Scorbit, a connected gaming tournament platform on smartphones, has announced real-money tournaments that will enable people to win cash prizes in arcade, pinball or barcade tournaments.
Bringing classic and modern arcade games online, Scorbit has added its real-money tournaments feature to its mobile-based platform. It’s move to combine physical gameplay with connected, competitive and monetized experiences.
The launch comes as the platform continues to expand its footprint and grow its user base. The new real-money arcade tournaments feature enables players to seamlessly enter competitions or step into live tournaments, compete on demand, and win cash prizes, turning traditionally solo arcade games into always-on, high-stakes experiences.
For operators, the platform unlocks new revenue streams and drives repeat engagement by transforming existing machines into dynamic, competitive offerings.
I asked Scorbit cofounder Ron Richards how the games comply with gambling regulations. He noted the games are classified as skill gaming, which is legal for wagering in 41 or so states.
Players pay a entry fee of $2 per entry into the tournament. For the majority of participating tournaments, the jackpot increases with the more people who enter as a portion of their entry goes into jackpot prize pool, so the amount someone can win can be quite large if lots of players enter. (The tournament in Tennessee is a fixed jackpot of $250 that doesn’t increase due to state regulations and that’s the only tournament that doesn’t feature an increasing jackpot). A portion of the entry fee is shared between Scorbit and the Pinball machine location operator.
Asked how the winnings are distributed, he said, “Winnings are distributed to players within the Scorbit app. After the tournament finishes, players are notified that they’ve won. They have the option to transfer their winnings to their bank account via ACH or transfer them back into their Scorbit account to play more pinball.”
He added, “They have the option to split their winnings between those two destinations; a percentage can go to their bank account and a percentage can go to their Scorbit account. It’s not all or nothing to just one destination – the players have total control and choice over how to allocate their winnings.”
As far as fairness goes, he said fairness is ensured because the games are played on machines at public venues owned and operated by members of the Scorbit Operators network who are overseeing their loctions and monitoring for potential player abuse.
“Many of the participating locations and games are some of the same ones used in in-person tournaments (many of which are often sanctioned by the IFPA) so their integrity is established and respected by players,” he said.
“Arcade games have always been competitive, but they’ve never been connected in a meaningful way,” said Jay Adelson, cofounder of Scorbit, in a statement. “Adding tournaments with real-money prizes raises the stakes and gives people a reason to keep coming back.”
The launch comes amid rapid platform growth and increasing demand from both players and venues. Since launching in October, Scorbit has grown its user base in step with rapid venue expansion, with strong player engagement as users return more often to play and compete.
Daily activity has more than doubled since January as venues and players embrace Scorbit’s features to enhance the pinball experience and competitive play takes hold.
Scorbit is now live in 15 locations across California, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington and Colorado, with plans to expand to over 30 locations by the end of April.
Operators have flexibility in how tournaments are structured, including setting higher-stakes jackpots or allocating a portion of entry fees to the prize pool. Scorbit also supports digital payments, enabling players and operators to seamlessly send and receive entry fees and winnings through the platform.
In addition, players can pay to play physical games using credit cards, debit cards, Apple Pay or Google Pay via Scorbit’s Tap to Play interface with physical pinball machines.
Scorbit is among the first platforms to bring real-money arcade tournaments to physical games at scale. To kick off the launch, Scorbit is rolling out tournaments simultaneously across 13 locations, with $4,000 in total jackpot winnings up for grabs. Tournaments will start on April 8 and run through April 22.
Initial tournament locations include:
● Capital Pinball Parlor (Sacramento, CA)
● Lynn’s Arcade: A Pinball Parlor and Can Slangery (Seaside, CA)
● Lyons Classic Pinball (Lyons, CO)
● RLM Amusements (Grand Rapids, MI)
● Minnesota Pinball @ Bucks Mill Brewing (Detroit Lakes, MN)
● The Forge (Chaska, MN)
● Rullo’s (Brooklyn, NY)
● Beer Bunker (Portland, OR)
● The Zed (Portland, OR)
● Quarter Bandits Arcade (Spring Hill, TN)
● Pro Re Nata Brewpub & Music Hall (Crozet, VA)
● Reclaim Arcade (Fredericksburg, VA)
● Loowit Brewing Company (Vancouver, WA)
For more information or to find a Scorbit location near you, visit scorbit.io.
Founded by internet pioneer Adelson (Equinix, Digg) and media and technology veteran Richards, Scorbit bridges generations of gameplay through real-time data integration, community engagement, and modernized features that make classic gaming feel new again.