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Companies Building Slot Machines

  1. Companies Building Slot Machines Manufacturers
  2. Slot Machine Companies Las Vegas
  3. Companies Building Slot Machines Companies

WMS Gaming is a manufacturer of slot machines, video lottery terminals and software to help casinos manage their gaming operations. It also offers online and mobile games. The company is based in Chicago, Illinois. WMS is a subsidiary of WMS Industries, which became a wholly owned subsidiary of Scientific Games Corporation in 2013.

WMS entered the reel-spinning slot machine market in 1994, and in 1996, it introduced its first hit casino slot machine, Reel 'em In, a 'multi-line, multi-coin secondary bonus' video slot machine. It followed this with a number of similar games like Jackpot Party, Boom and Filthy Rich. By 2001, it introduced its Monopoly-themed series of 'participation' slots. Since then, WMS Gaming has continued to obtain licenses to manufacture gaming machines using several additional famous brands. The company continues to sell gaming machines and to market its participation games.

Quality slot machine sales, video poker, slot machine parts, man cave design, and slot machine repair services. IGT, Williams WMS, Bally, Aristocrat, Barcrest. Blueprint Gaming is based in Newark, England, and they focus exclusively on making slot machines for both virtual and brick-and-mortar casinos. Before being located in the UK, however, they could initially be found in the city of Atlanta, Georgia. This changed in 2008, when a controlling interest was purchased by the German-based Gauselmann Group.

History[edit]

WMS Gaming is a subsidiary of WMS Industries, whose roots date back to the 1943 founding of Williams Manufacturing Company. Over the last decades of the 20th century, Williams produced popular pinball machines and video arcade games. By 1996, WMS had transferred its video game library to its video game subsidiary, Midway Games, which it took public and finally spun off in the late 1990s.[1] With the rapid decline of the arcade industry in the 1990s, the company's pinball business became unprofitable, and WMS sold off the pinball line in 2000.[2]

Meanwhile, in 1991, WMS created a new division, Williams Gaming, to enter the gaming and state video lottery markets, developing and releasing its first video lottery terminals for the Oregon market in 1992. Williams Gaming entered the reel-spinning slot machine market in 1994, but the company's video gaming roots ultimately would prove to be its strength when, in 1996, it introduced its first hit casino slot machine, Reel 'em In, a 'multi-line, multi-coin secondary bonus' video slot machine. WMS followed this with a number of similar successful games like Jackpot Party, Boom and Filthy Rich. During the 1990s, the gaming industry grew as additional states permitted casino gambling and video lottery games, and as Native American tribes built gaming casinos. The division was incorporated as WMS Gaming in 1999 and has since focused exclusively on the manufacture, sale, leasing, licensing and management of gaming machines.[3][4]

In 2001, a glitch was uncovered in the company's software that allowed players to earn credits on some machines without paying for them.[5] The industry leader IGT also sued WMS for patent infringement related to its reel-spinning games, winning a judgment that required WMS to limit the flexibility of its line of reel-spinning games. WMS Gaming's new video operating platform, CPU-NXT, debuted in 2003. It employed a faster, more open architecture that took advantage of the economies of scale enjoyed by Intel and other PC component vendors. The slot machine platform is based on the Linux operating system, initially ran on an Intel Pentium III processor and was the first to use flash memory rather than erasable programmable read only memory.[3][6][7]

By 2001, WMS introduced its very successful Monopoly-themed series of 'participation' slots, which the company licenses or leases to casinos, instead of selling the games to the casinos. The company's subsequent participation games have included machines based on well-known entertainment-related brands as Men in Black, Hollywood Squares, The Wizard of Oz, Star Trek, The Lord of the Rings and Clue. Some of these games are networked within casinos and even between multiple casinos so that players have a chance to win large jackpots based on the number of machines in the network. These branded games proved popular with players and profitable for WMS, as the net licensing revenues and lease fees generated by each game have exceeded the profit margins of its games for sale.[8][9][10] The company's revenues grew to a high of $783.3million in 2011, but they decreased to $689.7million in 2012.[11]

