Bally Manufacturing , later renamed Bally Entertainment , was an American company that began as a pinball and slot machine manufacturer, and later expanded into casinos, video games, health clubs, and theme parks. It was acquired by Hilton Hotels in 1996.
95-523: Its brand name, and mid-20th century pinball and slot machine logo, are still used by several businesses with various acquired trademark rights, most notably slot machine maker Bally Technologies and casino operator Bally's Corporation . The Bally Manufacturing Corporation was founded by Raymond Moloney on January 10, 1932, when Bally's original parent, Lion Manufacturing, established the company to make pinball games, taking its name from its first game, "Ballyhoo". The Chicago -based company quickly became
190-682: A 22" game display and a 26" top display. Bally engineered reduced power consumption in these new platforms. Bally also developed Ultimate Texas Hold'em in 2009. In 2010, Bally sold the Rainbow Casino to Isle of Capri Casinos for $ 80 million. On November 25, 2013, Bally acquired SHFL entertainment , a global gaming supplier operating in five primary categories: Utility products (including Deck Mate card shufflers and roulette chip sorters), proprietary table games, electronic table systems, electronic gaming machines (including video slot machines) and iGaming. In 2014, Bally won four awards in
285-810: A 43 percent stake in Capital Gaming International, which was developing casinos with various Indian tribes and the Crescent City Queen casino in New Orleans. The company came under scrutiny in November for its relationship with Antoine Saacks, Assistant Superintendent of the New Orleans Police Department , who had worked as a consultant for United's video poker operation in Louisiana. Saacks
380-527: A casino and 20-story boutique hotel next to Harry Reid International Airport began construction in 2022 for an opening originally scheduled for 2024. Construction was halted in March 2023 due to stalled funding plans. It could resume construction in January 2024 and the opening has been rescheduled to the end of 2025. Astral Hotels planned to start building Astral, a 34-story, 620-room hotel and casino on
475-448: A combination of Alliance and Bally would be so undercapitalized as to raise licensing concerns among gaming regulators. Alliance undertook a hostile takeover effort, suing to block the WMS merger, announcing a tender offer of up to $ 55 million for 4.4 million shares of Bally, enough to give it a controlling interest, and seeking consent from Bally's shareholders to replace a majority of
570-431: A dedicated broadcast booth, and the ability to watch up to 15 sporting events at once. The sports network ESPN is broadcasting sports betting shows from a dedicated studio at The Linq. Some sportsbooks are now offering self-service betting kiosks. The Las Vegas Strip is known for its lounges, showrooms, theaters and nightclubs, most on the hotel casino properties. Some of the more popular free attractions visible from
665-630: A dominant competitor was daunting though, so Alliance looked for an acquisition. The natural choice was Bally Gaming International, the number two player with a 15 to 20 percent share. Kirschbaum had contacted Bally Entertainment about a merger as early as 1993, but Bally's CEO rebuffed him because of Alliance's heavy debt load and lack of earnings, suggesting they "develop their company a bit". Talks began again in October 1994, until Alliance broke them off in February 1995. Bally reached out to Alliance
760-577: A former division of Bally Manufacturing . In 2006, the entire company adopted the Bally name. Scientific Games (now Light & Wonder) acquired the company in 2014. Today, Bally constitutes one of the three brands of Light & Wonder, along with WMS and Shuffle Master . Advanced Patent Technology was founded in 1968 by Jack Solomon and Alvin Snaper, entrepreneurs who held patents in fields including medicine, optics, and electronics. The company's stock
855-450: A leading pinball maker. In the late 1930s, Moloney began making gambling equipment, and had great success developing and improving the mechanical slot machines that were the core of the nascent gaming industry. After manufacturing munitions and airplane parts during World War II , Bally Manufacturing Corporation continued producing innovations in flipperless pinball machines, bingo machines, payout machines and console slot machines through
950-624: A line of fitness equipment and clothing owned by FAM Brands , which acquired the name outright in 2013. The rights to use the name for casinos were sold by Caesars in October 2020 to Twin River Worldwide Holdings, which then changed its own name to Bally's Corporation and said that it would rename most of its properties under the Bally's brand. In a related transaction, Bally's Corporation acquired Bally's Atlantic City from Caesars. In January 2022, Caesars announced that Bally's Las Vegas, which they retained, would be rebranded as
1045-580: A matter of some dispute. After George W. Bush 's ties to Rainwater, a fellow member of the group that owned the Texas Rangers baseball team, became a campaign issue in the 1994 race for governor because of Rainwater's involvement in gambling, Kirkland head Joel Kirschbaum described Rainwater's interest in the company as "passive". But a later lawsuit by Bally Gaming alleged that United admitted downplaying Rainwater's level of control because Major League Baseball frowned on team owners being involved in
SECTION 10
