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Line 1: {{Short description\|American company}} {{about\|the former pinball manufacturer based in Chicago\|its successor slot machine company based in Las Vegas\|Bally Technologies\|the current casino company\|Bally's Corporation\|other uses\|Bally (disambiguation)}} ~~{{Multiple issues\|~~ ~~{{lead too short\|date=November 2017}}~~ ~~{{more citations needed\|date=November 2017}}~~ }} {{Infobox company \| name = Bally Manufacturing Line 28 ⟶ 23: }} '''Bally Manufacturing''', later renamed '''Bally Entertainment''', was an American company that began as a [[pinball]] and [[slot machine]] manufacturer, and later expanded into casinos, video games, health clubs, and theme parks. It was acquired by [[Hilton Hotels Corporation\|Hilton Hotels]] in 1996. Its brand name, and mid-20th century pinball &and slot machine logo, are still used by several businesses with ~~some~~various acquired trademark rights, most notably slot machine maker [[Bally Technologies]] and casino operator [[Bally's Corporation]]. ==History== The Bally Manufacturing Corporation was founded by [[Raymond Moloney]] on January 10, 1932, when Bally's original parent, Lion Manufacturing, established the company to make [[pinball]] games, taking its name from its first game, "Ballyhoo". The [[Chicago]]-based company quickly became a leading pinball maker. In the late 1930s, Moloney began making [[gambling]] equipment, and had great success developing and improving the mechanical [[slot machine]]s that were the core of the nascent gaming industry. After manufacturing munitions and airplane parts during [[World War II]], Bally Manufacturing Corporation continued producing innovations in flipperless pinball machines, bingo machines, payout machines and console slot machines through the late 1950s. They also designed and manufactured vending machines and established a [[coffee]] vending service. ~~They~~Additionally, ~~also~~they made a brief venture into the music business with their own record label, [[Bally Records]].<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.collectable-records.ru/labels/A_D/bally/index.htm\|title=Bally Records}}</ref> [[File:Bally Minizag Pinball Advert (1968).jpg\|thumb\|right\|1968 advertisement for the Bally's ''Minizag'' pinball machine]] Moloney died in 1958, and the company briefly floundered. With the financial failure of its parent company, Bally was bought out by a group of investors in 1963. Throughout the 1960s, Bally continued to dominate the slot machine industry, cornering over 90% of the worldwide market by the end of the decade. In 1964, Bally introduced the first electromechanical slot machine, "''Money Honey''."<ref>{{cite ~~They~~web\|url=http://www.ukgamblingonline.com/slot-machines-history.html\|last=Galecki\|first=Irek\|year=2006\|title=Slot ~~became~~Machines aHistory\|publisher=Online ~~[[public~~Casino ~~company~~Press\|~~publicly~~access-date=June ~~traded company]]~~25, ~~and in~~2007\|archive-url= ~~1969 acquired [[Midway Games~~https://archive.today/20120917134303/http://www.ukgamblingonline.com/slot-machines-history.html\|~~Midway~~archive-date ~~Manufacturing]],~~= anSeptember ~~amusement game company from [[Schiller Park~~17, ~~Illinois]].~~2012 }}</ref> It became a [[public company\|publicly traded company]], and in 1969 acquired [[Midway Games\|Midway Manufacturing]], an amusement game company from [[Schiller Park, Illinois]]. ===1970s=== Line 45 ⟶ 44: ===1980s=== By the mid-1980s, Bally again had a strong balance sheet and began buying other businesses, including the [[Six Flags]] amusement park chain in 1982,<ref>{{cite ~~and~~news \|title=Bally Agrees To Buy Penn Central Unit \|work=[[The New York Times]] \|date=September 29, 1981 \|id={{ProQuest\|121816297}} \|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/121816297 \|page=D6}}</ref> the Health and Tennis Corporation of America (which became [[Bally Total Fitness]]) in 1983, and Scientific Games, a [[lottery]] terminal company, in 1986.