Years ago, Jeffrey Benoit and friends were playing a heated game of Halo and drinking some beers in his living room. “And then the wives wanted us to find somewhere else to play,” he says, laughing. So, he and said friends opened their first bar arcade in Orlando in 2012, and in 2019 brought the concept to Las Vegas. “We also wanted to do a retro arcade-style video game bar in Las Vegas; I love Las Vegas,” Benoit says. Thus, Player 1 Video Game Bar was born.
“We span the whole history of gaming from 1970s to 2025,” Benoit says. Once you pay the cover and step inside the bar, you’ll enter a gamer’s paradise with tons of arcade games and consoles available to play as much as you want, including Play Station 5, Xbox and Xbox 360, Nintendo 64 and Sega Dreamcast, Marvel Super Heroes, Mortal Kombat, Tekken 2, Street Fighter, Ninja Turtles, Guitar Hero, Commando, Jungle King, Popeye, Donkey Kong, Tron, NBA Jam, Robocop, Karate Champ, Q*bert, Centipede and Pengo, as well as a whole section of pinball machines; there are even lounge-like areas with gaming chairs to play the consoles.
And what goes better with gaming than drinking? Enjoy video game-inspired cocktails like Princess Peaches, The Vice City and the Potion of Mana, as well as 50 beer taps and sake options.
“Player 1 is a nice break from gambling,” Benoit says. “It’s a nice stop to see the history of gaming. We’re constantly updating and changing out the games we offer. We’re trying to keep the spirit of gaming alive.”
2797 S. Maryland Pkwy, 21+, 725.204.1399. player1vegas.com
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