#17327945239251140-535: A plan to become a major casino operator. It opened a $ 40 million line of credit to finance the construction of five mini-casinos. It partnered with the developer of the under-construction Chaparral Casino to build and operate the property's casino and dining facilities, and with another developer on the planned Double Eagle hotel and casino. It leased the casino at the Mizpah Hotel in Tonopah, Nevada , bought
1235-628: A second nearby hotel, the Hotel Last Frontier in 1942. Organized crime figures such as Bugsy Siegel took an intense interest in the growing Las Vegas gaming center and funded another resort; financing the completion of the Flamingo construction with mob money. The Flamingo casino opened in December 1946, and the hotel opened in March 1947. Wilbur Clark 's Desert Inn resort opened in 1950. The funding for many Las Vegas projects
1330-521: A show with illusionists Siegfried & Roy . In the 1990s, more than 12 new hotels opened, including themed hotels like the Luxor , Excalibur , and Mandalay Bay . At $ 1.7B, the most expensive hotel in the world at the time, The Bellagio , was built in the 1990s. These huge facilities offer entertainment and dining options, as well as gambling and lodging. In 1993, the launch of the Mystère show at
1425-486: A single unit in 1998. In 1999, Bally launched Thrillions, a wide-area progressive jackpot system, as part of a strategy to focus on games to be installed on a revenue-participation bonus instead of being sold outright to casinos. The game initially launched with a Betty Boop theme, and later added variants based on Blondie and Popeye . This period also saw the introduction of the EVO VIDEO game platform and
1520-517: A subsidiary manufacturing video slot machines and other casino equipment. Bally Total Fitness, burdened with debt from over-expansion and declining revenues after the 2008 recession , began selling off its clubs in the 2010s. Sales of large numbers of clubs to LA Fitness in 2011, Blast Fitness in 2012, and 24 Hour Fitness in 2014, along with closures of other clubs saw the chain dwindle. The last Bally Total Fitness club closed in October 2016. The Bally Total Fitness name had been used under license for
1615-511: A turnaround by 1983. The company changed its name to Gaming and Technology Inc. in March 1983 to better reflect its focus. The Colorado Belle, described as unprofitable, was sold the following year to Circus Circus Enterprises for $ 4 million. On January 1, 1985, the company merged with Omega Enterprises, a manufacturer of video slot machines through its Cal Omega subsidiary, in a " reverse acquisition ". Gaming & Technology acquired Omega's assets, and Omega's shareholders received 72.5% of
1710-597: Is considered the Strip's northern terminus by Clark County, though travel guides typically extend it to the Strat 0.4 miles (0.64 km) to the north. Mandalay Bay , just north of Russell Road is the southernmost resort considered to be on the Strip (the Klondike was the southernmost until 2006, when it was closed, although it was not included in the Strip on some definitions and travel guides). According to Clark County,
1805-503: Is immediately south of the Las Vegas city limits in the unincorporated towns of Paradise and Winchester , but is often referred to simply as "Las Vegas". Many of the largest hotel, casino, and resort properties in the world are on the Strip, known for its contemporary architecture, lights, and wide variety of attractions. Its hotels, casinos, restaurants, residential high-rises, entertainment offerings, and skyline have established
1900-609: The Atari 2600 , and had far fewer games, it was unsuccessful despite a loyal following. By the mid-1980s, Bally again had a strong balance sheet and began buying other businesses, including the Six Flags amusement park chain in 1982, the Health and Tennis Corporation of America (which became Bally Total Fitness ) in 1983, and Scientific Games, a lottery terminal company, in 1986. That year, they also purchased several casinos, including
1995-708: The City of Las Vegas sought to annex the Las Vegas Strip, which ran through unincorporated Clark County territory, in order to expand the city's tax base to fund his ambitious building agenda and pay down the city's rising debt. Instead, Gus Greenbaum of the Flamingo led a group of casino executives to lobby the Clark County commissioners for town status. Two unincorporated towns were eventually created, Paradise and Winchester . More than two decades later,
SECTION 20
#17327945239252090-612: The Dunes golf course in the mid-90s. Steve Wynn , founder of previously owned Mirage Resorts , purchased the Desert Inn and golf course for his new company Wynn Resorts and redeveloped the course as the Wynn Golf Club. This course closed in 2017, but the development planned for the course was cancelled and the course was renovated and re-opened in late 2019. In 2000, Bali Hai Golf Club opened just south of Mandalay Bay and
2185-783: The Horseshoe Las Vegas following a renovation. Bally's Corporation reached a 10-year naming rights agreement with Sinclair Broadcast Group to rebrand the Fox Sports Network group of regional sports networks , which Sinclair had recently acquired, as Bally Sports , beginning in 2021. Former subsidiary Bally Wulff remains a gaming and vending equipment manufacturer in Germany, with additional operations in Spain. French gambling equipment distributor Bally France and Japanese arcade distributor Bally Pond also still use
2280-628: The Moffitt Royal Commission in New South Wales, Australia, during an investigation of criminal activities between the US and Australia, O'Donnell admitted that Genovese Mafia boss Gerardo Catena once owned shares in Bally, but claimed to have bought him out. He also denied knowing Chicago mobster Joseph Dan Testa, even though Australian police described Testa "as a representative of Bally who visited Australia." The company opened
