Participation Games to Premiere Exclusively at PPE Properties Throughout North America

WAUKEGAN, Ill. & CARSON CITY, Nev.
Aug. 22, 2001

    WMS Gaming Inc., a subsidiary of WMS Industries Inc. (NYSE: WMS), announced it
has acquired Carson City-based Big Foot Software Research and Development, Inc., a designer of wide area gaming systems and other proprietary client-server software applications.

    The strategic acquisition, which was initially announced on the Company's year-end earnings conference call on August 8, 2001, supplements WMS' internal efforts to launch its own wide area progressive system. The Company expects the first wide area progressive system to be submitted for regulatory approval in Fall 2002, making products available to its customers later in Fiscal Year 2003 after extensive lab and field testing. Financial terms of the
acquisition were not disclosed.

    Big Foot Software was founded in 1997 and its principals include Rory Block, Vice President - Programming, John Beatty, Vice President - Database Services and Assistant Secretary and Jean Courey Brown, Vice President - Product Development and Assistant Treasurer. The´acquisition was finalized in July 2001 at which time Big Foot became a
wholly-owned subsidiary of WMS Gaming Inc.

    "Big Foot's principals have a proven record of designing and developing unique proprietary client server systems, including wide area progressive systems currently operating in many casinos in major gaming jurisdictions. Big Foot is already working on new design specifications for a revolutionary, next generation wide area progressive system that will be unique to WMS and they will also focus on the development of our future technology systems," commented Brian R. Gamache, President and Chief Executive Officer of WMS Industries Inc. "The experienced team of developers at Big Foot adds further depth and bench strength to our product development team, positioning us well for our future growth."

    "Having observed WMS' development as a leading gaming supplier over the last few years, we are excited to be joining the team and expect to add to the breadth of their engineering talents," commented Jean Courey Brown, Vice President - Product Development and Assistant Treasurer for Big Foot Software. "By joining with WMS, we will be able
to totally rewrite the specifications for a comprehensive progressive system which we believe can be the new state-of-the-art system for the gaming industry. This new system will help round out WMS' product line, and with the renowned, creative game development talent at WMS, we hope to bring casino patrons a highly entertaining and rewarding experience. We look forward to helping WMS provide a broader line of products to its customers."

    WMS Gaming is headquartered in Waukegan, IL (847/785-3000) with regional offices in all major domestic gaming jurisdictions, as well as Barcelona, Spain, Johannesburg, South Africa and Sydney, Australia.

    WMS Gaming Inc., a subsidiary of WMS Industries Inc., designs, manufactures and markets video and reel-spinning gaming devices and video lottery terminals.

    This press release contains certain forward-looking statements concerning future business conditions and the outlook for the Company based on currently available information that involve risks and uncertainties. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward looking statements as a result of certain risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, the financial strength of the gaming industry, the expansion of legalized gaming into new markets and legislative and regulatory changes in existing gaming markets, the development, introduction and success of new games and new technologies and the ability to maintain the scheduling of such introductions, the ability of the Company to qualify for and maintain gaming licenses and approvals and other risks more fully described under "--Factors Affecting Future Performance" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K.
 

CONTACT: 

WMS Gaming Inc., Waukegan
Molly D. Sandberg
847/785-3000 
msandberg@wmsgaming.com
 - or -
Jaffoni & Collins Incorporated, New York
Joseph Jaffoni, Richard Land 
212/835-8500 
wms@jcir.com