Description of the Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation	Basis of presentation and principles of consolidationThe accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of SGC, its wholly owned subsidiaries, and those subsidiaries in which we have a controlling financial interest. Investments in other entities in which we do not have a controlling financial interest but we exert significant influence are accounted for in our consolidated financial statements using the equity method of accounting. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
Use of Estimates	Use of estimatesThe preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Cash and Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash	Cash and cash equivalents Cash and cash equivalents include all cash balances and highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less. We place our temporary cash investments with high credit quality financial institutions. At times, such investments in U.S. accounts may be in excess of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insurance limit. Restricted cash We are required by gaming regulations to maintain sufficient reserves in restricted cash accounts to be used for the purpose of funding payments to WAP jackpot winners. These restricted cash balances are based primarily on the jackpot meters displayed to slot players or for previously won jackpots and vary by jurisdiction. Compliance with maintaining adequate restricted cash balances and complying with appropriate investment guidelines for jackpot funding is periodically reported to gaming authorities Additionally, restricted cash balances also include funds contractually held for iLottery player reimbursements.
Minimum Guarantees	Minimum guarantees under licensing agreements We enter into long-term license agreements with third parties in which we are obligated to pay a minimum guaranteed amount of royalties, typically periodically over the life of the contract. These license agreements provide us with access to a portfolio of major brands to be used across our business segments in building our strong brand presence across multiple channels of distributions. We account for the minimum guaranteed obligations within accrued and other long-term liabilities at the onset of the license arrangement and record a corresponding licensed asset within intangible assets, net. The licensed intangible assets related to the minimum guaranteed obligations are amortized over the term of the license agreement with the amortization expense recorded in D&A. The long-term liability related to the minimum guaranteed obligations is reduced as royalty payments are made as required under the license agreement. We assess the recoverability of license agreements whenever events arise or circumstances change that indicate the carrying value of the licensed asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of the licensed asset and the amount of impairment, if any, are determined using our policy for intangible assets with finite useful lives.
Other Assets	Other assets We capitalize debt issuance costs associated with long-term line-of-credit arrangements and amortize such amounts ratably over the term of the arrangement as an adjustment to interest expense. We assess the recoverability of our other long-term assets whenever events arise or circumstances change that indicate the carrying value of the asset may not be recoverable.
Advertising Costs	Advertising costs The cost of advertising is expensed as incurred and totaled $124 million, $125 million and $102 million in 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively.
R&D	R&D R&D relates primarily to software product development costs and is expensed as incurred until technological feasibility has been established. Employee related costs associated with product development are included in R&D.
Foreign Currency Translation	Foreign currency translation We have significant operations where the local currency is the functional currency, including our operations in the U.K., Europe, Australia and Canada. Assets and liabilities of foreign operations are translated at period-end rates of exchange and results of operations are translated at the average rates of exchange for the period. Gains or losses resulting from translating the foreign currency financial statements are accumulated as a separate component of accumulated other comprehensive loss in stockholders’ deficit. Gains or losses resulting from foreign currency transactions are included in Other (expense) income, net.
Comprehensive Loss	Comprehensive loss We include and classify in comprehensive loss unrealized gains and losses from our foreign currency translation adjustments, certain gains or losses associated with pension or other post-retirement benefits, including prior service costs or credits and transition assets or obligations, the effective portion of derivative financial instruments designated as hedging instruments, and net investment non-derivative hedge of our investments in certain of our international subsidiaries.
New Accounting Guidance	New Accounting Guidance - Recently Adopted The FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326) in 2016. The new guidance replaces the incurred loss impairment approach in legacy U.S. GAAP with a methodology that reflects future credit losses and requires consideration of a broader range of reasonable and supportable information to inform credit loss estimates. For trade and other receivables, loans and other financial instruments, we are required to use a forward-looking expected loss model rather than the incurred loss model for recognizing credit losses, which reflects losses that are probable. We adopted ASC 326 as of January 1, 2020 using the modified retrospective method for all financial assets measured at amortized cost, which resulted in a $6 million cumulative-effect adjustment increase to accumulated loss. See Note 6 for our credit losses policy and the adoption impact of ASC 326 on our consolidated financial statements. The FASB issued ASU No. 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement, and several subsequent amendments (collectively, Topic 820) in 2018. The standard amends the required quantitative and qualitative disclosure requirements for recurring and nonrecurring fair value measurements. We adopted this standard effective January 1, 2020. The adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on our financial statement disclosures. In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU No. 2019-12, Income Taxes, to simplify the accounting for income taxes. The guidance eliminates certain exceptions related to the approach for intraperiod tax allocation, the methodology for calculating income taxes in an interim period, and the recognition of deferred tax liabilities for outside basis differences related to changes in ownership of equity method investments and foreign subsidiaries. The guidance also simplifies aspects of accounting for franchise taxes, enacted changes in tax laws or rates and clarifies the accounting for transactions that result in a step-up in the tax basis of goodwill. The standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020 and interim periods within those fiscal years with early adoption permitted. We adopted this standard effective January 1, 2020 on a prospective basis for all relevant adjustments. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements. New Accounting Guidance - Not Yet Adopted The FASB issued ASU No. 2020-04 and subsequently ASU No. 2021-01, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848) in March 2020 and January 2021, respectively. The new guidance provides optional expedients and exceptions for applying U.S. GAAP to contract modifications and hedging relationships, including derivative instruments impacted by changes in the interest rates used for discounting cash flows for computing variable margin settlements, subject to meeting certain criteria, that reference LIBOR or other reference rates expected to be discontinued, in 2022 or potentially 2023 (pending possible extension). The ASUs establish certain contract modification principles that entities can apply in other areas that may be affected by reference rate reform and certain elective hedge accounting expedients and exceptions. The ASUs may be applied prospectively. We are currently assessing the impact of these standards on our consolidated financial statements. We do not expect that any other recently issued accounting guidance will have a significant effect on our consolidated financial statements.

