‘It’s humiliating’ | Bowlero faces $80mn in lawsuits from ex-employees who claim they were fired for being too old

Bowlero, the world’s largest bowling center operator, is facing dozens of individual age discrimination lawsuits after the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) closed its nine-year investigation.

The attorney representing over 70 employees – who say they were fired due to their age or their plans to sue the company – stated on Monday that while the EEOC has closed its case, the individual claimants now plan to exercise their right to sue.

The EEOC launched its investigation into the bowling alley behemoth in 2016 after employees alleged they were sacked for being too old as the company sought to transform its brand into a sophisticated bowling experience.

Bowlero has repeatedly denied the accusations and confirmed in its third-quarter filings that the EEOC has closed its case and will not investigate the matter further.