Light & Wonder Light & Wonder
A major casino gaming company based in Las Vegas, USA, formerly known as Scientific Games. It acquired Bally, WMS, and Shuffle Master, and changed its name in 2022 after selling its lottery and sports betting businesses.
| English | Light & Wonder |
|---|---|
| Classification | Providers |
| Founded | 1973 (as Scientific Games) |
| Current name | Light & Wonder (since March 2022) |
| Headquarters | Enterprise, Nevada, USA (Las Vegas area) |
| Listing | Australian Securities Exchange (2022); delisted from Nasdaq in 2025 |
| Employees | About 6,800 |
| Revenue | About $3.2 billion (2024) |
| Major brands | Bally, WMS, Shuffle Master, Barcrest, NYX |
| Business | Slot machines, table games, social casino, online games |
| Official site | lnw.com |
Overview
Light & Wonder is a US company that makes casino slot machines, table game equipment, social casino apps, and online casino games. Launched in 1973, it was known for a long time as Scientific Games and changed to its current name in March 2022. Its headquarters is in Enterprise, in the Las Vegas area, and it has about 6,800 employees. Revenue in 2024 was about $3.2 billion.
In the land-based casino slot machine market, it is one of the big names alongside Aristocrat and IGT.
History
| Period | Details |
|---|---|
| 1973 | Scientific Games launched |
| 1974 | Introduced the first instant lottery ticket (scratch card) with enhanced security |
| 2013 | Acquired slot machine company WMS Industries (about $1.5 billion) |
| 2013 | Acquired Shuffle Master (SHFL), famous for card shufflers (through Bally) |
| 2014 | Acquired slot machine company Bally Technologies (about $3.3 billion plus assumed debt) |
| 2017-2018 | Acquired online game company NYX Gaming Group |
| 2019 | Social casino business SciPlay listed separately |
| 2021-2022 | Sold the sports betting and lottery businesses and reorganized as a games-focused company |
| March 2022 | Renamed Light & Wonder and listed on the Australian Securities Exchange the same year |
| 2025 | Delisted from Nasdaq, shifted to a primary listing on the Australian Securities Exchange |
Major brands
- Bally – a long-established brand of US casino slot machines
- WMS – a brand known for video slots and large themed slots
- Shuffle Master – casino card shuffling machines and table games
- Barcrest – a UK pub and arcade slot brand
- SciPlay – a social casino app (social casino)
Well-known land-based slots include the “Dancing Drums,” “88 Fortunes,” and “Huff N’ Puff” series. The company also makes many progressive jackpot slots that link multiple machines.
Online business
Through the online business created by the NYX acquisition, the company ports its popular land-based slots to online versions and runs a platform that gathers games from other providers and supplies them to casino operators. As online casinos become legal in more US states, this business is growing too.
Lawsuits
In 2024, competitor Aristocrat filed a lawsuit claiming that Light & Wonder’s “Dragon Train” slot used trade secrets, including the math model, from its own “Dragon Link.” A US court issued an injunction that same year blocking sales of Dragon Train. The case showed how valuable a math model is as an asset in the land-based slot industry (par sheet).
Differences between land-based and online slots
| Item | Land-based casino slots | Online slots |
|---|---|---|
| Payback rate | Set by the casino within the jurisdiction’s minimum standard (often lower than online) | Usually 94-97% |
| Jackpot | Local and wide-area progressives linking multiple machines | Network jackpots linking multiple casinos |
| Speed | Varies by machine operating speed and jurisdiction rules | Fast (minimum intervals set by jurisdiction) |
| Theme | Large cabinets, vibrating seats, lighting effects | Focus on screen presentation |
Light & Wonder is putting effort into moving popular land-based games online. Even for a game you know from land-based casinos, the online version’s RTP can differ, so it is a good idea to check the game info screen (RTP).
Table game equipment
Shuffle Master’s automatic card shufflers are used at casino tables around the world. Automatic shufflers mix cards faster and more consistently than a dealer’s hand shuffle, which speeds up play and helps prevent cheating. Continuous shuffling machines (CSMs), which make blackjack card counting harder, are also products in this field (casino terms).
Social casino SciPlay
SciPlay ran social casino apps such as “Jackpot Party” and “Gold Fish.” It was listed separately in 2019, and in 2023 Light & Wonder bought all the remaining shares and made it a subsidiary again. Social casinos use coins that can’t be cashed out, but because the structure gets people to buy coins with real money, there is also controversy over overspending.
Headquarters
Light & Wonder's headquarters is in the Las Vegas area (Enterprise), Nevada, USA.