Selected Quarterly Financial Data, Unaudited (Details) (USD $) Share data in Millions, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended																12 Months Ended							3 Months Ended													12 Months Ended		3 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013		Sep. 30, 2013		Jun. 30, 2013		Mar. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012		Sep. 30, 2012		Jun. 30, 2012		Mar. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2012 Barcrest Analog AWP Business [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Barcrest Analog AWP Business [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Barcrest Analog AWP Business [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Barcrest Analog AWP Business [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Technology and Gaming [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Technology and Gaming [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Undeployed Gaming Terminals [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Lottery contracts	Dec. 31, 2013 WMS Acquisition	Sep. 30, 2012 Barcrest	Jun. 30, 2012 Barcrest	Dec. 31, 2011 Barcrest	Dec. 31, 2013 Integrating Scientific Games and WMS WMS Acquisition	Dec. 31, 2013 Integrating Scientific Games and WMS WMS Acquisition	Dec. 31, 2013 Exit provoloto instant game operations in Mexico	Sep. 30, 2012 Australia printing operations	Jun. 30, 2012 Australia printing operations	Dec. 31, 2013 Other restructuring plans	Sep. 30, 2012 Senior subordinated notes due in 2016
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Revenue	$ 401,900,000	[1]	$ 234,400,000	[2]	$ 235,000,000	[3]	$ 219,600,000	[4]	$ 246,800,000	[5]	$ 224,600,000	[6]	$ 226,000,000	[7]	$ 231,200,000	[8]	$ 1,090,900,000	[9]	$ 928,600,000	[9]	$ 865,900,000	[9]	$ 870,500,000									$ 144,700,000
Total cost of instant ticket revenues, services and sales	207,100,000	[1]	126,500,000	[2]	133,400,000	[3]	124,700,000	[4]	135,600,000	[5]	126,900,000	[6]	125,600,000	[7]	130,200,000	[8]	591,700,000		518,300,000		481,700,000											63,800,000
Selling, general and administrative	127,300,000	[1]	45,600,000	[2]	44,700,000	[3]	48,800,000	[4]	48,900,000	[5]	42,200,000	[6]	44,700,000	[7]	43,600,000	[8]	266,400,000		179,400,000		172,900,000											47,500,000
Research and development	21,300,000	[1]	1,400,000	[2]	1,400,000	[3]	1,900,000	[4]	1,500,000	[5]	1,600,000	[6]	1,800,000	[7]	1,700,000	[8]	26,000,000		6,600,000		6,100,000											19,100,000
Employee termination and restructuring	22,400,000	[1]	0	[2]	0	[3]	300,000	[4]	800,000	[5]	1,800,000	[6]	5,700,000	[7]	2,300,000	[8]	22,700,000		10,600,000		2,000,000			800,000	1,800,000	6,000,000	2,900,000					5,300,000									17,100,000
Depreciation and amortization	91,300,000	[1]	35,200,000	[2]	43,100,000	[3]	32,800,000	[4]	49,900,000	[5]	35,600,000	[6]	36,800,000	[7]	28,500,000	[8]	202,400,000		150,800,000		111,000,000											40,100,000
Operating (loss) income	(67,500,000)	[1]	25,700,000	[2]	12,400,000	[3]	11,100,000	[4]	10,100,000	[5]	16,500,000	[6]	11,400,000	[7]	24,900,000	[8]	(18,300,000)		62,900,000		92,200,000
Net loss from continuing operations	(500,000)	[1]	(400,000)	[2]	(12,400,000)	[3]	(12,300,000)	[4]	(12,400,000)	[5]	(24,500,000)	[6]	(10,900,000)	[7]	3,900,000	[8]	(25,600,000)		(43,900,000)		(5,800,000)		(144,400,000)
Net loss from discontinued operations	(3,000,000)	[1]	(100,000)	[2]	(600,000)	[3]	(900,000)	[4]	(12,300,000)	[5]	(2,600,000)	[6]	(1,700,000)	[7]	(2,100,000)	[8]	(4,600,000)		(18,700,000)		(6,800,000)
Net loss	(3,500,000)	[1]	(500,000)	[2]	(13,000,000)	[3]	(13,200,000)	[4]	(24,700,000)	[5]	(27,100,000)	[6]	(12,600,000)	[7]	1,800,000	[8]	(30,200,000)		(62,600,000)		(12,600,000)														(500,000)
Basic and diluted earnings per share:
Basic from continuing operations (in dollars per share)	$ (0.01)	[1]	$ (0.01)	[2]	$ (0.14)	[3]	$ (0.15)	[4]	$ (0.15)	[5]	$ (0.27)	[6]	$ (0.12)	[7]	$ 0.04	[8]	$ (0.30)		$ (0.49)		$ (0.06)
Basic from discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	$ (0.03)	[1]	$ 0.00	[2]	$ (0.01)	[3]	$ (0.01)	[4]	$ (0.14)	[5]	$ (0.03)	[6]	$ (0.02)	[7]	$ (0.02)	[8]	$ (0.06)		$ (0.21)		$ (0.08)
Total net loss per share (in dollars per share)	$ (0.04)	[1]	$ (0.01)	[2]	$ (0.15)	[3]	$ (0.16)	[4]	$ (0.29)	[5]	$ (0.30)	[6]	$ (0.14)	[7]	$ 0.02	[8]	$ (0.36)		$ (0.70)		$ (0.14)
Diluted from continuing operations (in dollars per share)	$ (0.01)	[1]	$ (0.01)	[2]	$ (0.14)	[4]	$ (0.15)	[4]	$ (0.15)	[5]	$ (0.27)	[6]	$ (0.12)	[7]	$ 0.04	[8]	$ (0.30)		$ (0.49)		$ (0.06)
Diluted from discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	$ (0.03)	[1]	$ 0.00	[2]	$ (0.01)	[4]	$ (0.01)	[4]	$ (0.14)	[5]	$ (0.03)	[6]	$ (0.02)	[7]	$ (0.02)	[8]	$ (0.06)		$ (0.21)		$ (0.08)
Total diluted net loss per share (in dollars per share)	$ (0.04)	[1]	$ (0.01)	[2]	$ (0.15)	[4]	$ (0.16)	[4]	$ (0.29)	[5]	$ (0.30)	[6]	$ (0.14)	[7]	$ 0.02	[8]	$ (0.36)		$ (0.70)		$ (0.14)
Weighted-average number of shares used in per share calculations:
Basic shares (in shares)	85.2	[1]	85.1	[2]	85.0	[3]	84.6	[4]	84.9	[5]	90.0	[6]	92.8	[7]	92.5	[8]	85.0		90.0		92.1
Diluted shares (in shares)	85.2	[1]	85.1	[2]	85.0	[3]	84.6	[4]	84.9	[5]	90.0	[6]	92.8	[7]	94.2	[8]	85.0		90.0		92.1
Acquisition-related costs expensed	11,100,000		2,800,000		2,700,000		4,400,000
Asset impairment charge																	3,400,000		3,100,000		6,400,000										5,800,000
Accelerated depreciation expense					8,700,000																							24,000,000	5,800,000	6,700,000
Restructuring, accelerated depreciation expense																																				4,600,000	4,600,000	3,100,000	1,900,000	1,500,000
Incremental depreciation																																	1,600,000	2,400,000
Loss on early extinguishment of long-term debt																																										$ (15,500,000)