2375-577: The Nevada Gaming Commission , Solomon was forced to step down as chairman, as a condition of licensing for the casino. Three new directors were added in November to the company's board as part of a settlement under discussion with the SEC, but by March 1981, regulators still had questions about the company's public disclosure, and trading in the stock was suspended for 10 days. The SEC investigation ended in 1983 with no further action against
2470-477: The New Orleans Fair Grounds and Jefferson Downs, and their eight off-track betting parlors. United also planned to install 1,000 machines at bars and truck stops in the state. In 1993, United Gaming and Wilms reached an agreement with Kirkland-Fort Worth Investment Partners, a group affiliated with Texas investor Richard Rainwater , for a $ 5 million investment in exchange for 11 percent of
2565-471: The Park Place Casino & Hotel on December 29, 1979. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Midway was renamed Bally/Midway when it was consolidated with Bally's legacy pinball business. It became a primary source of income for Bally as an early arcade video game maker, obtaining licenses for three of the all-time most popular video games: Space Invaders , Pac-Man , and Ms. Pac-Man . In
2660-818: The Plantation Casino in Sparks, Nevada for $ 9.5 million, and opened two small casinos in Downtown Las Vegas , Miss Lucy's and the Trolley Stop. Wilms pumped more money into the company, investing $ 10 million in June 1990 to raise his ownership stake to 54 percent. The company began restructuring its operations in summer 1990. It abandoned the Double Eagle project after its development partner ran into financing difficulty, and withdrew from
2755-745: The SLS Las Vegas continued to transform the Strip in 2014. The Las Vegas Festival Grounds opened in 2015. In 2016, T-Mobile Arena , The Park, and the Park Theater (now known as Dolby Live) opened. On October 1, 2017, a mass shooting occurred on the Strip at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival, adjacent to the Mandalay Bay hotel. 60 people were killed, and approximately 867 were injured. The gunman, Stephen Paddock , opened fire on concertgoers with several rifles from his suites on
2850-667: The Supreme Court of Nevada struck down a 1975 Nevada state law that would have folded the Strip and the rest of the urban areas of Clark County into the City of Las Vegas. Caesars Palace was established in 1966. Opening in 1969, the International Hotel , with 1,512 rooms, began the era of mega-resorts. The International is known as Westgate Las Vegas today. The first MGM Grand Hotel and Casino opened in 1973 with 2,084 rooms. On November 21, 1980, MGM Grand suffered
2945-418: The 'Slot Floor Technology Awards' as well as earning two spots in the annual ‘Top 20 Most Innovative Gaming Technology Products' awards. In August 2014, Bally agreed to be acquired by Scientific Games (now Light & Wonder), maker of lottery and sports betting equipment, for $ 3.3 billion plus $ 1.8 billion in assumed debt. The acquisition was completed on November 21, 2014. Today, Bally constitutes one of
Bally Manufacturing - Misplaced Pages Continue
3040-484: The 1990s, several pedestrian footbridges were erected over Las Vegas Boulevard to increase pedestrian safety and alleviate traffic congestion at popular intersections. The first was the Tropicana – Las Vegas Boulevard footbridge. Some mimic the theme of nearby resorts. . The footbridges include: Pedestrians have complained that they must walk as much as a quarter-mile to reach a footbridge or intersection to cross
3135-901: The 4,500 bollards will be shortened from 54 inches to 36 inches. The shortened bollards line 20 driveways. Studies conducted by Clark County in 2012 and 2015 identified issues with congestion. The studies resulted in $ 5 million of improvements, including LED lights, ADA ramps, containment fencing, widening sidewalks, and removing permanent obstructions, such as signs, signposts, trash cans, and fire hydrants. The studies also identified non-permanent obstructions causing congestion, such as street performers, vendors, handbillers, sign-holders, and illegal street gambling. Modifications to non-obstruction zones and increased enforcement were implemented in order to reduce congestion. Taxis are available at resorts, shopping centers, attractions, and for scheduled pickups. The Nevada Taxicab Authority provides information about taxi fares and fare zones. In 2021, there
3230-513: The Bally logo, though have no current relation to any other business with the name. Bally Technologies Bally Technologies, Inc. is an American manufacturer of slot machines and other gambling technology based in Enterprise, Nevada . It is owned by Light & Wonder . The company was founded in 1968 as Advanced Patent Technology . It eventually changed its name to Alliance Gaming and in 1996 acquired Bally Gaming International,
3325-514: The Chaparral project because of its own financing problems. By the winter, it was missing payments to its creditors, but a debt restructuring was achieved in September 1991. United closed Miss Lucy's Casino in February 1992. In 1992, United Gaming expanded to Louisiana , where video poker had been legalized the year before. In August, it began operation of 600 machines at two race tracks,
