How AI Is Changing the Way Centers Operate
Artificial intelligence is having a moment.
Depending on who you ask, it’s either the most powerful business tool of the next decade or a looming threat to jobs, creativity, and common sense. In boardrooms and back offices, AI is discussed with equal parts excitement and suspicion.
For many people, AI begins and ends with tools like ChatGPT, powered by what’s known as a Large Language Model (LLM). Often, it’s used like a supercharged search engine- helping write emails, generate ideas, or handle repetitive tasks. But those visible tools are only part of the picture.
Much of AI’s real impact happens behind the scenes inside the technology systems that support daily operations. AI can analyze patterns, predict busy periods, spot customer trends, and make quick recommendations. By processing everyday business data, it helps operators make smarter decisions about staffing, pricing, promotions, and guest communication.
We’re already seeing this play out in parts of our industry, from smarter booking systems and dynamic pricing tools to automated marketing platforms and data dashboards that do more than report numbers—they highlight what to do next.
AI isn’t just something you “go use.” Increasingly, it’s built into the systems that run modern centers, quietly turning everyday data into insights that can help you make better decisions.
PREDICTING WHAT GUESTS DO NEXT
When most people hear “AI,” they picture something futuristic or complicated. In reality, much of it comes down to simple math and patterns.
“If you have the data or demographic info of an individual, and they play three different games, we have an 82% probability of predicting the next game they’ll play,” said Scott Sherrod, CEO of Intercard, a global provider of cashless technology for amusement and entertainment venues.
That’s not science fiction. It’s pattern recognition. Sherrod explains it this way: If thousands of guests tend to move from a racing game to a basketball challenge and then over to a certain redemption game, the system starts to recognize that flow, allowing the software to make an educated guess about what the guest will want to do next.
That might mean promoting a specific game on a nearby screen, offering a bonus if they load more credits, or sending an offer later tied to the types of games they already enjoy. It’s simply using past behavior to guide the next suggestion.
This gives you a way to shape offers around what guests already enjoy. A family that bowls most Sundays might receive a timed-play special for that day. A teen who gravitates toward high-skill games could be invited to a leaderboard challenge. It’s about recognizing patterns and responding to them.
In bowling and entertainment venues, a solid casual customer may visit three or four times a year. “If you can up that to six, seven, or eight, you’ve done a great job,” Sherrod said. “And by direct marketing to an individual using the AI tools that are out there, you might get them to come in a few more times.”
Callout: “If you can turn three visits into six, you’ve done a great job.”
TURNING TRANSACTIONS INTO INSIGHT
Looking back, the foundation for much of this data-driven insight began with a major operational shift in the industry. Not long ago, tokens and paper tickets were part of everyday life in a center’s arcade. Today, cashless systems are the norm, and that shift did more than simplify transactions. It opened the door to something far more valuable for operators: usable data.
When every purchase is electronic, every tap or swipe tells a story. Operators can see when guests arrive, what they gravitate toward, how long they stay, and what they spend. That insight makes it easier to test timed-play models, roll out targeted promotions, or adjust pricing based on real demand instead of gut instinct.
Many cashless platforms now allow centers to set different pricing tiers, raising or lowering game prices based on traffic. Sherrod noted that systems like these give operators the ability to adjust rates by time of day or demand levels. A busy Saturday afternoon might carry one price; a slower Tuesday evening, another.
USING DATA TO DRIVE MARKETING
Today’s consumers are careful with their money. They are even more careful with their time. Families often research entertainment options before committing to a 20- or 30-minute drive. They compare prices and read reviews. They want confidence that the experience will be worth it.
AI can help you sharpen that positioning. By analyzing guest demographics, visit frequency, and spending patterns, centers can better understand who their core audiences are and who they’re not yet reaching. If certain ZIP codes show high visit potential but low penetration, marketing efforts can be adjusted. If particular attractions resonate strongly with certain age groups, messaging can be refined accordingly.
Instead of guessing which promotions might hit, you can spot patterns, respond faster, and build campaigns around how guests behave, not just what you hope they’ll do.
AI IN ACTION
Real-world ways AI is already showing up
• Smarter Pricing Instead of setting prices and hoping for the best, systems can adjust based on time of day, traffic, and demand.
• More Relevant Promotions Offers can be tied to how guests actually behave, what they play, and when they visit.
