Financial Information for Guarantor Subsidiaries and Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries (Details 3) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011
Condensed Financial Statements
Net cash provided by operating activities	$ 107,928	$ 152,627
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital, lottery and gaming systems expenditures	(80,026)	(39,835)
Business acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(23,989)	(50,177)
Other assets and investments	16,715	(77,770)
Net cash used in investing activities	(87,300)	(167,782)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net proceeds (payments) on long-term debt	77,827	(6,232)
Net redemptions of common stock under stock-based compensation plans	(4,797)	(1,426)
Purchases of treasury stock	(47,401)	0
Payments of financing fees	(13,497)	(9,186)
Other, principally intercompany balances	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	12,132	(16,844)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	(1,208)	(5,403)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	31,552	(37,402)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	104,402	124,281
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	135,954	86,879
Parent Company
Condensed Financial Statements
Net cash provided by operating activities	(37,200)	(34,903)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital, lottery and gaming systems expenditures	(1,895)	(1,499)
Business acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	0
Other assets and investments	(193)	(368)
Net cash used in investing activities	(2,088)	(1,867)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net proceeds (payments) on long-term debt	0	0
Net redemptions of common stock under stock-based compensation plans	(4,797)	(1,426)
Purchases of treasury stock	(47,401)
Payments of financing fees	0	(67)
Other, principally intercompany balances	128,351	(2,974)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	76,153	(4,467)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	0	(722)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	36,865	(41,959)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	24,042	62,639
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	60,907	20,680
SGI
Condensed Financial Statements
Net cash provided by operating activities	1,041	37,712
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital, lottery and gaming systems expenditures	(23,174)	(23,768)
Business acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(1,000)	0
Other assets and investments	(20,820)	(17,332)
Net cash used in investing activities	(44,994)	(41,100)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net proceeds (payments) on long-term debt	95,290	(4,710)
Net redemptions of common stock under stock-based compensation plans	0	0
Purchases of treasury stock	0
Payments of financing fees	(13,497)	(9,119)
Other, principally intercompany balances	(37,773)	18,424
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	44,020	4,595
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	14	(1,251)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	81	(44)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	56	150
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	137	106
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Financial Statements
Net cash provided by operating activities	41,034	48,075
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital, lottery and gaming systems expenditures	(12,542)	(1,766)
Business acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	0
Other assets and investments	156	(9,108)
Net cash used in investing activities	(12,386)	(10,874)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net proceeds (payments) on long-term debt	0	0
Net redemptions of common stock under stock-based compensation plans	5	20
Purchases of treasury stock	0
Payments of financing fees	0	0
Other, principally intercompany balances	(29,126)	(38,555)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(29,121)	(38,535)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	0	0
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(473)	(1,334)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	2,379	2,279
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	1,906	945
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Financial Statements
Net cash provided by operating activities	103,011	101,770
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital, lottery and gaming systems expenditures	(42,415)	(12,802)
Business acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(22,989)	(50,177)
Other assets and investments	109,208	(523,575)
Net cash used in investing activities	43,804	(586,554)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net proceeds (payments) on long-term debt	(17,463)	(1,522)
Net redemptions of common stock under stock-based compensation plans	(71,650)	470,235
Purchases of treasury stock	0
Payments of financing fees	0	0
Other, principally intercompany balances	(61,401)	22,938
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(150,514)	491,651
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	(1,222)	(932)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(4,921)	5,935
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	77,925	59,213
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	73,004	65,148
Eliminating Entries
Condensed Financial Statements
Net cash provided by operating activities	42	(27)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital, lottery and gaming systems expenditures	0	0
Business acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	0
Other assets and investments	(71,636)	472,613
Net cash used in investing activities	(71,636)	472,613
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net proceeds (payments) on long-term debt	0	0
Net redemptions of common stock under stock-based compensation plans	71,645	(470,255)
Purchases of treasury stock	0
Payments of financing fees	0	0
Other, principally intercompany balances	(51)	167
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	71,594	(470,088)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	0	(2,498)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	$ 0	$ 0