Lucky Strike Entertainment is facing a new lawsuit accusing it of operating an illegal monopoly of bowling centers across the country – allegedly jacking up prices, pushing alcohol and gambling and tarnishing a cherished American pastime.
The group of 11 plaintiffs, who are longtime bowlers from around the country, claim the “Wall Street goliath” has been “gobbling up its competitors through unlawful acquisitions,” according to the class-action lawsuit filed Wednesday in Washington federal court.
Bowlero Corp, which owns Lucky Strike, has driven the cost of bowling higher for millions of customers at its more than 350 locations across North America – as much as tripling the price to bowl at some alleys in recent years, the suit alleged.
The lawsuit accused Lucky Strike of running a “mousetrap” business designed to “squeeze as much money as possible out of hard-working families once they are in the door,” including through the use of algorithmic dynamic pricing.
Lucky Strike centers often include bowling alleys, arcade games, pool tables and full bars, opening in the afternoon and closing late at night, with exact hours depending on the location.
The Lucky Strike Times Square location – which turns 21+ after 9 p.m. on the weekends – was charging $156.47 for four guests to rent a lane for two hours on Friday. After 4 p.m., that price shot up to $270.66 – not counting the cost of food, drinks and other games.
“This Court has the power to preserve the century-long tradition of operating bowling centers in this country as a fair and honest line of business providing all Americans, regardless of age or socioeconomic status, the opportunity to gather and engage in a national pastime at fair prices,” the lawsuit said.
A spokesperson for Lucky Strike denied the claims in the lawsuit, saying the company is “confident in our conduct” and planning to defend itself against the case.
“This lawsuit is a meritless attempt by a startup plaintiffs’ firm to generate headlines at the expense of a company that has spent more than three decades expanding opportunities for the sport of bowling and the communities we serve,” the spokesperson told The Post in a statement.
“Lucky Strike Entertainment has a small share of a market with thousands of bowling operators and new competitors entering the space on a continual basis.”
Simonsen Sussman, the legal firm behind the complaint, was formed in June by former Federal Trade Commission officials who worked for the agency under antitrust crusader Lina Khan.
The plaintiffs are seeking monetary compensation for an unspecified class of Lucky Strike customers and the unwinding of some of Bowlero’s acquisitions.
The suit claimed Lucky Strike has degraded the bowling experience in an effort to boost its profits, pointing to 2013 comments made by the company’s former chief financial officer, who said it wanted to become the “Starbucks” of bowling.
The chain has promoted gambling through its MoneyBowl app; pushed alcohol at bowling alleys; operated understaffed locations with unclean bathrooms and lanes that often break down; and created an atmosphere with “night-club blacklights and extremely loud music that detract from the experience and distract bowlers,” the suit alleged.
Bowlero is the world’s largest owner and operator of bowling centers, controlling roughly 35% of the industry’s US revenue with a market cap of more than $900 million, according to the suit. The company also owns a growing portfolio of outdoor amusement and water parks.
Shares in Lucky Strike are down 15% so far this year.
The company reported earnings this week that missed expectations – blaming “two major winter storms” and a “decline in consumer confidence and discretionary spending” amid concerns around the Iran war.
The post Lucky Strike snatched up local bowling alleys, raised prices to crazy heights in illegal monopoly, lawsuit alleges appeared first on New York Post.
