COMPANYHISTORIES
NAIC 71329

Other Gambling Industries

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

13companies1937–1998founding years11still active2no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedThe Rank Group plc
1937
FoundedWilliam Hill Organization Limited
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
FoundedWMS Industries, Inc.
1946
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedHilton Group plc
1967
FoundedNew York City Off-Track Betting Corporation
1971
FoundedPenn National Gaming, Inc.
1972
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
FoundedScientific Games Corporation
1979
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
FoundedMikohn Gaming Corporation
1986
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
FoundedIsle of Capri Casinos, Inc.
1990
FoundedMultimedia Games, Inc.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
FoundedCentury Casinos, Inc.FoundedKerzner International Limited
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
FoundedLakes Entertainment, Inc.
1998
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

The Rank Group plc →
Active · founded 1937 · United Kingdom
The Rank Group plc operates as a leading international gaming, leisure, and entertainment group.
William Hill Organization Limited →
Active · founded 1939 · United Kingdom
William Hill Organization Limited is the United Kingdom's second largest betting shop owner, with more than 1,500…
WMS Industries, Inc. →
Defunct · founded 1946
WMS Industries, Inc.
Hilton Group plc →
Active · founded 1967 · United Kingdom
c.
New York City Off-Track Betting Corporation →
Active · founded 1971
The New York City Off-Track Betting Corporation is a quasi-government operation run for the benefit of the city.
Penn National Gaming, Inc. →
Active · founded 1972
Penn National Gaming, Inc.
Scientific Games Corporation →
Active · founded 1979
Scientific Games Corporation, formerly known as Autotote, operates as the global leader in lottery and pari-mutuel…
Mikohn Gaming Corporation →
Active · founded 1986 · Las Vegas, Nevada 89119
Mikohn Gaming, Inc.
Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. →
Active · founded 1990
Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc., only a decade old in 2000, had by then already grown into one of the ten largest,…
Multimedia Games, Inc. →
Active · founded 1991
Multimedia Games, Inc.
Century Casinos, Inc. →
Active · founded 1993
Century Casinos, Inc.
Kerzner International Limited →
Active · founded 1993 · Bahamas
Based in the Bahamas, Kerzner International Limited is a publicly traded premiere resort operator listed on the New…
Lakes Entertainment, Inc. →
Defunct · founded 1998
Lakes Entertainment, Inc.
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