William T. O’Donnell; Ex-Chief of Slot Machine Manufacturer

William T. O’Donnell, 72, former chairman and chief executive officer of Bally Manufacturing Corp. who transformed it from a pinball game maker into the world’s largest manufacturer of slot machines. O’Donnell, who was chairman from 1961 until his retirement in 1980, also led the company into casinos and other entertainment ventures, including lotteries. He started with the Chicago-based firm in 1946, when it was known as Lyon Manufacturing Co., and became general sales manager and a member of the board of directors in 1961. A year later, with several partners, O’Donnell bought the company. Now known as Bally Entertainment Corp., the company has recently been spinning off its slot machine business to Bally Gaming International Inc. of Camden, N.J., to concentrate on its casino and fitness-center businesses. On Tuesday in Palm Desert, of cancer.