# J&J Gaming

> J&J Gaming is a privately held distributed gaming and amusement operator headquartered in Effingham, Illinois. Rather than run destination casinos, it installs, manages, monitors, markets, and services regulated gaming terminals and amusement equipment inside bars, restaurants, truck stops, grocery stores, fraternal organizations, and other licensed venues. Its roots reach back to a 1929 jukebox route; today the company reports more than 5,100 partner locations and 41,100 machines in operation, pairing field service and regulatory expertise with analytics, loyalty tools, room design, and revenue-sharing arrangements.

- **Founded:** 1929
- **Headquarters:** Effingham, United States
- **Founders:** Lawrence Jansen (Founder of predecessor J&J Music), Harold ‘Jack’ Jansen (Early partner in J&J Music)
- **Team size:** Approximately 1,400 employees reported by J&J in January 2024; LinkedIn and Inc. place the company in the 1,001-5,000 employee band.
- **Products:** Distributed gaming operations, Licensing and compliance support, Route management and 24/7 service, J&J Connect®, Player PAYBACK®
- **Notable:** Grew from a 1929 jukebox route into what the company describes as the largest distributed gaming operator in the United States., Became one of the first terminal operators licensed by the Illinois Gaming Board in January 2012 and began live operations in October 2012., Reported 5,100+ partner locations and 41,100+ machines in operation on its current website.

## Products & services

- **Distributed gaming operations** — Installation, management, monitoring, cash handling, game selection, maintenance, and promotion of regulated video gaming terminals in licensed non-casino venues.
- **Licensing and compliance support** — Application guidance, documentation, inspections, surveillance coordination, and continuing regulatory support for establishment partners.
- **Route management and 24/7 service** — Locally hired technicians, collectors, handlers, a round-the-clock call center, proprietary routing software, preventative maintenance, and repairs.
- **J&J Connect®** — A partner portal with detailed and near-real-time gaming performance reporting, license-renewal tools, and Player PAYBACK reporting.
- **Player PAYBACK®** — A free mobile loyalty program for adults 21 and older that supports check-ins, location points, J&J Points, promotions, and merchandise rewards.
- **Game-room design and marketing** — Three-dimensional room renderings, equipment planning, game-mix analysis, signage, promotions, and social media materials designed to improve venue performance.
- **J&J Amusements** — Dart machines, pool tables, jukeboxes, arcade games, ATMs, leagues, tournaments, promotions, and related field service.
- **FlexPay** — Flexible direct-deposit scheduling for an establishment's share of net terminal income, with options ranging from twice weekly to monthly in Illinois.

## Achievements

- Grew from a 1929 jukebox route into what the company describes as the largest distributed gaming operator in the United States.
- Became one of the first terminal operators licensed by the Illinois Gaming Board in January 2012 and began live operations in October 2012.
- Reported 5,100+ partner locations and 41,100+ machines in operation on its current website.
- Completed 13 acquisitions and grew revenue 3.5x following the 2019 Oaktree partnership, according to the company.
- Acquired Nevada and Montana distributed gaming operations that collectively included 11,600 terminals across 1,000+ locations.
- CEO Bob Willenborg became the first distributed gaming route operator representative to join the American Gaming Association board.
- Ranked No. 3,839 on the 2025 Inc. 5000 with 97% three-year growth and No. 86 on the 2026 Inc. Regionals Midwest list with 60% two-year growth.
- Celebrated 95 years of operation in 2024.

## Latest updates

- **2026-06** — Launched the Red, White & Win sweepstakes through the Player PAYBACK program, with entries running into August 2026.
- **2026-05** — Exhibited at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago as the city opened a new distributed video gaming market.
- **2026-02** — Began marketing licensing and terminal-operator services to eligible Chicago establishments after the Illinois Gaming Board started accepting city applications.
- **2026-01** — Named No. 86 on the Inc. Regionals Midwest 2026 list, reflecting 60% two-year growth.
- **2024-11** — Received Nevada approvals to integrate Golden Route Operations into J&J's Nevada distributed gaming route operations.

## Links

- Website: https://www.jjgaming.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/j-j-gaming
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/J_JGaming_
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/j_jgaming/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Play.JJ.Gaming

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/j-j-gaming
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Last updated: 2026-08-13