EXTRA publicity and people wanting to relive childhood memories are helping drive a surge in popularity at a northern suburbs pinball arcade.

GameRoom Essentials owner Danny Daly says he’s thrilled his business has been listed on travel website Trip Advisor as a “top Adelaide attraction”.

Mr Daly says about 120 people are now regularly attending “Saturday night lock-ins” at the Gepps Cross centre, up from 40 in June.

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He said the arcade achieved its top rating in April on the world-wide website that allows users to rate attractions and leave reviews, further boosting the arcade’s popularity.

“We’ve just been getting constant interstate and international visitors here,” Mr Daly said.

“If you’ve got a pinball machine at home you’ve got one game, whereas here we’ve got the largest pinball machine collection in Australia.”

The business suffered a $30,000 theft two years ago, including four of the arcade’s 40 pinball machines, seven arcade machines and a jukebox.

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However, Mr Daly said his business’s new-found popularity had made up for the loss and he was considering opening on days other than the Thursday and Saturday nights.

The 41-year-old former Holden assembly line worker opened the arcade in August last year but has struggled to make a business out of it.

“I’m hoping by Christmas we’ll be making money,” he said.

“More and more people are asking for us to open on other days but it’s expensive to run the machines.”

Andrew McKinnon goes to lock-ins about once a month with his wife Emma and her daughter Shannon, 13.

Mr McKinnon said they happened to be driving past in last August and noticed the arcade, stopped in and have been going back ever since.

“It’s a good family environment and it’s the sort of thing where the mum, dad and kids can go,” Mr McKinnon said.

Users normally pay a $25 fee ($15 for children) to use the pinball machines, arcade games, console games and eight-ball for the whole night.

To thank customers for the extra business, Mr Daly will host a free hour of gaming this Saturday.

Entry is free this Saturday (August 9), from 6pm to 7pm at 51a Cavan Rd, Gepps Cross.

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