WHEEL OF FORTUNE LIVE! OFFICIAL RULES
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROMOTION. PURCHASE OF A TICKET WILL NOT IMPROVE YOUR ODDS OF (i) BEING SELECTED AS A CONTESTANT OR (ii) WINNING A PRIZE. FOR FREE METHOD OF ENTRY, PLEASE SEE REGISTRATION SECTION BELOW.
WHEEL OF FORTUNE LIVE™ STAGE SHOW IS BASED ON, BUT IS NOT IN ALL RESPECTS THE SAME AS, WHEEL OF FORTUNE® TELEVISION PROGRAM. THESE OFFICIAL RULES ARE THE SOLE RULES THAT GOVERN THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE LIVE™ STAGE SHOW.
BY PARTICIPATING IN THIS PROMOTION (AS DEFINED BELOW), YOU HEREBY AGREE AND CONSENT TO THE FOLLOWING OFFICIAL RULES (“OFFICIAL RULES”), AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THIS PROMOTION SHALL BE GOVERNED BY THE FOLLOWING:
Sponsor: WHEEL OF FORTUNE LIVE™ is produced by, and the Promotion is sponsored by Right Angle Wheel, LLC.
Definitions, Overall Rules and Eligibility
1. Definitions:
“Venue” shall mean the specific location where the individual attends the Show and/or registers for the Promotion. No Venue is a sponsor of the Promotion.
“Producer” shall mean Right Angle Wheel, LLC
“Show” shall mean WHEEL OF FORTUNE LIVE™ stage show, based on the television program WHEEL OF FORTUNE®.
“Promotion(s)” shall include all on stage game play associated with the Show, as well as any audience giveaways as may be provided by Sponsor in its sole discretion.
“Eligible Individual” shall mean individuals who meet all criteria as set out in Official Rule #8 below.
“Contestant(s)” shall mean Eligible Individuals selected to participate as a contestant in game play for the Show.
“Random Selection Process” shall mean the process of selecting Eligible Individuals as Contestants, as set out in Official Rules #26 through 30 below.
“Registration Form” shall mean the registration form that each Eligible Individual who wishes to enter the Promotion must complete, which includes the Eligible Individual’s full name and date of birth.
2. The purpose of these Official Rules is to govern the Promotion associated with the Show through which Eligible Individuals can receive prizes through the game play described in Official Rules # 45 – 52 below. Although the Show is based on the WHEEL OF FORTUNE® television program, to the extent there are differences between the format of the television program and the Promotion, the Official Rules of the Promotion are as stated herein and govern the Show.
3. Each Show, including audience warm-up, will run approximately ninety (90) minutes, excluding intermission.
4. All prize values in these Official Rules are listed in US dollars for Promotions taking place in the United States and all prize values are listed in Canadian dollars for Promotions taking place in Canada.
5. The Promotion is subject to applicable federal, state, and municipal rules and regulations and all aspects of the Promotion are subject to the approval of the appropriate regulatory authorities. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.
6. There is no ticket purchase required to participate in the Promotion, and the purchase of a ticket will not be considered a factor in determining Show Contestants. Only those who possess a valid ticket will be allowed into the Venue to watch the Show. Eligible Individuals selected to compete as Contestants in the Show who do not otherwise possess a valid ticket will be provided with a complimentary ticket in order to enter the theatre space to compete as a Contestant.
7. All Show times are approximate. Venue and Producer reserve the right to modify Show times when there are extenuating and/or unforeseen circumstances.
8. Eligibility Requirements
a) “Eligible Individual” shall be defined as an individual resident of Canada or the fifty (50) United States (including Washington D.C., but specifically excluding any territories or possessions and residents from provinces/states listed in Official Rule # 8.b.v below) who has registered with the Producer who:
i. is 18 or older, and the age of majority in the state where the Show is held;
ii. is not deemed ineligible under Official Rule # 8b;
iii. has and presents on request a valid form of government issued photo ID, such as passport, driver’s license, or other identification; and
iv. has not attended the Show at any venue more than four (4) times in the past calendar year AND has not participated as a Contestant in the Show at any Venue at any point during the past calendar year.