[1] Reflects operating results of WMS from the acquisition date to December 31, 2013 including $144.7 million of revenue, $63.8 million of costs of services and product sales, $47.5 million of SG&A, $19.1 million of R&D, $5.3 million of employee termination and restructuring costs, and $40.1 million of depreciation and amortization. Results for the three months ended December 31, 2013 also included an additional $17.1 million of employee termination and restructuring costs which are described in Note 4 (Restructuring Plans). Depreciation and amortization also includes $4.6 million of accelerated depreciation and amortization related to obsolete gaming machine software and $3.1 million of accelerated depreciation and amortization related to the exit from our instant lottery game operations in Mexico. SG&A also includes $11.1 million acquisition-related fees and expenses.

[2] Includes $2.8 million of acquisition-related fees and expenses.

[3] Includes $2.7 million of acquisition-related fees and expenses, and $8.7 million of depreciation related to a write-down of used gaming machines and accelerated depreciation related to our change in the estimated useful lives of our gaming machine fixed assets.

[4] Includes $4.4 million of acquisition-related fees and expenses.

[5] Includes $0.8 million employee termination and restructuring costs due to our exit from the Barcrest analog AWP business and the reorganization of our pub business and the reorganization of our Australia printing operations. Includes $24.0 million of accelerated depreciation related to a write-down of gaming machines and software in our gaming business and certain development costs in our licensed properties business and $5.8 million of impairment charges related to underperforming Lottery Systems contracts.

[6] Includes $1.8 million employee termination and restructuring costs due to our exit from the Barcrest analog AWP business and the reorganization of our pub business and the reorganization of our Australia printing operations. Includes $6.7 million of accelerated depreciation related to a write-down of gaming machines, $1.9 million of accelerated depreciation of equipment related to reorganization of our Australia printing operations and $1.6 million 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 $15.5 million comprised primarily of the redemption premium and the write-off of previously deferred financing costs.

[7] Includes $6.0 million employee termination and restructuring costs due to our exit from the Barcrest analog AWP business and the reorganization of our pub business and the reorganization of our Australia printing operations. Includes $5.8 million of accelerated depreciation related to a write-down of certain development costs and obsolete gaming machines, $2.4 million of incremental depreciation from the acquisition of Barcrest and $1.5 million of accelerated depreciation of equipment related to the reorganization of our Australia printing operations.

[8] Includes $2.9 million employee termination and restructuring costs due to our exit from the Barcrest analog AWP business and the reorganization of our pub business.

[9] Total revenue from international customers for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011 was $531.1 million, $483.4 million and $440.2 million, respectively.