Top 8 Slot Machine Manufacturers Gambling Would Die Without
Slots machines are just awesome. The sound they make when paying is often enough to bring an ear-to-ear smile to your face. While games get the most attention from the players, slot machine manufacturers are the true hero in the world of gambling.
To commemorate these heroes, we have decided to dedicate this post. We're going on a deep dive into the top slot machine companies in the world. Of course, we're going for a mix of both offline and online slot providers.
The Top Slot Machine Manufacturers Across the World
When we say a slot machine manufacturer, we're referring to a company that primarily designs, develops, and deploys slot games. You might already be familiar with some of these companies if you're active in the iGaming industry.
Scientific Games Corporation
Also known as SG Corporation in short, it's one of the world's primary slot machines manufacturers. The company has been around since 1973 and has been blessing gamblers with real money slot machines.
Over the years, SG has made its position in the industry even stronger by acquiring other slot machine manufacturers! For example, it currently owns and manages:
- Bally Technologies
- Spielo
- Barcrest
- WMS Gaming Inc.
- Shuffle Master
From what we've seen, Scientific Gaming primarily specializes in electronic gaming terminals. And it's not only slots but also lotteries and sports betting.
Of course, Scientific Games also has a very prominent presence in online gambling. It develops in-house game titles as well as power many online casinos and sportsbooks across the globe.
According to the official website, SG has over 130 lottery customers and operates in over 50 countries!
Bally's Corporation
Among all the OG slot machine companies, Bally's is perhaps one of the most famous. It's the creator of the legendary Money Honey slot machine. It's legendary because it's the first-ever electromechanical slot game in the world.
Many believe that if Bally's didn't come up with this innovative technology, the world may have never seen video slots.
Bally's Corporation started its journey in the gaming industry way back in 1968. It went by Advanced Patent Technology. Data shows that within only 10 years, it patented over 80 technologies that are still in use today!
The company started tinkering with slot machines during the early 1980s. A huge chunk of slot terminals you see in Las Vegas or Atlantic City are developed and managed by Bally's. It also has a very strong online presence with popular games like 88 Fortunes, Moon Goddess, and Ra and the Scarab Temple in the library.
International Game Technology (IGT)
IGT is no less than a legend in the gambling industry. This is undoubtedly one of the largest global companies in this space with over 13,000 employees! IGT was founded in 1975 by William Redd, also known as the "King of Slot Machines".
Before it went public in 1980, the company was called A-1 Supply. The reason IGT is so highly regarded in the gambling industry is thanks to its dedication to producing high-quality slot machines. In 2010, it celebrated the 2 millionth machine, a milestone most slot machine manufacturers can only dream to achieve.
Apart from slot machines for both online and offline casinos across the world, IGT also offers progressive jackpot machines, table games, and video poker terminals.
From what we've seen, IGT is biased toward classic-themed slots. The developer provides the benefits of a modern video slot. A lot of IGT's games are 5-reel video slots but utilize classic symbols like fruits, bells, and lucky 7s.
WMS Gaming
WMS Gaming used to be a subsidiary of WMS Industries, a company with roots back to 1943! During the 1980s and 1990s, WMS supplied a big chunk of pinball machines and video arcade games before switching to slot machines.
WMS used the Williams Gaming division of the company to enter the gambling market in 1991. It started its humble journey with video lottery terminals in Oregon. After the launch of its first slot machine, Reel 'em In, business blew up.
The early 2000s were really turbulent for WMS as several machines suffered from a glitch that paid players credits without payment. It also got sued by IGT for patent infringement.
WMS is mostly active in the American casino market, where it derives over 70% of its revenue. But you can also find games by this slot machine manufacturer in the UK, Spain, Mexico, India, Canada, and South Africa.
Microgaming
No list of the top slot machine companies can end with Microgaming. But it's not your typical slot machine manufacturer. Rather, it's the pioneer of online gambling and the creator of the first-ever online gambling software!
Microgaming was formed in 1994, a critical time for the world as we were transitioning to the golden era of the internet. This Isle of Man-based company showed the world that gambling is also possible on the Internet.
InterCasino is perhaps Microgaming's crown jewel. Although it may feel outdated, you can't forget that it's the first online casino to ever be listed.
Over the last 25+ years, Microgaming curated over 800 games through both in-house production and partnerships. It's still going strong and adding new games to its library every month for responsible gamblers around the world.
It also happens to be one of the most global iGaming companies with operations across 20+ jurisdictions.
NetEnt
NetEnt is another pioneer in iGaming and one of the best slot providers of all time. The company came to life in 1996 as Net Entertainment. Over the years, it got famous by NetEnt, a name it later adopted legally.
NetEnt is the creator of all-time crowd-favorites like Starburst and Gonzo's Quest. The Divine Fortune progressive jackpot paid millions of dollars to lucky players in principal markets.
The company is currently owned by Evolution Gaming, an iGaming conglomerate that also owns Big Time Gaming, Red Tiger, and Ezugi.
In over 20 years of operation, NetEnt has only created 200 or so slot games. One of the core philosophies of the company culture has been quality of quantity. You'll most definitely see the reflection when you play games by NetEnt.
Playtech
Playtech is a big name in the B2B world of iGaming. You may not find a lot of games that are directly marketed under the Playtech brand. But know that Playtech is behind some of the most important technologies the industry uses day in, day out.
What started as a small game studio in 1999 soon flourished into a big-name corporation thanks to Playtech's vision and action to complement it.
As of now, Playtech owns brands like Quickspin and Ash Gaming while powering thousands of online casino software in the back end.
Apart from online slot machines, Playtech is also vocal and active in table games as well as live dealer games. Some of the top turnkey solutions it offers include hosting services, marketing, customer support, payment advisory, and fraud prevention.
Evolution Gaming
The last of the slot machine manufacturers on our list is Evolution Gaming. Well, it's more of a live dealer legend. The top live games the iGaming industry is crazy about all came from Evolution. You also know that it owns a lot of major brands.
Evolution Gaming was launched in 2006, making it the newest company on our list. In a very short time, it claimed the top position in the live dealer industry by providing innovation and new technology. Currently, it has studios in Canada, the USA, and many European countries.
Wrapping Up
Slot machine manufacturers have effectively shaped the gambling industry over many decades. Many of them have gone out of business while the slot machine companies with a clear value proposition are still going strong.
As a player, it's important that you're familiar with these companies as they're powering your experience.