IGT continues the Wheel of Fortune legacy with new expansions into video poker , ETGs and VLTs
Fortune
Favors the Bold
IGT continues the Wheel of Fortune legacy with new expansions into video poker , ETGs and VLTs
By Jess Marquez
Ten years after the launch of Jeopardy ! in 1964 , legendary television producer Merv Griffin had another idea — what do you get if you mix the puzzle-solving game of hangman with the chance elements of roulette ? The answer , as the nation first saw on January 6 , 1975 , consisted of three simple words that have embedded themselves into American lore : Wheel ! Of ! Fortune !
In the subsequent half-century , the show has become a seminal piece of pop culture , a comforting mainstay that has transcended multiple generations . Each of the 7,400-plus episodes has elicited a range of emotions for viewers across the country , including the thrill of correct puzzle guesses , the silliness of off-the-wall flubs and anguish over every “ Bankrupt ” spin .
By the late ’ 80s and early ’ 90s , the success of the show and the growth of the U . S . casino industry began to make the two sides increasingly attractive to each other . As the story goes , the collaboration was set in motion when former IGT Chairman Charles Mathewson struck up a conversation with an executive from Sony Pictures Television at an awards dinner . The partnership was not an easy sell , as there had never been a licensed commercial slot theme at that point . Gaming itself also carried much more of a negative stigma than it does today .
But ultimately , the vision came together , and by 1996 , the first IGT- Wheel crossover game — a simple three-reel mechanical game with the show ’ s theme — was launched , albeit without a wheel . That key piece had already been patented by Anchor Gaming , and at first IGT opted to lease the technology before ultimately acquiring Anchor outright in 2001 for $ 1.1 billion . From there , the Wheel of Fortune slot brand took off at full speed , and has become cemented as the most iconic game series the industry has seen .
IGT has produced more than 250 iterations of Wheel games , and the series has paid out over $ 3.5 billion in jackpots , including 1,100 jackpots of at least $ 1 million . By comparison , the show itself has given away approximately $ 325 million during its lifetime , meaning the slot series is 10 times as valuable . Last June , IGT extended its licensing rights deal with Sony for another 10 years , providing players with more Wheel games through at least 2034 .
Moving forward , the next chapter of the Wheel franchise will include new simultaneous launches in video poker , video lottery terminals ( VLTs ) and electronic table games ( ETGs ).
Wheel of Fortune Poker
18 Global Gaming Business SEPTEMBER 2024