<ref name=Name/> That year, they also purchased several casinos, including the original MGM Grand Hotel and Casino on the [[Las Vegas Strip]] (subsequently rebranded Bally's Las Vegas and now the [[Horseshoe Las Vegas]]); the MGM Grand in [[Reno, Nevada\|Reno]] (now [[Grand Sierra Resort]]); and the Golden Nugget Atlantic City, rebranded Bally's Grand (most recently the [[Atlantic Club Casino Hotel]]). The expansion quickly took its toll on the company's finances, and Bally was soon forced to sell off several divisions, including Six Flags ~~and~~in 1987, Bally/Midway, which was acquired by longtime pinball and video game rival [[Williams Electronics]] in 1988, and Aladdin's Castle chain of video arcades, in 1989; Aladdin's Castle was later sold to [[Namco]] in 1993 and became part of Namco Cybertainment. ===1990s=== In 1990, Bally came under new management as its largest shareholder, Arthur Goldberg, was appointed chairman and began a restructuring process.<ref>{{cite news\|title=Top exec quits as Bally revamps\|newspaper=Chicago Sun-Times\|author=P.J. Bednarski\|date=November 13, 1990\|url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews%252F0EB373143A6613BD&rft_id=info%3Asid%2Finfoweb.newsbank.com&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&svc_dat=AWNB&req_dat=1028A39C75C2B899\|via=NewsBank}}</ref> To pay down debts, German subsidiary Bally Wulff was spun off into an independent company in 1991. Scientific Games, exercise equipment maker [[Life Fitness]], and the Reno casino were sold in 1993. The slot machine manufacturing division was spun off as Bally Gaming International, ending the company's involvement in manufacturing.<ref>{{cite news\|title=Goldberg whips Bally Gaming into shape\|newspaper=The Star-Ledger\|location=Newark, NJ\|author=Debra Dowling\|date=December 19, 1993\|url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews%252F1224793B82C30030&rft_id=info%3Asid%2Finfoweb.newsbank.com&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&svc_dat=AWNB&req_dat=1028A39C75C2B899\|via=NewsBank}}</ref> ~~The Aladdin's Castle chain of video arcades was sold that year to [[Namco]] and renamed [[Namco Cybertainment]].~~ The company opened [[Bally's Casino Tunica\|Bally's Saloon & Gambling Hall]], a [[riverboat casino]] in [[Mhoon Landing, Mississippi]] in December 1993.<ref>{{cite news\|title=Adjacent casinos open in Tunica\|newspaper=The Commercial Appeal\|location=Memphis, TN\|author=Laurel Campbell\|date=December 7, 1993\|url=http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews%252F0EAF9473A387B282&rft_id=info%3Asid%2Finfoweb.newsbank.com&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&svc_dat=AWNB&req_dat=1028A39C75C2B899\|via=NewsBank}}</ref><ref>{{cite news\|title=Bally's licensed to open in Tunica\|newspaper=The Commercial Appeal\|location=Memphis, TN\|agency=AP\|date=December 4, 1993\|url=http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews%252F0EAF9473195D5F8B&rft_id=info%3Asid%2Finfoweb.newsbank.com&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&svc_dat=AWNB&req_dat=1028A39C75C2B899\|via=NewsBank}}</ref> It was moved to [[Robinsonville, Mississippi\|Robinsonville]] in 1995 and became part of a joint venture with [[Lady Luck Gaming]].<ref>{{cite news\|title=Bally's rolls upriver, reopens casino closer to Memphis crowds\|newspaper=Arkansas Democrat-Gazette\|location=Little Rock, AR\|author=Michelle Hillier\|date=December 22, 1995\|url=http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews%252F13D5F091A4B097E8&rft_id=info%3Asid%2Finfoweb.newsbank.com&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&svc_dat=AWNB&req_dat=1028A39C75C2B899\|via=NewsBank}}</ref> Line 61 ⟶ 60: Many casinos and businesses worldwide have used the Bally name and logo in the maze of ownership, division spin-offs and licensing agreements. Williams, after acquiring the Bally/Midway amusement games unit, continued to use the Bally name for pinball games, until Williams's parent company WMS Industries ceased pinball production in 1999, having spun off the video game unit as [[Midway Games]] the previous year. WMS Industries has licensed companies to use the intellectual properties and the rights to remanufacture existing Bally and Williams pinball machines. Since 2014, the license has been held by Planetary Pinball Supply.