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Bally Technologies’ History: Part II of III

Last time we discussed the basic creation of the company during the Great Depression – this time we are going to cover what took the slot machine giant out of the Depression and made it a success.

He concentrated on the arcade games for a couple of years, then in 1936 he decided to try the slot machine business. He created the Reliance slot machine in 1936, and it became the company’s first slot machine. They called it the Bally Baby, and it was so successful that Maloney ended up turning his company into a slot machine manufacturing company. During the war, he changed his company to a wartime manufacturing company, which earned him several military citations. Then in 1945, they converted once again to a slot machine manufacturing company.

When Maloney died in 1958, the company started a downward spiral that his two sons fought against. They wanted to keep their father’s company, but were running out of time. Finally, in 1963, they sold off Lion Manufacturing Corporation for $2.8 million, in a last ditch attempt to keep the creditors at bay and keep the corporation running. They were successful.

William O’Donnell, a close friend of Maloney’s, came in a completely turned the company around. He created a new Lion Manufacturing Corporation and made himself president, and they created Money Honey – a new slot machine that would propel them toward success. It was a three reel electromechanical slot machine, and no one had one but Bally. By 1968, 94% of all slot machines sold in Nevada were none other than Bally slot machines. It then became a publicly traded company, further cementing their success.

They then went on to create several subsidiaries that handled various elements of the slot machine industry, until finally in 1976, they created SDS – Slot Data Systems. SDS was a fully computerized data system that kept track of all slot machine management, accounting, and security – and it was the first of its kind. In 1978, they added casino to their roster with the building of Bally Park Place Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City.

Next Time: Expanding into the future.

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