IGT Wheel of Fortune Slots Court Case

After over 2 decades in land-based slot gaming, IGT’s Wheel of Fortune slot is now the subject of a legal case claiming the game is misleading! (Image Courtesy of igtjackpots.com)

IGT is one of the UK’s longest-running land-based and online casino game developers. The brand is now possibly facing a legal challenge due to its Wheel of Fortune slots.

According to a group of players seeking compensation, the land-based version of the slot game is misleading. This is not just a few players formally making a complaint, but also operators.

The official statement is that the game tricks players into thinking they have a chance of winning when, in fact, the chances are slim. The slot machine uses a random number generator to produce results, but the issue isn’t with the RNG.

Players and operators involved in the claim say that the game makes players think each segment has an equal opportunity of landing, as with the original Wheel of Fortune TV show the game derives from.

Yet, the game mechanics or RNG on IGT’s Wheel of Fortune slot does not allow for every segment to have an equal chance of winning.

In other words, if you are playing a live casino game like Monopoly Live, every segment has an equal chance of landing. Also, the presenter spins the wheel manually. Conversely, IGT’s Wheel of Fortune game does not follow these laws of physics by using the RNG to prevent each segment from having an equal chance of winning.

And here lies the problem. If IGT did allow the segments to land naturally, then the game would lose money. Hence, the RNG, while the theme, is just there to give players a Wheel of Fortune TV game show look and feel. As a result, the slot is apparently deceiving the players.

The Success of IGT’s Wheel of Fortune

It is the Wheel of Fortune line of online slot machines that is partly responsible for the success of IGT as a casino gaming entertainment company.

The company started in 1975 under the helm of William Redd. Redd initially got into machine tech during his early college years, renting jukeboxes and pinball machines.

His switch to casino gaming saw him begin a line of mechanical video poker-style machines. It proved to be a successful venture that saw him grow IGT into a brand that is now listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) with a market cap of over USD 4 billion.

It was after its NYSE listing that the company acquired gaming brands like Barcrest and iSoftBet. However, IGT has since sold Barcrest to Scientific Gaming.

In the midst of the gambling entertainment brand’s rise, there was a game that stood out. It was its Wheel of Fortune land-based slot title released in 1996.

It was an instant hit among slot players in Vegas, Atlantic City, and in UK land-based casinos. Although IGT was already on the map for its innovative release of one of the first land-based progressive jackpot networks, Megabucks, it was the Wheel of Fortune slot machine that solidified the brand name IGT as a significant player in casino gaming development.

Popular IGT Wheel of Fortune Online Slots

You can play  the Wheel of Fortune Slots for Free Here on Casinplusbonus

Free Play Demo Slots

Does the Claim Have Credibility for the Demise of IGT’s Wheel of Fortune Slot?

If it were just a few punters who were soar losers, then I’d probably have just moved past this news report. Yet, in my opinion, when operators also agree with the players, then there has to be some credence behind the claim.

According to news sources, Penn, Bally’s and MGM are three of the major operators that have joined four players to seek out compensation. From what I can make out of the claim, the operators are assisting the plaintiffs, so IGT compensates them for their losses.

Yet, there is just one problem with their claim. IGT cannot distribute slot machines without first passing local laws. With so many checks on slot machines to ensure they produce fair results and don’t mislead players, I find it hard to believe this matter goes to court.

On the other hand, IGT will likely want to settle the case to avoid bad publicity. Then again, some people say that even bad publicity is good publicity. If the news goes viral, the name Wheel of Fortune slot machine will be etched in the minds of video slot players.

I feel IGT will just pay the players and operator to go away. Yet, the issue with that is, does that mean the company is admitting fault and then has to take down the entire line of the version of its Wheel of Fortune game?

What do I think? It’s just a bunch of soar losers who over-gambled and want their money back. Probably high-rollers with some influence over the operators also claim the game is misleading. If they had any common sense, they would know the game’s RNG is set up not to follow the laws of physics.