<ref name="planetarypinball.com 2021">{{cite web \| title=PPS Rights Letter - SGI-WEG.pdf\| website=planetarypinball.com \| date=May 17, 2021 \| url=https://www.planetarypinball.com/docs/PPS%20Rights%20Letter%20-%20SGI-WEG.pdf \| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230425224214/https://www.planetarypinball.com/docs/PPS%20Rights%20Letter%20-%20SGI-WEG.pdf \| archive-date=April 25, 2023 \| url-status=live}}</ref> Alliance Gaming, which bought Bally Gaming International in 1996, changed its name to [[Bally Technologies]] in 2006. It was purchased in 2014 by Scientific Games,<ref>{{cite news\|title=Scientific Games completes $5.1 billion acquisition of Bally\|newspaper=Las Vegas Review-Journal\|author=Howard Stutz\|date=November 21, 2014\|url=http://www.reviewjournal.com/business/casinos-gaming/scientific-games-completes-51-billion-acquisition-bally\|access-date=2015-03-09}}</ref> which had also acquired WMS Industries the prior year.<ref name=PROct>[https://archive.today/20140117035341/http://ir.wms.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=76037&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1865952&highlight= "News release: Scientific Games Completes Acquisition of WMS"], Scientific Games Corporation, October 18, 2013</ref> The company, which changed its name to [[Light & Wonder]] in 2022,<ref>{{Cite web \|date=2022-03-03 \|title=Scientific Games rebranding with new name, identity \|url=https://www.reviewjournal.com/business/casinos-gaming/scientific-games-rebranding-wth-new-name-identity-2538298/ \|access-date=2022-11-05 \|website=Las Vegas Review-Journal \|language=en-US}}</ref> continues to use Bally Technologies as a subsidiary manufacturing video slot machines and other casino equipment.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Cory \|date=2022-03-04 \|title=Light & Wonder, the former Scientific Games, lays out long-range plans \|url=https://cdcgaming.com/light-wonder-the-former-scientific-games-lays-out-long-range-plans/ \|access-date=2022-11-05 \|website=CDC Gaming Reports \|language=en-US}}</ref> Line 67 ⟶ 66: Bally Total Fitness, burdened with debt from over-expansion and declining revenues after the [[2008 recession]], began selling off its clubs in the 2010s. Sales of large numbers of clubs to [[LA Fitness]] in 2011,<ref name="ClubFitness feature">{{cite web \|url=http://clubindustry.com/forprofits/bally-lafitness-complete-sale-171-clubs-20111130/ \|title=Bally, LA Fitness Complete Sale of 171 Clubs \|last=Goldman \|first=Stuart \|publisher=ClubIndustry.com \|date=November 30, 2011 \|accessdate=2011-11-30 \|url-status=dead \|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111204043629/http://clubindustry.com/forprofits/bally-lafitness-complete-sale-171-clubs-20111130/ \|archivedate=December 4, 2011 }}</ref> Blast Fitness in 2012,<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://clubindustry.com/forprofits/bally-completes-sale-39-clubs-blast-fitness-20120502/ \|title=Bally Completes Sale of 39 Clubs to Blast Fitness \|last=Goldman \|first=Stuart \|publisher=ClubIndustry.com \|date=May 2, 2012 \|accessdate=May 21, 2012 \|url-status=dead \|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120512215414/http://clubindustry.com/forprofits/bally-completes-sale-39-clubs-blast-fitness-20120502/ \|archivedate=May 12, 2012 }}</ref> and [[24 Hour Fitness]] in 2014,<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://clubindustry.com/profits/24-hour-fitness-acquire-32-bally-total-fitness-clubs \|title=24 Hour Fitness to Acquire 32 Bally Total Fitness Clubs \|last=Goldman \|first=Stuart \|publisher=ClubIndustry.com \|date=December 10, 2014 \|accessdate=January 25, 2015}}</ref> along with closures of other clubs saw the chain dwindle. The last Bally Total Fitness club closed in October 2016. The Bally Total Fitness name had been used under license for a line of fitness equipment and clothing owned by [[FAM Brands]], which acquired the name outright in 2013.