International Game Technology (IGT), a leading name in slot machine manufacturing, has announced plans to close its electronic table games (ETG) division in 2027, following significant layoffs earlier this year. The company confirmed this information to iGB on Tuesday.
IGT spokesman Phill O’Shaughnessy explained that this decision aligns with their focus on core business priorities and long-term growth. He assured that the company would maintain support for its ETG customers throughout the transition.
In 2024, IGT was acquired and taken private as part of a $6.3 billion merger with Everi Holdings under Apollo Global Management. Earlier this year, IGT cut approximately 10% of its global workforce, a restructuring move that CEO Hector Fernandez characterized in an internal memo as a strategy to simplify operations and enhance the company’s agility.
As part of the merger, IGT’s former lottery division was spun off to become Brightstar Lottery. With the upcoming closure of the ETG division, it appears these products may be the next to be discontinued as part of Apollo’s strategy. In June 2025, Daniel Cohen, a partner at Apollo, expressed concerns about IGT falling behind competitors like Aristocrat and Light & Wonder. He stated that creating long-term value was the primary aim of the merger.
Cohen emphasized the company’s goal of becoming a comprehensive supplier for operators, saying, "So if you’re the Venetian or Caesars or anyone else, you can come to IGT for basically every one of your product needs, which will allow us to continue to invest in products and innovate with our customers to really create the next generation of what casino technology products will look like."
Previously, IGT had seen growth in its ETG business, which includes games such as blackjack, baccarat, and roulette, although it remained small compared to their slot business. To boost this segment, IGT expanded its popular Wheel of Fortune brand into the ETG market with the hope of leveraging the franchise’s strength to enhance growth.
Luigi Cacciapuoti, IGT's vice president of specialty product and ETG, stated in 2024, “We wanted to give a clear differentiation versus the past because this is a completely new [ETG] offering. We rewrote everything. Every line of code, everything is new and we really want to offer something that at the same time would be exciting for the players and valuable for our customers. So we made sure that we are answering the needs of both.”
The overall ETG sector has encountered obstacles in its expansion, notably due to the significant space requirements for these games on casino floors. In comparison, slots generate more revenue while occupying considerably less space, creating ongoing challenges for casino floor managers. These games tend to be more successful in European and Asian markets than in the United States.
Notably, Interblock, a leader in the ETG market and also owned by private equity, was rumored to be a potential acquisition target for Aristocrat, but talks fell through reportedly due to a $200 million price gap.
