A FAIR SPIN
A nuisance lawsuit targets the bonus on Wheel of Fortune
By Frank Legato
For more than 28 years, slot players have flocked to one game on the floors of their favorite casinos with unfailing enthusiasm. It is arguably the most popular slot game of all time, and it is available in just about any game style one can imagine—from classic mechanical reels to video slots, in cabinets large and small.
You may have guessed by now that I’m talking about IGT’s venerable Wheel of Fortune franchise. First launched in 1996, the franchise has grown to include more than 250 individual titles, all of which have in common one of the first and longest-running bonus features: the spinning of a bonus wheel.
The original wheel was fashioned from a mechanical roulette-style wheel. This and all subsequent versions of the bonus wheel have been styled to resemble the large wheel spun by contestants on the Wheel of Fortune TV game show. In just about every version of the game, the player watches for a “spin” symbol on the reels—it appears on the third reel of the original mechanical reel-spinning version of the game—and hears the famous audience chant from the game show, “Wheel… of… Fortune!”
The primary-game reel-spinning pauses while the bonus wheel atop the reels spins, dramatically slowing down to a “clicking” sound similar to a Big 6 wheel, until stopping on a slice, displaying a credit award typically ranging as high as 1,000 credits.
Like every casino slot game, each unit of the Wheel of Fortune game is tested before it ever reaches a casino floor, to confirm the randomness and availability of all possible results. In all these years, there has never been a question as to the fairness of that bonus wheel.
Until now, that is. Four slot players have filed a class-action lawsuit against IGT and five casino companies alleging that the bonus wheel on Wheel of Fortune game is “rigged.”
The lawsuit alleges the bonus wheel’s design is deceptive because it doesn’t operate “pursuant to the laws of physics…. The outcome is predetermined by an internal computer that Defendants have programmed to ensure the wheel stops much more frequently with the indicator pointing at one of the segments with a lower monetary amount.”
In other words, it’s deceptive because, even though its segments are of equal size, they don’t have an equal chance of landing on a certain segment because a computer program controls the outcome of the spin. The lawyers use the example of a roulette wheel, saying gravity and physics should govern the wheel spin, as in roulette or Big 6.
The allegation central to this lawsuit is nonsense.
First of all, the wheel spin is a bonus to the slot game. It is not the primary game, as in roulette or Big 6. The probabilities in roulette are based on the odds of where the ball will land among the 37 pockets in Europe (1-36 plus a zero) or 38 in the U.S. (adding the double zero), and of matching the red or black color. Big 6 has six possible outcomes spread across 52 segments.
The results of these two games are based on pure chance, with payouts determined by the probability of the result on which the player wagers.
Wheel of Fortune, on the other hand, is a slot machine. All results on slot machines, since the early 1980s, are determined by a random number generator (RNG)—a software program in the machine’s computer that cycles through every possible result at a thousand possibilities per second. Each possible result is assigned a number, and higher results are assigned fewer numbers. The RNG is constantly cycling through all numbers, and the computer freezes the number appearing at the instant the “spin” button is touched, and translates it into the corresponding result.
This is how the expected payback percentage, or return to player (RTP) is calculated as a theoretical number that plays out with great accuracy throughout the life of the machine.
The fairness of slot machines is guaranteed by law. While some results are more likely than others, every single result, including the top jackpot, must be available on every spin. In the case of the bonus wheel, the numbers assigned to each reel symbol include numbers that correspond to the “spin” symbol on the third reel—a number for a wheel spin landing on each possible wheel segment, and duplication to ensure the slot game is profitable for the casino. As with the primary game, fewer numbers are assigned to the 1,000-credit wheel slice than, say, the 50- credit wheel slice.
The outcome of the wheel spin is determined the instant the player presses the “spin” button. Everything that happens to match the computer’s result is a show—the spinning of the reels, and in this case, the spinning of the bonus wheel. As a mountain of legal precedent shows, the player’s result is what corresponds to the number generated by the RNG. Judges have consistently held this to be true, even when a malfunction causes the reels to show something different than the computer’s result.
Wheel of Fortune—not to mention the many, many other slots that include a bonus wheel—has operated in the same way for 28 years. The regulatory authorities have approved each of the hundreds of Wheel of Fortune variations as fair, with results that are random within established law.
The plaintiffs are seeking compensatory damages, and an injunction to force the named casinos to take the game off their floors. They will get nothing. This is a nuisance lawsuit, designed to grab money in a settlement.
If you want a sure bet, wager that the first judge that sees this case will promptly dismiss it.
SLOT REEL RESOULTIONS FOR 2025
The new year is here and players around the country may be looking for that first casino getaway of 2025. With that, some may want to think about goals and resolutions when it comes to their own slot play. Here are a few ideas that make for a fun new year of slots.
No visits to the ATM machine – Set that gambling budget and try not to alter from it. Practicing responsible gaming is always the best recipe for hitting a casino.
Play some new games – Getting stuck in a slot rut? Check out some of the great new options mentioned each month in our siter publication, Strictly Slots, and seek them out on that next outing. You may just find a new favorite.
Check out a new locale – Maybe you’re already a regular in Las Vegas or Atlantic City, but there are numerous other popular casino Destinations that can offer plenty of great opportunities. Check out some of the nation’s history between spins in Boston and New England. Hit the beach on the Gulf Coast—or even the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico—and work in some slot play at night. Maybe a trip to the West Coast should be on the agenda as well? A whole world of travel awaits players beyond the casino.
Don’t overdo the cocktails – Gotten just a bit too tipsy while hitting those one-armed bandits? Kick hangovers to the curb and soak in the atmosphere and fun with friends and family a bit more. These can be some real memorable experiences—especially if you come away a winner.
Maximize the fun – Perhaps it’s time to simply dial up the fun. Get the most of those casino trips with some slot play, conversations with others, and more entertainment options like concerts and shows. Add this to the itinerary and look for a great year. Good luck!