WMS Gaming's parent, WMS Industries, merged with Scientific Games in October 2013, becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of Scientific Games. Scientific Games paid $1.5 billion for WMS, and WMS shareholders received $26.00 per share. At the time of the merger, the company's stock ceased trading on the New York Stock Exchange.[11][12]

Products, technology, business[edit]

WMS Gaming's products have helped to move the industry trend away from generic mechanical slot machines and toward games that incorporate familiar intellectual properties and more creative ways to pay off. For more than a century beginning in the late 1800s, mechanical slot machine reels employed limited themes: card suits, horseshoes, bells and stars, varieties of fruit, black bars and the Liberty Bell.[6] WMS's 1996 video slot machine Reel 'em In, introduced multi-line and multi-coin secondary bonus pay-outs. Later, the company's licensed themes, beginning with Monopoly, helped to greatly expand its sales and profits.[13]

Some of WMS Gaming's product designs reflect the changing demographics of its industry. Younger players raised on video games often seek more challenging experiences, both physical and mental, than do women age 55 to 65 – the traditional audience for slot machines. Accordingly, some of the company's machines incorporate surround sound, flat-panel display screens and animated, full-color images.[14]

The company also manufactures the G+ series of video reel slots, the Community Gaming family of interconnected slots, as well as mechanical reels, poker games, and video lottery terminals.[10] WMS began to offer online gaming in 2010 to persons over 18 years old in the UK[15] and in 2011 in the US at www.jackpotparty.com.[10] In 2012, WMS partnered with Large Animal Games to incorporate several of WMS's slot machine games into a cruise ship-themed Facebook game application titled 'Lucky Cruise'. By playing games and enlisting Facebook friends' help, players can accumulate 'lucky charms' (instead of money). The game play is similar to playing a slot machine but includes a 'light strategy component'.[16][17]

In 2012, after experiencing a decline in revenues from the contracting casino market, the company introduced gaming on mobile devices and focused its efforts on expanding its online game offerings. For casinos, it introduced My Poker video poker games.[11]

WMS Gaming technologies include:

  • Transmissive Reels gaming platform, which employs video animation that is displayed around, over and seemingly interactively with mechanical reels. The technology is based on the CPU-NXT2 operating platform.[18]
  • Operating platforms. CPU-NXT2 operating platform, which incorporates an Intel Pentium IV class processor, up to 2 gigabytes of random access memory, an ATI 3-D graphics chip-set, and a 40 gigabyte hard disk drive, is used in most of the games.[10] The CPU-NXT3 operating platform was introduced in 2012 for participation games and new cabinets.[11]
  • Cabinets: The Bluebird2 gaming cabinet, which includes a dual 22-inch wide screen, high-definition displays, Bose speakers, and an illuminated printer and bill acceptor, was introduced in 2008.[19] The Blade and Gamefield xD cabinets were introduced in 2013.[11]

Approximately 70% of WMS's revenues are derived from U.S. customers.[9] Its corporate office and manufacturing facilities are in Las Vegas, Nevada. It has other development, sales and field services offices across the United States and international development and distribution facilities located in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Canada, China, India, Mexico, the Netherlands, South Africa, Spain and the United Kingdom[10] and an online gaming center in Belgium.[11]

References[edit]

