Playtertainment

About Playtertainment

Playtertainment operates at the intersection of mobile technology and classic arcade gaming, pioneering a category referred to as 'Connected Reality' gaming. Founded in 2019 by Cody Flaherty and Jon Davidman, a figure with a background in marketing through his agency EarthQuake Media and as a shareholder in Caesars Interactive, the company aims to bridge the gap between digital and physical entertainment. Based in Las Vegas, the firm has secured a total of $8 million in funding, including a notable $5 million Series A round in November 2021, backed by industry heavyweights from companies like DraftKings, Playtech, and Gamesys.

The company's primary offering is the 'Winner Winner' application, which allows users to remotely control real, physical arcade games, such as claw machines and ticket redemption games, via live video streaming from their mobile devices. This service is available to players in the United States and the United Kingdom, providing access to over 120 arcade games housed in the company's Las Vegas studio. The business model centers on in-app purchases, where users buy tokens to play the games. When a player successfully wins a prize, it is shipped directly to their home. Players also have the option to swap prizes for tickets, which can be accumulated and redeemed for more substantial items. For customers who purchase a token pack, the company offers free lifetime shipping for all won prizes.

A significant strategic development for Playtertainment was its 2022 partnership with the National Entertainment Network (NEN), the largest operator of retail amusement games in the U.S. This collaboration aims to create a vast omnichannel ecosystem by connecting Winner Winner's online platform with NEN's 20,000+ physical arcade games located in retail stores and entertainment venues. This integration allows players to transition between in-person and mobile play and participate in a unified customer loyalty program that tracks rewards and game credits across both platforms. The company has recorded significant user engagement, with over 1.2 million downloads and nearly 7 million games played since the app's launch in 2020.