Lawsuit Says IGT’s Wheel of Fortune Slots Are Intentionally Misleading

IGT, a giant in the manufacture of gaming equipment, is facing legal trouble as plaintiffs claim that its Wheel of Fortune slots line misleads customers. The complaint also involves several major operators and states that the popular slot games trick players into thinking that they have a high chance of landing on a big prize.

IGT’s Wheel of Fortune Is Misleading, the Lawsuit Claims

As the name suggests, the Wheel of Fortune slots series is inspired by the classic TV show, in which a physical wheel would be spun. In both games, players win prizes depending on the cell on which the wheel lands.

While mechanical wheels have an equal chance to land on any of the segments, this isn’t exactly the case for the Wheel of Fortune slot where the outcome of the wheel bonus is determined by a random number generator. This was exactly the plaintiffs’ main argument for arguing that the game defrauds casinogoers out of their hard-earned money.

The complaint implies that the visual similarities between IGT’s Wheel of Fortune and the traditional game trick players into thinking that they have an equal chance of landing on each cell. While the digital wheel does not obey the laws of physics, its visual clues imply otherwise, distorting players’ perception, the plaintiffs said.

In the lawsuit, IGT’s Wheel of Fortune slots were compared to a “roulette wheel with a magnet surreptitiously affixed beneath the green zero and double-zero segments.”

The Plaintiffs Seek Damages and an Injunction

The lawsuit in question was filed by four former players and named IGT, as well as several operator giants, such as Bally’s, MGM and Penn. It seeks compensatory damages for the plaintiffs and for Wheel of Fortune players at the casinos named as defendants. Finally, the plaintiffs seek an injunction against the defendants that would prevent them from offering this product.

While the Wheel of Fortune slot games are technically compliant with local regulations, the plaintiffs insist that the product is misleading by purpose and seeks to “defraud” consumers.  

In other news, IGT, the manufacturer of the Wheel of Fortune slot recently launched an investigation into a cybersecurity incident it experienced. According to a Form 6-K filed by the company, an unauthorized third party had gained access to parts of its systems.

Earlier this month, the company posted its Q3 results, outlining strong financials despite multiple setbacks.