  1. ^Midway Games Form S-3 filed with the SEC and dated on November 27, 2001
  2. ^Form 10-K Annual Report for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2001, WMS Industries Inc., accessed May 9, 2012
  3. ^ abHughlett, Mike (November 19, 2006). 'WMS places bets on new slot technology: Server-based gaming, arcadelike machines may spur sales jackpot'. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2009-05-27.
  4. ^'WMS Corporate Profile'. Retrieved 2009-05-27.
  5. ^Yamanouchi, Kelly. 'Slot glitch offers cheater payoff', Chicago Tribune, May 1, 2001, accessed September 8, 2013
  6. ^ abEisenberg, Bart (January 2004). 'The New 'One-Arm Bandits' Today's slot machines are built like PCs, programmed like video games'. Software Design. Gijutsu-Hyohron Co., Ltd. Retrieved 2009-05-28.
  7. ^'WMS Industries Inc. 10K filing'. United States Security and Exchange Commission. September 11, 2006. Retrieved 2009-05-27.
  8. ^WMS Annual Report for Fiscal 2008 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 28, 2008
  9. ^ abWMS Annual Report for Fiscal 2010 (ending June 30, 2010) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 26, 2010
  10. ^ abcdeAnnual Report for Fiscal 2011, WMS Annual Reports, WMS Investor Relations pages, September 29, 2011
  11. ^ abcdef'WMS Annual Report for Fiscal 2013', (ending June 30, 2013) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 29, 2013
  12. ^'News release: Scientific Games Completes Acquisition of WMS'Archived 2014-01-17 at Archive.today, Scientific Games Corporation, October 18, 2013
  13. ^'WMS Reports Quarterly Record $0.41 Diluted Earnings Per Share for Fiscal 2009 Second Quarter'. Business Wire. April 21, 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-28.
  14. ^Rivlin, Gary (December 10, 2007). 'Slot Machines for the Young and Active'. New York Times. Retrieved 2009-05-28.
  15. ^WMS Quarterly Report for the period ended December 31, 2010, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 9, 2011
  16. ^'Lucky Cruise Launched on Facebook as First Social Game Collaboration Between Large Animal Games And WMS Gaming', WMS Gaming, Reuters, February 14, 2012
  17. ^Green, Marian. 'A matter of persistence…', Casino Journal.com, June 1, 2012
  18. ^'WMS Launches Premium, For-Sale, Multi-Game Gaming Machine on Popular Transmissive Reels Platform'. WMS press release. October 7, 2008. Retrieved 2009-05-28.
  19. ^'WMS Wins Four Awards for Player-Focused Products in Casino Journal's Top 20 Most Innovative Gaming Technology Products Awards for 2008'. WMS press release. April 16, 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-28.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=WMS_Gaming&oldid=937934781'

I’m planning to include some reviews of various gambling machines here soon, so I thought I’d start with a look at some of the slot machine manufacturers and their products. There was a time, not long ago, when such a list would be short. But with the advent of internet casinos, the list of slot machine companies grows longer every day.

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Of course, depending on where you live, you might be searching for such information using a phrase like “fruit machine suppliers” or “gaming companies.” Such a list should (and does) include old slot machine brands like IGT (International Game Technologies) and internet casino software vendors like Microgaming and Playtech.

As I create more posts about related subjects, I’ll update this page with links to manufacturer-specific lists of games and reviews of their overall offerings.

I know that a lot of sites in this space try to offer as complete a resource as possible, but please remember that I’m just one guy with a blog. I don’t have an army of freelance writers working for me, and even if I did, there are so many slot machine games from so many different providers that it would be almost impossible to keep up with them all.

But if I’ve left out your favorite slot machine manufacturer, let me know in the comments, and I’ll add it to the list.

Slot Machine Manufacturers List – Updated 2020

And here’s the list of slot machine manufacturers:

1. Ainsworth Game Technology

Ainsworth Game Technology is one of the oldest companies on my list of slot machine manufacturers. They’ve been in business for 20+ years. Ainsworth is an Australian company, and if you know anything about gambling in Australia, you know how popular slots are there. They call them “pokies,” though, which is an abbreviation for “poker machines.”

