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The company expanded internationally in 1974 when it acquired [[Germany|German]] company Guenter Wulff-Apparatebau, which was renamed Bally Wulff.<ref name=Name>{{cite web|url=https://cdcgaming.com/frank-floor-talk-whats-in-a-name/|title=Frank Floor Talk: What's in a name?|first=Buddy|last=Frank|website=CDC Gamimg Reports|date=March 22, 2022|access-date=December 10, 2022}}</ref>
 
In the late 1970s, Bally entered the [[casino]] ownership business when [[New Jersey]] legalized gambling in [[Atlantic City, New Jersey|Atlantic City]] &. The effort moved forward even though the company was temporarily unable to attain a permanent license for the completed casino. During this period, company head William T. O'Donnell was forced to resign because of alleged links to organized crime, which he strenuously denied.<ref name="news.google.com">{{cite news|date=18 September 1973|work=The Age|title=Bally chief denies links with mafia|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=SuFUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xJADAAAAIBAJ&pg=6965,4528014&dq=joseph+dan+testa&hl=en|via=[[Google News]]|access-date= 8 October 2018}}</ref> When questioned by the [[Moffitt Royal Commission]] in New South Wales, Australia, during an investigation of criminal activities between the US and Australia, O'Donnell admitted that Genovese Mafia boss [[Gerardo Catena]] once owned shares in Bally, but claimed to have bought him out.<ref name="news.google.com"/> He also denied knowing Chicago mobster Joseph Dan Testa, even though Australian police described Testa "as a representative of Bally who visited Australia."<ref name="news.google.com"/> The company opened the Bally’s Park Place Casino Hotel (Now known as [[Bally's Atlantic City|Bally’sPark Atlantic CityPlace]]), Casino & Hotel on December 29, 1979.<ref name="Marfels">Christian Marfels; 2007, ''Bally: The World's Game Maker'', 2nd ed., Bally Technologies Inc., Las Vegas {{ISBN|978-1-4243-3207-6}}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia |entry-url=http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/2562.html |last=Wilson |first=Mark R. |year=2005 |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Chicago |entry=Bally Manufacturing Corp. |publisher=[[Chicago Historical Society]] |location=[[Chicago, Illinois]] |access-date=2007-06-27}}</ref>
 
During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Midway was renamed Bally/Midway when it was consolidated with Bally's legacy pinball business. It became a primary source of income for Bally as an early arcade [[video game]] maker, obtaining licenses for three of the all-time most popular video games: [[Space Invaders]], [[Pac-Man]], and [[Ms. Pac-Man]].<ref name="Marfels"/>
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===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 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 (a now defunct casino most recently known as 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 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===
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In 1994, the company changed its name to Bally Entertainment, to reflect its focus on the casino business and the fact that it no longer had any manufacturing operations.<ref>{{cite news|title=Options help CEO's earnings|newspaper=The Star-Ledger|location=Newark, NJ|author=Scott Ritter|date=March 18, 1994|url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews%252F1224856C743E38C8&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 name=dishneau>{{cite news|title=Bally gambling its games will outperform its gyms|newspaper=Akron Beacon Journal|author=David Dishneau|agency=AP|date=May 18, 1994|url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews%252F0EB63077046D54EC&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 also announced that the health club business would be spun off to shareholders, to further narrow its focus on casinos.<ref name=dishneau /> The spin-off was completed in January 1996, with Bally Total Fitness becoming a separate company.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bally spin-off final|newspaper=Chicago Sun-Times|date=January 10, 1996|url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews%252F0EB4228638A3E283&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 Entertainment pushing out its network of push-up centers|newspaper=The Star-Ledger|location=Newark, NJ|author=Debra Dowling|date=September 19, 1995|url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews%252F1224D4BE4C472488&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>
 
In June 1996, Bally Entertainment agreed to be acquired by [[Hilton Hotels Corporation]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Hilton Hotels to buy Bally Entertainment for more than $2 billion|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|author=Barry Meier|date=June 7, 1996|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/06/07/business/hilton-hotels-to-buy-bally-entertainment-for-more-than-2-billion.html|access-date=2019-03-14}}</ref> The sale was completed on December 18, 1996 for $3 billion ($2 billion in stock plus $1 billion in assumed debt).<ref>{{cite news|title=Hilton and Bally close deal|newspaper=The Press of Atlantic City|author=Joe Weinert|date=December 19, 1996|url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews%252F0EAEACAA67F7FA6C&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> Two years later, Hilton's casino division, including the former Bally properties, was spun off as [[Park Place Entertainment]], named for the address of Bally's Atlantic City. In 1999, Park Place bought [[Caesars World]], and in 2003 changed its name to Caesars Entertainment. It was acquired in 2005 by [[Harrah's Entertainment]], which took the name Caesars Entertainment Corp in 2010, and was eventually acquired in 2020 by Eldorado Resorts to become the current [[Caesars Entertainment]].
 
==Legacy of the name==
[[File:Bally Sportssports logo.svg|thumb|200px|The logo for [[Bally Sports]], one of the many businesses worldwide that use the Bally name and logo]]
 
Many casinos and businesses worldwide have used the Bally name and logo in the maze of ownership, division spin-offs and licensing agreements.
 
For Years, Caesars used the Bally’s Name Solely for the 2 remaining Bally Casinos,[[Bally's Atlantic City|Bally’s Atlantic City]] & Bally’s Las Vegas (now known as [[Horseshoe Las Vegas]]). However, in June through November 2020, Caesars sold the Bally’s Brand & [[Bally's Atlantic City|Bally’s Atlantic City]] (Keeping Las Vegas & Rebranding it) to Twin River Worldwide Holdings, a casino company who changed their name to [[Bally's Corporation|Bally’s Corporation]]. They rebranded their existing casinos, and today there are over 10 Bally Casinos Nationwide, with more to come. The only remaining original Bally casino that still uses the name is [[Bally's Atlantic City|Bally’s Atlantic City]]
 
The New 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>▼
 
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>
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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=January 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>
 
▲The New 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>
 
Former subsidiary Bally Wulff remains a gaming and vending equipment manufacturer in Germany, with additional operations in Spain.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ballywulff.de/|title=Bally Wulff homepage|access-date=December 11, 2022}}</ref> French gambling equipment distributor Bally France<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ballyfrance.fr/|title=Bally France|access-date=December 6, 2022}}</ref> and Japanese arcade distributor Bally Pond<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bally.co.jp/English/company/index.htm|title=Bally Pond|access-date=December 6, 2022}}</ref> also still use the Bally logo, though have no current relation to any other business with the name.
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