diff --git a/app/controllers/PlayApi.scala b/app/controllers/PlayApi.scala
index 413ec98edd53d..9d81dedeffe9b 100644
--- a/app/controllers/PlayApi.scala
+++ b/app/controllers/PlayApi.scala
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ package controllers
 import play.api.i18n.Lang
 import play.api.mvc.*
 
-import lila.app.*
+import lila.app.{ *, given }
 import lila.core.id.GameAnyId
 import lila.core.perf.UserWithPerfs
 
@@ -131,9 +131,15 @@ final class PlayApi(env: Env)(using akka.stream.Materializer) extends LilaContro
         BadRequest:
           jsonError:
             "This endpoint can only be used with a Bot account. See https://lichess.org/api#operation/botAccountUpgrade"
-      else if !lila.game.Game.isBotCompatible(pov.game) then
-        BadRequest(jsonError("This game cannot be played with the Bot API."))
-      else f(pov)
+      else
+        isReallyBotCompatible(pov.game).flatMap:
+          if _ then f(pov)
+          else BadRequest(jsonError("This game cannot be played with the Bot API."))
+
+  private def isReallyBotCompatible(game: lila.core.game.Game): Fu[Boolean] =
+    lila.game.Game.isBotCompatible(game) match
+      case Some(known) => fuccess(known)
+      case None        => game.tournamentId.so(env.tournament.api.isForBots)
 
   private def WithPovAsBoard(id: GameId)(f: Pov => Fu[Result])(using ctx: Context)(using Me) =
     WithPov(id): pov =>
diff --git a/modules/api/src/main/EventStream.scala b/modules/api/src/main/EventStream.scala
index 014be56a413fc..d7a6bba67d59b 100644
--- a/modules/api/src/main/EventStream.scala
+++ b/modules/api/src/main/EventStream.scala
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ final class EventStream(
           gameJsonView
             .ownerPreview(pov)(using lightUserApi.sync)
             .add("source" -> game.source.map(_.name)) ++ compatJson(
-            bot = me.isBot && lila.game.Game.isBotCompatible(game),
+            bot = me.isBot && lila.game.Game.isBotCompatible(game).|(true),
             board = lila.game.Game.isBoardCompatible(game)
           ) ++ Json.obj(
             "id" -> game.id // API BC
diff --git a/modules/game/src/main/Game.scala b/modules/game/src/main/Game.scala
index b4e57f5dd503b..2613bcb7d90e4 100644
--- a/modules/game/src/main/Game.scala
+++ b/modules/game/src/main/Game.scala
@@ -256,13 +256,16 @@ object Game:
         chess.Speed(c.config) >= Speed.Blitz
       }
 
-  def isBotCompatible(game: Game): Boolean = {
-    game.hasAi || game.sourceIs(_.Friend) || game.sourceIs(_.Api)
-  } && isBotCompatible(game.speed)
+  // if source is Arena, we will also need to check if the arena accepts bots!
+  def isBotCompatible(game: Game): Option[Boolean] =
+    if !isBotCompatible(game.speed) then false.some
+    else if game.hasAi || game.sourceIs(_.Friend) || game.sourceIs(_.Api) then true.some
+    else if game.sourceIs(_.Arena) then none
+    else false.some
 
   def isBotCompatible(speed: Speed): Boolean = speed >= Speed.Bullet
 
-  def isBoardOrBotCompatible(game: Game) = isBoardCompatible(game) || isBotCompatible(game)
+  def mightBeBoardOrBotCompatible(game: Game) = isBoardCompatible(game) || isBotCompatible(game).|(true)
 
   object BSONFields:
     export lila.core.game.BSONFields.*
diff --git a/modules/round/src/main/Drawer.scala b/modules/round/src/main/Drawer.scala
index 6c51d6d1a036e..acb20ca50254b 100644
--- a/modules/round/src/main/Drawer.scala
+++ b/modules/round/src/main/Drawer.scala
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ final private[round] class Drawer(
         lila.core.round.CorresDrawOfferEvent(game.id),
         "offerEventCorres"
       )
-    if lila.game.Game.isBoardOrBotCompatible(game) then
+    if lila.game.Game.mightBeBoardOrBotCompatible(game) then
       Bus.publish(
         lila.game.actorApi.BoardDrawOffer(game),
         lila.game.actorApi.BoardDrawOffer.makeChan(game.id)
diff --git a/modules/round/src/main/RoundAsyncActor.scala b/modules/round/src/main/RoundAsyncActor.scala
index 4b2c7cb51c34b..a646d2fdd21b8 100644
--- a/modules/round/src/main/RoundAsyncActor.scala
+++ b/modules/round/src/main/RoundAsyncActor.scala
@@ -411,7 +411,7 @@ final private class RoundAsyncActor(
         publishBoardBotGone(pov, millis.some)
 
   private def publishBoardBotGone(pov: Pov, millis: Option[Long]) =
-    if lila.game.Game.isBoardOrBotCompatible(pov.game) then
+    if lila.game.Game.mightBeBoardOrBotCompatible(pov.game) then
       lila.common.Bus.publish(
         lila.game.actorApi.BoardGone(pov, millis.map(m => (m.atLeast(0) / 1000).toInt)),
         lila.game.actorApi.BoardGone.makeChan(gameId)
diff --git a/modules/round/src/main/Takebacker.scala b/modules/round/src/main/Takebacker.scala
index b007a042b6e54..5141ff66dcd04 100644
--- a/modules/round/src/main/Takebacker.scala
+++ b/modules/round/src/main/Takebacker.scala
@@ -133,14 +133,14 @@ final private class Takebacker(
     proxy.save(p2).inject(p2.events)
 
   private def publishTakebackOffer(game: Game): Unit =
-    if lila.game.Game.isBoardOrBotCompatible(game) then
+    if lila.game.Game.mightBeBoardOrBotCompatible(game) then
       Bus.publish(
         lila.game.actorApi.BoardTakebackOffer(game),
         lila.game.actorApi.BoardTakebackOffer.makeChan(game.id)
       )
 
   private def publishTakeback(prevPov: Pov)(using proxy: GameProxy): Unit =
-    if lila.game.Game.isBoardOrBotCompatible(prevPov.game) then
+    if lila.game.Game.mightBeBoardOrBotCompatible(prevPov.game) then
       proxy.withPov(prevPov.color): p =>
         fuccess:
           Bus.publish(
diff --git a/modules/tournament/src/main/TournamentApi.scala b/modules/tournament/src/main/TournamentApi.scala
index 270ef6b956397..fa2e147ad9e15 100644
--- a/modules/tournament/src/main/TournamentApi.scala
+++ b/modules/tournament/src/main/TournamentApi.scala
@@ -453,6 +453,10 @@ final class TournamentApi(
       _.sequentiallyVoid(playerRepo.withdraw(_, userId))
     }
 
+  def isForBots(tourId: TourId): Fu[Boolean] =
+    for tour <- cached.tourCache.byId(tourId)
+    yield tour.exists(_.conditions.bots.so(_.allowed))
+
   private[tournament] def kickFromTeam(teamId: TeamId, userId: UserId): Funit =
     tournamentRepo.withdrawableIds(userId, teamId = teamId.some, reason = "kickFromTeam").flatMap {
       _.sequentiallyVoid: tourId =>