• Bringing Guests Back AI can help spot when someone hasn’t visited in a while and trigger a reason for them to come back.
• Guiding the Next Play Based on patterns, systems can suggest what a guest might want to do next
• Better Staffing Decisions Schedules can be built around real traffic patterns, local events, and even weather.
• Knowing What’s Working Instead of guessing which marketing efforts are hitting, you can see what’s actually driving visits and adjust from there.=
• Seeing What You Might Miss On a busy day, it’s easy to overlook trends. AI helps surface patterns and opportunities that would otherwise slip by.
• Operational Visibility Highlighting trends, slowdowns, or opportunities that might otherwise go unnoticed.
SMARTER STAFFING DECISIONS
Labor remains one of the most persistent challenges in the industry. “80% of the time, most owners have their staffing at what it should be,” Sherrod said. “But there are other variables in there, like weather or what other events are going on in their town. I see this really being able to help manage that other 20% and fine-tune it.”
AI-driven scheduling systems can incorporate historical traffic, seasonal trends, local event calendars, and even weather forecasts to predict demand spikes or dips. Instead of reacting to an unexpected rush (or overstaffing during a slow period), operators can make more informed decisions in advance.
WHERE THE REAL AI LIVES
One important point to understand is that AI isn’t just something you “go use.” While tools like ChatGPT can certainly help with creative and mundane tasks, the bigger change is happening inside the systems that run a center’s daily operations. Booking platforms, cashless systems, marketing tools, point-of-sale software, and scheduling systems are increasingly built with AI-enabled features that analyze data and highlight useful patterns automatically. In many cases, operators may already be using AI without realizing it simply by using modern technology platforms designed to learn from the data their business generates.
That means the real decision isn’t whether to “learn AI,” but whether the systems you invest in are designed to use data intelligently. When evaluating new technology, operators may want to ask how the system analyzes guest behavior, whether it can identify patterns automatically, and what kinds of recommendations it can surface to help improve operations. In other words, AI is becoming less about learning a new tool and more about choosing systems that quietly make the entire operation smarter.
WHAT’S COMING NEXT
Looking back, when cashless systems first showed up, plenty of operators questioned whether they were worth it. Fast forward to today and opening a new venue without one is hard to imagine. Sherrod believes AI is on a similar path.
One of the biggest hurdles in personalization is simply reaching the guest. Push notifications and app-based offers can work well, but only if someone downloads your app, keeps it, and allows notifications. That’s a lot of “ifs.”
The next wave of AI-enabled systems may rely less on apps and more on seamless integration. Over the next several years, camera-based technology and frictionless payment systems are expected to become more common. A guest could enter a facility, link to a credit card, access their profile, and move through games, food, and services without repeatedly pulling out a wallet. Charges consolidate at the end for a fully seamless visit. Behind the scenes, AI systems would be tracking preferences, smoothing experiences, and generating recommendations for future visits.
The operators who gain the most from AI will be the ones asking practical questions:
• What decisions will this help me make?
• What headaches does it eliminate?
• Where could it grow revenue?
SHOPPING FOR SMART SYSTEMS
• Questions to Ask
• When evaluating new technology, AI may already be part of the platform. Asking a few simple questions can help determine how useful it really is.
• 1. What decisions does the system help automate? Does it recommend pricing, promotions, staffing adjustments, or guest offers?
• 2. What data does the system analyze? Look for tools that evaluate guest behavior, transaction patterns, visit frequency, and time-of-day traffic.
• 3. Does the system learn over time? True AI improves as it gathers more data rather than relying on static rules.
• 4. Can it surface insights automatically? The best systems highlight patterns or opportunities without requiring operators to dig through reports.
• 5. How does it help during peak hours? The most valuable tools support decisions in real time, not just in after-the-fact reporting.
• 6. What operational problems does it solve? Better staffing forecasts, smarter pricing, targeted marketing, and improved guest engagement are common areas where AI is being applied.
• 7. Is the system integrated with other platforms? AI becomes more powerful when data flows across booking systems, cashless platforms, POS, and marketing tools.
Like any tool, AI works best if you know what to do with it. The more data your center collects, the smarter these systems become, helping you spot trends and opportunities that might otherwise get lost in the day-to-day rush.
And in an environment where both time and margins matter, that kind of clarity can be the edge that keeps guests choosing you over the place down the street.
