Consumer >> CEO Interviews >> November 30, 1998
GORDON T. GRAVES is Chairman and CEO of Multimedia Games, Inc. Mr.
Graves designed airborne computer systems for Litton Industries in the
late 50s and early 60s, and was Director of Engineering for avionics for
Teledyne, Inc., during the late 60s. In the early 70s, as Vice President
and Manager of the Advanced Products Laboratories, he guided the
development of the first airborne LORAN navigation system using
microprocessors. In the late 70s, he became President and CEO of
Datatrol, Inc., a Massachusetts company building credit authorization
and point of sale systems for the retail department store and banking
industries. Mr. Graves led Datatrol into the lottery computer systems
business and the company developed the first lotto computer system in
1977. In 1981, Datatrol's lottery business was sold to a group of
investors led by Richard Rainwater and the Bass Brothers and the entity
was renamed GTECH. Mr. Graves subsequently founded Syntech International
Inc., which introduced the first customer operated lottery terminals.
Controlling interest of Syntech was sold to International Game
Technology (IGT) in 1986, and Mr. Graves was one of the key architects
of the IGT Mega Bucks System. In 1986, Mr. Graves was awarded a patent
for an Interactive Video Gaming System and he received the Public Gaming
Research Institute President's Award for his contributions to the gaming
industry in 1981. In 1988, Mr. Graves and Mr. Robert K. Stern formed
Gamma International and introduced MegaBingo, a closed circuit TV bingo
game for high-stakes Indian halls. Since its inception, MegaBingo has
awarded more than $55 million in prizes. From 1990 through 1993, Mr.
Graves was President and CEO of KDT Industries, a high-tech company
serving the aerospace, railroad and cable TV industries. Mr. Graves was
the original investor and founder of Multimedia Games, Inc., and in
1994, Mr. Graves became CEO of the company. That same year, Multimedia
Games, Inc. acquired the MegaBingo business from Gamma International. He
holds a BSEE degree and an M.B.A. from the University of Texas and is a
past Director of the National Council of Compulsive Gambling. Mr. Graves
in married and has four children. Profile
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