International Game Technology
Corporate brand
UnclaimedInternational Game Technology was a Las Vegas-based gaming-technology company known for slot machines, casino systems, progressive jackpots, video poker, and interactive gaming.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
International Game Technology, commonly known as IGT, was an American gaming-technology company that operated from 1975 until its merger with GTECH in 2015. Based in Las Vegas, Nevada, the company manufactured and distributed casino slot machines, video-poker products, electronic table-game systems, player-management technology, and related software. It also supplied systems and games to lotteries, tribal casinos, commercial casinos, and regulated online and mobile gaming operators. The business began as A-1 Supply, founded by William “Si” Redd in 1975. It became Sircoma in 1978 and adopted the International Game Technology name in 1981. The company went public that year after gaining momentum from the emerging video-poker market. Its early product development helped establish video poker and electronic gaming as important parts of casino floors, while later products expanded into spinning-reel slots, server-based casino systems, wide-area progressive jackpots, and player rewards. IGT’s most influential innovations combined hardware with networked software. Its acquisition of Electronic Data Technologies in 1984 brought computerized player tracking into the company’s portfolio. These systems gave casinos tools for monitoring play and tailoring loyalty and marketing programs, eventually contributing to products such as IGT Advantage and SBX. IGT also developed Nevada Megabucks, an early wide-area progressive slot system with a large linked jackpot, and built a major branded-game business through licensed entertainment properties such as Wheel of Fortune, Elvis, and Sex and the City. During the 1990s and 2000s, IGT expanded internationally and through acquisitions. It established operations in Europe, Australia, South Africa, Argentina, Canada, China, Mexico, Macau, and Russia, and acquired companies including Barcrest Gaming, Sodak Gaming, Silicon Gaming, Anchor Gaming, Acres Gaming, WagerWorks, Entraction, and Double Down. These transactions broadened its reach across casino hardware, systems, online gaming, poker, social games, and Native American gaming markets. The company also introduced multi-denomination video products, multi-level progressives, electronic multiplayer table games, central determination systems, Class II bingo products, and server-based casino management platforms. IGT created an Interactive division in 2010 by combining its WagerWorks and Million-2-1 activities. The division supplied online and mobile casino content, progressive jackpots, table games, lottery-related products, and platform services in regulated markets. At the same time, the company continued installing networked systems at major casinos in North America and Europe and celebrated production of its two-millionth slot machine in 2010. The company faced shareholder activism in 2013 when the Ader Group, associated with investor Jason Ader and former IGT chairman Charles Mathewson, sought board changes and criticized the company’s strategic direction. In 2014, Italian gaming company GTECH agreed to acquire IGT in a transaction valued at approximately $6.4 billion, including assumed debt. The merger closed on April 7, 2015. GTECH was renamed International Game Technology PLC, meaning that the historical company covered by this article ceased to exist as a separate corporate entity even though the IGT name continued under the successor organization.
