SOLUTIONS

Bar Games to Make Money and Keep Customers Coming Back

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November 25, 2021

Keeping your customers entertained is the key to keeping them in your bar for longer. And the longer that someone is in your bar, the more that they’re likely to spend at your establishment.

Of all the strategies available to keep pub customers entertained, few are as effective as popular digital bar games to make money.

If you’re interested in adding the best bar games to play at your venue, you’re in the right place. Keep reading to learn why this strategy makes sense and to get a look at the best digital bar games for entertaining your guests.

Why give your customers interactive bar games?

Digital bar games to make money aren’t only about boosting your bottom line. They also end up adding value to your pub in a few different ways. Here’s a look at each of them.

Fun bar games will entertain your customers

The most obvious value-add of digital games at bars is entertainment. Bar room games are a great way for your customers to pass the time while socializing with others at your establishment.

Remember that old cliche, ‘time flies when you’re having fun’? It may be cheesy but it’s absolutely true. So when you keep your customers entertained with bar room games, they should spend longer at your establishment.

Popular bar games attract new customers

If you’re trying to bring more people into your bar, then adding digital, vintage, or even funny bar games to your list of offerings could help you achieve that. You can brainstorm bar game night ideas and market the games that you have available to get people more interested in coming to your pub.

You can even do themed nights or competitions that leverage digital games to create special events that get more people interested in your company.

Bar room games always boost profits

Ultimately, adding specifically designed games to make money should increase your sales figures considerably. That’s true because of the previous two points made in this section.

By keeping your customers entertained, digital bar top games make them likelier to spend more money at your bar by keeping them there longer. And you can use your digital games for marketing to bring more people to your pub so that you have more customers buying from you.

Bar game ideas that will wow your patrons

Now that we know why adding digital games to your bar is a good idea, let’s take a closer look at your options. Here are some digital bar game ideas that will keep your customers entertained.

Trivia

Trivia is a game that needs no introduction since it happens to be one of the most fun games to play at the bar. Although many bars host trivia nights, you can also create digital trivia games for your guests to enjoy.

There are lots of different ways that you can do this so you have some room to be creative.

For example, you could do themed trivia nights with questions that all focus on a certain subject. Or you could give your guests the chance to compete with one another for prizes like discounted drinks or a free tab for the night.

Trivia is a universal game that works really well as a digital offering. It could be the perfect way to keep your pub guests entertained.

Tetris

There’s a reason that Tetris has been around since 1984. Though its concept is straightforward, Tetris is incredibly addictive. Adding it to your bar could be a fantastic way to entertain your guests.

Pac-Man

Pac-Man is similar to Tetris in that it’s been around long enough to stand the test of time. Everybody knows what Pac-Man is and how to play it. If you want a game that will appeal to the largest audience possible, then this could be your best bet.

Chess

Chess is a game that’s been around since at least the 10th-century. It’s simple enough for newcomers to quickly understand but has enough depth to keep someone occupied for an entire life.

So another idea is to add a digital version of chess to your bar. You can even connect several tablets in your bar together so that your customers can play with one another.

This idea could help your customers get to know new people in a fun and competitive way. That could give your bar a reputation for being a great place to hang out.

Poker

When it comes to bar table games, you’d be hard-pressed to find anything better than poker. In fact, you could add poker games to your digital offerings. There are several different varieties to consider, but Texas Hold ‘Em is the most popular.

You may or may not be able to offer real gambling through digital poker at your bar. This will depend on the state that you’re located in.

But even if you can’t offer real gambling, playing with virtual money can still be a lot of fun for your customers. You can even keep a leaderboard to give them something to work towards and compete over.

Uno

Uno is not only one of the most fun card games to play at a bar but also a card game that’s available digitally. It’s a really good fit for groups who come into your bar because you need at least 3-4 people to play it.

Blackjack

Blackjack is another super popular gambling game that could be a good fit in your bar. Like poker, you will need to check your state’s laws regarding gambling before allowing your guests to gamble for real money.

Options other than good bar games to entertain your customers

Digital bar games can be a fantastic way to keep your bar customers entertained. But they’re certainly not the only way to do this and there’s more to explore beyond just bar game ideas when it comes to digital technologies. Here are some other fun bar activities you can use to make your pub a more entertaining place to be.

Stream video entertainment

There’s nothing like watching a sports game at a bar. But the same is true of many other forms of streaming video entertainment as well.

When we watch things with other people, we tend to enjoy them more. So another way that you can keep your customers entertained is by showing streaming video content when you’re not entertaining them in any other ways.

You can actually do this with digital signage. UPshow provides more than 500 channels of streaming entertainment for you to share with your audience.

Karaoke

Karaoke is another pub pastime that you shouldn’t ignore. People love going out with their friends, having a few drinks and letting loose by singing their favorite song.

Providing this experience to your customers is a great way to keep them coming back to your bar. For example, you could host a weekly karaoke night on your slowest day to bring in more traffic.

Board and bar-top games

Board games can be really entertaining when you get a solid group together to play one. These are great to have on-hand at bars because they’re a convenient way for your customers to entertain themselves at any time of the day or night.

Board games are super low maintenance and won’t disrupt your other customers’ experiences at your bar. But they’ll keep whoever chooses to play them fully engaged for an hour or two.

Live music

Live music and bars go together like a hand in a glove. If you’re not already having bands and DJs perform at your venue, consider adding them to your entertainment schedule.

Booking live performers can also help you bring in new customers who might not have had a reason to visit your bar before.

Setting up fun activities and games bar games to make money with digital signage

If you’re going to add digital games to your bar, then you need to invest in a technology that facilitates that. Digital signage is the perfect solution. In this section, we’ll tell you how to set it up so that you can start sharing digital games with your bar customers.

What will you need to offer the most popular pub games

Digital signage consists of three distinct components:

  • Digital signage software
  • Screens (like TVs, tablets and computer monitors)
  • Digital signage media player (not necessary if your screens have a built-in way to connect to the internet)

The system itself is pretty simple. You connect your digital signage media player(s) to the screen(s) that you want to use. Then you use the software to manage the content that gets shown on the screen.

One thing to keep in mind here is that you may need to use a touchscreen if you want to share digital bar games that require direct input from your customers.

Setting up bar games to make money and keep your customers entertained

Once you have your digital signage system in place, your next step is figuring out which games you want to share with your audience.

You can browse through a list of premade games just like you’d browse through a list of downloadable applications on your phone. Or you can even create your own game as long as you have software that lets you do that.

UPshow makes it easier to offer bar games to make money and boost your footfall

UPshow makes digital signage software that makes it easy to keep your bar guests entertained with digital games. Our solution also provides more than 500 channels of live video content and several other ways to keep your bar guests more entertained.Want to give it a shot? You can sign up for a free custom demo of UPshow today. We look forward to hearing from you.

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