Got a long wait for your flight at DFW Airport? Play a video game
If you’re bored waiting for your flight, Dallas Fort Worth Airport has a lounge with free Wi-Fi, comfy chairs and dozens of video games to play.
Terminals B and E in the DFW Airport offer Gameway, a gaming lounge designed for gamers, but open to anyone. The lounge offers snacks, beer and beverages, plus complimentary Wi-Fi and charging ports for your phone.
Gameway was created by Jordan and Emma Walbridge when they saw a need for entertainment in airports. After noticing how a mall arcade was packed with customers during the day but nearly empty just a few hours later, Emma realized that a gaming store would thrive in a location with constant foot traffic — like an airport.
They opened their first location in 2018 in Terminal E at DFW Airport. Later that same year, they added a location in Terminal B. Since then, the Walbridges have expanded Gameway to Los Angeles, New York (JFK), Chicago (Midway), Houston (Hobby) and Charlotte.
The Star-Telegram took a tour of this airport experience at DFW. Here’s what we saw.
What do you do at Gameway?
Gameway is located at Terminal E next to Gate 16 and Terminal B next to Gate 42. It is open 365 days a year. Terminal E is open from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. Terminal B is open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Gameway has 25 gaming chairs, sofa seats and barstools paired with 23 TV and computer screens across both terminal locations. Guests can choose from around 75 Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo and computer games.
The Terminal E location also offers the “retro bar,” which offers the original Nintendo Entertainment System to play all the vintage games like “Pac-Man,” “Mario Bros.” and other ‘80s favorites.
Guests pay by time increments. You can always add time, but you cannot take time away, so guests should always make sure they have enough time before boarding their flight. Here’s how much it costs by time increment:
Up to 30 minutes: $17.99
Up to 1 hour: $27.99
Unlimited time: $45.99
Chase Sapphire members can get a “priority pass” which grants them an hour of gaming time, as well as a complimentary snack and beverage.
Guests can also book a reservation ahead of time online to secure a spot.
Once you pay, you can grab a pair of headphones and a controller, pick a gaming system and sit down. Gameway offers close to 75 games across all of its systems, so there should be no trouble finding something to play.
“We’re all gamers, so a lot of our specialty is knowing what is popular and being played a lot,” general manager Izzy DePlaza said. “So [we have] all the sports games, all the popular games like Fortnite. But when it comes to niche-style games, that’s where the employees weigh in.”
Popular games include “Minecraft,” “Halo,” “Call of Duty,” “Madden 25,” “NBA 2K25” and “Harry Potter: Hogwarts Legacy.”
What kinds of customers visit Gameway?
DePlaza says he sees customers of all ages at Gameway — “everything from 5 years old to 70 years old.”
The Simkins family was there earlier in March with their 10-year-old son, James, awaiting their flight back to Michigan. James was occupied by “Minecraft,” though he has visited Gameway before and played “Roblox.” Though his parents Jennifer and Shaun don’t play games themselves, Gameway offered the perfect opportunity to keep their family occupied during an otherwise boring wait time.
DePlaza also said he sees an equal amount of men and women in the gaming lounge.
Maya Allen strolled in randomly to grab a few snacks before her flight back to New York but ended up buying 30 minutes to play on a PC out of curiosity.
“Our concept is to get you in, get you out, make sure it’s comfortable and just provide any necessities,” DePlaza said.
This story was originally published March 31, 2025 at 2:59 PM.