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Last fall, Dominic Bourret took to Twitter in hopes of changing the rules that were preventing him from opening Montreal’s first arcade bar.

The plea was aimed at attracting the attention of social media savvy Mayor Denis Coderre, and he succeeded in getting a response. It set in motion the creation of Arcade MTL, which opened its doors with 15 classic arcade machines and a number of retro consoles at 2031 St-Denis St. on April 1.

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And the municipal bylaw that said arcade machines and bars can’t mix because any establishment permitted to sell alcoholic beverages needs to be at least 25 metres away from one designated as an amusement hall, meaning three machines or more? Turned out it was a misunderstanding.

“There was never a problem with the regulations,” Bourret explained. “To do what we wanted to do, all we needed was for our machines to be set to free play. We said that during our first meeting with the city, but they didn’t listen to that little detail.”