International Game Technology (IGT), a prominent figure in the gaming industry, plans to close its electronic table games (ETG) division by 2027. This announcement follows a significant round of layoffs earlier this year, as the company aims to realign its focus on core business priorities and long-term growth objectives.
IGT spokesman Phill O'Shaughnessy stated that despite the division's closure, the company will continue to support its ETG customers throughout the transition.
The decision comes in the wake of the company's larger restructuring efforts. IGT was taken private in a $6.3 billion merger with Everi Holdings under Apollo Global Management in 2024 and earlier this year laid off approximately 10% of its global workforce. At that time, new CEO Hector Fernandez remarked in an internal memo that these layoffs aimed to simplify the company’s structure and enhance operational efficiency.
As part of this restructuring, IGT’s lottery division was separated from the main business and is now a publicly traded entity known as Brightstar Lottery. With the closure of the ETG division looming, discussions suggest that Apollo is further refining IGT’s business focus. During a regulatory meeting in June 2025, Apollo partner Daniel Cohen expressed concerns about IGT's competitive positioning against rivals such as Aristocrat and Light & Wonder. He emphasized the firm’s commitment to long-term value creation through this strategic realignment.
Cohen indicated that Apollo’s vision is for IGT to emerge as a comprehensive supplier to major casinos, fostering innovation and investment in the gaming technology sector. “Our goal long term is to become the operator’s supplier,” he explained. “So if you’re the Venetian or Caesars, you can come to IGT for basically every one of your product needs.”
IGT had been gradually expanding its ETG offerings, including popular casino games like blackjack, baccarat, and roulette, and had even adapted its renowned Wheel of Fortune brand into the ETG format, aiming to stimulate sector growth. Luigi Cacciapuoti, vice president of specialty product and ETG at IGT, noted in 2024 that they had completely revamped their ETG offerings, reprogramming everything to enhance both player engagement and customer value.
Despite these efforts, the ETG sector has encountered significant challenges in gaining traction in the U.S. market. The games require considerable floor space, and slot machines generally generate greater revenue while occupying less space, complicating the decision-making for casino floor managers. ETGs have found more popularity in European and Asian markets compared to the U.S. leading to their underperformance in certain regions.
Additionally, Interblock, a market leader in the ETG segment, has been speculated to be an acquisition target for Aristocrat. However, negotiations fell through due to a reported $200 million valuation gap.
