Jon Yarbrough turned an early fascination with coin-operated games into Video Gaming Technologies, built a leading supplier to tribal casinos and sold the company for roughly $1.3 billion in 2014. [1][2][3]
A college foosball table became an early lesson in recurring revenue
While studying engineering at Tennessee Tech, Yarbrough placed his foosball table in a local game parlor and split the proceeds with the operator. He later described watching customers line up to pay for games as the moment that made the economics of coin-operated entertainment click for him. [1][2]
After college he spent time in arcade-game distribution and eventually founded Video Gaming Technologies in 1991. The business focused on gaming machines and systems rather than relying on a preexisting family company or inherited operating assets. [1][3]
VGT found its strongest niche in Class II gaming for tribal casinos. Inc. reported that the company moved early into Oklahoma's touchscreen-machine market and used a slimmer cabinet design that let casinos fit more machines into the same amount of floor space. [2]
A specialized casino supplier grew into a billion-dollar exit
By the time Aristocrat agreed to acquire VGT in 2014, the company had become a leading provider of Class II gaming technology with a recurring-revenue leasing model and deep relationships with tribal customers across North America. [3]
Forbes says the 2014 sale was worth about $1.3 billion. Yarbrough has since managed investments in areas including real estate and technology through his family office, extending the wealth beyond the original gaming-company exit. [1]
Sources for background
Sources reviewed Oct 8, 2026.
- Jon Yarbrough · Forbes · Mar 10, 2026
- The Number 1 Company · Inc. · Nov 1, 2005
- Aristocrat to acquire Video Gaming Technologies · Aristocrat Leisure · Jul 7, 2014
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