# Bally & Williams Back Together Again **Source:** Pinball News Website **Type:** article **Published:** 2013-01-01 **Beat:** Pinball **URL:** https://www.pinballnews.com/news/ballywilliams.html --- ## Analysis Scientific Games announced its intention to acquire Bally Technologies for $3.3bn in August 2014, reuniting the corporate remains of the original Bally and Williams pinball companies under one parent entity. The deal follows Scientific Games' earlier acquisition of WMS Industries (Williams' parent) for $1.5bn in January 2013. Neither Bally nor Williams has manufactured pinball machines since 1999, when Williams closed its pinball division to focus on gaming/slot machine operations. ### Key Claims - [HIGH] Williams Electronics closed its pinball division in 1999 due to the success of its slot machine operations, which began in 1991. — _Article states closure timing and business rationale explicitly._ - [HIGH] WMS Industries (Williams' parent company) was bought by Scientific Games for $1.5bn in January 2013. — _Explicitly stated as prior transaction._ - [HIGH] Scientific Games announced intention to acquire Bally Technologies for $3.3bn, subject to regulatory approval. — _Primary announcement of the article._ - [HIGH] Bally was founded by Ray Moloney in 1932 and manufactured pinballs until 1988, when purchased by Williams Electronics. — _Historical background provided in article._ ### Notable Quotes > "Neither brand has been used in the manufacturing of new pinball machines for more than a dozen years, but both the Williams and Bally names continued long after their pinball operations closed their door for the last time." > — **Article author**, Opening paragraph > _Establishes the context that despite ceasing pinball production in 1999, both brand names persisted through other business operations._ > "Today, Scientific Games announced their intention to purchase Bally Technologies for $3.3bn, bringing the remains of both the original Bally and Williams pinball companies back together under one parent." > — **Article author**, Main body > _Central claim of the article—the reunification of Bally and Williams corporate entities._ ### Entities | Name | Type | Context | |------|------|---------| | Williams Electronics | company | Major historical pinball manufacturer founded by Harry Williams in 1944; closed pinball division in 1999 to focus on slot machines; acquired by WMS Industries; pinball operations ceased. | | Bally | company | Historical pinball manufacturer founded by Ray Moloney in 1932; purchased by Williams Electronics in 1988; continued pinball production under Williams until 1999. | | Scientific Games | company | Gaming company that acquired WMS Industries (Williams parent) for $1.5bn in January 2013; announced intention to acquire Bally Technologies for $3.3bn in August 2014. | | WMS Industries | company | Williams' parent company, renamed from original Williams company in 1987; publicly listed until acquisition by Scientific Games in January 2013 for $1.5bn. | | Bally Technologies | company | Successor to Bally's slots business, spun off and sold to Alliance Gaming in 1995 (Alliance Gaming renamed itself Bally Technologies); target of Scientific Games' $3.3bn acquisition bid. | | Alliance Gaming | company | Purchased Bally's slots business in 1995 and renamed itself Bally Technologies. | | Williams Gaming | company | Gaming division created by WMS Industries in 1991; became focus of company after pinball division closure. | | IGT | company | Fellow slot machine maker acquired by GTECH for $6.4bn (mentioned as concurrent market activity). | | GTECH | company | Company that acquired IGT for $6.4bn to create world's largest gaming machine business based in UK. | | Harry Williams | person | Founder of Williams Electronics in 1944. | | Ray Moloney | person | Founder of Bally in 1932. | ### Topics - **Primary:** Corporate history and lineage of Bally/Williams, Pinball industry closure and consolidation (1999), Scientific Games acquisition strategy - **Secondary:** Gaming/slot machine industry consolidation, Bally Technologies licensing and IP ownership ### Sentiment **Neutral** (0) — Article is a factual news report with no editorial commentary or emotional framing. Presentation is straightforward historical context followed by acquisition announcement. --- ## Transcript Date: 1st August, 2014 Neither brand has been used in the manufacturing of new pinball machines for more than a dozen years, but both the Williams and Bally names continued long after their pinball operations closed their door for the last time. The success of Williams' slot machine operation is often cited as the cause of the closure of the, by then, relatively insignificant pinball division in 1999. The parent company, which was founded by Harry Williams in 1944 and renamed itself WMS Industries in 1987, chose to focus its resources entirely on the gaming side of the business it had created in 1991, called Williams Gaming. WMS Industries remained as a publicly-listed company until January 2013, when it was bought by Scientific Games for $1.5bn. Bally, meanwhile, was originally Ray Moloney's company which he founded in 1932 and which continued to make pinballs (except during WW2) until 1988, when the business was purchased by Williams Electronics. Pinballs continued to be produced by Williams Electronics under the Bally brand until 1999, but Bally's slots business was spun-off and sold to Alliance Gaming in 1995, who renamed themselves Bally Technologies. Today, Scientific Games announced their intention to purchase Bally Technologies for $3.3bn, bringing the remains of both the original Bally and Williams pinball companies back together under one parent. The deal is subject to regulatory approval, but has the support of the board of both companies. It follows last month's purchase of fellow slot machine maker IGT for $6.4bn by GTECH to create the world's largest gaming machine business, which will be based in the UK. Back to the News page Like this page? 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