Lucky Strike Entertainment,
formerly known as Bowlero Corporation,
the private equity–backed behemoth that in the past 10+ years has bought more than 350 of the nation’s bowling alleys
and transformed them into a
(to quote the Bowlero website)
“quirky, edgy, retro-inspired bowling phenomenon”
that has deprioritized league bowling,
escalated the cost of bowling with algorithm-driven dynamic pricing,
and accelerated the demise of one of the 20th century’s most dependable third spaces.

And now, thanks to a class-action lawsuit filed in May by disgruntled bowlers, the company stands accused of violating antitrust laws,
as well as “the veritable destruction of the decades-old pastime of bowling in America.”
(Bowlero, which rebranded as Lucky Strike Entertainment after acquiring all Lucky Strike bowling centers, has since added water parks to its portfolio.)

https://www.salon.com/2026/07/03/how-private-equity-destroyed-an-american-pastime/