Description of the Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2021
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.
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, $123 million and $125 million in 2021, 2020 and 2019, 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 income (loss) We include and classify in comprehensive income (loss) unrealized gains and losses from our foreign currency translation adjustments, the effective portion of derivative financial instruments designated as hedging instruments, net investment non-derivative hedge of our investments in certain of our international subsidiaries and for our discontinued operations certain gains or losses associated with pension or other post-retirement benefits, including prior service costs or credits and transition assets or obligations.
New Accounting Guidance	New Accounting Guidance - Recently Adopted The FASB issued ASU No. 2021-05, Leases (Topic 842): Lessors – Certain Leases with Variable Lease Payments, on July 19, 2021. The new guidance requires the lessor to classify a lease with variable lease payments that do not depend on an index or a rate as an operating lease at lease commencement if classifying the lease as a sales-type lease or direct financing lease would result in the recognition of a selling loss. We adopted this standard during the third quarter of 2021 on a prospective basis. 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. Based on our preliminary assessment completed to date, we do not expect the adoption of this guidance to have a significant impact 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, 2021

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.

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, $123 million and $125 million in 2021, 2020 and 2019, 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 income (loss)

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

New Accounting Guidance

New Accounting Guidance - Recently Adopted

The FASB issued ASU No. 2021-05, Leases (Topic 842): Lessors – Certain Leases with Variable Lease Payments, on July 19, 2021. The new guidance requires the lessor to classify a lease with variable lease payments that do not depend on an index or a rate as an operating lease at lease commencement if classifying the lease as a sales-type lease or direct financing lease would result in the recognition of a selling loss. We adopted this standard during the third quarter of 2021 on a prospective basis. 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. Based on our preliminary assessment completed to date, we do not expect the adoption of this guidance to have a significant impact 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.