WMS Gaming (WMS) have perhaps the longest history of any casino software company, given they started life long before the days of online casinos in the mid-1990s, way back in 1943. Oh yes, when war was raging in Europe, the Williams Manufacturing Company was being set up in America by Stanford University-educated Harry Williams, an engineer who revolutionised an industry that couldn’t be more iconic in America: the pinball industry! 676673
The company has changed and developed over the years but in the 1980s and 1990s provided machines to land-based casinos before ultimately being taken over by the Scientific Games Corporation in 2013. That deal was worth a cool $1.5bn but that was small change for Scientific, who also own Barcrest and various other betting, lottery and casino equipment firms. The key points here are that this is a company with a long, long association with the casino industry and masses of experience, as well as very deep pockets, a combination that usually makes for a very fine business.
WMS Casino Games 4x92
WMS mainly provides games and machines to real world casinos, although through the acquisition of Williams Interactive in 2012 they have also moved into the world of online casinos. The company structure is complex with different branches of the WMS empire falling under different umbrellas and whilst the main focus of WMS Gaming is slot machines, video lottery terminals and casino software, WMS Industries (owned in turn by Scientific) runs Williams Interactive as well as other subsidiaries.
Confused? Well, the key points are that the group as we are considering them here are, essentially, a slot giant. Whilst they had or continue to have interests in pinball, video games, computing hardware and software and social gaming, slots, both online and offline are what the company is really all about. As such you’ll tend to find that most, if not all, online casinos will use WMS games alongside those from other software companies.
- Slots - If you’ve been paying any attention at all, you might have realised that slots and WMS go together like Vegas and short marriages. The company provides a huge proportion of Sin City’s slots and they power a huge number of big-brand games, including the likes of Star Trek, The Wizard of Oz, Men in Black, Top Gun, Dukes of Hazard and many – and I do mean MANY – more. Whilst a good proportion of their older classic slots may look somewhat dated now, they have also branched out and developed newer games with great graphics, involving gameplay and fascinating narratives, both in land-based casinos and online. Despite the expansion of Williams Interactive – and you will find their games at some exceptional online casinos – WMS remains primarily a manufacturer of slots and games for real bricks and mortar casinos. However, they are constantly pushing the barriers with new and exciting online slots in this field that offer amazing player experiences and immersion.
- Blackjack - WMS offer a limited array of blackjack options but whilst the selection can’t compare to the very best, the graphics and game stability are superb.
- Roulette - As with blackjack, roulette is available with limited options but it’s a case of quality not quantity. They all look fine enough, and are easy to play and interact with.
- Video Poker - Williams Interactive offer 14 video poker variants, with multi-hand options alongside various different wild and bonus versions.
- Other Games - WMS offer hundreds of slots through their various arms, including Barcrest, which focusses on the UK. Whilst these are grouped into various categories and some are more detailed than standard slots – whilst some are more like instant win games – in essence they are still slots. They also offer baccarat, Pai Gow, social gaming and other unique table games.
Progressive Jackpots 4v2s44
WMS offers a wide range of progressives, from local progressives to “Wide Area Progressives” (both in bricks and mortar casinos), with various versions of Monopoly Money and Reel Adventure offering huge jackpots (that vary depending on the jurisdiction of the casino you are in). These really are huge progressives, with, for example, a prize of almost $2m available in the Native American jurisdiction for players opting for Reel Adventure and have produced six winners of $500,000 or more in the first half of 2014 alone.
This really is serious, life-changing cash and it’s no surprise they offer such fantastic progressives given how prevalent their offline slots are. In February 2013 one lucky, lucky slots player won a cool $7.2m playing the Lord of the Rings slot in the New Palace Casino in Mississippi… not bad for a spin! One great, and we believe unique, feature of the online progressives is that they have offered a random progressive that can be won on any game. The Jackpot Party Progressive offers a mystery jackpot that can be won at any time, with any stake, meaning play at a WMS casino has that extra thrill of knowing a big win could be just a hand, spin or click away.
About WMS 6s5p3w
As previously stated, the ownership structure of the company is complex, with Scientific Games Corporation at the top of the tree and Williams Interactive (online) and WMS Gaming (offline) the key components with which we are concerned in of casino games software. Most of the land-based revenue of WMS comes from American customers, the company being the third largest slot machine manufacturer in the world. Williams Interactive gains more revenue from Europe and Scandinavia in particular, though through yet further acquisitions they are expanding to other regions.
Also, despite being a US company, the online division/software is not used by US-friendly sites and only operates in fully licensed and regulated countries, although they do offer free-to-play games too. Overall corporate HQ is New York but there is also a very large manufacturing base in Illinois, as well as offices in the UK, Australia, China, Argentina and a host of other countries too.
In short this is a huge, huge company that looks set to thrive as it combines the best technology, people and ideas from a number of different (but obviously related) fields. Their products are good, they have the funds and know-how to get even better and with a fine history of evolution we fully expect WMS to adapt to whatever challenges may lie ahead. Their online offering remains relatively small at the moment but we think they will expand that, both through cherry-picking some of the most innovative, small rivals and also through internal investment. WMS have been around since 1943 and they are here to stay!