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Slot Manufacturer Profile: IGT (Part 4)

Of course, the superstar of this very popular category of slot machines is Wheel of Fortune. Without a doubt, this is one of the biggest fruit machine titles ever – and it is also an IGT game. Who hasn’t seen the famous game show on which it is based, featuring host Pat Sajak and the immortally gorgeous Vanna White? The Wheel of Fortune slot tapped into the theme and excitement of its base material in a way that a gambling device never had before. The game’s bonus round offered players the chance to spin the titular wheel of fortune, the same way that contestants do on the TV show. The wheel’s outcomes have the potential to multiply a player’s winnings.

It’s been more than fifteen years since the rollout of the Wheel of Fortune slot, but its popularity has scarcely diminished. Moreover, its innovative marriage of content (an instantly-recognizable name and features) and presentation has been replicated again and again, both in IGT titles and by pretty much everyone else who makes gambling devices. How many Wheel of Fortune devices a casino has is a pretty good indicator of its size and quality, much the way that a sporting arena might be judged on how many seats, restrooms, and hot dog stands it has within its walls.

Although Wheel of Fortune has been IGT’s monster success to date, it is by now means the company’s only big winner. Capitalizing on the game show theme, IGT has also produced slot machines based on television chestnuts Family Feud, Jeopardy, and The Price Is Right.

Continue to part 5 here.

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