And some of Ainsworth’s most recent game additions include:

  • Action Dragons
  • Big Hit Bonanza
  • Pac-Man Wild Edition

2. Amatic Industries

Amatic Industries has been in business for over a quarter of a century now. Besides slot machines, they make video lottery terminals and video roulette games. They have a huge selection of slot machine brands in their stable, too, including some of the following:

  • Games Bond (Yes, this is a “James Bond” knockoff.)
  • GrandX (A “Wheel of Fortune” lookalike.)
  • Vampires (A simple enough theme and title, no?)

3. Amaya Gaming

Amaya Gaming is defunct now. It’s part of The Stars Group, the company which owns PokerStars. I include it here under its original name because I think some online users still look for games from Amaya Gaming. They offer lots of cute games, including:

  • Barn Yard Boogie
  • Jenga
  • Street Fighter II

4. Aristocrat Gaming Technology

Aristocrat Gaming Technology is another Australian “poker machine” vendor. They’e recently gotten their hands on some major intellectual property, too, and they offer games like:

  • Batman Classic TV Series
  • The Big Bang Theory
  • Britney
  • Game of Thrones
  • Sons of Anarchy
  • The Walking Dead

5. Ash Gaming

Ash Gaming used to be a big deal, now they’re a part of Playtech. As part of that group, they have extensive licensed properties to create games about. Their most famous, though, is probably Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.

6. Bally Technologies

Bally Technologies is now a subsidiary of SG Gaming (Scientific Games). The company has been around forever. Not only do they make slot machines, but they used to be one of the biggest pinball machine companies in the world, too. Some of their most well-known brands include:

  • James Bond
  • Monopoly
  • Willy Wonka

7. Barcrest Gaming

Barcrest Gaming–like Bally Technologies– is also now a subsidiary of SG Gaming (Scientific Games). If you’re a real slot machine aficionado, you might recognize the names of some of their games:

  • Deja Vu Diamonds
  • Flippin’ Out
  • Psycho Cash Beast

8. Betsoft Gaming

Betsoft Gaming specializes in online gambling games, especially mobile friendly slots and 3D games. Here are some of their titles:

  • Dragon Kings
  • The Golden Owl of Athena
  • Ogre Empire (which has a suspicious resemblance to the movie Shrek)

9. Blueprint Gaming

Blueprint Gaming is based in the United Kingdom. Most of their fruit machines can be found on casino floors there or in Germany and Italy. Here’s a sample of their titles:

  • Fairy Fortunes
  • Slots o’ Gold
  • Wild Antics

10. Cadillac Jack

Cadillac Jack was a subsidiary of Amaya Gaming, which is now wholly owned by The Stars Group.

11. EGT Interactive (Euro Games Technology)

Companies Building Slot Machines Manufacturers

EGT Interactive specializes in video slots. You can find a lot of their games at various sports book sites that also offer casino games. They offer over 150 different games, including titles like:

  • 40 Ultra Respin
  • Crazy Bugs II
  • More Like a Diamond

12. Endemol Shine Gaming

Companies

Endemol Shine Gaming specializes in both online and brick and mortar gambling games. Some of their best-known properties belong to the licensed television game show genre. Some examples include:

  • Deal or No Deal
  • MasterChef
  • Million Pound Drop

13. Fremantle Media

Fremantle Media is one of the more unusual listings on this page, because they don’t exactly design or manufacture slot machine games. They own several large television brands, which they aggressively promote through multiple channels–including slot machines. If you’re playing one of these slots, Fremantle Media had a lot to do with it:

  • American Idol
  • Blockbusters
  • The X Factor

14. The Gamesys Group

The Gamesys Group does slots and bingo games. Some of the better known brands in their stable include:

  • The Godfather
  • Guardians of Fire & Ice
  • Secrets of the Phoenix

15. Heiwa Corporation

Heiwa Corporation is a publicly-traded Japanese corporation that specializes in pachinko and pachislo machine manufacture.

