Financial Information for Guarantor Subsidiaries and Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries (Details 2) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended																12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012		Sep. 30, 2012		Jun. 30, 2012		Mar. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011		Sep. 30, 2011		Jun. 30, 2011		Mar. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2010
Condensed Financial Statements
Revenue	$ 249,243	[1]	$ 227,477	[2]	$ 229,307	[3]	$ 234,575	[4]	$ 239,079	[5]	$ 222,739	[6]	$ 220,248	[7]	$ 196,656	[8]	$ 940,602	[9]	$ 878,722	[9]	$ 882,499	[9]
Cost of instant ticket revenues, cost of services and cost of sales	139,213	[1]	128,816	[2]	127,931	[3]	132,749	[4]	135,801	[5]	124,679	[6]	118,954	[7]	111,845	[8]	528,709	[10]	491,279	[10]	514,866	[10]
Selling, general and administrative expenses	51,087	[1]	44,383	[2]	47,171	[3]	46,172	[4]	52,382	[5]	47,660	[6]	43,426	[7]	39,554	[8]	188,813		183,022		158,500
Write-down of assets held for sale			15,500														0		0		8,029
Employee termination and restructuring costs	751	[1]	1,830	[2]	6,046	[3]	2,875	[4]	967	[5]	1,030	[6]	0	[7]	0	[8]	11,502		1,997		602
Depreciation and amortization	64,525	[1]	39,241	[2]	39,086	[3]	30,518	[4]	30,701	[5]	27,994	[6]	29,004	[7]	30,904	[8]	173,370		118,603		141,766
Operating income	(6,333)	[1]	13,207	[2]	9,073	[3]	22,261	[4]	19,228	[5]	21,376	[6]	28,864	[7]	14,353	[8]	38,208		83,821		58,736
Interest expense																	(100,008)		(104,703)		(101,613)
Other (income) expense																	(13,794)		(24,295)		(37,564)
Net (loss) income before income tax expense																	(48,006)		3,413		(5,313)
Equity in income (loss) of subsidiaries																	0		0		0
Income tax expense																	14,621		15,983		143,888
Net loss	(24,724)	[1]	(27,133)	[2]	(12,589)	[3]	1,819	[4]	(8,533)	[5]	(4,124)	[6]	7,019	[7]	(6,932)	[8]	(62,627)		(12,570)		(149,201)
Other comprehensive income (loss)																	29,840		(15,290)		(14,943)
Comprehensive loss																	(32,787)		(27,860)		(164,144)
Parent Company
Condensed Financial Statements
Revenue																	0		0		0
Cost of instant ticket revenues, cost of services and cost of sales																	0	[10]	0	[10]	0	[10]
Selling, general and administrative expenses																	65,048		61,537		46,922
Write-down of assets held for sale																					0
Employee termination and restructuring costs																			0		0
Depreciation and amortization																	598		531		501
Operating income																	(65,646)		(62,068)		(47,423)
Interest expense																	(21,223)		(21,487)		(16,817)
Other (income) expense																	(29,009)		(17,200)		12,198
Net (loss) income before income tax expense																	(57,860)		(66,355)		(76,438)
Equity in income (loss) of subsidiaries																	(60,490)		55,352		19,167
Income tax expense																	(55,723)		1,567		91,930
Net loss																	(62,627)		(12,570)		(149,201)
Other comprehensive income (loss)																	29,840		(15,290)		(14,943)
Comprehensive loss																	(32,787)		(27,860)		(164,144)
SGI
Condensed Financial Statements
Revenue																	421,944		395,007		378,523
Cost of instant ticket revenues, cost of services and cost of sales																	136,254	[10]	130,166	[10]	120,771	[10]
Selling, general and administrative expenses																	55,986		52,655		53,711
Write-down of assets held for sale																					0
Employee termination and restructuring costs																			0		0
Depreciation and amortization																	36,670		29,854		53,696
Operating income																	193,034		182,332		150,345
Interest expense																	(77,575)		(81,536)		(82,005)
Other (income) expense																	193,019		184,604		164,573
Net (loss) income before income tax expense																	(77,560)		(83,808)		(96,233)
Equity in income (loss) of subsidiaries																	39,991		64,691		81,454
Income tax expense																	58,319		(522)		15,849
Net loss																	(95,888)		(18,595)		(30,628)
Other comprehensive income (loss)																	1,062		2,972		1,290
Comprehensive loss																	(94,826)		(15,623)		(29,338)
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Financial Statements
Revenue																	45,003		59,426		52,344
Cost of instant ticket revenues, cost of services and cost of sales																	138,517	[10]	140,230	[10]	140,467	[10]
Selling, general and administrative expenses																	12,157		10,235		10,831
Write-down of assets held for sale																					0
Employee termination and restructuring costs																			0		0
Depreciation and amortization																	23,965		19,000		18,337
Operating income																	(129,636)		(110,039)		(117,291)
Interest expense																	0		0		0
Other (income) expense																	(170,193)		(173,990)		(202,489)
Net (loss) income before income tax expense																	40,557		63,951		85,198
Equity in income (loss) of subsidiaries																	0		0		0
Income tax expense																	0		11		12
Net loss																	40,557		63,940		85,186
Other comprehensive income (loss)																	0		0		2,468
Comprehensive loss																	40,557		63,940		87,654
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Financial Statements
Revenue																	478,128		425,729		453,118
Cost of instant ticket revenues, cost of services and cost of sales																	262,791	[10]	225,400	[10]	255,254	[10]
Selling, general and administrative expenses																	58,782		58,623		46,860
Write-down of assets held for sale																					8,029
Employee termination and restructuring costs																	11,502		1,997		602
Depreciation and amortization																	112,137		69,218		69,232
Operating income																	32,916		70,491		73,141
Interest expense																	(1,210)		(1,680)		(2,791)
Other (income) expense																	(15,151)		(20,814)		(11,810)
Net (loss) income before income tax expense																	46,857		89,625		82,160
Equity in income (loss) of subsidiaries																	0		0		0
Income tax expense																	12,025		14,927		36,097
Net loss																	34,832		74,698		46,063
Other comprehensive income (loss)																	28,661		(17,316)		(14,044)
Comprehensive loss																	63,493		57,382		32,019
Eliminating Entries
Condensed Financial Statements
Revenue																	(4,473)		(1,440)		(1,486)
Cost of instant ticket revenues, cost of services and cost of sales																	(8,853)	[10]	(4,517)	[10]	(1,626)	[10]
Selling, general and administrative expenses																	(3,160)		(28)		176
Write-down of assets held for sale																					0
Employee termination and restructuring costs																			0		0
Depreciation and amortization																	0		0		0
Operating income																	7,540		3,105		(36)
Interest expense																	0		0		0
Other (income) expense																	7,540		3,105		(36)
Net (loss) income before income tax expense																	0		0		0
Equity in income (loss) of subsidiaries																	20,499		(120,043)		(100,621)
Income tax expense																	0		0		0
Net loss																	20,499		(120,043)		(100,621)
Other comprehensive income (loss)																	(29,723)		14,344		10,286
Comprehensive loss																	$ (9,224)		$ (105,699)		$ (90,335)

