IGT narrows net loss, pays down debt, hopes virus goes away

Gaming technology supplier and lottery operator International Game Technology (IGT) reported another net loss in 2019, although it was a slightly smaller net loss than the year before.

Figures released Tuesday show IGT’s revenue in the final three months of 2019 falling 1.6% year-on-year to $1.25b, and while operating income effectively doubled to $81m, around $102m in unfavorable currency fluctuations meant the company booked a net loss of $167.7m for the quarter.

Full-year revenue totaled $4.79b, down 1.5% from 2018, while operating income also fell 1.5% to $637m while net income dipped 2.5% to $111.7m. However, nearly $131m was owed to non-controlling interests, which left IGT with a net loss of $19m for the year, a slight improvement over the $21.4m loss in 2018.

IGT CEO Marco Sala chose to look on the bright side, saying the company had grown global gaming product sales by more than one-fifth in 2019, thanks to new games and higher unit shipments, while global lottery same-store revenue also improved. Sala noted that IGT had paid $380m of its $7.76b debt, leaving the company in “strong financial condition.” Investors found the word ‘strong’ somewhat subjective, as the stock is currently trading down around 7% on the day.