International Game Technology
Encyclopedia
International Game Technology is a Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...

 based company specializing in the design, development, manufacturing, sales and distribution of gaming machines and network system products internationally, as well as online and mobile gaming solutions for regulated markets. The company's main offices are in Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...

 and Reno
Reno
Reno is the fourth most populous city in Nevada, US.Reno may also refer to:-Places:Italy*The Reno River, in Northern ItalyCanada*Reno No...

 with other offices around the United States. Outside of the USA the company has been involved in online gaming since 2005. IGT has interactive offices in San Francisco, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

 and Manchester, UK.

Internationally, IGT has offices in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

.

IGT manufactures roughly half of the slot machines in the United States. Its annual revenue is almost $2 billion, and it is listed on the S&P 500
S&P 500
The S&P 500 is a free-float capitalization-weighted index published since 1957 of the prices of 500 large-cap common stocks actively traded in the United States. The stocks included in the S&P 500 are those of large publicly held companies that trade on either of the two largest American stock...

.

1981-1990

IGT began as a private company in the early 1950s. The company went public in 1981. A deciding factor in IGT's decision to go public has occurred a few years prior with the success of its video poker machine gaming product. This product served as a “foot in the door” for the company into several gaming arenas.

In 1984, IGT acquired Electronic Data Technologies making the company one of the first to use the computerized player tracking concept and later instrumental in the proliferation of "frequent-player rewards" programs, which remain popular in casinos to this day. This initial system gave casinos a new marketing tool in player management. Over time, the tracking system evolved into the company’s IGT Advantage and sbX systems.

After IGT’s initial public offering and listing on NASDAQ
NASDAQ
The NASDAQ Stock Market, also known as the NASDAQ, is an American stock exchange. "NASDAQ" originally stood for "National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations". It is the second-largest stock exchange by market capitalization in the world, after the New York Stock Exchange. As of...

, the company debuted many new technologies over several years. A number of products resulted from this process including the S-Slot, which marked the company’s entrance into the microprocessor-driven spinning-reel slot market; and the Player's Edge video poker machine. In addition, the company introduced the Nevada Megabucks slot machine, the world's first wide area progressive slot machine system. With an initial base top jackpot of $1 million, this new game allowed for million-dollar player payouts for casinos on the system. During this time, IGT also established an Australian office to focus on the country’s club market.

1991-2000

In January 1991, a decade after its initial public offering, IGT was listed on the New York Stock Exchange
New York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located at 11 Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City, USA. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies at 13.39 trillion as of Dec 2010...

 (NYSE). The following year IGT Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

 was established to service casinos across the continent. In 1994, international expansion continued with the opening of new sales and service offices in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

 and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

. The NYSE also listed IGT as a top-performing stock that year.

Late in 1996, IGT debuted the Wheel of Fortune
Wheel of Fortune (U.S. game show)
Wheel of Fortune is an American television game show created by Merv Griffin, which premiered in 1975. Contestants compete to solve word puzzles, similar to those used in Hangman, to win cash and prizes determined by spinning a large wheel. The title refers to the show's giant carnival wheel that...

 progressive slot. This game continues to be one of the most popular gaming machines of all time. The Game King video product featuring multi-denomination technology also was introduced during this time.

Two key acquisitions were made in 1998. They included Barcrest Gaming, located in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

, and Sodak Gaming, Inc, which became IGT’s gaming distributor for the Native American market.

In 1998, IGT introduced Triple Play Draw Poker through its partnership with Action Gaming; and the Elvis themed slot machine. The new S2000 spinning reel slot machine system was brought to market in 1999.

2001–Present

In 2001, IGT became a member of Standard & Poor's
Standard & Poor's
Standard & Poor's is a United States-based financial services company. It is a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies that publishes financial research and analysis on stocks and bonds. It is well known for its stock-market indices, the US-based S&P 500, the Australian S&P/ASX 200, the Canadian...

 500 list. The company also continued to acquire gaming companies including Silicon Gaming and Anchor Gaming. The acquisition of Anchor Gaming resulted in doubling gaming operations revenue.

During 2003, IGT acquired Acres Gaming. The company’s bonusing and systems technology were a significant addition to IGT's games and systems products. In 2004, the company introduced its central determination system (CDS) as well as its Class II bingo games and systems to the Native American market. IGT Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 was established to serve the emerging Canadian lottery and gaming markets.

