Gaming equipment group International Game Technology Plc (IGT) says it is extending its “Wheel of Fortune” theme to other gaming products it makes.
The theme will be applied to certain “video poker, electronic table games (ETGs) and video lottery terminals (VLTs),” stated the company in a Tuesday release.
Wheel of Fortune is a trademarked intellectual property based on the popular American television game show and was introduced nearly 30 years ago to IGT’s slot machine range.
The fresh products, along with 11 new Wheel of Fortune slot games and three new Wheel of Fortune slot cabinets, will make their international trade show debut at the Global Gaming Expo (G2E), from October 7 to 10, in Las Vegas, Nevada, in the United States.
Nick Khin, IGT president for global gaming, was cited in the update as saying: “In introducing the Wheel of Fortune brand to our video poker, ETG and VLT product portfolios, we’re giving our customers incremental opportunities to expand the reach of the player-favourite brand and its jackpot-paying legacy.”
According to the release, IGT’s Wheel of Fortune slots range was launched in 1996.
The company said in its update, that since the theme’s debut, IGT had paid out “nearly US$3.6 billion in jackpots and minted more than 1,200 millionaires” in U.S. dollars terms.
IGT announced last year that it had extended its licensing agreement with Sony Pictures Television to continue producing Wheel of Fortune games via a contract that extends through to 2034.
The new non-slot products using the television show theme include “Wheel of Fortune Video Poker,” on IGT’s CrystalCurve and PeakSlant49 cabinets.
The multi-hand poker game is available in triple-play, five-play and 10-play configurations and can award players 30,000, 50,000 or 100,000 credits, respectively, for a dealt royal flush.
An ETG application for Wheel of Fortune is via IGT’s GameAce product SolutionW. It has a wheel that can extend up to 120 inches in diameter.
When the game’s ‘Wheel Bonus’ or ‘Puzzle Board’ features are triggered, the product’s multi-pointer wheel will spin, creating a high-visibility spectacle, much like a wheel spin on the TV game show, stated the gaming supplier.
IGT’s Wheel of Fortune product for VLT – offered on the firm’s latest Sierra 27 terminal – is said to feature the largest VLT game casino-floor footprint in North America, and uses “proven math and mechanics,” said the company.
In terms of the slot segment long connected to the Wheel of Fortune theme, the 11 new games include “Wheel of Fortune Cash Link Big Money” on the new Wheel of Fortune Trio cabinet.
There is also “Wheel of Fortune Cash Link Reels Double Diamond”. The stepper product is offered on the DiamondRS Wheel cabinet, and is part of the company’s new ‘Ultra Link’ wide-area progressive network that will include a “US$1.125-million progressive jackpot reset”.
The Cash Link feature on those two games involves a Cash Link Multiplier that can award up to 35x and free games.