3420-530: The EVO 3, which was created in partnership with Microsoft . The company began seeking buyers for its slot route and casino operations in late 1999, to narrow its focus on gaming technology. After six months, no acceptable bids were received for the Rail City and Rainbow casinos. An agreement was reached to sell United Coin to a pair of Iowa riverboat casino operators for $ 118 million, but Alliance backed out of
3515-604: The MGM Grand and the Sahara at each end of the route. The stations include: The monorail began operating in 1995 with two trains from Walt Disney World . In 2020, the monorail was acquired by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA). Tens of thousands of pedestrians are walking along the Strip at any given time. As of 2019, about 50,000 pedestrians walked the Strip on an average day. In
3610-701: The Mandalay Bay's 32nd floor. Paddock's motive was never determined, and he committed suicide after the massacre. It was the deadliest mass shooting in modern United States history. In 2018, the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino was renamed the Park MGM and in 2019, the SLS changed its name back to Sahara Las Vegas . In 2021, the Pinball Hall of Fame moved near the "Fabulous Las Vegas" sign at
3705-463: The New Orleans casino. In March 1994, United bought 90 percent of USA Gaming of Native America, which had gaming development agreements with four Indian tribes. In June, United formed a joint venture with Casino Magic to build and operate a casino at Camptown Greyhound Racing in Frontenac, Kansas . In July, United agreed with Lone Star Casino Corp. to invest $ 15 million for a 50 percent stake in
3800-730: The Pine Hills Casino to be built in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi . Some plans did not pan out. In August, the River City Casino group withdrew its bid after receiving low marks from a local evaluation panel. The company announced plans in September to wind down some of its smaller operations, closing the Trolley Stop in December 1995, ending the Mizpah Hotel lease in April 1996, and selling the taverns it had acquired in
3895-474: The Strip as one of the most popular and iconic tourist destinations in the world and is one of the driving forces for Las Vegas's economy. Most of the Strip has been designated as an All-American Road , and the North and South Las Vegas Strip routes are classified as Nevada Scenic Byways and National Scenic Byways . Historically, casinos that were not in Downtown Las Vegas along Fremont Street sat outside
Bally Manufacturing - Misplaced Pages Continue
3990-999: The Strip include the water fountains at Bellagio , the volcano at The Mirage , and the Fall of Atlantis and Festival Fountain at Caesars Palace . There are several Cirque du Soleil shows, such as Kà at the MGM Grand, O at Bellagio, Mystère at Treasure Island, and Michael Jackson: One at Mandalay Bay . Many notable artists have performed in Las Vegas, including Elvis Presley , Frank Sinatra , Wayne Newton , Dean Martin , Sammy Davis Jr. , Rod Stewart and Liberace , and in more recent years Celine Dion , Britney Spears , Barry Manilow , Cher , Elton John , Bette Midler , Diana Ross , Donny and Marie Osmond , Garth Brooks , Jennifer Lopez , Reba McEntire , Mariah Carey , Janet Jackson , Kylie Minogue , Shania Twain , Criss Angel , Olivia Newton-John , Queen + Adam Lambert , Lady Gaga , and Gwen Stefani have had residencies in
4085-420: The Strip trended towards the luxurious high-end segment through most of the 2000s, while some older resorts added major expansions and renovations, including some de-theming of the earlier themed hotels. High end dining, specialty retail, spas and nightclubs increasingly became options for visitors in addition to gambling at most Strip resorts. There was also a trend towards expensive residential condo units on
4180-897: The Strip, including: The Strip also hosts the Las Vegas Grand Prix which has been part of the Formula One World Championship since 2023 . It will also house the New Las Vegas Stadium for the Oakland Athletics in 2028 when the team relocates to the Las Vegas Valley. The Aladdin had a nine-hole golf course in the 1960s. As land values on the Strip have increased over the years, the resort-affiliated golf courses have been removed to make way for building projects. The Tropicana Country Club closed in 1990 and
4275-685: The Strip. In 2004, MGM Mirage announced plans for CityCenter , a 66-acre (27 ha), $ 7 billion multi-use project on the site of the Boardwalk hotel and adjoining land. It consists of hotel, casino, condo, retail, art, business and other uses on the site. Most elements of the project opened in late 2009. In 2012, the High Roller Ferris wheel and a retail district called The Linq Promenade broke ground in an attempt to diversify attractions beyond that of casino resorts. Renovations and rebrandings such as The Cromwell Las Vegas and
4370-523: The Strip. Most of the resorts have a showroom, nightclub and/or live music venue on the property and a few have large multipurpose arenas. Major venues include: The Strip is populated with many restaurants and fine dining establishments, many of which are inside the casinos and resorts. In recent years, many celebrity chefs have opened restaurants along the Strip, including Wolfgang Puck , Michael Mina , Gordon Ramsay , Guy Savoy , and Joël Robuchon . Professional sports are found at venues on or near
4465-854: The Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign and South Strip Transfer Terminal to the Bonneville Transit Center (BTC) and the Fremont Street Experience in Downtown Las Vegas , with stops near every casino. Several free trams operate between properties on the west side of the Strip: While not on the Strip itself, the Las Vegas Monorail runs a 3.9-mile route on the east side of the Strip corridor from Tropicana Avenue to Sahara Avenue, with stops every 4 to 8 minutes at several on-Strip properties including