History
International Game Technology originated in 1975 as A-1 Supply, a gaming-equipment business founded by William “Si” Redd. The company changed its name to Sircoma in 1978 and became International Game Technology in 1981. Its public offering that year followed the growing popularity of electronic video poker. IGT subsequently became one of the most important American manufacturers of electronic gaming equipment, particularly in the casino slot and video-poker categories. A significant early development came in 1984, when IGT acquired Electronic Data Technologies. The transaction gave the company computerized player-tracking technology, allowing casino operators to collect information about player activity and use it for marketing and loyalty programs. The platform evolved into later IGT systems, including IGT Advantage and SBX. IGT also developed the S-Slot, Player’s Edge video poker, and Nevada Megabucks, an early wide-area progressive slot system linking machines across properties to create large jackpots. International expansion began with an Australian office and later included European, African, Latin American, and Asian operations. In the 1990s, IGT broadened its portfolio with spinning-reel slots, multi-denomination video products, and licensed entertainment themes. The 1996 agreement to use the Wheel of Fortune brand created a durable slot-machine franchise. Acquisitions of Barcrest Gaming in the United Kingdom and Sodak Gaming, which served Native American gaming markets, strengthened IGT’s geographic and customer reach. The company also introduced products such as Triple Play Draw Poker and S2000 spinning-reel systems. From 2001 through 2010, IGT pursued a combination of acquisitions, product development, and international infrastructure. It acquired Silicon Gaming, Anchor Gaming, Acres Gaming, WagerWorks, Cyber-view Technology, and other businesses. Anchor brought gaming operations and intellectual-property rights connected with bonus-wheel technology, while Acres added systems and bonus capabilities. IGT introduced central determination systems, Class II bingo games, multi-level progressives such as Fort Knox, and the M-P Series of electronic multiplayer roulette and baccarat products. It opened or expanded offices in Canada, China, Mexico, Macau, and Russia, and established the Global Technology & Interoperability Center in Reno in 2008 for casino-style testing and collaboration. The company also moved into online, mobile, and social gaming. WagerWorks supplied online casino content to regulated operators, and the Million-2-1 and WagerWorks groups were combined in 2010 into a dedicated Interactive division. IGT acquired the poker-network and gaming developer Entraction in 2011 and the social-casino company Double Down in 2012. These activities complemented the company’s traditional machine business with digital distribution and new forms of player engagement. IGT’s later history included both operational expansion and governance pressure. Patti S. Hart became president and chief executive officer in 2009. In 2013, the Ader Group, associated with investor Jason Ader and former chairman Charles Mathewson, initiated a proxy contest seeking board changes and criticizing management’s performance and direction. IGT maintained its position in filings while the activist group promoted its own slate. In July 2014, Italian gaming company GTECH agreed to acquire IGT in a transaction described as having a total value of $6.4 billion, consisting of cash consideration and assumed debt. The transaction closed on April 7, 2015. GTECH and IGT were combined under a new holding company, and the successor adopted the International Game Technology PLC name. Accordingly, the 1975–2015 IGT covered by this entry is a historical corporate entity rather than the later successor company using the IGT brand.
- 2015
Merger with GTECH completed
[1]The historical IGT company was combined with GTECH, whose successor adopted the International Game Technology PLC name.
- 2012
Double Down acquired
[1]The acquisition added a Seattle-based social-casino gaming business.
- 2011
Entraction acquired
[1]IGT acquired the Stockholm-based poker network and video-game developer.
- 2010
Interactive division created
[1]IGT combined WagerWorks and Million-2-1 into a global online and mobile gaming division.
- 2009
Patti S. Hart becomes CEO
[1]Patti S. Hart was appointed IGT’s president and chief executive officer.
- 2008
Global Technology & Interoperability Center opens
[1]IGT opened a Reno facility for product testing and collaboration in a casino-like environment.
- 2003
Acres Gaming acquired
[1]The acquisition strengthened IGT’s gaming bonuses and systems technology.
- 2001
IGT enters the S&P 500
[1]IGT was added to the S&P 500 index.
- 1998
Barcrest Gaming and Sodak Gaming acquired
[1]The acquisitions expanded IGT’s United Kingdom and Native American market presence.
- 1996
Wheel of Fortune slot line introduced
[1]IGT licensed the Wheel of Fortune television property for casino slot machines.
Products and positioning
A global supplier of casino gaming machines, progressive jackpots, casino-management systems, and regulated interactive gaming technology.
Wide-area progressive slot system
Nevada Megabucks
Nevada Megabucks was an early wide-area progressive slot system developed by IGT. It linked participating machines across properties so that wagers contributed to a shared jackpot, creating a highly visible prize mechanism for casino operators. The product helped establish progressive jackpots as a central feature of modern slot-machine marketing.
Branded slot machines · 1996
Wheel of Fortune slots
IGT’s Wheel of Fortune slot machines used the licensed television game-show identity alongside bonus-wheel mechanics and progressive-jackpot features. The line became a prominent example of IGT’s strategy of combining recognizable entertainment brands with casino gameplay and networked prize systems.
Video gaming machine
Game King
Game King was an IGT video-gaming product family associated with multi-game and multi-denomination play. It represented the company’s effort to give casino customers several game formats on a single terminal while giving operators a flexible electronic gaming platform.
