Lucra, the leading social competition platform, today announced a partnership with Joust, the play club where fun-loving people meet to compete in beautiful locations. Lucra will power both real-money and sponsor-backed competitions directly at Joust's in-person events, transforming their upscale game nights into frictionless competitive experiences with instant prize fulfillment.
The partnership brings Lucra's proven white-label technology to tabletop gaming, eliminating the friction that has historically complicated casual competition at game nights—no more IOUs, Venmo requests, or spreadsheet tracking. Players at Joust events can now compete in structured tournaments or challenge fellow attendees to matches with customizable stakes, with all payments, scoring, and compliance handled seamlessly in the background.
Joust has built a distinctive brand around real-life connection and spirited rivalry, hosting competitive experiences from upscale game nights to immersive, game-specific retreats. The Lucra integration amplifies what Joust already does well, bringing competitive people together by adding tournament infrastructure, live leaderboards, and meaningful stakes that make every game count.
"Joust has created something rare: real-life connection through spirited competition," said Dylan Robbins, CEO of Lucra. "By adding our tournament and challenge infrastructure to their in-person events, we're making every game more meaningful. Whether it's head-to-head challenges or full tournaments with sponsored prizes from major brands, players can now compete for real stakes while experiencing the magic of in-person play."
At Joust events, players will be able to enter cash-enabled tournaments across various board and card games, challenge fellow attendees with customizable stakes, or compete in sponsor-backed competitions where prizes range from product discounts to exclusive merchandise from major brands. Winners can cash out immediately or convert their earnings to credits for future Joust experiences, creating a closed-loop loyalty system that drives repeat attendance.
The sponsor integration is particularly powerful for Joust's business model, allowing brands to reach highly engaged audiences at the point of play. Rather than traditional advertising, sponsors can offer tangible rewards that enhance the competitive experience—creating positive brand associations while Joust unlocks new revenue streams beyond ticket sales.
"Lucra's technology perfectly complements our mission of bringing fun-loving people together over friendly competition," said Safi Aziz, founder of Joust. "We've always attracted naturally competitive people; now we can give them proper stakes and structure. The best part? Everything happens behind the scenes. Players just show up, compete, and walk away with winnings—no friction, no complexity. Together, Joust and Lucra are proving that play is a powerful form of socialization, with technology enhancing, not replacing, human connection."
For Joust, the partnership unlocks multiple growth levers: increased attendance through competitive programming, higher revenue per event through tournament fees and sponsor partnerships, and improved retention through the convert-to-credit functionality that keeps winners coming back. For Lucra, it represents continued expansion into location-based entertainment, demonstrating how its technology can power authentic in-person experiences across diverse categories—from golf simulators to arcade venues to upscale game nights.
The partnership launches this winter, with our first challenge night in New York City on Thursday, December 11, where game players can win up to $500 in prizes. It’s first-come, first-served, so sign up here before it’s too late!
About Lucra
At Lucra, we use competitive play to build brand loyalty. Our white-label platform allows clients to host competitions, create personalized challenges, and provide users’ rewards. Doing so helps to drive visitation, increase engagement, and add more revenue per customer. We handle all payments, compliance, and risk management, allowing clients to quickly implement our solution into their existing app or website. Lucra powers gamification for top entertainment, hospitality, and consumer brands, including Dave & Buster's, Five Iron Golf, Puttshack, TouchTunes, Hollywood.com, and more. For more information, visit www.lucrasports.com.
About Joust
From upscale game nights to immersive game-specific retreats, Joust hosts experiences where fun-loving people meet to compete. By bringing together players who crave an authentic community built around spirited competition, Joust is bringing a hospitality focus to social gaming. Learn more at www.instagram.com/joustsociety.
Media Contact
Michael Madding
michael@lucrasports.com
