What Yuko Lucky Group does

Yuko Lucky Group (株式会社ユーコーラッキーグループ / YUKO LUCKYGROUP.INC.) is a privately held Japanese holding company headquartered in Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture, with a Tokyo branch opened in January 2016. Founded in 1974 (with predecessor operations dating to 1948) and reporting 1,001–5,000 employees, the group operates more than 20 directly-managed pachinko and pachislot amusement halls across nine prefectures — Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Oita, Miyazaki, Kagoshima, Yamaguchi, Kanagawa, and Chiba — under multiple store brands: the legacy 'Yuko Lucky' pachinko parlors, the modernized 'Yuko Lucky 37' slot-specialty format, and the large-scale 'EVO37/EVO3' flagship slot concept (e.g., the EVO37 Miyazaki grand opening in October 2023).

Its core revenue engine is direct-to-consumer retail at these physical halls, where each store generates revenue from customer gameplay of pachinko and pachislot machines, supplemented by ancillary in-store sales typical of the segment. The group uses a multi-channel marketing mix including social media (X, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, note), community CSR programs, and an official sponsorship of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (2021–present) to drive foot traffic. Pricing for gameplay is not publicly disclosed and is regulated at the prefectural level.

The business model is a diversified leisure-and-services holding structure. Beyond amusement halls, wholly-owned subsidiaries include YUKO REPRO (~3.4 million machines processed annually at a ~96% recycling rate), Helix Experience (golf partner franchises, restaurants, dog salons — formed December 2020 via merger), Fukuoka Total Workout (fitness, joined December 2021), Sakaguchi Industries (industrial, joined June 2023), and the Michelin 5-Red-Pavilion Hanzuiryo Ryokan hospitality property. Leadership is represented by President/Representative Director Kanami Motoyasu and Senior Managing Director Kanami Motoki, with the company appearing founder/family-controlled and no disclosed external institutional investors.

Name

Yuko Lucky Group

Legal name

株式会社ユーコーラッキーグループ (YUKO LUCKYGROUP.INC.)

Website

https://yuko-lucky.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Yuko Lucky Group is a privately held Japanese holding company operating 20+ pachinko and pachislot amusement halls across Kyushu, Yamaguchi, and Kanto, alongside diversified subsidiaries in machine recycling, golf, dining, fitness, and hospitality.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pachinko and Pachislot Amusement Operations

NAICS

Amusement Arcades (71312)

akta.pro primary industry

Coin-Operated Entertainment (Pinball, Crane/Claw, Jukebox, Darts/Billiards) (MPAEAJAF)

Keywords

• Pachinko amusement halls
• Pachislot gaming facilities
• Amusement park operations
• Slot machine parlors
• Leisure and entertainment centers

Headquarters

HQ city

Kurume

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Pachinko/Pachislot Hall Operations: The company operates pachinko and pachislot amusement halls across multiple prefectures in Japan (Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Oita, Miyazaki, Kagoshima, Yamaguchi, Kanagawa, Chiba). Revenue is generated from customer gameplay at physical store locations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Yuko Lucky Group operates over 20 directly-owned pachinko and pachislot amusement halls across Kyushu, Yamaguchi, and the Kanto region under the Yuko Lucky, Yuko Lucky 37, EVO3, and EVO37 brands. Revenue is earned from gameplay at physical store locations. The group also operates adjacent leisure, hospitality, fitness, machine recycling, and industrial businesses through wholly-owned subsidiaries including Helix Experience, YUKO REPRO, Fukuoka Total Workout, and Sakaguchi Industries.

Product overview

Yuko Lucky Group operates a multi-format pachinko and amusement business with three primary store brands: traditional ユーコーラッキー (Yuko Lucky) pachinko parlors, the modernized ユーコーラッキー３٧ (Yuko Lucky 37) slot specialty stores featuring approximately 500 machines, and the Japan-largest-scale EVO３/EVO３٧ flagship slot store brand. The portfolio includes approximately 18 physical store locations across Kyushu (Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Oita, Miyazaki, Kagoshima), Yamaguchi, and Kanto (Kanagawa, Chiba) prefectures. Beyond amusement, the group encompasses Helix Experience (golf, dining, and lifestyle businesses), YUKO REPRO (pachinko machine recycling with ~96% recycling rate processing ~3.4M units/year), hospitality (Michelin-rated ryokan), and community engagement through SoftBank Hawks sports sponsorship.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ユコラー Lucky: Core pachinko/slot amusement facility brand operating under the main group name, with locations across Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Oita, Miyazaki, Kagoshima, Yamaguchi, Kanagawa, and Chiba prefectures.
• EVO37
• EVO3
• Helix Experience

