Brooklyn are also no more.

The roughly 21,000-square-foot facility at 2120 Atlantic Avenue is inside the Tanger Outlets shopping complex, just a block inland from Caesars Atlantic City.

Dave & Buster’s, a publicly traded company, will replace Jay-Z’s nightclub décor with its sports bar and grille, arcade games, and abundance of televisions showing live sports.

Family Focus

Atlantic City is trying to follow Las Vegas’ lead in diversifying its local economy away from a gaming-first mentality. To keep its casino hotel rooms occupied throughout the winter months, resorts and businesses in the region are investing heavily in nongaming attractions.

Showboat owner Bart Blatstein and his Tower Investments, a Philadelphia-based real estate firm, are leading the charge to lure in travelers who aren’t necessarily coming to gamble. In June, Blatstein opened his $100 million waterpark featuring 11 water slides, a wave and surf simulator, a lazy river, a waterfall, and an adventure pool at his Boardwalk resort.

The Showboat is also home to what’s billed as the “largest indoor arcade in America.” The amusement facility replaced the Showboat’s casino space when Caesars Entertainment operated it.

The “Lucky Snake” is an 85,000-square-foot complex featuring over 300 arcade games and an indoor go-kart raceway where drivers can speed around the track at speeds up to 25 mph.

Dave & Buster’s opening just steps from the Atlantic City Boardwalk will provide families another reason to venture down the shore.

Dave & Buster’s is also a major sponsor of the UFC and shows its pay-per-view events in its locations in special viewing areas. The restaurant and arcade chain has more than 140 locations in North America.

Social Sportsbook

Though Dave & Buster’s is a popular spot for sports fans to watch their favorite teams, the Atlantic City location won’t offer an on-site sportsbook. However, since New Jersey is home to legal online sports betting, guests can place wagers on their smartphones.

In 2021, Dave & Buster’s mulled an entry into the sports betting industry by partnering with a third-party operator like DraftKings. The announcement came as its rivals, including Buffalo Wild Wings and Hooter’s, signed sportsbook partnerships.

Dave & Buster’s ultimately folded on pursuing a real money sports betting relationship. The company instead partnered with Gambit Sports for a social sports wagering experience.

Dave & Buster’s integrated the Gambit product into its Rewards app. Players can make free, fun-money bets on sports to win arcade tickets. Gambit issues players a free number of tokens to bet with. Users who lose their free allotment can purchase additional tokens to continue their wagering in hopes of winning free arcade game plays.