Arcade Club


Arcade Club is a chain of amusement arcades located in the United Kingdom. First opened in 2014 the venues contain original arcade machines from five decades of video gaming history.

History

The first Arcade Club opened in Haslingden in 2014 after the successful trial of its Free Play model in the back of a computer shop during closing hours. The original location was made up of 100 original arcade machines, with an emphasis on games from the Golden Age of Arcade Video Games. The venue would go on to be featured on the BBC's Collectaholics, bringing widespread media attention to the arcade. The increased popularity of the venue forced a move in location to bigger premises, and Arcade Club moved to Ela Mill in Bury Greater Manchester. Containing over 400 original arcade machines it is considered the biggest arcade in Europe.
In May 2019 the company opened a second location in Kirkstall Leeds, filled with original arcade games from across five different decades. In the Autumn of 2019 it was announced that a third venue would be opening in Blackpool, once dubbed the mecca of arcade games.
While not the first arcade to operate using the Free Play model, wherein no coins are necessary to play the machines, it has popularised it in the UK.