International Game Technologies (IGT) is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of Video and slot gaming machines. Their land based and online casino games are regarded as some of the best in the business. The history of IGT gaming dates back as far as 1975 when the company was founded as A-1 Supply by William S Redd. If you have ever visited one of the big casinos around the world, you have probably encountered an IGT machine. Recently the company has adopted a full online strategy, focusing on the online casino and slot market. If you are an online casino fan, you are probably familiar with the brand and the games associated with the software.
Land Based Slot Games
Although the company was established in 1975, the history of IGT Gaming pertaining to the casino industry only got going in 1981 when the company went public for the first time based on the huge success of their slots games online in Canada. The company quickly became known as the premier supplier of land-based slot games to the casino industry. The decision to go public was a resounding success and gave the company the incentive it needed to forge ahead with more innovative slot systems. As a result IGT were one of the first companies to design and implement the electronic player tracking and reward scheme. The introduction of the rewards scheme led to the design and implementation of modern loyalty bonuses that are now found in many online casinos.
Introduction of Progressive Slots
Riding on their recent successes, IGT produced and launched the now famous Nevada Megabucks slot which is widely regarded as the world’s first multi-machine progressive slot. In the years that followed, the company continued to expand with offices and headquarters springing up all over the world. In 1996 the History of IGT gaming took another step forward when they were able to soldier through licencing agreements and release their Wheel of Fortune slot machine. The game turned out to be a resounding success. Today the game still is considered to be one of the most popular slot games of all time.
Online Aspirations
In 2004 the history of IGT gaming took a major leap forward when the Online Software developer WagerWorks came to their attention. Looking for an entry point into the online market, IGT gaming had been studying the company responsible for massively popular online version of the Hard Rock Casino. Focused solely on the US market, WagerWorks hit a brick wall when the US Ban on online gambling came into effect. With no revenue streams, IGT recognised an opportunity to enter the market and form a partnership that would have mutual benefits.
Onward and Upward
IGT’s international presence and reputation allowed the newly formed company to sell their online products into foreign markets backed by the technical support and software platform that WagerWorks were already famous for. The acquisition was a big step in the history of IGT gaming giving them the ability to bring in their most famous slot games into the online market. In 2011, the WagerWorks brand was dropped entirely and the operation folded into the IGT name. Since then the company has grown from strength to strength providing some of the biggest slot games in the industry.