By
far my favorite slot machine is the Wheel of Fortune. It’s so popular where
I play that sometimes I have to wait an hour to get a seat. Do you know what
the payback percentage of this machine is, the frequency of any kind of payoff,
and how often do you get a bonus spin? Quinn A.
You're
right, Quinn, International Game Technologies (NYSE: IGT) Wheel of Fortune, is
probably the most successful slot machine theme ever developed, and the bread-and-butter
machine of their fleet of one-armed bandits. The Wheel of Fortune machine
is a nine-line, 45-coin (bets up to five coins per line) machine resembling the
popular TV game show, with the primary symbols on the reels being your traditional
fruit symbols and prize
images
from the television show, like a car, diamond necklace, etc. The wheel resembles
the original Wheel of Fortune, minus the “LOSE A TURN.” Payback
percentages range from 89-94% (depending on your gaming jurisdiction), with the
average hit frequency of 50%, i.e. a hit of some kind every other spin. The
bonus wheel is divided into 22 compartments, and your chances of getting a bonus
spin is, on average, once in every 42 plays.
Based on its payback, I wouldn’t
call the Wheel of Fortune a sound casino play. Predictably, Quinn, I tend to recommend
wagers that have less than a two percent house advantage. However, as for fun
factor, well, suffice it to say that Yours Truly has been known to pump some pocket change
in the machine.
