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Quarter of the century of Wheel of Fortune Slots
IGT Celebrates 25 Years of Wheel of Fortune Slots
Staff Writer 07/19/2021 Blog No Comments 24

Who would have thought that the Wheel of Fortune video slot will celebrate its silver anniversary one day? We are positive that IGT and Sony Pictures Television could not have dreamt of a better outcome when they released the original game back in 1196 in Reno, Nevada.

Now, 25 years later, there are more than 250 versions of the popular game. More than 1,100 players have become millionaires, thanks to the Wheel of Fortune Progressive Jackpot, and over $3.3bn has been paid out in jackpot prizes up until now.

Finally, the record-setting jackpot of 14.4 million has been paid out to a gamer in Biloxi, Mississippi in 2009. All of this and much more made IGT organize a fantastic “25 Weeks of Wheel of Fortune Slots” promotion, which comes with giveaways, promotions in casinos, weekly contests, and much more. A perfect celebration for its 25th anniversary.

How It All Started

Back in 1996, Wheel of Fortune seen the light of day for the first time in Reno, thanks to the good people of IGT. The slot game is themed after one of the most popular TV game shows in the United States of America, called Wheel of Fortune, created by Merv Griffin. The original video slot included the same characters as the ones from the TV show, both the host and the hostess.

In the last 25 years, the video slot helped both the players and the owners earn a lot of money. Thanks to this particular game, IGT made a name in the iGaming industry, while the concept became extremely popular among players worldwide, especially in the US. Over the years, new games appeared, but each time a new video slot was released, it immediately had a vast audience, so it was bound to success.

No wonder IGT has released more than 250 versions of the game up until now. Believe us when we tell you that they will not stop there and that we can expect plenty of new titles in the following 25 years.

For a quarter of a century, we are hearing the famous Wheel-Of-Fortune sound every time we start playing any of the games. The IGT product is also known as the millionaire-making machine, with more than 1,100 millionaires up until now. That is probably why it is considered to be one of the most popular video slot themes of all time.

Popular Versions of Wheel of Fortune

As you already know, there are more than 250 versions of the Wheel of Fortune video slot, both for land-based casinos and online play. We will not waste your time speaking about all of them, we will mention only a few that we consider as the most popular in the group.

Wheel of Fortune Triple Extreme Spin with 720 ways to win comes with 5 reels and Multiway Xtra, which means that the game pays both left to right and vice versa. Another popular game is Wheel of Fortune – Hollywood Edition. Next in line is the Wheel of Fortune Ruby Riches, with 30 paylines, and the Cash Link Deluxe feature.

If you want to enjoy sunny beaches and sip cocktails while hitting the Spin button, try the Wheel of Fortune Hawaiian Getaway, with 25 paylines, free spins, the Jackpot Bonus, and the Pointer Frenzy feature. Wheel of Fortune Exotic Far East offers Powerbucks and Cash Link. The last game we will mention was released at the beginning of 2021 by BTGWheel of Fortune Megaways. The game offers Wild Megastacks, free spins, and extending reels. Here, players can enjoy up to 1,000,000 ways to win.

How Will They Celebrate the Silver Anniversary?

This is where things become interesting because there will be 25 weeks of Giveaways Sweepstakes, starting from June 2021 all the way through December 2021. It will be straightforward to enter the competition, just remember that you need to be a resident of the United States of America and Canada. Next, you have to be a Facebook user or an Instagram user, and over 21 years of age.

All you need to do is answer their weekly question posted on Facebook and Instagram, and that is all. Five random winners will be selected every week, and they get weekly prizes, but also a chance to win the ultimate prize. The top reward of the contest is a trip to Los Angeles, valued at $5,000.

Apart from weekly contests online, players should expect a series of surprises in the land-based casinos as well, including trivia, game spotlights, and giveaways, which will include plenty of Wheel of Fortune collectibles. Finally, during the entire year, there will be new releases both for land-based and online play. So, IGT will dedicate the entire year to celebrate the silver anniversary.

What Can We Expect In the Following 25 Years?

Truly, Wheel of Fortune is considered to be the pop culture icon of IGT and has really changed the video slot industry in the last 25 years. Wheel of Fortune video slots are extremely popular in America and have helped IGT to become one of the industry giants. The WoF series inspired so many software providers to create their iconic games in order to compete against IGT on the iGaming market.

So, we can say with certainty that Wheel of Fortune influenced the industry a lot because if it weren’t for its immense popularity, we might not have other engaging video slots. We have already heard that IGT is planning to release new Wheel of Fortune video slots in 2021. It only goes to prove that there is no need to change the winning formula, you only add a bit more ingredients, and you are bound for success.

There are so many titles heading our way. There is no doubt about that. IGT will surprise us with a new product every now and then because Wheel of Fortune is not a brand that will perish any time soon. We reckon that gamers will enjoy Wheel of Fortune video slots for at least 25 years more.

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