The iconic American game show is in its 41st season and has never had a jackpot prize of this kind before.
“Big Money Week” is coming up for Wheel of Fortune from May 20-24, and one of the leading sports betting and iGaming operators is celebrating in style like never before.
BetMGM will sponsor a Nightly Progressive Jackpot that will be added to whatever a contestant wins if they solve the show’s Bonus Puzzle. There will also be a BetMGM-branded “Double Jackpot” wedge on the famous Wheel giving contestants who earn the opportunity to add double Nightly Progressive Jackpot to their total if they win the Bonus Round.
This is the first time in the history of the wildly successful syndicated game show that there will be this type of nightly contest. Wheel Of Fortune reaches 21.5 million unique viewers each week, and the 9.1 million viewers who tune in on a nightly basis will be able to participate in the action by going to www.wheeloffortune.com to register for the chance to win the Nightly Progressive Jackpot.
“BetMGM is honored to join Wheel of Fortune during this milestone week and be a part of a game show that has earned a palace in American television history,” said BetMGM’s CEO Adam Greenblatt in a press release. “‘Big Money Week’ is a great collaboration, giving contestants and viewers at home the opportunity to experience the excitement of a progressive jackpot.”
Branding Opportunity
BetMGM has been pumping the Progressive Jackpot brand of late.
In March, the operator announced the progressive jackpot in New Jersey was the largest in its history at $4 million at the time.
For the Wheel of Fortune activation, show producer Sony Pictures Television will integrate BetMGM’s branding into the game show’s on-set placements including:
- Co-branded graphics displayed in the center monitor
- In-show displays of BetMGM’s logo on host Pat Sajak’s monitor
- Two BetMGM Double Jackpot Wheel wedges
- A BetMGM jackpot ticker appears above the puzzle board during each episode
In March 2023, BetMGM also collaborated with IGT to launch North America’s first brand-led online casino with Wheel of Fortune Online Casino.
MGM Resorts, which owns 50% of BetMGM alongside Entain, acknowledged its opportunistic outlook on iGaming in its recent earnings report. MGM Resorts CEO Bill Hornbuckle said “Obviously iGaming is a real opportunity over time,” so making big moves like this one with Wheel of Fortune to prop up BetMGM’s iGaming brand aligns with that notion.
