WMS

Who are WMS - Williams Interactive?

WMS started out in Chicago, USA, back in 1974 as Williams Electronics, Inc, but its roots can be traced back to 1943, when Harry E. Williams founded Williams Manufacturing Company. It is one of the most iconic brands in the casino industry and the company has a strong presence in both land-based and online casinos.

But it wasn't always about slot machines. The company actually started out producing pinball machines before also branching out to the coin-operated arcade video game market in 1973. The company released several successful arcade titles such as the Pong clone Paddie Ball, and later Defender and Robotron: 2084. In 1987, Williams changed its parent name to WMS Industries, Inc, WMS being short for Williams, and as the pinball industry declined WMS eventually entered the reel-spinning slot machine market in 1994.

It wasn't until 1996 however that WMS released its first casino slot machine, Reel 'em In, which was a multi-line, multi coin video slot. It was soon followed by a number of similar successfil games like Jackpot Party (still available to this day), Boom and Filthy Rich. In October 2013, WMS merged with Scientific Games, now known as SG Interactive. Today, WMS is retained as a brand of Scientific Games, along with SG, Bally and Shuffle Master.