Slot maker buys Nevada software company

Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2001 | 10:51 a.m.

WMS Gaming Inc. of Waukegan, Ill., said today it acquired Big Foot Software Research and Development Inc., a Carson City software and systems company, for an undisclosed sum.

Big Foot, founded in 1997, designs and develops wide-area networks for gaming applications. Wide-area networks are typically used to link together slot machines running in different casinos across the state to create one large progressive jackpot, such as International Game Technology's "Megabucks."

The acquisition will assist WMS, one of the gaming industry's largest slot makers, in its efforts to develop its own wide-area progressive jackpot system, WMS said. WMS said it intends to submit a wide-area system to gaming regulators in fall 2002, and start introducing the system in casinos some time in 2003.

"Big Foot is already working on new design specifications for a revolutionary, next generation wide-area progressive system that will be unique to WMS," said Brian Gamache, WMS's president and chief executive.

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