4560-425: The address of Bally's Atlantic City. In 1999, Park Place bought Caesars World , and in 2003 changed its name to Caesars Entertainment. It was acquired in 2005 by Harrah's Entertainment , which took the name Caesars Entertainment Corp in 2010, and was eventually acquired in 2020 by Eldorado Resorts to become the current Caesars Entertainment . Many casinos and businesses worldwide have used the Bally name and logo in
4655-567: The asking price was too high. Instead, the company in 2004 acquired Sierra Design Group for $ 165 million, giving it a strong entry into the markets for Class II machines, video lottery terminals , and centrally linked progressive machines for Washington state. Determining that its Evo platform lacked the horsepower to produce satisfying video games, Bally re-engineered its entire line of video and reel-spinning slot machines. Alpha, its new platform based on Sierra's operating system, dramatically improved Bally's entire portfolio of games, leading to
4750-514: The average trip gambling budget, $ 591.06, was increased from 2018. About nine in ten (89%) visitors who gambled did so on the Strip Corridor. UNLV reported that in 2019, Big Las Vegas Strip Casinos (defined as Strip casinos with more than $ 72M in annual gaming revenues) had more than $ 6B in annual gaming revenues, corresponding to about 26% of total annual revenues. From the time period spanning 1985 to 2019, there have been some changes in
4845-463: The board. Bally and WMS fired back with separate lawsuits seeking to block Alliance's tender offer. Alliance raised its offer to $ 70 million for 5.4 million shares, and WMS, in turn, raised its total bid to $ 142 million. In October, Alliance announced that it had been tendered 5.8 million shares, and alleged that Bally and WMS had reached an impasse over Bally's failure to find a buyer for Bally Wulff. The next day, Bally's board capitulated, canceling
SECTION 50
#17327945239254940-471: The casino owner to have complete control over every aspect of the casino, including game functionality, attributes, revenue, and payout of winnings. Las Vegas Strip The Las Vegas Strip is a stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada , that is known for its concentration of resort hotels and casinos . The Strip , as it is known, is about 4.2 mi (6.8 km) long, and
5035-460: The city limits on Las Vegas Boulevard. In 1959, the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign was built exactly 4.5 miles (7.2 km) outside the city limits. The sign is currently located in the median just south of Russell Road (which is 4.2 miles (6.8 km) from The Sahara. ), across from the location of the now-demolished Klondike Hotel and Casino and about 0.4 miles (0.64 km) south of
5130-662: The company's "revitalization and redefinition". Alliance began seeking ways to apply its marketing strength in the equipment business. Company executives felt there was a market opportunity in new riverboat and Indian casinos, where a slot maker could compete for "shelf space" without having to convince casino managers to switch from machines built by IGT , the market leader with a 70 percent share. CEO Steve Greathouse felt that machines could be made more fun, more interactive, and therefore more profitable, in contrast with IGT, whose executives believed that slot gamblers were "not playing to be entertained". Starting from scratch against such
5225-423: The company's stock. One of Omega's owners, Alfred Wilms, was named CEO of the combined company. By 1986, machine sales were in a slump, and slot route operations accounted for 80 percent of the firm's revenue, so the Cal Omega plant in Carlsbad, California was closed. The company changed its name again in 1988, to United Gaming Inc. , acknowledging United Coin as its principal asset. In 1989, United outlined
5320-474: The company, while Solomon personally agreed to an injunction against any further securities violations, rather than fighting charges that he illegally sold stock in the company between 1975 and 1980 to raise money for its gaming ventures. A management shake-up in the wake of the SEC probe saw C. Richard Iannone installed as president in 1981. According to Iannone, he was told the company "won't last six months", but he cut expenses and restructured debt, effecting
5415-441: The company. Wilms owned 62 percent of the company, but agreed to give up control to Kirkland, allowing them to name 4 of the 7 directors, in exchange for the investment. Concurrently, the company sold $ 85 million in convertible debentures . Rainwater outlined a plan to "become a really large factor" in the gaming industry, looking for bargain-price casinos "in every jurisdiction". Rainwater's level of involvement in United became
5510-416: The core brands of Light & Wonder. Bally Technologies is focused on the casino gaming industry, specifically slot machines. Acquisitions of such companies as Casino Marketplace, MindPlay and Advanced Casino Systems Corporation (ACSC) enabled Bally to grow. In terms of computing software infrastructure, the Legacy Unix SDS slot system is still the industry standard. The company’s past acquisitions include
5605-425: The course of slot route operations. In December, the company decided, after performing due diligence , not to make an offer for the Diamond Jo. With Kirkland's backing in place, analysts expected the company to execute a major merger. United was cited as a possible suitor to buy Casino Magic, Caesars World , or Circus Circus. In December 1994, United changed its name to Alliance Gaming Corporation, to reflect
