Spin N Win: High Rollin' on the High Seas

Twenty years ago in 1996, slot manufacturer IGT (International Game Technologies) introduced their popular Wheel of Fortune Slot Machine to the gaming world. Those wheels are spinning still. The game quickly became the favorite of gamers everywhere, particularly little old ladies. Based on the popular TV game show of the same name, the launch cemented IGT’s hold in wide area progressive technology and turned thousands of players into instant millionaires. Many claim it is the most popular slot game of all time, and more than 200 variations can be found in more than 20 countries around the world. The game has awarded more than $3 billion in jackpots and created more than a thousand millionaires according to Casino Journal. Makes you dizzy just thinking of it!

If you aren’t familiar with the old song that inspired the slot, pause a minute and watch the video before reading on.

Wheel fans can celebrate the 20th anniversary of the IGT game in a variety of ways this year. The slot manufacturer and Carnival Cruise Lines are rewarding players with a variety of special promotions to celebrate the anniversary. Wheel watchers have a chance to win free cruises along with a variety of other exciting giveaways throughout 2016. Cruise shipboard events throughout 2016 include games and themed on-board activities every sailing. Passengers will all spin the popular on-board wheel whose stops include a wide range of prizes, everything from Carnival logo items to scratch-off games where some lucky guests will win up to $30,000. One big prize that can be won on the ship’s lucky wheel is an entry into the $200,000 Spin N Sail slot tournament in November.

Throughout 2016, Carnival and IGT’s partner casinos will be giving away hundreds of free cruises on their Carnival Magic liner. All winners of the cruise will participate in the onboard Spin N Sail slot tournament featuring IGT’s Wheel of Fortune slot machines during the 8 day Caribbean cruise in November 2016. The $200,000 prize pool provided by IGT includes a $100,000 grand prize to be taken home by one lucky winner. IGT customers across the USA and Canada will host qualifying events where winners are awarded the free cruise for two, a prize that an entry into the grand finale tournament. I am sure the news media and casino promotion materials will provide details as it becomes available.

Already TV hosts Pat Sajak and Vanna White have been on location taping customized segments of the anniversary show aboard a Carnival Cruise Line ship to air during Spin N Sail week. Prizes during that week March 21 - 25 will include cruises to exotic destinations such as the Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii and Alaska. But you don’t have to be a contestant on the show to win. Viewers are encouraged to watch the TV show Wheel of Fortune during “Spin N Sail Week” and enter each night’s bonus puzzle solution at wheeloffortune.com Twenty winning entries will be selected to win the eight-day Carnival Cruise aboard the Carnival Magic and a guaranteed spot in the $200,000 tournament. Who knows? It could be you! And if it is, you might even be the lucky slot spinner to win the $100,000 grand prize!

Here’s another YouTube videos to bring back memories of fun on the high seas and to put you in the mood to win this year’s 20th Anniversary Spin N Sail slot tournament.  Enjoy.

G2E Preview - Part 5: IGT

This July the Italian gaming equipment company, GTECH, acquired London based IGT for $6.4 billion. Retaining the familiar name IGT, the new company, now officially called International Game Technology PLC after the merger, is sure to draw a large crowd at G2E this month. Look for them at Booth #2139 at the Sands Convention Center. Here’s some of what you can expect to see there.

IGT

igt.com

G2E Booth #2139

When they think of IGT, most people think of Wheel of Fortune. IGT launched the popular Wheel of Fortune slots in 1996. It is said to be the most successful slot of all time, making 1,000 millionaires and paying out over $3 billion in jackpots throughout its history. There are more than 200 variations of the game in more than 200 countries.

This August 30, a new millionaire was crowned at Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas, known only at James M. The anonymous winner’s game, Wheel of Fortune Double Diamond, paid him $1,271,032. No wonder everybody wants to take a chance on the big wheel! The game that James M. won his million dollar prize on combined the popular Wheel with IGT’s long lasting signature game Double Diamonds. Double Diamonds was introduced by IGT in 1989, and it is the favorite of older gamers everywhere.

This year IGT’s will showcase its newest 3D combination of both of its winning concepts in  Wheel of Fortune Double Diamonds 3D.  No 3-D glasses are needed to play this game. The company is expanding its 3D series with two new titles: Wheel of Fortune Gold Spins Double Diamonds, and Wheel of Fortune New Orleans with Mardi Gras inspired game play.

Here’s something IGT has for you younger viewers. The company is continuing its tradition of bringing pop culture’s most touted licensed brands to the casino and convention floor. They are partnering with the number one brand in entertainment news to create TMZ Video Slots. I have to confess I didn’t know what TMZ was, but I’ve looked it up, and you can even watch it on YouTube if you like. TMZ has been a popular source of celebrity news for a decade. IGT claims this interactive theme will introduce never-before-seen gaming technology, putting players in the middle of one of TV’s most famous newsrooms and on tour to several hot Hollywood celebrity hangouts. 

IGT will also introduce Netflix’s most watched series with House of Cards Power and Money Video Slots and House of Cards Welcome to Washington . There are also some new Orange is the New Black and Avatar games to look for at G2E.  Ellen DeGeneres will have a new game too, Have a Little Fun. I hope you do,

Another cornerstone of IGT Success is Video Poker. I have a lengthy post you can link to published on May 19 titled Mega Progressive Video Poker if you are interested in the history of Video Poker and Bally’s big mistake giving away the game. At G2E you’ll want to see Ultimate X Poker Tournament Game in IGT’s dedicated in-booth tournament arena. The company will lead dynamic demonstrations  of its products under IGT’s premium tournament technology line, TournXtreme. If Video Poker is your game, be sure to stop by Booth #2139 and check it out.

Class II games and live and electronic table games (ETGs) from LT Game, a subsidiary of Paradise Entertainment, will also all have dedicated areas in IGT’s booth.

Desktop and mobile gaming are not being neglected by IGT. In addition to the new online poker, casino, sports betting, and bingo platforms, the company will demonstrate OnPremise, an integrated mobile technology solution that enables players to wager via a single mobile app anytime within set boundaries. Their Play-for-Fun solution allows players to play with virtual currency, positioning them for the expansion of the Real Money Gaming segment. IGT will be spotlighting its Double Down Casino. The future isn’t just coming. It’s here.

Still to come are Konami, Scientific Games, and Video King. Stay tuned for more G2E Previews.