In 2005, IGT celebrated its 25th anniversary as a publicly traded company and also acquired WagerWorks for its online gaming technology. It was also the year the company unveiled its first multi-level progressive MegaJackpots product, Fort Knox. In an effort to take advantage of emerging markets, new IGT offices were opened in Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...

, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

 and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

.

Group play and community bonus games were introduced to the marketplace in 2006 with the debut of Wheel of Fortune Special Edition. The company also celebrated the 10th anniversary of the most popular gaming machines ever made, Wheel of Fortune slots, . and the 20th anniversary of the Megabucks wide area progressive game.

During the Global Gaming Expo
Global Gaming Expo
Global Gaming Expo is an annual gaming trade show held in Las Vegas, Nevada, generally in November, at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The show is one of the two major gaming trade shows....

 in Las Vegas in 2006, IGT unveiled the M-P Series. The new multi-player concept focused on roulette and baccarat and was the first of the company’s electronic multi-player table game products.

In 2007, IGT worked to grow their Mexican gaming operation and product sales in the Japanese and Asian markets. In addition, a new IGT office was opened in China. Two intellectual property arrangements were also announced, these included an arrangement with Austrian-based Novomatic focusing on IGT's M-P Series multi-player product and with PureDepth, Inc. for its 3D-like, Multi-Layer Display (MLD) technology.

IGT opened the Global Technology & Interoperability Center in Reno, Nevada early in 2008. This first-of-its-kind research and testing center encompasses a 6500 square feet (603.9 m²) facility, which is available for use by gaming manufacturers, customers and third-party gaming products manufacturers. The collaborative center focuses on product testing in a true-to-life casino atmosphere prior to market release. In an effort to diversify business and market opportunities in the United Kingdom, the company acquired Cyberview Technology, Inc.

The company opened IGT Technology Development (Beijing) Co., Ltd. in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...

, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

 in March 2009. The office was established to research and develop gaming, application and systems in addition to providing support, technical services and training.

In 2009, Patti S. Hart was named IGT’s new president and CEO. That year also saw the release of sbX Tier One package by IGT Network Systems. The sbX system offers a bank-by-bank solution, which gives casino operators the ability to implement server-based technology without the need to commit the entire casino floor.

Sex and the City
Sex and the City
Sex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes...

 Slots were introduced in fall 2009 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. This game features entertaining game play, bonus rounds on a multi-level progressive jackpots platform.

The year ended with IGT’s sbX Experience Management System being installed at ARIA Resort & Casino
ARIA Resort & Casino
Aria Resort & Casino is a luxury resort and casino located within the CityCenter complex on the Las Vegas Strip. Aria consists of two curved glass and steel highrise towers adjoined at the center. It opened on December 16, 2009 as a joint venture between MGM Resorts International and Infinity World...

 at CityCenter in Las Vegas. ARIA’s casino floor opened with a first-of-its-kind combination of IGT systems on the server-based network, including IGT Advantage and sbX.

IGT started 2010 with a repeat win at the International Gaming Awards as Best Slot Manufacturer of the Year and continued to win awards throughout the year. These included 16 awards in Casino Player magazine's Best of Gaming for 2010, top honors in Global Gaming Business' 8th Annual Gaming and Technology Awards, wins in the inaugural Casino Enterprise Management Hospitality Operations Technology Awards, and 35 awards in Strictly Slots
Strictly Slots
Strictly Slots is a monthly magazine aimed at slot machine and video poker players. The magazine focuses on upcoming, new slot machines and video poker games, as well as casino amenities...

 Best of Slots Awards.

In the spring of 2010, IGT’s sbX Experience Management System was installed in the first European locations as sbX went live at Casino d'Evian in France. This was followed by a number of additional European installations including Casino di Venezia in Italy and Grand Casino Helsinki in Finland
.

In November 2010, the Company celebrated the production of its 2 millionth slot machine.

Late 2010 also saw the creation of an Interactive division within IGT dedicated to further building its online and mobile gaming presence. IGT's WagerWorks and Million-2-1 groups merged into a single global division headquartered in San Francisco, California. This new division provides gaming products to online and mobile markets in regulated, legal markets globally.

The year ended with a substantial go-live for both IGT's network systems products and games. The brand new casino resort The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas opened floor-wide in sbX; the majority floor share of games; plus, an entire suite of IGT Advantage system products.