5700-605: The deal with WMS and approving a merger with Alliance on terms similar to those of the tender offer, with a total value of $ 215 million. After the two companies agreed to revise the deal down to $ 185 million to ensure the combined company would have enough cash to grow, and Alliance raised $ 166 million in financing, the acquisition was completed on June 18, 1996. Bally was organized as three divisions within Alliance Gaming: Bally Gaming, which made slot machines, Bally Systems, which made casino accounting and management systems, and Bally Wulff. Bally Gaming and Systems were combined into
5795-431: The gaming industry in 1979, acquiring United Coin Machine Company , one of the largest slot route operators in Nevada, and announcing plans for the Colorado Belle hotel and casino in Laughlin , the first of a series of hotels to be built in the Las Vegas area. An obstacle arose in July 1980 in the form of an SEC investigation, alleging inadequate financial disclosure and sale of unregistered stock. Under scrutiny from
SECTION 60
#17327945239255890-419: The gaming industry. Within months of the Kirkland investment, United partnered in a bid for a gaming license in Evansville, Indiana , to build the River City Casino, was in discussions to acquire a stake in the under-development Diamond Jo Casino in Dubuque, Iowa , agreed to buy a 45 percent stake in the under-construction Rainbow Casino in Vicksburg, Mississippi , and agreed to invest $ 20 million for
5985-454: The largest slot route operator in Montana, Bally Wulff for $ 16.5 million to German company Orlando Management, and Alliance's 49 percent share in the Louisiana video poker operation to New Orleans–based Gentilly Gaming. In December, Alliance agreed to sell the Rail City casino to Sands Regent for $ 38 million. Meanwhile, Alliance considered acquiring Multimedia Games, a leading maker of Class II machines for Indian casinos and bingo halls, but
6080-436: The late 1950s. They also designed and manufactured vending machines and established a coffee vending service. Additionally, they made a brief venture into the music business with their own record label, Bally Records . Moloney died in 1958, and the company briefly floundered. With the financial failure of its parent company, Bally was bought out by a group of investors in 1963. Throughout the 1960s, Bally continued to dominate
6175-408: The late 1970s, Bally/Midway also made an entry into the growing home video-game market with the Bally Professional Arcade . It had advanced features for the time, including 256 colors and the ability to play 4-voice music. It shipped with a cartridge that let users do a limited amount of BASIC programming and save their programs on cassette tape. However, because it cost more than its main competitor,
6270-416: The maze of ownership, division spin-offs and licensing agreements. Williams, after acquiring the Bally/Midway amusement games unit, continued to use the Bally name for pinball games until Williams's parent company WMS Industries ceased pinball production in 1999, having spun off the video game unit as Midway Games the previous year. WMS Industries has licensed companies to use the intellectual properties and
6365-554: The mix of table games in casinos on the Strip: Casino operators have been expanding sports betting facilities and products, as well as renovating and upgrading equipment and facilities. Although sports betting has a relatively low margin, the high-end sportsbooks can generate significant amounts of revenue in other areas, such as food and drink. As a result, sportsbooks have been expanding and upgrading food and drink offerings. High-end sportsbooks include features such as single-seat stadium-style seating, large high-definition screens,
6460-488: The new Treasure Island hotel by Cirque du Soleil marked a key point in transforming Las Vegas Strip entertainment. In an effort to attract families, resorts offered more attractions geared toward youth, but had limited success. The Wet 'n Wild water park opened in 1985 and was located on the south side of the Sahara hotel. It closed at the end of the 2004 season and was later demolished. The current MGM Grand opened in 1993 with MGM Grand Adventures Theme Park , but
6555-692: The next month through Rainwater, who discussed possibilities including a three-way merger with Autotote , a maker of lottery and pari-mutuel wagering technology. In June 1995, with Bally already considering a buyout offer from WMS Industries , Alliance made an unsolicited offer of $ 210 million in cash, stock, and assumed debt. Days later, Bally's board of directors accepted WMS's offer of $ 120 million in stock, conditioned on Bally selling its German subsidiary, Bally Wulff, for at least $ 55 million. Bally called Alliance's offer "illusory and highly conditional" on financing, and said that WMS stock would give shareholders more long-term value than Alliance stock, and that
6650-420: The now-defunct firm Honeyframe Cashmaster of Telford , England, and Micro Clever Consulting (MCC) of Nice , France. Those two firms made casino-management software. Bally MultiConnect (BMC) is a distributed enterprise-wide slot management system designed for multi-property casino firms. This enables centralized accounting and analysis, thereby providing a single view of the entire gaming operation. This enables
