‘Wheel of Fortune’ games on display at world’s largest gaming trade show
Avid “Wheel of Fortune” viewers know the 40-year-old TV game show has a new host, Ryan Seacrest.
Soon, casinos across the country will have new “Wheel of Fortune” slot machines for play.
IGT, the London-based slot machine manufacturer and gaming equipment producer with a massive Nevada presence, will show off a new batch of Wheel games when the Global Gaming Expo trade show opens its doors Tuesday.
The show floor Monday was a scene of organized chaos as hundreds of vendors put the finishing touches on their booths to show thousands of G2E delegates the newest products in gaming equipment. Late Monday, vendors were still hauling displays to the floor in crates.
For IGT, the show display means multiple variations of Wheel coming soon.
The company will show 11 new slot machine themes, a Wheel of Fortune-themed video poker machine and an attention-grabbing electronic table game with a 120-inch wheel in which players can bet on a wheel spin outcome.
“In introducing the Wheel of Fortune brand to our video poker, ETG and (video lottery terminal) product portfolios, we’re giving our customers incremental opportunities to expand the reach of player-favorite brand and its jackpot-paying legacy,” said Nick Khin, IGT’s president of global gaming. “IGT’s G2E 2024 booth will feature a lively Wheel of Fortune-branded zone where we’ll deliver the jackpot excitement and energy that our new Wheel of Fortune games can bring to every corner of their gaming floor.”
Thousands of gaming industry professionals from around the globe will converge on Las Vegas for the four-day G2E, one of the largest industry gathering in the world.
The event, expected to draw more than 25,000 people, is not open to the public.
The trade show floor at The Venetian Expo Center opens Tuesday with hundreds of exhibitors showing their newest slot machines, gaming systems and equipment.
More than 100 educational panels begin Monday with topics ranging from the expanding reach of sports wagering to new regulatory issues. Because attendees will include participants from both commercial and tribal casinos, G2E brings together casino leaders of all stripes.
The show kicks off in earnest Tuesday morning when Bill Miller, the president and CEO of the sponsoring American Gaming Association, delivers a state-of-the-industry address. That will be followed by the first of a series of keynote speakers with Flutter Entertainment CEO Peter Jackson and MGM Resorts International CEO Bill Hornbuckle taking the stage first.
Dublin, Ireland-based Flutter is the parent company of several sports wagering brands, the most familiar of which is FanDuel, one of the two largest fantasy sports operators.
For Hornbuckle, it will be his second straight appearance on the G2E stage. A year ago, he gave details of the cybersecurity attack that crippled his company in September 2023.
Hornbuckle and Jackson will be interviewed on stage by CNBC’s Contessa Brewer.
Following the keynotes, the trade show floor will open giving attendees the first look at flashing lights and memorable sounds of devices that will land on casino floors in the future.
Other things to be shown at G2E:
-Las Vegas-based Light & Wonder will introduce three new Monopoly-themed games in specially made Landmark 7000 machines. CEO Matt Wilson said the company also would show new table game progressive systems.
-Acres Manufacturing Co. of Las Vegas will show its Achievement Bonusing technology that rewards players for their loyalty play on slot machines. “Achievement Bonusing motivates players to increase play by adding a new layer of gamification to the core casino experience,” said Noah Acres, who noted the system can be used on any manufactured machine.
Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on X.