Interactive Wagering

In 2005, IGT purchased the UK focused online gaming suppler Wagerworks for $90 million. Wagerworks supplies casino and slot games to various in online gaming sites, including Paddy Power
Paddy Power
Paddy Power is Ireland’s largest bookmaker. Offline it conducts business through a chain of licensed betting offices and by operating Ireland's largest telephone betting service. Online it offers sports betting, online poker, online bingo, online casino games and spread betting...

, William Hill
William Hill
-People:*William Hill *William Hill , British colonial Proprietary Governor of the Province of Avalon, Newfoundland*William Hill...

 and Betfair
Betfair
Betfair is the world's largest Internet betting exchange. The company is based in Hammersmith in West London, England. Since Betfair was launched in June 2000 it has become the largest online betting company in the UK and the largest betting exchange in the world. Betfair claim to have over 3...

. The company provides over 100 real money wagering options for customers in leaglized jurisdictions. Currently online gaming is prohibited in the USA, due to the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006
Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006
The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 is United States legislation regulating online gambling. It was added as Title VIII to the SAFE Port Act which otherwise regulated port security...

. With an increasing focus on New Media and online distribution channels IGT announced the appointment of Gideon Bierer in January 2010 to head up the division, based in San Francisco. The interactive division also has offices in Paddington
Paddington
Paddington is a district within the City of Westminster, in central London, England. Formerly a metropolitan borough, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965...

, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

.

When the new Interactive division debuted in late 2010, IGT's separate mobile- and internet-based gaming groups, known as Million-2-1 and WagerWorks, merged together and formed one team with 18 years combined experience. IGT Interactive provides regulatory-compliant casino games content and platform solutions including the wide area progressive MegaJackpots series. IGT Interactive’s mobile portfolio includes mobile slot, table, lottery and SMS games, mobile marketing, and platform products across all major mobile technologies including Apple and Android.

In March 2011, the IGT Interactive division moved to 405 Howard Street, Suite 600, in San Francisco, California and announced plans to add 75 positions to their staff. The new Interactive division headquarters, located at the corner of First and Howard in the heart of SOMA, is home to 100 employees today with the ability to accommodate more than 250. The new 45884 square feet (4,262.8 m²) office triples IGT’s total office space in San Francisco, allowing IGT to consolidate employees from two different locations in San Francisco, while also allowing for additional growth.

Some IGT online slots titles include:
  • Arabian Riches
  • Battleship
    Battleship
    A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...

    : Search & Destroy
  • Bitten
  • Capt. Quid's Treasure Quest
  • Ca$hino
  • Cleopatra
  • Cluedo
    Cluedo
    Cluedo is a popular murder/mystery-themed deduction board game originally published by Waddingtons in Leeds, England in 1949. It was devised by Anthony E. Pratt, a solicitor's clerk from Birmingham, England. It is now published by the United States game and toy company Hasbro, which acquired its U.S...

  • Da Vinci Diamonds
  • Dungeons & Dragons
    Dungeons & Dragons
    Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...

  • Double Diamond
  • Elvis
  • Enchanted Unicorn
  • Five Times Pay
  • Jeopardy
  • Kitty Glitter
  • Lil’ Lady
  • Monopoly
    Monopoly
    A monopoly exists when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a particular commodity...

  • Noah's Ark
    Noah's Ark
    Noah's Ark is a vessel appearing in the Book of Genesis and the Quran . These narratives describe the construction of the ark by Noah at God's command to save himself, his family, and the world's animals from the worldwide deluge of the Great Flood.In the narrative of the ark, God sees the...

  • Rainbow Riches
  • Super Hoot Loot
  • Texas Tea
  • The 50,000 Pyramid
  • Three Reel Hold-Up
  • Transformers
    Transformers
    A transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one circuit to another by magnetic coupling.Transformer may also refer to:* ASUS Eee Pad Transformer, an Android 3.2 Honeycomb tablet computer manufacturer by Asus...

  • Vegas, Baby!
  • Wheel of Fortune
    Wheel of Fortune (U.S. game show)
    Wheel of Fortune is an American television game show created by Merv Griffin, which premiered in 1975. Contestants compete to solve word puzzles, similar to those used in Hangman, to win cash and prizes determined by spinning a large wheel. The title refers to the show's giant carnival wheel that...

  • Wolf Run
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