If you've searched for "bowling stock," you're most likely looking for Lucky Strike Entertainment, the largest operator of bowling centers in the world and the best-known bowling company listed on a US stock exchange. Until December 2024 it was called Bowlero and traded under the ticker BOWL. It now trades on the New York Stock Exchange as LUCK.
This page explains the business. It isn't investment advice; check current figures and filings before making any decision.
A short history
- Bowlero grew by buying up bowling centers, including AMF's centers, and turning many of them into upscale "bowling plus" venues with bars, food and arcades.
- In 2019 it bought the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA).
- It became a public company in December 2021 by merging with a special-purpose acquisition company, listing as BOWL.
- In December 2024 it completed a rebrand to Lucky Strike Entertainment and changed its ticker to LUCK, taking the name of the upscale Lucky Strike chain it owns.
What drives the business
- Center revenue: lane rentals, shoe rentals, food and drink, and amusement games.
- Events: corporate parties and birthdays, which are a big share of revenue.
- Leagues: steady weekly income, though league bowling has declined over the decades.
- Consumer spending: bowling is a leisure purchase, so it's sensitive to the economy, and a lot of revenue depends on weekends and holidays.
- Acquisitions: the company has expanded into other location-based entertainment beyond bowling.
Other ways to be "in" bowling
Most bowling equipment makers, such as Storm, Brunswick's bowling products and Ebonite's former brands, are privately held. Owning or investing in an individual bowling center is another route. Our pages on whether bowling alleys are profitable and writing a bowling alley business plan cover the economics of a single center.