Deal or No Deal is a slot that was inspired by a popular game show, with the same name. Using game shows as inspiration is nothing new, it’s been done a lot of times already, but in this case it happens to be a series with a lot of fans, which has been around the world, with versions launched in different countries. Originating from Netherlands initially, the show had versions in United States (6 seasons), United Kingdom and many others. It’s an interesting format, where the player had a chance to win a $1 million dollar prize.
A slot machine created by IGT’s developers, Deal or No Deal gives you 5 reels, 20 paylines and a progressive jackpot to go after (though it does have its own prizes as well, of course). In the features section, you’re not going to be surprised by anything you find there, with the usual two special symbols in use, plus free spins.
Features of Deal or No Deal
There are a number of interesting additions to the features of the slot, though none of them manage to bring something truly new. The free spins, wilds and scatters are all great to have, but they are also present in many other slot machines.
The first symbol we’re going to cover is the wild. In case you haven’t played slots before, the wild is a symbol that has the ability to substitute for other symbols, if that will allow them to get a new paying combo formed. The game’s logo gets this power, and the symbols it can substitute for are the ones that have no special roles, meaning that it doesn’t work with the bonus or scatter symbols.
The Phone scatter symbol is also a popular feature in slots. The name scatter comes from the symbol’s ability to appear scattered on the reels, and forming combinations even when they aren’t on the same active line. You only need them to be present in sufficient numbers, nothing else. In this case, the requirement is for a minimum of three phones to be scattered on the reels, during the same round.
Bonus Games
The reward, for the appearance of 3+ phone scatters, is a bonus game chosen out of the three that are possible.
The first bonus game is called The Banker’s Best Offer. Inside, you are offered 10 prizes, going between 1x and 25x. You have to accept an offer before it becomes unavailable.
Second, you have the Reel banker, where you get an unlimited number of free games, plus 2x multipliers. The free spins do end eventually, when a 3rd reel banker symbol makes an appearance.
Finally, you have the Jackpot bonus round, with the theme being from the original game show. You pick one box, after which you continue to make picks and reject offers from the game. This bonus round is the most valuable they have, with the progressive jackpot being the potential top payout, but only if all 20 lines were selected.
Betting options and jackpots
If you’ve played slots from IGT before, placing a bet in Deal or No Deal should be easy. Your first choice should be on the number of active lines, since you are going to use one coin in each case, and the bet will go up, though so will your chances for a win. Next, pick the coin denomination that will allow you to keep the bet to a manageable size, since it can get as high as $100 if you use the largest coins, which are at $5. The lowest coin denomination is $0.01, so you have plenty of room to maneuver.
The progressive jackpot is the real target here, but you also have the slot’s own prizes, though they’re not nearly as impressive. The best one gets you about $5,000.
Design and symbols
Impressive is not a word I’d use when describing the design of this game. Though it does give you a good idea of how the game show works, the images that are used as symbols look quite old, like they’re in a game released in the 90’s. You have the silhouette of a man that is almost all black, an old phone, the image of a studio, various other items with question marks on them and playing cards, that look 90% identical. Overall, I’m not a fan, and I’m not sure that those that enjoyed the game show will necessarily manage to like this slot as well.
Symbols: Man Silhouette (1,000x), B Sigil (750x), Studio (500x), Notebooks (250x), Mug (150x), Ace (125x), King (100x), Queen (75x) and Jack (50x).
Is It Worth Playing?
The progressive jackpot might make the difference here, but in every other area this game fails to impress. If you’re a fan of the game show, you should obviously at least give it a try, but otherwise you should keep looking for something more entertaining.
Deal or no Deal, the TV Game Show
The name Deal or no Deal was used for multiple game shows, from different countries, with the original one being used in Netherlands. Later on, the show was also adapted for use in United Kingdom, United States and other countries. It was started in 2000, with the move to UK and US being made in 2005, once the format proved how popular it could be. The company that produces it is Endemol and the original creator is Dick de Rijk. The original name, translated in English, was Hunt for Millions.
The game uses up to 26 cases with money, each one with a different amount. The player has to eliminate the various amounts, while trying to get the big prize. Along the way, he is offered various deals by the banker, and the player says either Deal, or No Deal.
The Deal or No Deal slot machine is offered through the IGT platform, so if you want to play it for real or just to practice, look out for casinos that use it.
