Say the word “arcade” to anyone who grew up in the 1980s or ‘90s, and brightly lit visions of Pac-Man, Mortal Kombat, pinball, and boxy brown machines that turn bills into quarters will dance in their head.

The same may even happen for Gen Zers, since they’ve all watched Stranger Things.

BetMGM is now preying on that nostalgia, that longing for a simpler time, with the launch of Borgata Arcade, as part of Borgata Online Casino in New Jersey. And the company admits as much in its press release announcing the debut this month of Borgata Arcade, teeing up the release copy with the phrase “Nostalgia and iGaming converge at Borgata Online’s newest offering.”

The Borgata Online Casino app has long offered slots, blackjack, roulette, live dealer games, and all the other typical mobile casino options, but it has now added more than 120 new games found under the “Arcade” tab.

“Borgata Arcade offers an all-in-one place for players to find their favorite games,” BetMGM Chief Revenue Officer Matt Prevost said in the release. “From the traditional shopping mall arcade to its popularity in home consoles, the arcade continues to evolve as BetMGM now brings it to life in iGaming.”

No joysticks or jump buttons

Among those 120 games in the Borgata Arcade — to be clear, they’re slots games with arcade-game themes — are Street Fighter II, Space Invaders, Skee-Ball, Pop-A-Shot, and numerous Slingo titles.

“Borgata Arcade combines familiar titles that have enjoyed decades of success at brick-and-mortar casinos with games exclusively available online,” said Angus Nesbitt, BetMGM’s vice president of gaming. “The selection truly captures the fun and excitement of an arcade, and we look forward to bringing it to even more of our customers soon.”

In addition to being available to New Jersey online casino players, Borgata Online Casino is also live in neighboring Pennsylvania, though Borgata Arcade has not been rolled out yet in the Keystone State.

Like most online casino debuts, this one comes with a sign-up bonus: Players who spend $20 on a single Borgata Arcade game qualify for a “Pick a Power-Up” prize board with the chance to win bonuses of up to $1,000.

NJ leads the way

New Jersey is among America’s leaders in terms of online casino revenue, routinely hauling in more than $150 million a month — including $163.8 million in September, the most recent month for which the Department of Gaming Enforcement published data.

Atlantic City has also emerged recently as a hub of arcade activity. In 2021, the former Showboat casino on the Boardwalk became Lucky Snake, which claimed as of July to be the largest arcade in the world.

The Arcade at Harrah’s in the Marina District just opened last Wednesday to offer off-Boardwalk competition in the arcade market, and more competition is coming in December when what was once Jay-Z’s 40/40 Club in the Tanger Outlets becomes Dave & Buster’s Atlantic City.