One of the most exciting new businesses to open in Indianapolis is the Electronic Gamers Association (EGA).
Located on the city’s Eastside, EGA is a full service entertainment facility for people who enjoy console video games.
“We are an electronic capable venue which houses numerous multi-line flat screens for games and arcades, with Wi-Fi and dining,” said Raymond Baxter, an owner of EGA.
Opened in March, EGA is one of the few minority owned businesses of its kind in the Midwest. It provides customers a wide variety of games, from classics such as PacMan and Mario Kart, to competitive sports offerings related to the NBA, the Super Bowl, and Wrestle Mania.
Players can enjoy an exciting and fun atmosphere, where gaming tournaments are held and opponents are announced as if they are heavyweight contenders competing for a worldwide title.
“At EGA the excitement of Las Vegas meets the reality of competitive gaming,” Baxter said.
Patrons can become members of the EGA social club with unlimited access by paying an annual $25 fee. Membership is open to those ages 13 to 20, and 21 and up. Those who are not members can pay $6 for an entire day of use of all games.
“This means you can come in, play a couple of hours, go to work, do a whole eight hour shift, then come back and play some more,” Baxter said, laughing.
EGA offers special activities on different days of the week such as Ladies Night and Zumba on Wednesdays; Come and Grub Thursday, where guests can have access to games if they purchase a meal from the in-house Kitchen Revolution menu; Fight Club Fridays; and movie nights.
EGA also serves as host venue for various events, including birthday celebrations, hip-hop concerts and other events that complement its festive atmosphere, complete with DJs, lights and song machines.
On June 27, the facility will host a business open house, where area professionals will be able to network in a fun, relaxed atmosphere.
Although it has an energetic, contemporary vibe, EGA prides itself on being a family-friendly place that is serious about safety.
“You can feel safe bringing young people here because safety is important to us,” Baxter said. “We don’t allow bullying and things to get out of hand.”
In fact, Baxter came up with the idea of launching EGA because he remembers, from his college days, that there were not many positive activities for those who wanted to socialize outside of what he called “the club” scene.
Much of the funds used to develop EGA came from Baxter’s 2008 appearance on the NBC television show “Deal or No Deal,” where contestants selected from the audience take risks to get increased amounts of money.
“It was so much fun, and kind of surreal,” Baxter said. “I couldn’t believe I had actually been selected to go on stage. The whole process took all of 12 minutes.”
Baxter added that he is grateful the experience allowed EGA to be established as a place of affordable fun for everyone.
“We know times are still tough for many people, so we want to make sure they can still have fun without breaking the bank,” he said.
