IGT Company History
IGT stands for International Game Technology, a very fitting name for this company which provides games and software for casinos around the world. The original IGT company was founded way back in 1950, then through a series of mergers with other software developers and slot machine producers, became the company we know today. IGT acquired Electronic Data Technologies in 1984 and pioneered the use of computer technology to understand player data and tailor products accordingly. They also pioneered slot technology that is seen everywhere today, such as the mechanism for paying notes into a machine.
The S-Slot was IGT’s first foray into spinning reels slots, but now the company has a host of hugely popular slots and has won awards such as "Best Slot Manufacturer". Integrating various avenues of technology and software, IGT has become one of the world’s leaders in the industry. IGT were acquired by Gtech Corporation in 2014 for a total of $6.4 billion. The Gtech name was dropped in favour of the popular and iconic IGT brand. The company is now on the New York Stock Exchange, has a holding company headquarters in London and others in Las Vegas, Rome and Rhode Island, employing 12,000 people. The company enjoyed a $539 million operating income in 2015.
IGT’s Online Slots
There are over 300 IGT slot games, both cabinet games in real-world casinos and purely digital titles seen at online casinos. Many of these are licensed games themed around movies or television shows, meaning that IGT games always catch the eye of new players. For example, the Family Guy slot captures all the animation and artwork of the show perfectly, while providing some comedy gold. The Jurassic Park slot is a standout title, which recreates the sounds and graphics of the movie with astonishing accuracy. Triceratops bring ‘running wilds’ onto the reels, while a T-Rex Alert produces 35 extra wilds. IGT add a lot of clever little touches to slots like these; for example, the jungle background of Jurassic Park is constantly scrolling past, giving the tense feeling of exploring the hostile park.
Ghostbusters and the Triple Slime spin-off are very popular titles for this company, drawing on the classic characters. Transformers: Battle for Cybertron captures some of the epic-scale action of the recent movie franchise. The big names just keep coming from IGT, with a Breaking Bad game based on the popular series, James Cameron’s Avatar and the ever-popular Lord of the Rings all having IGT-developed slot games. Even Dungeons and Dragons gets a game, a niche but very enjoyable title.
IGT don’t just make tie-in games though; they have a host of original creations that have their own fan followings. Valhalla is a Viking game with artwork reminiscent of classic arcade gaming, while 100 Ladies and 100 Pandas provide some lovingly drawn animal action. Miss White and Miss Red are counterparts to each other, both with fine artwork and interesting feature rounds.
Another huge string to IGT’s bow is the Mega Jackpots system, which includes several slots, such as Cleopatra Mega Jackpots. Cleopatra is perhaps one of the best known IGT games, one of the original Egyptian slots, which has been updated many times over the years. This massive networked progressive jackpot slot is responsible for some of the biggest online casino wins of recent years and falls in line with IGT's slogan of making "More Millionnaires, More Often".
IGT’s Compliance & Social Responsibility
Being one of the shaping influences on the online gambling industry, IGT is known for taking a proactive role in developing good practices, player safety and compliance with government legislation. This beings with responsible gaming, ensuring that problem gambling is fought at all turns.
In July 2015, IGT was recognized by the World Lottery Association (WLA) as an industry leader in corporate social responsibility and responsible gaming. Customer protection programs and analytic features are all part of IGT’s products. When working in a community, such as through a land-based casino, the company makes charitable efforts in education, community initiatives and employee involvement. Even the environment is protected, with IGT sites having been certified by ISO14001 for environmental responsibility at several of its main facilities.
IGT’s code of conduct can be found online, along with an anti-corruption ethics policy. The company takes this pledge seriously and works to eliminate any bad practices which might bring the industry into disrepute, including offering players a support line to report any suspicious activity.
All IGT games are tested for fairness and true randomness and are only released to land-based casinos with proper licensing from their local government.