6745-475: The original MGM Grand Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip (subsequently rebranded Bally's Las Vegas and now the Horseshoe Las Vegas ); the MGM Grand in Reno (now Grand Sierra Resort ); and the Golden Nugget Atlantic City, rebranded Bally's Grand (most recently the Atlantic Club Casino Hotel ). The expansion quickly took its toll on the company's finances, and Bally was soon forced to sell off several divisions, including Six Flags in 1987, Bally/Midway, which
6840-508: The park closed in 2000 due to lack of interest. Similarly, in 2003 Treasure Island closed its own video arcade and abandoned the previous pirate theme, adopting the new ti name. In addition to the large hotels, casinos and resorts, the Strip is home to many attractions, such as M&M's World , Adventuredome and the Fashion Show Mall . With the opening of Bellagio , Venetian , Palazzo , Wynn and Encore resorts,
6935-844: The release of Hot Shot Progressives, a new series of video and reel machines. Overtaking the Blazing 7s line, Hot Shot Progressives quickly became the company's biggest seller and the most successful product launch in the company's history. Bally also introduced several new gaming platforms, including the V20 upright, the dual-screen V20/20 video slot, the S9E reel-spinner and the CineVision wide-screen video gaming device. As of July 2009, more than 550 casinos worldwide utilize Bally systems products running on more than 400,000 slot machines. In 2006, Alliance changed its name to Bally Technologies, Inc., discontinuing
7030-467: The rights to remanufacture existing Bally and Williams pinball machines. Since 2014, the license has been held by Planetary Pinball Supply. Alliance Gaming, which bought Bally Gaming International in 1996, changed its name to Bally Technologies in 2006. It was purchased in 2014 by Scientific Games, which had also acquired WMS Industries the prior year. The company, which changed its name to Light & Wonder in 2022, continues to use Bally Technologies as
7125-597: The sale a year later because of increased profits at the subsidiary. Bally took the publicly traded company from the brink of NASDAQ delisting in 2000 to record revenues and profits just two years later. On December 12, 2002, Alliance Gaming moved from NASDAQ to the New York Stock Exchange , trading under the ticker symbol “AGI”. The effort to divest non-core assets resumed in July 2003, with agreements to sell United Coin for $ 127 million to Century Gaming,
7220-416: The site of the former El Rancho Hotel and Casino and Algiers Hotel . The Tropicana closed in April 2024 and was demolished in October 2024. It will be replaced with a new Bally's Las Vegas resort and New Las Vegas Stadium which will become the home of the Oakland Athletics after they relocate to Las Vegas. The Mirage also closed in July 2024. BLVD is opening in 2025. Dream Las Vegas ,
7315-434: The slot machine industry, cornering over 90% of the worldwide market by the end of the decade. In 1964, Bally introduced the first electromechanical slot machine, Money Honey . It became a publicly traded company , and in 1969 acquired Midway Manufacturing , an amusement game company from Schiller Park, Illinois . The company expanded internationally in 1974 when it acquired German company Guenter Wulff-Apparatebau, which
7410-476: The south end of the Strip. Later that year, Resorts World Las Vegas , opened on the site of the former Stardust Resort and Casino . Resorts World incorporates portions of a previously planned resort known as Echelon Place , which was canceled in 2008. In 2022, Bally's was renamed the Horseshoe Las Vegas . The Sphere venue opened in 2023. Also, the Fontainebleau Las Vegas opened on
7505-454: The southern Las Vegas Strip, but the project is delayed. In 2022, businessman Tilman Fertitta received approval to eventually build a 43-story resort at the southeast corner of Harmon Avenue. LVXP Las Vegas , a planned 752-tall resort project and an arena, is opening in 2029. RTC Transit (previously Citizens Area Transit, or CAT) provides bus service on the Strip with double decker buses known as The Deuce . The Deuce runs between
7600-562: The southern end of the Strip is the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign; the county acknowledges that some argue for Russell Road at the southernmost terminus. The first casino to be built on Highway 91 was the Pair-o-Dice Club in 1931, but the first full service casino-resort on what is currently called the Strip was the El Rancho Vegas , which opened with 63 bungalow hotel rooms on April 3, 1941. Its success spawned
7695-434: The southernmost entrance to Mandalay Bay , which is the Strip's southernmost casino. In the strictest sense, the Strip refers only to the stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard that is roughly between Sahara Avenue and the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign. Clark County uses the phrase Resort Corridor to describe the area including Las Vegas Boulevard between 215 Beltway and Sahara Avenue and surrounding areas. The Sahara
7790-520: The street. After a driver drove into pedestrians on the sidewalk in front of Paris Las Vegas and Planet Hollywood in December 2015, 800 bollards began to be installed on Las Vegas Blvd. starting in 2017. The construction of the bollards resulted in the removal of 49 of the 82 stars of the Las Vegas Walk of Stars . In 2019, the bollards on Las Vegas Blvd. were shortened after drivers complained that they were obstructing street views. 283 of
7885-470: The use of Bally Gaming and Systems as a subsidiary, to present a unified identity. In 2007, Bally Technologies celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Bally trademark with a series of special customer events in Atlantic City, Las Vegas, and Chicago. Also, the company commissioned Christian Marfels, author of the book Bally - The World's Game Maker to write an updated second edition, a copy of which
