Debt Instrument, Additional Principal Borrowings

No definition available.

Name:	sgms_DebtInstrumentAdditionalPrincipalBorrowings
Namespace Prefix:	sgms_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Debt Instrument, Amortization Percentage

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sgms_DebtInstrumentAmortizationPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	sgms_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Debt Instrument, Collateral as a Percentage of Capital

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sgms_DebtInstrumentCollateralasaPercentageofCapital
Namespace Prefix:	sgms_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line Of Credit Facility, Additional Borrowing Capacity

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sgms_LineOfCreditFacilityAdditionalBorrowingCapacity
Namespace Prefix:	sgms_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line Of Credit Facility, Step-Down Borrowing Capacity

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sgms_LineOfCreditFacilityStepDownBorrowingCapacity
Namespace Prefix:	sgms_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line of Credit Facility, Remaining Borrowing Capacity, After Step-Down In Availability

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sgms_LineofCreditFacilityRemainingBorrowingCapacityAfterStepDownInAvailability
Namespace Prefix:	sgms_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line of Credit Facility, Unused Capacity, Commitment Fee, Step-down Percentage

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sgms_LineofCreditFacilityUnusedCapacityCommitmentFeeStepdownPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	sgms_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage points added to the reference rate to compute the variable rate on the debt instrument.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentBasisSpreadOnVariableRate1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Face (par) amount of debt instrument at time of issuance.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114775744&loc=d3e28551-108399

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 55
-Paragraph 8
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114775985&loc=d3e28878-108400

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Contractual interest rate for funds borrowed, under the debt agreement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22(a)(1))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Maximum borrowing capacity under the credit facility without consideration of any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed or the amounts currently outstanding under the facility.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.19(b),22(b))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityMaximumBorrowingCapacity
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The fee, expressed as a percentage of the line of credit facility, for available but unused credit capacity under the credit facility.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityUnusedCapacityCommitmentFeePercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=sgms_TheCreditAgreementMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=us-gaap_RevolvingCreditFacilityMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis=us-gaap_LetterOfCreditMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=sgms_TermLoanFacilityMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=sgms_SeniorSecuredNotesMaturing2025Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=sgms_SeniorSecuredEuroNotesMaturing2026Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=sgms_SeniorUnsecuredEuroNotesMaturing2026Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=sgms_SeniorSecuredCreditFacilityTermLoanB5Maturing2024Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_VariableRateAxis=us-gaap_EurodollarMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_VariableRateAxis=us-gaap_BaseRateMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=sgms_SeniorSecuredCreditFacilityTermLoanB4Maturing2024Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=sgms_SeniorSecuredCreditFacilityLenderJoinderAgreementMaturing2020Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis=us-gaap_RevolvingCreditFacilityMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=sgms_SeniorSecuredCreditFacilityTwoLenderJoinderAgreementsMaturing2020Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=sgms_SeniorSecuredRevolverMaturing2018Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=sgms_SeniorSecuredCreditFacilitiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=sgms_DirectandIndirectWhollyOwnedDomesticSubsidiariesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=sgms_ForeignSubsidiariesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Long-Term and Other Debt - Credit Facilities (Details)		12 Months Ended
Long-Term and Other Debt - Credit Facilities (Details)	Feb. 14, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 12, 2018 USD ($)	Oct. 18, 2018 USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2018 USD ($)	Feb. 14, 2018 EUR (€)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Oct. 17, 2017 USD ($)	Aug. 14, 2017
The Credit Agreement \| Revolver
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum revolving commitments							$ 596,200,000.0
Total revolving facility after reduction							421,700,000.0
The Credit Agreement \| Revolver \| Letter of credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum revolving commitments							350,000,000.0
The Credit Agreement \| Term Loan
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum revolving commitments							$ 3,300,000,000.0
Senior Secured Notes, maturing 2025
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Additional principal borrowings	$ 900,000,000.0
Debt Instrument, interest rate, stated percentage					2.946%
Senior Secured Notes, maturing 2025 \| Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt amount	$ 900,000,000.0				$ 460,000,000.0			$ 350,000,000.0
Debt Instrument, interest rate, stated percentage		5.00%			2.946%
Senior Secured Euro Notes, maturing 2026
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt amount \| €						€ 325,000,000.0
Debt Instrument, interest rate, stated percentage	3.375%					3.375%
Senior Secured Euro Notes, maturing 2026 \| Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt amount \| €						€ 325,000,000.0
Debt Instrument, interest rate, stated percentage		3.375%
Senior Unsecured Euro Notes, maturing 2026
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt amount \| €						€ 250,000,000
Debt Instrument, interest rate, stated percentage	5.50%					5.50%
Senior Unsecured Euro Notes, maturing 2026 \| Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt amount \| €						€ 250,000,000.0
Debt Instrument, interest rate, stated percentage		5.50%
Senior Secured Term Loan B-5, maturing 2024
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt amount	$ 900,000,000.0
Senior Secured Term Loan B-5, maturing 2024 \| Eurodollar
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Margin spread on debt	2.75%
Senior Secured Term Loan B-5, maturing 2024 \| Base Rate
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Margin spread on debt	1.75%
Senior Secured Term Loan B-4, maturing 2024 \| Eurodollar
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Margin spread on debt	3.25%
Senior Secured Term Loan B-4, maturing 2024 \| Base Rate
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Margin spread on debt	2.25%
Senior Secured Term Loan B-4, maturing 2024 \| Term Loan
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amortization percentage									1.00%
Senior Secured Credit Facility, Lender Joinder Agreement, maturing 2020
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum revolving commitments	$ 620,200,000.0
Additional borrowing capacity	24,000,000.0
Step-down borrowing capacity	$ 445,700,000.0
Senior Secured Credit Facility, Lender Joinder Agreement, maturing 2020 \| Revolver
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Additional borrowing capacity				$ 50,000,000
Senior Secured Credit Facility, Two Lender Joinder Agreements, maturing 2020 \| Revolver
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Additional borrowing capacity			$ 125,000,000.0
Senior Secured Revolver, maturing 2018 \| Revolver
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Unused capacity, commitment fee percentage		0.50%
Unused capacity, commitment fee, step-down percentage		0.375%
Senior Secured Credit Facilities \| Direct and Indirect Wholly Owned Domestic Subsidiaries
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Collateral as a percentage of capital		100.00%
Senior Secured Credit Facilities \| Foreign Subsidiaries
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Collateral as a percentage of capital		65.00%
Senior Secured Credit Facilities \| Revolver
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum revolving commitments		$ 620,700,000.0