16. High 5 Games

High 5 Games creates both internet-based and land-based slot machine games, some of which are popular. They use HTML 5 for their online slot machines. Their most famous games include:

  • Cats
  • Golden Goddess
  • Photographing Fairies

17. IGT (International Game Technology)

IGT is far and away the largest slot machine company in the world. They’re everywhere. The most popular gambling machines in the casino are the product of International Game Technology. Just a few of their big names include:

  • Family Guy
  • Jeopardy
  • Siberian Storm
  • Wheel of Fortune

18. Konami Gaming

Konami Gaming is the maker of the following slot machines:

  • Dungeons and Dragons
  • Flaming Red Diamonds
  • Year of Best Wishes

19. Mazooma Interactive Games

Mazooma Interactive Games is a UK game company that specializes in online games. They’re now a subsidiary of Novomatic.

20. Microgaming

Microgaming was the first large online casino software provider. They’re best-known for the wide variety of their online progressive jackpots. Some of their most famous brands include:

  • Battlestar Galactica
  • Halloween
  • Playboy
  • Terminator 2

I’ve written about Microgaming before, here.

21. NetEnt

NetEnt is another publicly-traded company that specializes in online games. They’re responsible for, among other things, the Jumanji slot machine game.

22. NewGin Co. Ltd.

NewGin Co. Ltd. is another Japanese manufacturer of pachinko and pachislo machines.

23. NextGen Gaming

NextGen Gaming serves both online and land-based casinos. They offer some really cool titles, including:

  • King Kong Fury
  • Samurai Split
  • Wonder Hounds

24. Novomatic Gaming

The name “Novomatic” always reminds me of the Steve Goodman song, Vegematic.

But that song has nothing to do with the company, though. Novomatic Gaming is probably the biggest European slot machine maker there is, in fact.

Some of their games you’ve probably heard of include:

  • From Dusk Til Dawn
  • Stories of Infinity
  • Treasure of Tut

25. Ortiz Gaming

Ortiz Gaming specializes in Class II and Class III slot machines, especially when it comes to bingo technology. And their games are OVERTLY bingo-based, too:

  • Allstar Bingo
  • Rodeo Bingo
  • Multimania

26. Playtech

Playtech is another online game designer and creator, and, like Microgaming, they’re publicly traded. They also don’t allow their licensees to accept real money players from the United States. Some of their better known games include:

  • Ace Ventura
  • American Dad
  • Batman Begins
  • Grease
  • Justice League
  • Pink Panther
  • Rocky

27. Realtime Gaming

Realtime Gaming (RTG) is probably the biggest online casino game vendor that still serves U.S. audiences — at least the audiences that don’t live in states with legal, regulated online casinos. (There are 47 states like that.) As a result, you’ve probably never heard of most of their games unless you’re a devoted internet gambler.

My favorite of their games is It’s Good to Be Bad, but I’m old school.

28. SG Gaming (Scientific Games)

Scientific Games is headquartered in Las Vegas. They own Bally now, and they own Shuffle Master. And they also own WMS Gaming. Their most well-known game is probably Monopoly slot machines.

29. Universal Entertainment Corporation

Slot Machine Companies Las Vegas

Universal Entertainment Corporation is another pachinko and pachislo manufacturer.

30. VGT (Video Gaming Technologies) – One of My Favorite Slot Machine Manufacturers

VGT is one of the biggest names in the Oklahoma gambling market, and they specialize in bingo-based slot machine games.

31. WMS Gaming

WMS Gaming is now a subsidiary of Scientific Games. So see that entry above.

Companies Building Slot Machines Companies

32. Apollo Games (just added!)

Apollo Games has a full profile on our site. Click the link for full details.

The Final Word about Slot Machine Manufacturers

The brand names in the slot machine manufacturers category are many, but, of course, IGT (International Game Technology) towers above the rest like Walmart towers over other retail establishments. The list above gets longer when you account for the companies making online slot machine games, too.

If you have any comments about the games available from these corporations, I’d enjoy hearing them. I’m human and make mistakes, so if you leave a comment pointing one out, I’ll update this post with corrections (and probably even give you credit.)