The arcade buttons should not be latching.
Prefabbed metal reinforcement plates and button mounting L brackets are available through arcade suppliers. (my old suppler is out of businesses). (The hole is a bit large for easily drilling your own in metal)(the mounting brackets are usually used inside the game/vending cabnets for programing, etc.)
I can attest to duck unders and lifts getting old fast. You'll end up ducking anyhow to avoid lifting, smashing fingers, running a train off a cliff, etc..
PITA enough to scrap the yard on a 15x30 oval for a dogbone.
If I did another out of necessity, the bridge (or hatch) would drop down vs lift.