Video poker
Player's Edge
Player’s Edge was a major IGT video-poker product line. It supported the company’s early growth in electronic casino gaming and helped popularize machine-based poker formats in commercial casinos and other regulated gaming venues.
Casino management system
IGT Advantage
IGT Advantage was a networked casino-management platform built around machine monitoring, player information, and operational controls. It was deployed alongside other IGT systems at casino properties, including major Las Vegas resorts, to provide operators with centralized tools for managing electronic gaming floors.
Server-based casino system
SBX Experience Management System
SBX was IGT’s server-based experience-management system. It supported the delivery and administration of games and casino-floor experiences over a network, allowing operators to manage content and player-facing features across connected machines. Deployments included casinos in the United States and Europe.
Multi-level progressive slot system · 2005
Fort Knox Mega Jackpots
Fort Knox was IGT’s first multi-level progressive Mega Jackpots product. It extended the company’s progressive-jackpot approach by offering multiple linked prize levels, providing a broader jackpot structure for casino operators and players.
Electronic multiplayer table games · 2006
M-P Series
The M-P Series was IGT’s electronic multiplayer table-game concept, initially focused on roulette and baccarat. Introduced in the mid-2000s, it expanded IGT beyond slot machines and video poker into electronically assisted table-game experiences.
Online and mobile gaming · 2010
Interactive online and mobile games
Through WagerWorks, Million-2-1, and the later Interactive division, IGT supplied online casino games, mobile slots, table games, lottery-related products, SMS games, marketing tools, and platform services in regulated markets. The portfolio included branded and progressive-jackpot content as well as games such as Power Blackjack and Three Card Second Chance.
Marketing campaigns
- 2009Sex and the City Slots
United States
IGT introduced a Sex and the City-themed slot product with bonus rounds and a multi-level progressive-jackpot structure.
Outcome. The launch broadened IGT’s use of licensed entertainment properties in casino gaming.
- 2006Wheel of Fortune Special Edition
United States
The Special Edition product added group-play and community-bonus elements to the Wheel of Fortune slot concept.
Outcome. It extended the Wheel of Fortune franchise into a more socially oriented casino-floor format.
- 1996Wheel of Fortune slot promotion
United States · International
IGT used the Wheel of Fortune entertainment license to create a branded slot-machine franchise combining familiar television imagery, bonus-wheel play, and progressive jackpots.
Outcome. The product became one of IGT’s signature branded gaming lines.
Brand decisions
2014
Agree to merger with GTECHM&ABackground
GTECH sought to combine its lottery and gaming activities with IGT’s casino technology and gaming-machine business.
Action taken
IGT agreed to be acquired by GTECH, with the businesses to be combined under a new United Kingdom-based holding company.
Aftermath
The transaction closed in April 2015 and the successor company adopted the International Game Technology PLC name.
Transaction value. $6.4 billion including assumed debt (2014 announced transaction)
2013
Respond to the Ader Group proxy contestOtherBackground
The Ader Group sought board representation and argued that IGT’s leadership and strategic decisions had harmed shareholder value.
Action taken
IGT filed preliminary proxy materials and maintained its position while the Ader Group promoted its own board slate.
Aftermath
The dispute was part of the governance pressure preceding the company’s agreement to merge with GTECH in 2014.
2010
Create a dedicated Interactive divisionStrategyBackground
IGT was seeking growth beyond physical casino machines as regulated online and mobile gaming channels developed.
Action taken
The company combined its WagerWorks and Million-2-1 groups into a single global Interactive division headquartered in San Francisco.
Aftermath
The division supplied online and mobile casino content and platform products in regulated markets and expanded its San Francisco operations.
Recent events
Reported
IGT announces board committee membership changes[2]
International Game Technology PLC announced appointments of Alberto Dessy, Samantha Ravich and Beatrice Bassey to its Audit, Compensation, and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees, respectively. The changes were to take effect at the company's 2020 Annual General Meeting.
Reported
IGT won two gaming industry awards[3]
IGT announced that it won Slot Provider of the Year at the International Gaming Awards and that its Fortune Coin video slots game won Best Slot Game at the British Casino Awards.
Sources3 sources
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