Carnival, IGT wrap up year-long celebration with grand prize

(PRESS RELEASE) -- The final cruise in the year-long Wheel of Fortune slot machines 20th anniversary sponsored by Carnival Cruise Line and IGT ended 16 November and a grand prize winner has been named.

Kenneth G. of Sturgis, Ky., an avid cruiser with Carnival for more than 18 years, won the $100,000 grand prize from the $200,000 prize pool slots tournament during the Carnival Magic cruise from Port Canaveral, Fla. This jackpot marks the cruise line's largest prize pool of all time. The promotion commemorated a year-long celebration recognizing two decades of IGT's Wheel of Fortune slot machines, which are featured in Carnival Cruise Line casinos fleetwide.

As part of the Spin N Sail promotion, more than 20 land-based casinos, DoubleDown Casino online social casino and all Carnival Cruise Line ships, gave away hundreds of cruises on Carnival Magic, with the top 40 winners receiving cash prizes. The 350-plus tournament players came from a mix of Carnival past guests, players from partner casinos and contest winners.

Carnival and IGT also partnered with the most successful syndicated game show in television history for the first-ever Carnival Cruise Line Wheel of Fortune-themed week that featured an exciting viewer sweepstakes.

Carnival Cruise Line and IGT
During 2016, Carnival and IGT's partner casinos gave away hundreds of free cruises aboard Carnival Magic, with winners participating in the onboard Spin N Sail slot tournament featuring the IGT Wheel of Fortune slot machines during an eight-day Caribbean cruise that departed Nov. 12, 2016. Leading casinos across the U.S. and Canada hosted qualifying events where each winning player was awarded a free cruise for two and an entry into the grand finale $200,000 tournament.

Introduced in 1996, the Wheel of Fortune slot machines have become a player favorite in shipboard casinos, including 25 Carnival Cruise Line vessels, as well as in land-based casinos. IGT has placed more than 230 versions of Wheel of Fortune slots in casinos around the world, and the game has awarded more than $3 billion in jackpots and minted more than 1,000 millionaires.

Throughout 2016 Carnival hosted Wheel of Fortune–themed events across the fleet that included special branded items and onboard activities and games every sailing, including the popular Wheel of Fortune scratch-off game where guests could win up to $30,000. Additionally, each sailing featured a Wheel of Fortune prize wheel offering prizes ranging from Carnival logo items and Casino Cash to entry into the $200,000 Spin N Sail slot tournament.

Wheel of Fortune
The 20th anniversary Wheel of Fortune Slots festivities also included a Spin & Sail Week last spring with five Carnival Cruise Line–themed episodes of the iconic game show that inspired the slot machine. Spin & Sail Week aired 21-25 March 2016, and featured a custom, tropical-themed set with high-definition Carnival ship images and video. Contestants competed to win Carnival cruises to such destinations as the Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii and Alaska.

Prior the broadcast, Pat Sajak, Vanna White and the Wheel of Fortune crew shot customized segments aboard a Carnival Cruise Line ship.

The Wheel of Fortune Spin & Sail Sweepstakes encouraged viewers to watch Spin & Sail Week on Wheel of Fortune and enter each night's bonus puzzle solution at the Wheel of Fortune website. Twenty winning entries were selected, and the grand prize included a cruise on Carnival Magic 12 November and a guaranteed spot in the Spin N Sail $200,000 shipboard slot tournament.

For additional information and reservations on Carnival's cruise offerings, visit the Carnival website.