King of the Slots: William "Si" Redd

Si Redd is truly one of the founding fathers of the gaming industry. It s hard to imagine what our industry would be like today without him. Si s vision led to the birth of video poker and wide-area progressive jackpots two games that helped revolutionize and enrich the gaming experience, and have become favorites of millions of casino players across the country. But the visionary businessman was just one side of Si. Those of us who knew him saw another side as well: a philanthropist dedicated to creating a better community for all. The man you re about to read about led a truly inspiring life, and this book will help ensure that his legacy to our industry and our community will not be forgotten.-William S. Boyd Executive Chairman of the Board, Boyd Gaming Corporation

As a longtime pinball machine and jukebox distributor, Si Redd s insight and drive had a profound effect on the evolution of modern-day casino slot machines. Through his development of video poker slots, the first million dollar jackpot, and the founding of International Game Technology today the world s largest manufacturer of coin-operated gaming machines Redd s innovations have had an unparalleled affect on gaming worldwide.-Jack Harpster s biography portrays the remarkable story of this colorful individual who was a predominant figure in the development of today's casino gaming industry."

Marshall Fey, Grandson of Charles Fey, the inventor of the three-reel slot machine, and author of Slot Machines: A Pictorial History of the First 100 Years of the Worlds Most Popular Coin-Operated Gaming Device

The son of dirt-poor sharecroppers, William Si Redd reached the pinnacle of business success despite shortcomings that have stymied less-determined men. His legendary sales and marketing genius, coupled with a natural instinct for the marketplace, catapulted him through a seven-decade romp in an industry once famous for gamblers, glad-handers, and gangsters.

King of the Slots: William Si Redd relates the fascinating, only-in-America success story of one man s improbable rise from the depths of poverty to the heights of international commerce and dazzling wealth. William Silas Si Redd is recognized as one of the most important and influential persons in the gaming industry over the past half century. The company he founded, International Game Technology (IGT), is the world leader in the manufacture of gaming equipment and gaming software features. His video poker is the most popular slot machine since the original one-armed bandit debuted in 1899.

King of the Slots covers the life (1911 2003) and rags-to-riches story of the man who changed the face of the casino gaming industry. Both a business book and a biography, it introduces readers to the nation s leading gaming centers, Apollo-era technology and how it changed gambling, and the race to perfect the first video poker game. It also gives readers a chance to meet the characters with whom Redd rubbed shoulders, including Howard Hughes, Mafia capo Raymond Patriarca, Arizona cowboy and pig farmer Jimmie Hughes, gaming legend Bill Harrah, and casino visionary Jay Sarno.

Jack Harpster worked in business management in the newspaper industry for 43 years. His published works include The Railroad Tycoon Who Built Chicago: A Biography of William B. Ogden; John Ogden, the Pilgrim (1609 1682): A Man of More Than Ordinary Mark; 100 Years in the Governors Mansion; and Helping Hands, Helping Hearts: The Story of Opportunity Village. His latest work, Captive! David Ogden and the Iroquois, will be published by Praeger in 2010.