<ref>{{cite web\|url=https://ballytotalfitness.com/collections/all-products\|title=Bally Total Fitness products\|accessdate=December 6, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web\|url=https://wwd.com/fashion-news/activewear/fam-acquires-bally-total-fitness-active-brand-6745780/\|title=FAM Acquires Bally Total Fitness Active Brand\|first=Karyn\|last=Monget\|date=February 12, 2013\|access-date=December 11, 2022}}</ref> The rights to use the name for casinos were sold by Caesars in October 2020 to Twin River Worldwide Holdings, which then changed its own name to [[Bally's Corporation]] and said that it would rename most of its properties under the Bally's brand.<ref>{{cite news\|title=Twin River Worldwide Holdings to become Bally's Corporation\|work=Delaware Business Times\|date=October 29, 2020\|url=https://delawarebusinesstimes.com/news-briefs/twin-river-holdings-name-change-to-bally/\|access-date=2020-11-11}}</ref> In a related transaction, Bally's Corporation acquired [[Bally's Atlantic City]] from Caesars.<ref>{{cite news\|title=Caesars closes Bally's Atlantic City sale to Rhode Island company\|work=Las Vegas Review-Journal\|author=Richard N. Velotta\|date=November 18, 2020\|url=https://www.reviewjournal.com/business/casinos-gaming/caesars-closes-ballys-atlantic-city-sale-to-rhode-island-company-2186125/\|access-date=2020-11-18}}</ref> In January 2022, Caesars announced that [[Bally's Las Vegas]], which they retained, would be rebranded as the [[Horseshoe Las Vegas]] following a renovation.<ref>{{cite web \|title=Bye bye, Bally's: This iconic casino is returning to Las Vegas in its place \|date=26January ~~Jan~~26, 2022 \|website=MSN \|author=Tanner Saunders \|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/bye-bye-ballys-this-iconic-casino-is-returning-to-las-vegas-in-its-place/ar-AATbgwz?li=BBnb7Kz}}</ref> Bally's Corporation reached a 10-year [[naming rights]] agreement with [[Sinclair Broadcast Group]] to rebrand the [[Fox Sports Network]] group of [[regional sports networks]], which Sinclair had recently acquired, as [[Bally Sports]], beginning in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web\|last=Balderston\|first=Michael\|date=2021-01-27\|title=Sinclair, Bally Reveal Bally Sports Rebrand for RSNs\|url=https://www.tvtechnology.com/news/sinclair-bally-reveal-bally-sports-rebrand\|url-status=live\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127155515/https://www.tvtechnology.com/news/sinclair-bally-reveal-bally-sports-rebrand \|archive-date=2021-01-27 \|access-date=2021-01-28\|website=TVTechnology\|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web\|date=2020-11-19\|title=Farewell, Fox Sports West. Hello, Bally Sports\|url=https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2020-11-18/fox-sports-west-bally-sports-prime-ticket\|url-status=live\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201119043331/https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2020-11-18/fox-sports-west-bally-sports-prime-ticket \|archive-date=2020-11-19 \|access-date=2021-01-28\|website=Los Angeles Times\|language=en-US}}</ref> Line 74 ⟶ 73: ==References== {{reflist~~\|35em~~}} {{citation ~~\|url = http://www.ukgamblingonline.com/slot-machines-history.html~~ ~~\|last = Galecki~~ ~~\|first = Irek~~ ~~\|year = 2006~~ ~~\|title = Slot Machines History~~ ~~\|publisher = Online Casino Press~~ ~~\|access-date = 2007-06-25~~ ~~\|archive-url = https://archive.today/20120917134303/http://www.ukgamblingonline.com/slot-machines-history.html~~ ~~\|archive-date = September 17, 2012~~ }} {{citation ~~\|url=http://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=20~~ ~~\|last=Lawlor\|first=Pat~~ ~~\|year=1992~~ ~~\|contribution=The Addams Family~~ ~~\|title=Pinball Hall of Fame~~ ~~\|publisher=Internet Pinball Database~~ ~~\|access-date=2007-06-25~~ }} [[Category:1932 establishments in Illinois]]