7980-612: The various resorts on the Strip. The only movie theatre directly on the Strip was the 10-screen Regal Showcase Theatre in the Showcase Mall. The theater opened in 1997 and was operated by Regal Entertainment Group , until its closure in 2018. During 2019, 51% of visitors attended shows, which was down from 2015, 2017, and 2018. Among visitors who saw shows, relatively more went to Broadway/production shows than in past years, while relatively fewer saw lounge acts, comedy shows, or celebrity DJs. Numerous entertainment venues populate
8075-530: The worst resort fire in the history of Las Vegas as a result of electrical problems, killing 87 people. It reopened eight months later. In 1986, Kerkorian sold the MGM Grand to Bally Manufacturing , and it was renamed Bally's . The opening of The Mirage in 1989 set a new level to the Las Vegas experience, as smaller hotels and casinos made way for the larger mega-resorts. Some of the key features of The Mirage included tropical landscapes with waterfalls, an erupting volcano, restaurants with world-class chefs, and
8170-425: Was acquired by longtime pinball and video game rival Williams Electronics in 1988, and Aladdin's Castle chain of video arcades, in 1989; Aladdin's Castle was later sold to Namco in 1993 and became part of Namco Cybertainment. In 1990, Bally came under new management as its largest shareholder, Arthur Goldberg, was appointed chairman and began a restructuring process. To pay down debts, German subsidiary Bally Wulff
8265-414: Was an increase in taxi passengers due to declines in rideshare drivers and rideshare surge pricing. Rideshare services, including Uber and Lyft , are available on the Strip. In 2019, about eight in ten (81%) visitors said they gambled while in Las Vegas, the highest proportion in the past five years. The average time spent gambling, 2.7 hours, represents an increase over the past three years. Also,
8360-424: Was completed in January 1996, with Bally Total Fitness becoming a separate company. In June 1996, Bally Entertainment agreed to be acquired by Hilton Hotels Corporation . The sale was completed on December 18, 1996 for $ 3 billion ($ 2 billion in stock plus $ 1 billion in assumed debt). Two years later, Hilton's casino division, including the former Bally properties, was spun off as Park Place Entertainment , named for
8455-549: Was given to every Bally employee. In 2008, Bally acquired CoolSign, a multi-media management tool, from Planar. On the games side, in 2008 and 2009, Bally released a number of new gaming products, including its new Digital Tower Series, whose games feature dynamic, interactive and animated top-box displays. Additionally, in 2009 the company released its new "Jumbo" cabinets, which measure nearly eight feet high by over three feet wide. In late 2009, Bally displayed their new Pro Series V22/22 upright and Pro Series Slant Top slot featuring
8550-405: Was moved to Robinsonville in 1995 and became part of a joint venture with Lady Luck Gaming . In 1994, the company changed its name to Bally Entertainment, to reflect its focus on the casino business and the fact that it no longer had any manufacturing operations. It also announced that the health club business would be spun off to shareholders, to further narrow its focus on casinos. The spin-off
8645-636: Was provided through the American National Insurance Company , which was based in the then-notorious gambling empire of Galveston, Texas . Las Vegas Boulevard South was previously called Hwy 91, or the Arrowhead Highway , or Los Angeles Highway. The Strip was named by Los Angeles police officer and businessman Guy McAfee , after his hometown's Sunset Strip in Hollywood. In 1950, Mayor Ernie Cragin of
8740-439: Was publicly offered the next year. Its first 12 years were spent in the development stage. It boasted a portfolio of over 80 patents, but generated considerable publicity for five in particular: an ultrasonic fluidic fuel system for combustion engines, an ultrasonic endodontics device, a "louvered television screen", an ultrasonic meat tenderizer , and an ultrasonic dry cleaning machine. Advanced Patent made its move into
8835-506: Was renamed Bally Wulff. In the late 1970s, Bally entered the casino ownership business when New Jersey legalized gambling in Atlantic City . The effort moved forward even though the company was temporarily unable to attain a permanent license for the completed casino. During this period, company head William T. O'Donnell was forced to resign because of alleged links to organized crime, which he strenuously denied. When questioned by
8930-528: Was spun off into an independent company in 1991. Scientific Games, exercise equipment maker Life Fitness , and the Reno casino were sold in 1993. The slot machine manufacturing division was spun off as Bally Gaming International, ending the company's involvement in manufacturing. The company opened Bally's Saloon & Gambling Hall , a riverboat casino in Mhoon Landing, Mississippi in December 1993. It
9025-478: Was suspended and later fired for violating a department policy against officers working for video poker companies, and for his connection to Frank Caracci, a nightclub owner tied to the New Orleans crime family . A week after the scandal broke, the company pulled out of its deal with Capital Gaming; United said the timing was coincidental, but a Capital Gaming insider said the situation could impact licensing of
#924075