IGT Confirms 2027 Closure of ETG Division as Apollo Restructuring Continues

International Game Technology (IGT) has confirmed it will shut down its electronic table games (ETG) division in 2027, a move the supplier says is part of its “focus on core business priorities and long-term growth objectives.” Phil O’Shaughnessy, IGT’s VP of Global Communications & Investor Relations, stated that the company “will continue to provide its ETG customers with the level of support they expect” during the transition.

The decision follows a broader restructuring under new owner Apollo Global Management, which acquired IGT and merged it with Everi Holdings in a $6.3 billion deal in 2024. As part of that process, IGT cut approximately 700 employees (about 10% of its global workforce) in March 2026. In an internal memo at the time, CEO Hector Fernandez said the reductions were intended to “simplify our structure, reduce duplication and enable us to move with greater clarity and speed.”

The ETG closure aligns with comments Apollo partner Daniel Cohen made before Nevada regulators in June 2025, where he stated that the business had fallen behind chief competitors Aristocrat and Light & Wonder and that “long-term value creation” was the firm’s sole focus. “Our goal long term is to become the operator’s supplier,” Cohen told regulators, envisioning IGT as a one-stop partner for casino product needs.

IGT’s ETG portfolio included blackjack, baccarat, and roulette titles, and the company had recently expanded its Wheel of Fortune franchise into an ETG format. Despite growth, the division faced structural headwinds: ETGs require large amounts of casino floor space, while slots generate more revenue per square foot—a trade-off that has limited the segment’s expansion, particularly in the US compared to European and Asian markets. Industry peer Interblock, another private-equity-owned ETG leader, was long rumored to be an acquisition target for Aristocrat, though a reported $200 million pricing gap scuttled any deal.

PlayDigital Partnership Provides Counterpoint

On a brighter note, IGT PlayDigital entered a partnership with Hollywoodbets on July 7 to enter the South Africa online gambling market, with an initial rollout of 20 games. IGT indicated that 20 additional titles are expected to launch “in the coming months” as the relationship expands, offering a glimpse of growth outside the ETG business.