[1] Includes approximately $800 employee termination and restructuring costs due to our exit from the Barcrest analog AWP business and the reorganization of our pub business in an effort to more effectively capitalize on the Barcrest acquisition and the reorganization of our Australia printing operations. Includes approximately $24,000 of accelerated depreciation related to a write-down of gaming terminals and software in our gaming business and certain development costs in our licensed properties business and approximately $5,800 of impairment charges related to underperforming Lottery Systems contracts.

[2] Includes approximately $1,800 employee termination and restructuring costs due to our exit from the Barcrest analog AWP business and the reorganization of our pub business in an effort to more effectively capitalize on the Barcrest acquisition and the reorganization of our Australia printing operations. Includes approximately $6,700 of accelerated depreciation related to a write-down of gaming terminals, approximately $1,900 of accelerated depreciation of equipment related to reorganization of our Australia printing operations and approximately $1,600 of incremental depreciation from the acquisition of Barcrest. Includes a loss on early extinguishment of debt due to the redemption of the 2016 Notes resulting in a charge of approximately $15,500 comprised primarily of the redemption premium and the write-off of previously deferred financing costs.

[3] Includes approximately $6,000 employee termination and restructuring costs due to our exit from the Barcrest analog AWP business and the reorganization of our pub business in an effort to more effectively capitalize on the Barcrest acquisition and the reorganization of our Australia printing operations. Includes approximately $5,800 of accelerated depreciation related to a write-down of certain development costs and obsolete gaming terminals, approximately $2,400 of incremental depreciation from the acquisition of Barcrest and approximately $1,500 of accelerated depreciation of equipment related to the reorganization of our Australia printing operations.

[4] Includes approximately $2,900 employee termination and restructuring costs due to our exit from the Barcrest analog AWP business and the reorganization of our pub business in an effort to more effectively capitalize on the Barcrest acquisition.

[5] Includes approximately $1,000 employee termination and restructuring costs as a result of our cost reduction initiatives related to the integration of Barcrest.

[6] Includes approximately $1,000 employee termination and restructuring costs as a result of our cost reduction initiatives related to our migration to a new back-end technology platform. Includes a loss on early extinguishment of long-term debt of approximately $4,200 resulting from the write-off of deferred financing fees related to the August Amendment.

[7] Includes approximately $1,200 accelerated depreciation of our Gaming back-end technology platform as a result of the business's migration to a new technology.

[8] Includes approximately $5,200 accelerated depreciation of our Gaming back-end technology platform as a result of the business's migration to a new technology.

[9] Total revenue from international customers for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010 was $495,427, $453,057 and $411,860, respectively.

[10] Exclusive of depreciation and amortization.