SHFL Entertainment Review

SHFL Entertainment’s history dates back to 1983 when truck-driver John Breeding borrows $30,000 to create a mechanical shuffler. This would enable dealing of every hand from a new deck. Its main function is to eliminate card-counting advantages without wasting valuable playing time. The shuffler device enters the market in 1992.

The sales of the single-deck shuffler were slowing down by casino changing direction and starting to use multiple decks of cards for blackjack. Breeding then creates a new game working with a single-deck called Let It Ride to fuel the demand for his shuffler. The game enjoys massive popularity and generates huge income for Shuffle Master.

Shuffle Master Sells its Slot Division to IGT for $1.6 Million

The company moves to Las Vegas from Minneapolis in 1998 and expands to include slot machines by the early 1990s. Great partnerships follow with large companies such as Bally and IGT, although the slots side fails to turn profits and IGT buys it for $1.6 million in 2004.

It enables the company to invest and purchase most of the BET Technology assets in 2004. Only two years later it purchases Stargames Limited in 2006 for $108 million. It allows the company to return to the slot machine market. In 2012, the company buys Ongame Network, the provider of online poker sites for $39 million form bwin.party.

Shuffle Master Becomes SHFL Entertainment

Gavin Isaacs became the CEO of Shuffle Master in March 2012, and in October the company name changes to SHFL Entertainment. The rebranding reflects the diversity of casino products now part of the new SHFL offerings.

SHFL Entertainment obtains a licence in 2012 to distribute a Free Bet Blackjack by Geoff Hall across the globe, but not in Nevada or the UK. In October, SHFL debuts its Michael Shackleford game Mulligan Poker at the Global Gaming Expo. It is available online on the IGT software platform.

Bally Techniques Acquire SHFL

Bally Techniques acquires SHFL Entertainment in July 2013 for $1.3 billion. The merging transaction combines two best-in-class companies. SHFL Chief Executive Officer, Gavin Isaacs felt it was in players best interest to enjoy the best performing games possible. The two companies focus on the same success driving key factors and that is to create a state-of-the-art experience for online and on-land players.

SHFL Achievements and Market Position

When it comes to the market position, SHFL Entertainment virtually had a monopoly in the card shuffling business. Achievement wise the company made it to the list of Forbes as one of the best 200 small companies in America, not once but five years in a row.

SHFL Entertainment Games

SHFL games include Commission Free Dragon Bonus Baccarat. It plays with the same rules as standard baccarat. Yet it features two exciting exceptions the first is that the winning banker bets are not subject to commission. The second is that the banker bets push should the banker’s hand wins with a total of seven. The game offers two side bets including the Fortune 7 and Dragon Bonus.

The dragon bonus pays when it is a natural winner or should a non-natural winning hand wins by a minimum of four points. The fortune 7 bonus pays when the banker wins with a three-card total of at least seven.

SHFL Entertainment was one of the first to introduce the Chip Star chip-sorting roulette machine. The company’s range of products includes the MD3 blackjack and baccarat shufflers, single and multi-deck one2six shufflers and i-Shoe Auto.

Other remarkable games by SHFL includes GRAWR, Super Reelways, and Gold Boom. Proven performers include titles such as 5 Treasures and 88 Fortunes. Marks owned by SHFL include Casino War, Ultimate Texas Hold’Em as well as 7 Mississippi Stud, and many others.