There is no human on the planet who hasn't heard of the Wheel of Fortune show. This show is on air from 1975 on and off to this day. So it is no surprise that it has impacted so many industries over the years. We saw TV shows inspired by it, board games, movies, and TV series where the protagonists are trying to win on the show and many pokies. They could not miss the opportunity to create a fun slot of luck inspired by the most known game of chance in the world, and IGT did it first.

Besides IGT developer, many other providers picked up on it and created pokies inspired by the show. Only a few of them are Mystic, and Super Money Wheel, Money Roll Super Sky, and Big Wheel, etc. And the inspiration doesn't stop here.

All these slots become available online and on the app with no download requirements. Free slots like Wheel of Fortune promise big wins and jackpots, so you'll find many demos. These pokie machines are so popular that many people are trying to find cheats and hacks to win the pokie.

45 Years Ago - Meet the Wheel of Fortune

The world-known show aired on January 6, 1975, on NBC and stayed on air since 1989. After its incredible success, producers paused for a few months to make some necessary updates to the show's format. It was moved on CBS and was on air again in no time. It stayed on this network until 1991.



After that, many other variations of the game were made. There are over 40 known international adaptations of the show with countries like France, Italy, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, and many others following the trend. In 1997, CBS and Game Show Network even aired Wheel 2000, a children's version of the original show. Other shows inspired by the show are Family Feud, The Joker's Wild, and Tic-Tac-Dough. It has released over 7,000 episodes and keeps going.



According to YouGov research data, 96% of Americans have at least heard of it, and 63% of them have a favorable opinion about it, and only 10% have a negative one. Right now, it is the 2nd most popular TV show on the air, right behind Jeopardy and the 7th most known show in America, behind shows like American Idol, Judge Judy, and The Simpsons.

Wheel of Fortune Slot Debut

The TV show was the ideal game to turn into a pokie machine, and International Gaming Technologies picked up on it quickly. In 1996, they released the first slot machine with the same name as the show and marked the beginning of a great type of slot. Why? It was an exciting slot with many skill-based features and thrilling colors and music. These are all the characteristics of a great slot machine.

The original slot machine was played like an ordinary slot with regular reels, but many icons referencing the show, the show's music, and added cheers when the players won. The actual wheel appeared when the players had a chance to win the jackpot. After the player placed their bet and hit the spin button – which was the same as the one on the show – the pokie machine would start spinning. If the player obtained 1 to 3 symbols, then the base game was triggered. This was a very realistic animated slot that was built exactly like the actual studio. It was the way to win the huge progressive jackpot that has gone up to about $1.3 million.



IGT didn't stop at the first version of the pokie machine. There were many adaptations of the slot over the years.

1. Double Diamonds introduced more wild symbols in the pokie in the form of diamonds. They were substituting for all other symbols and doubling the line win, and they gave a 10,000 coins win.

2. Wheel of Fortune 3x4x5x had 3 multipliers. It was also the 1st slot with this theme to introduce multiple paylines.

3. Gold Spin was a video slot with 3 reels and a $10 maximum bet. It also came with 5 progressive Jackpots.

4. Triple Extreme Spin came with 5 reels. The prizes were divided into colors and gave out cash and multipliers. Once lining 5 logo symbols, the jackpot is won.

5. Ultra 5 Reels had curved reels and 3 reels. It came with a huge jackpot. 3 multipliers and scatter symbols. The jackpot is progressive.

6. Double Diamond True 3D game with 3D graphics from the Double Diamonds version and 3 reels. It had an extra mini-game and a huge jackpot. The set contains a wild symbol that can multiply your wins.

7. Triple Diamond was also a 3-reel slot. This time it came with x3 multipliers, which can be gotten by landing wild symbols.

8. New Orleans had different features than the previous ones. But it had an awesome all-ways wins feature. The pokie proposes a progressive jackpot.

9. Winning Wedges came with 4 reels. It had a bonus game with diamond symbols that could give up to 6 wins and 6 tries for the jackpot.

10. Power Wedges came with more chances on a jackpot due to 1024 ways to win 130 free spins. It has 4 progressive jackpots that can be won through Jackpot Wedges Bonus.

11. Wheel of Fortune on Tour was only available in online casinos. It came with a lot of bonuses and a progressive jackpot.

The latest online version of these games is the slot Wheel of Fortune. It comes with 720 paylines, 5 reels, medium volatility, and 94.04% RTP. It has a wild and scatters symbol and multipliers. There are free spins and bonus rounds with a bonus wheel feature and a jackpot of 250,000 coins. This bonus feature is the main one in slots that came from the original game. What it does is unlocking a bonus round where players get to spin to win prizes. The most common prizes are Jackpots and free spins, but it can be anything the designers want.

"Spin the Wheel" and other most iconic adaptations

The show has become iconic that many other industries took the features from it and created TV shows, games, and even apps inspired by it. The easiest connection to make is the Spin the Wheel show on the Fox channel. They use the same set up as the show, and last year they introduced a huge 40 feet tall wheel that had to be moved by crane on set. The slot is the same as well as the setup of their set. It has an enormous screen with the player's reaction and huge prizes.

From Executive Producer Justin Timberlake, get ready for Spin The Wheel!

Don't miss the premiere Thursday, June 20th on FOX26!#Fox26ForLIfe @jtimberlake pic.twitter.com/yniFF09ata

— FOX26Houston (@FOX26Houston) June 6, 2019

Another adaptation of the original TV-game is the app Wheel of Fortune: Show Puzzles. It is a spelling game, where players can test their skills on various puzzles. What is inspired by the show is the graphics and the way the puzzles work. Players have to spin to get letters and prizes, much like the original one.

Board and video games are another hugely influenced category. Pressman board game is the family version of the show, where players have a spinner card, which gets them letters and eventually money. The Milton Bradley game was also a trendy board puzzle game in the 80s. The way it was played was by spinning, getting letters, and creating the words.

In the video game industry, there were even more adaptations, besides the slot machine games. GameTek is probably the most known company to create video versions of the slot. They have released games like Wheels, Junior Edition, Golden Edition, and Wheel of Fortune featuring Vanna White. All of the games are based on the original show's template. Other known video games inspired by the show are Wheel of Fortune: Free Play, the Genesis version, and the Game Boy version based on Pressman's Junior Edition board game.

There is no doubt that this TV show is more than just a TV program. Its success affected many industries and primarily the gaming, iGaming, and television industries. All of the show's adaptations and the fact that the show itself stayed on screen for decades and is still one of America's favorites makes the show and the games based on it worthy of a try. Such pokies promise the excitement and thrill people to want when playing one. They have suspense, skill-based gaming, impressive sounds and music, and the possibility of winning very high prizes. What more could a player want?