Products and services

• Yuko Lucky (ユーコーラッキー) traditional pachinko parlors Traditional pachinko parlor format operated across Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Oita, Miyazaki, Kagoshima, Yamaguchi, Kanagawa, and Chiba prefectures for adult consumers seeking pachinko gaming entertainment.
• Yuko Lucky 37 (ユーコーラッキー37) slot specialty stores Modernized slot-machine specialty store brand featuring approximately 500 pachislot machines per location, operated across multiple prefectures in Kyushu, Yamaguchi, and the Kanto region for adult slot gaming entertainment customers.
• EVO37 large-scale slot specialty stores Flagship Japan-largest-scale slot specialty store brand with larger floor plans and higher machine counts than standard Yuko Lucky 37 stores; locations operate in Miyazaki, Kurume, and other regions.
• EVO3 slot specialty stores Slot-machine specialty store format predecessor to EVO37, with dedicated store locations offering pachislot-only gameplay before being unified under the Yuko Lucky 37 brand in December 2022.
• Helix Experience (株式会社Helix Experience) group leisure and lifestyle services Group subsidiary operating Golf Partner franchise locations, restaurant and dining establishments (including Kitakata Ramen Bannai and other dining concepts), dog grooming salons, and other lifestyle businesses for retail consumers across Kyushu.
• YUKO REPRO (株式会社ユーコーリプロ) used amusement machine recycling Group subsidiary providing used pachinko machine and amusement equipment recycling services, contributing to resource recovery and environmental sustainability for the amusement industry.
• Hanzuiryo Ryokan (旅亭 半水ecret) Japanese inn hospitality Luxury Japanese inn (ryokan) operated by the group, awarded the Michelin Guide Five Red Pavilions (highest accommodation rating) and JTB Service Most Excellent Hotel/Ryokan recognition, serving leisure and hospitality customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Ryokan Hanzuiryo received Michelin Guide 5 Red Pavilion (highest accommodation rating) in the Fukuoka/Saga/Nagasaki 2019 edition

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Fukuoka SoftBank HawkscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 26 March 2021Yuko Lucky Group is an official sponsor of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks professional baseball team. The company sponsors various Hawks events (鷹祭, ピンクフルデー, 鷹の祭典, タカガールデー) and donates tickets and goods to local community organizations through the partnership. Also sponsors the annual ホークスカップ中学硬式野球大会 and youth baseball events.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Heiwa Corporation: Major Japanese pachinko hall operator and pachinko machine manufacturer (PHE series). Comparable as a vertically-integrated pachinko business that both operates halls and produces machines, similar to Yuko Lucky's combined hall operation and YUKO REPRO recycling arm.
• Dynam Holdings: One of Japan's largest pachinko hall operators with 400+ stores nationwide. Directly comparable to Yuko Lucky as a multi-store pachinko/pachislot chain operator serving similar adult gaming customers in physical retail locations.
• Round One Corporation: Japanese operator of combined bowling, karaoke, arcade, and amusement facilities. Comparable to Yuko Lucky as a multi-format indoor entertainment operator with a strong arcade/amusement-gaming component, though Round One adds bowling and karaoke to its mix.
• Maruhan Corporation: One of Japan's largest pachinko chain operators with a long history and broad store network. Directly comparable to Yuko Lucky as a multi-store pachinko/pachislot operator serving adult gaming customers across Japan.
• Golf Partner Co., Ltd. Japan's largest golf retailer and used-golf equipment buyer/seller, whose franchise operations are run by Yuko Lucky's Helix Experience subsidiary. Comparable as a related business entity where Yuko Lucky Group operates Golf Partner franchise locations through its subsidiary.
• Sankyo Group: Leading Japanese pachinko machine maker and hall operator under the Fever brand. Directly comparable to Yuko Lucky in the pachinko/pachislot hall operation business with similar store formats across Japanese prefectures.

Broad incumbents

• Capcom Co., Ltd. Major Japanese video game and entertainment company with arcade operations. Comparable to Yuko Lucky as a Japanese entertainment company with amusement/arcade exposure, though Capcom is primarily a game developer/publisher rather than a physical hall operator.
• Sega Sammy Holdings: Diversified Japanese entertainment conglomerate with pachinko/pachislot operations alongside arcade gaming, digital entertainment, and casino businesses. Comparable to Yuko Lucky's diversified entertainment-and-leisure model, though at much larger scale and broader scope.
• Universal Entertainment: Japanese pachinko machine manufacturer with integrated hall operations and casino resort development. Comparable to Yuko Lucky as a Japanese gaming-machine-and-hall operator, though Universal's international casino resort ambitions put it in a broader category.
• Fields Corporation: Japanese entertainment company with digital content and pachinko/pachislot operations. Comparable as a Japanese entertainment-and-gaming operator, though Fields is more weighted toward digital/IP content rather than physical hall operations like Yuko Lucky.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/yuko_group
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCjpqgZV8zrrOBNfRFn4KNTQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/yukogroup
• Instagraminstagram.com/yuko_lucky_official
• TikToktiktok.com/@yuko_official_fukuoka

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Yuko Lucky Group