Evolved from the famous Williams Leisure, WMS is now one of the biggest development houses in the competitive US market.

WMS Industries can trace its origins back to 1974, when electronic gaming was but a glint in a Space Invader’s eye. Since then they have worked on creating a ton of exciting gambling machines through their subsidiary companies including Williams Interactive and WMS Gaming. It was acquired by Scientific Gaming in 2013 making it part of the biggest gaming conglomerates on the globe. A true innovator, WMS is credited with creating the first real second screen game on their 1990s hit slot machine, Reel ‘Em In. When a player hit a set number of scatters on the grid they’d be taken to a second screen game where they could fish for prizes. If they managed to find a magic boot, this would advance the action to a further stage where the prizes on offer became even bigger.

One of WMS’s first forays into the UK web market was through their own proprietary online casino, the excellent Jackpot Party. This operator was the sole place you could find their titles for a short time, offering players the chance to win a number of in-house progressive jackpots available from every single slot machine on their roster. Soon however, demand for their games increased and they were put out on general release.

WMS knows how to put together a good slot machine. Unlike IGT, this developer tends to place its titles into specific ranges that are characterised by the use of the same mechanism, such as the Colossal Reel machines that utilise huge grids and large pay-line structures, or the Hot Hot Penny titles that use a standard pick a win game. There are many innovative features on offer from these machines that make them stand out from the competition.

One of the most successful ranges from WMS is the Wizard of Oz games. Featuring the original title, Ruby Slipped and Wicked Riches, these machines pull in graphics and presentation points from the original Judy Garland films, utilising full motion video and sound clips to immerse you into the experience. Alongside these popular titles, one of the best has to be the excellent Super Jackpot Party that offers one of the premier second screen games you’ll find on any online slot.

In 2015 WMS acquired the popular Monopoly slot franchise from IGT. These two companies have been locked in litigation over intellectual property rights for many different gaming innovations. This coup by WMS over their biggest rival must have seen the arrival of many glasses of champagne in the board room. Whilst some people argue that this developer can leave a little to be desired in terms of visual presentation and sonic performance, the real attractive element to their slots can be found in the wonderful bonus systems and pay-table prizes.