From wire reports
Lucky Strike Entertainment has been accused of building an illegal bowling monopoly by rolling up hundreds of bowling alleys across the U.S., driving up prices and degrading the customer experience through what plaintiffs call “illegally acquired scale.”
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in a Seattle, Wash., federal court, portrays the company as a “Wall Street goliath” that transformed bowling from an affordable American pastime into an overpriced business focused on the financial bottom line instead of customer experience. In some cases, the price to bowl at Lucky Strike-owned alleys has tripled in recent years, the lawsuit says.
It says the rise of the company, formerly known as Bowlero, has been “fueled by repeated hedge fund and private equity investment on the road to going public.” Lucky Strike went public via a special purpose acquisition company merger in 2021.
The proposed nationwide class action, lodged by a group of 11 named plaintiffs, alleges Lucky Strike used an aggressive acquisition strategy to become the dominant force in American bowling. It says the company currently controls about 35 percent of U.S. bowling revenue and more than 350 “bowling centers” across North America. Its next closest competitors are Main Event, which operates 64 centers, and Round1 Bowling, which operates 56.
The company also owns the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA).
In Stark and Summit counties, Bowlero centers include AMF Riviera, AMF Hall of Fame and Medina lanes.
“Plaintiffs and the consumers they seek to represent have suffered substantial injuries as a result of Bowlero’s acquisition scheme, in the form of higher prices, reduced quality, and the veritable destruction of the decades-old pastime of bowling in America,” the suit says.
A Lucky Strike spokesperson said in a statement “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.”
“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. We have grown by building better experiences for our guests, not by limiting choice. We are confident in our conduct, confident in the law, and we will defend this case vigorously and to the fullest.”
The law firm behind the suit, Simonsen Sussman LLP, was formed in June 2025. The two founding partners, Catherine Simonsen and Shaoul Sussman, both have prior experience working at the Federal Trade Commission.
Claims listed in the lawsuit are that Lucky Strike Entertainment:
- Acquired hundreds of bowling centers (from 6 in 2012 to nearly 350 in 2026) through mergers and purchases, including Seattle’s Garage Billiards & Bowl and Lucky Strike Bellevue in Washington.
- Raised prices for bowling, food, drinks, and league fees, with some plaintiffs reporting price increases of up to triple the original cost.
- Reduced quality by canceling league events for corporate use, replacing traditional pins with string pins, and failing to consistently oil lanes.
- Used scale to pressure suppliers and outcompete smaller independent centers.
- Imposed dynamic pricing to drive weekend revenue, allegedly cutting weekday hours.
- Expanded into other entertainment venues like amusement and water parks, and promoted alcohol and gambling.
The plaintiffs also allege violations of federal antitrust law and state consumer protection laws, and seek damages, restitution and injunctive relieve to unwind acquisitions and block further consolidation, according to published reports.
Separately, dozens of former Bowlero employees have filed individual lawsuits alleging age discrimination and retaliation after the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) closed its nine-year investigation. The EEOC’s closure does not clear Bowlero of wrongdoing, and the individual claimants now have the right to sue.
Lucky Strike on Wednesday reported that its revenue and profit edged up in its fiscal third quarter, while JP Morgan downgraded the company’s stock from neutral to underweight.
Lucky Strike, the world’s largest bowling center operator and the owner of the PBA, said a news release that its revenue for the quarter ended March 29 rose 0.7 percent to $342.2 million from $339.9 million in the same period a year ago, while same store sales were up 0.2%.
The company’s net income of $16.9 million was up from $13.3 million a year ago, while adjusted EBITDA of $109.0 million was down from $117.3 million in the prior year.
From Dec. 29 through Wednesday, the company acquired one waterpark, giving its 368 locations.
Lucky Strike stock closed Thursday at $7.53 per share, down $0.13 per share on the day.