Draft:Amusement Connect
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| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Financial technology, amusement industry |
| Founded | 2017 |
| Founders | Frank Licausi John Tarpley |
| Headquarters | Kansas City, Missouri , United States |
Key people | John Tarpley (CEO) Tom Jayroe (President) Frank Licausi (Chief Customer and Brand Officer) |
| Products | Cashless payment systems, RFID game card readers, self-service kiosks, venue management software |
Amusement Connect is an American company that manufactures and supports cashless payment systems and cloud-based venue management software for arcades, family entertainment centers, and related leisure venues. The company is headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri.
History
[edit]Amusement Connect was founded in 2017 by Frank Licausi, a route operator and family entertainment center owner, and John Tarpley, an automotive executive and engineer.[1][2] The founders developed the company after identifying gaps in the cashless payment technology available to smaller route operators and independent family entertainment centers compared to larger operators.[1] Royal Crest Lanes became the company's first customer, adopting the Amusement Connect card system in its bowling alley as part of an early proof-of-concept that included an unattended redemption arcade.[2] The company grew to serve more than 800 customers across over 3,000 venue locations, including arcades, family entertainment centers, bowling centers, roller skating rinks, bar-arcades, and restaurants, without institutional investment prior to 2026.[1]
In May 2026, Amusement Connect received an equity investment from Periscope Equity, a Chicago-based private equity firm.[3][4] The transaction represented the first platform investment made by Periscope Equity III, a $370 million fund that closed in August 2025.[1] Following the investment, Tarpley continued as chief executive officer, Licausi became chief customer and brand officer, and Tom Jayroe continued in his role as company president.[1]
Products and technology
[edit]Amusement Connect's core offering is a cashless card system built around radio-frequency identification (RFID) game card readers, self-service kiosks, and a cloud-based software suite covering point-of-sale, redemption management, and analytics.[1] The system is designed to allow venue operators to replace coin-operated arcade machines with card-based transactions and to manage multiple venue locations from a centralized platform with real-time performance data.[1]
Amusement Connect's card system is built around its SmartMech RFID card readers and Steely XT self-service paystation kiosks. SmartMech readers allow arcade games and attractions to be activated using RFID game cards and can be configured for different game and attraction types.[5] The company's paystation kiosk lineup enables guests to purchase and reload play cards using multiple payment methods. In 2025, Amusement Connect introduced the Steely XT, a redesigned kiosk featuring a 32-inch vertical touchscreen, card recycling functionality, remote software updates, and configurable user interface and cabinet branding options. The kiosk was developed with route operators and designed for deployment across a variety of entertainment venue formats.[5]
In 2024, the company introduced MobileMech, a hardware module that integrates with legacy coin-operated arcade machines to enable digital payment processing in unattended or unmonitored venues.[3] The product won both the Amusement and Music Operators Association (AMOA) Innovation Award and Operator's Choice Award at Amusement Expo 2024.[2] Amusement Connect also received the American Amusement Machine Association's (AAMA) 2024 Supplier of the Year Award.[2] That same year, the company partnered with jukebox and entertainment technology provider AMI Entertainment to integrate mobile payment functionality across AMI's platform.[6] Amusement Connect also developed an integration with ROLLER, an attractions and venue management platform, allowing cashless card sales, top-ups, and balance checks to be processed directly through ROLLER's point-of-sale devices.[7]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Got Any Quarters? Periscope Invests in Amusement Connect". PE Professional. June 2026. Retrieved 2026-07-02.
- 1 2 3 4 "Amusement Connect". Payment Systems & Software. RePlay Magazine. September 2024. p. 48.
- 1 2 "Amusement Connect Receives Equity Investment from Periscope Equity". FinSMEs. 2026-05-28. Retrieved 2026-07-02.
- ↑ "Amusement Connect Gets Private Equity Investment". RePlay Magazine. Retrieved 2026-07-07.
- 1 2 "Better Connected". InterGame. July 2026. pp. 42–43.
- ↑ "AMI and Amusement Connect Partner to Bring More Pay Options". RePlay Magazine. Retrieved 2026-07-07.
- ↑ "ROLLER and Amusement Connect Announce Integration to Streamline Cashless Card Operations". PR Newswire. 2024-05-03. Retrieved 2026-07-02.
External links
[edit]Category:Companies based in Kansas City, Missouri Category:Financial technology companies of the United States Category:Payment systems Category:American companies established in 2017 Category:2017 establishments in Missouri Category:Amusement arcades
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