Our Scope
Logo Partner
The problem
The goal was more repeat visits and longer stays at the venue. A betting experience was meant to give bowlers a reason to return. We needed to know whether bowlers actually wanted that, and in what form.
What we learned
Bowlers enjoy casual, friendly competition, and they were far more willing to wager against friends than against automated odds. League players valued tracking and performance insight. The in-venue experience mattered a lot too: smooth onboarding, from lane reservations to shoe rental to ordering, would raise engagement.
How we worked
We reviewed the leaders in sports betting to understand how the category presents itself, and consulted the Professional Bowlers Association, which had earlier experience with bowling-related betting. We ran moderated storyboard interviews with a mix of bowlers and gamblers. Informal betting already existed in bowling culture. Monetizing it was the hard part.
What we built
A machine-learning odds system tuned so that odds were never too easy and never impossible. A central hub for tracking scores and frames, which league players valued most. Engagement metrics to refine incentives. And early groundwork for point-of-sale integration, so ordering could one day happen in the app.
How it landed
The app launched with a 4.5-star rating, and players especially liked the score and frame tracking. The research also pointed to a next step beyond wagering: a concierge-style experience for the whole visit.