Description of the Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2020

Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation

Basis of presentation and principles of consolidationThe accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of SGC, its wholly owned subsidiaries, and those subsidiaries in which we have a controlling financial interest. Investments in other entities in which we do not have a controlling financial interest but we exert significant influence are accounted for in our consolidated financial statements using the equity method of accounting. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Use of Estimates

Use of estimatesThe preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash

Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include all cash balances and highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less. We place our temporary cash investments with high credit quality financial institutions. At times, such investments in U.S. accounts may be in excess of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insurance limit.

Restricted cash

We are required by gaming regulations to maintain sufficient reserves in restricted cash accounts to be used for the purpose of funding payments to WAP jackpot winners. These restricted cash balances are based primarily on the jackpot meters displayed to slot players or for previously won jackpots and vary by jurisdiction. Compliance with maintaining adequate restricted cash balances and complying with appropriate investment guidelines for jackpot funding is periodically reported to gaming authorities Additionally, restricted cash balances also include funds contractually held for iLottery player reimbursements.

Minimum Guarantees

Minimum guarantees under licensing agreements

We enter into long-term license agreements with third parties in which we are obligated to pay a minimum guaranteed amount of royalties, typically periodically over the life of the contract. These license agreements provide us with access to a portfolio of major brands to be used across our business segments in building our strong brand presence across multiple channels of distributions. We account for the minimum guaranteed obligations within accrued and other long-term liabilities at the onset of the license arrangement and record a corresponding licensed asset within intangible assets, net. The licensed intangible assets related to the minimum guaranteed obligations are amortized over the term of the license agreement with the

amortization expense recorded in D&A. The long-term liability related to the minimum guaranteed obligations is reduced as royalty payments are made as required under the license agreement. We assess the recoverability of license agreements whenever events arise or circumstances change that indicate the carrying value of the licensed asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of the licensed asset and the amount of impairment, if any, are determined using our policy for intangible assets with finite useful lives.

