IGT’s Wheel of Fortune Slot Like ‘Rigged’ Roulette, Claims Lawsuit

Posted on: November 28, 2024, 02:33h. 

Last updated on: November 28, 2024, 02:33h.

Philip Conneller @casinoorgphilc Read More
Expertise: Gaming Business, Regulation, Tribal Gaming.

A new class-action lawsuit filed last week in the Nevada federal court accuses the popular Wheel of Fortune slots of “systematically defraud[ing] casino patrons out of their hard-earned money.”

Wheel of Fortune slot, lawsuit, IGT, MGM Resorts, Bally’s, Penn Entertainment, Station Casinos
An iconic Wheel of Fortune slot on display at the IGT stand at the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas. But does its association with the long-running game show create a false association that deceives players about the odds of winning? A new lawsuit says so. (Image: LVRJ)

The plaintiffs’ beef with the slot and its various spin-offs is that their bonus-wheel game, which is based on the long-running game show, “deceives” players into believing they have an equal chance of landing on any of its segments. That’s because it appears to be a truly mechanical spinning wheel, such as a roulette wheel, per the complaint.

However, the wheel does not operate “pursuant to the laws of physics” because “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.”

This is the modern-day equivalent of “a roulette wheel with a magnet surreptitiously affixed beneath the green zero and double-zero segments,” the lawsuit claims.

‘False Association’

The suit, brought by four former players, names the manufacturer and distributer, IGT, and a handful of casino operators, including MGM Resorts, Bally’s Corp, and Penn Entertainment.

The plaintiffs also argue that the slot’s close association with the TV show reinforces the perception among players that they’re getting an equal chance to win all the prizes.

It creates a “false association” between the game show’s spinning wheel, which is subject to random chance probabilities of landing on any given segment, and the “rigged” wheel on the slot, according to the complaint.

The plaintiffs seek compensatory damages for themselves and for a putative class comprised of all Wheel of Fortune players at the casinos that are named as defendants. Plaintiffs also seek an injunction against the defendants from operating the games.

Wheels Within Wheels

The Wheel of Fortune slot, like all modern slots, uses a random number generator (RNG). The plaintiffs are right in that players do not have an equal chance of hitting each of the money amounts on the wheel. But crucially, all players do have as equal a chance of winning each of the money amounts as one another – and that’s what makes them “fair” in the eyes of regulators.

If the wheel has 24 segments, then each segment will have its own separate odds of being hit — i.e. the odds of hitting the top prize will not be 23 to 1, it may be 500 to 1 or more.

All these odds will be predetermined by the RNG, which will select a winning bonus payout at random but according to each segment’s predetermined frequency.

Slot machines are typically programmed to pay out a “theoretical payout percentage,” or long-term RTP (return to player), which varies among jurisdictions.

The slot machine manufacturer sets the RTP in accordance with local regulations. A jurisdiction’s gaming regulator must authorize the RNGs and game codes for each machine. Typically, casinos cannot alter the RTP without permission from the regulator.

Year after year, regulators in Nevada and jurisdictions across America have approved the dynamics of Wheel of Fortune slots. Meanwhile, since the state of Nevada has passed laws to legalize slots and has authorized the Nevada Gaming Commission to regulate them, it’s difficult to see where a federal judge can go with this one.

And that’s perhaps, unfortunately, where the wheels come off this lawsuit.