‘Wheel of Fortune’ success spurs Anchor earnings

Thursday, Jan. 27, 2000 | 11:16 a.m.

Slot machine designer Anchor Gaming of Las Vegas said net income for the quarter ended Dec. 31 was $15.3 million, or $1.25 a share, compared with pro forma net of $12.2 million, or $1.21 a share, in fiscal 1999's second quarter.

Revenue rose to $130.7 million from $116.5 million, the company said. The year-ago figures were adjusted as if the June 29, 1999, acquisition of Powerhouse Technologies Inc. had occurred at the beginning of fiscal 1999.

Net for the first six months of fiscal 2000 was $31.1 million, or $2.60 a share, compared with $31.8 million, or $2.58 a share on 3.8 percent more shares, in the year-ago first half. Revenue rose to $257.7 million from $228.8 million.

Anchor President Mike Rumbolz said the company's operating segments all performed well in the latest quarter, "but among the brightest spots was the continued success of the video Wheel of Fortune game."

He said the company has installed 1,900 of the games and has orders for another 1,000 to be delivered in the next two quarters.

Meanwhile, an Anchor spokesman said Wednesday the company is offering jobs at its Las Vegas headquarters to about 20 accounting, information services, human resources and payroll employees now working at the Bozeman, Mont., headquarters of Powerhouse Technologies.

Nearly 400 employees in the engineering and manufacturing divisions of Powerhouse, which makes on-line lottery, casino and pari-mutual betting equipment, will remain in Bozeman, the spokesman said.