Other Assets

Other assets

We capitalize debt issuance costs associated with long-term line-of-credit arrangements and amortize such amounts ratably over the term of the arrangement as an adjustment to interest expense.

We assess the recoverability of our other long-term assets whenever events arise or circumstances change that indicate the carrying value of the asset may not be recoverable.

Advertising Costs

Advertising costs

The cost of advertising is expensed as incurred and totaled $124 million, $125 million and $102 million in 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

R&D

R&D relates primarily to software product development costs and is expensed as incurred until technological feasibility has been established. Employee related costs associated with product development are included in R&D.

Foreign Currency Translation

Foreign currency translation

We have significant operations where the local currency is the functional currency, including our operations in the U.K., Europe, Australia and Canada. Assets and liabilities of foreign operations are translated at period-end rates of exchange and results of operations are translated at the average rates of exchange for the period. Gains or losses resulting from translating the foreign currency financial statements are accumulated as a separate component of accumulated other comprehensive loss in stockholders’ deficit. Gains or losses resulting from foreign currency transactions are included in Other (expense) income, net.

Comprehensive Loss

Comprehensive loss

We include and classify in comprehensive loss unrealized gains and losses from our foreign currency translation adjustments, certain gains or losses associated with pension or other post-retirement benefits, including prior service costs or credits and transition assets or obligations, the effective portion of derivative financial instruments designated as hedging instruments, and net investment non-derivative hedge of our investments in certain of our international subsidiaries.

New Accounting Guidance

New Accounting Guidance - Recently Adopted

The FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326) in 2016. The new guidance replaces the incurred loss impairment approach in legacy U.S. GAAP with a methodology that reflects future credit losses and requires consideration of a broader range of reasonable and supportable information to inform credit loss estimates. For trade

and other receivables, loans and other financial instruments, we are required to use a forward-looking expected loss model rather than the incurred loss model for recognizing credit losses, which reflects losses that are probable. We adopted ASC 326 as of January 1, 2020 using the modified retrospective method for all financial assets measured at amortized cost, which resulted in a $6 million cumulative-effect adjustment increase to accumulated loss. See Note 6 for our credit losses policy and the adoption impact of ASC 326 on our consolidated financial statements.

The FASB issued ASU No. 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement, and several subsequent amendments (collectively, Topic 820) in 2018. The standard amends the required quantitative and qualitative disclosure requirements for recurring and nonrecurring fair value measurements. We adopted this standard effective January 1, 2020. The adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on our financial statement disclosures.

In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU No. 2019-12, Income Taxes, to simplify the accounting for income taxes. The guidance eliminates certain exceptions related to the approach for intraperiod tax allocation, the methodology for calculating income taxes in an interim period, and the recognition of deferred tax liabilities for outside basis differences related to changes in ownership of equity method investments and foreign subsidiaries. The guidance also simplifies aspects of accounting for franchise taxes, enacted changes in tax laws or rates and clarifies the accounting for transactions that result in a step-up in the tax basis of goodwill. The standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020 and interim periods within those fiscal years with early adoption permitted. We adopted this standard effective January 1, 2020 on a prospective basis for all relevant adjustments. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements.

New Accounting Guidance - Not Yet Adopted

The FASB issued ASU No. 2020-04 and subsequently ASU No. 2021-01, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848) in March 2020 and January 2021, respectively. The new guidance provides optional expedients and exceptions for applying U.S. GAAP to contract modifications and hedging relationships, including derivative instruments impacted by changes in the interest rates used for discounting cash flows for computing variable margin settlements, subject to meeting certain criteria, that reference LIBOR or other reference rates expected to be discontinued, in 2022 or potentially 2023 (pending possible extension). The ASUs establish certain contract modification principles that entities can apply in other areas that may be affected by reference rate reform and certain elective hedge accounting expedients and exceptions. The ASUs may be applied prospectively. We are currently assessing the impact of these standards on our consolidated financial statements.

We do not expect that any other recently issued accounting guidance will have a significant effect on our consolidated financial statements.