b) The following individuals are not eligible:
i. A) employees or former employees (within the past year), directors or officers of Right Angle Entertainment, Right Angle Wheel LLC, Inc., Sony, Califon Productions Inc, Wheel of Fortune Live, any Venues, and/or booking agent(s) for any Venues or any promotional agency, advertising agency or prize supplier involved with the Show or any of their respective parent companies, subsidiaries, or affiliates;
ii) immediate Family Member(s) (as defined below) of these directors, officers, agents or employees; and
iii) individuals sharing the same residence with any director, officer, employee, or agent involved in coordinating/executing Promotions or tournaments. As used herein, “Immediate Family Member” is defined as mother, father, spouse, domestic partner, children, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, mother-in-law, father-in-law, step- parents, step-children, sister, brother, grandmother, grandfather, grandchildren, and any relative or other person residing in the employee’s place of residence. Vendors, partners or anyone having a business relationship with Producer, Sony, Califon Productions Inc. or anyone Producer, in its sole discretion, deems to have an unfair advantage in connection with participating in the Promotion are also ineligible to participate in the Promotion;
iv) any members of the media associated with advance press and reviews to promote the Show;
v) any individuals who have received complimentary tickets in exchange for any good, service and/or pre-existing relationship, provided, however, any individual who may have won complimentary tickets in connection with sponsorships or promotions shall be eligible to participate provided he/she/they meets all other eligibility requirements;
vi) those who have been prohibited from entering the Venue and/or any other properties owned or operated by the Venue; and
vii) individuals who are residents of Quebec and Puerto Rico, and other US territories, commonwealths and possessions (however, individuals residing in these provinces/territories may attend the Show as non-participating ticket holders).
9. Any prize winners who are determined not to be Eligible Individuals by Producer must forfeit any prize(s) that he/she/they would otherwise have won while participating in the Promotion and such prize(s) will not be awarded. All decisions of Producer regarding the interpretation of Official Rules, eligibility, game play, the order in which Contestants compete, or any other aspect of the Show shall be made in Producer’s sole discretion and will be final and binding on all Contestants without appeal. Prize(s) may only be awarded to Eligible Individuals.
10. Venue and Producer reserve the right to modify or cancel the Promotion at any time, for any reason, subject to any applicable regulatory approval, if required.
11. Eligible Individuals are responsible for any and all applicable taxes as may arise from participation in the Promotion and/or winning a prize.
12. Venue and Producer are not responsible for lost, stolen, late, mutilated, or illegible Registration Forms nor for electronic transmission errors or delays resulting in omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operations or transmission, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to or alterations of entry materials, or for technical, hardware, software, or telephone failures of any kind, lost or unavailable connections, fraud, incomplete, garbled, or delayed computer transmissions, whether caused by Venue, Producer, users, or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Promotion or by any technical or human error which may occur in the processing of submissions which may limit, restrict, or prevent an Eligible Individual’s ability to participate in the Promotion. All Registration Forms are the property of the Sponsor and will not be returned.
13. If for any reason the Promotion and/or Show is not capable of running as planned, or an event beyond the control of Venue or Producer corrupts or affects the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of the Promotion, Venue and Producer reserve the right at their sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Promotion.
14. Any attempt by any person to deliberately damage any program or to undermine the legitimate operation of the Promotion and/or Show may be in violation of criminal and/or civil laws and should such an attempt be made; Venue and Producer reserve the right to seek damages from any such person to the fullest extent of the law.
15. Venue and Producer are not liable for injuries or losses arising or resulting from participation in the Promotion and/or Show, are not liable for events or errors by its respective employees or independent contractors for negligent conduct and are not liable for any equipment or software malfunction or the outcome of such malfunction.
16. By participating in the Promotion, Eligible Individuals agree to these Official Rules. Venue or Producer may disqualify any person based on fraud, dishonesty, violation of Official Rules or other misconduct, whether or not directly related to the Promotion.
17. Without express authorization from Producer, attendees shall not be allowed to take pictures, videos, or take any other form of recordings via any other audiovisual means while in the theatre space. Producer and Venue reserve the right, in their sole discretion, to eject individuals found violating this rule from the Venue.
Attending the Show
18. Each person who enters a Venue’s theatre space to watch the Show must have a valid ticket. Eligible Individuals selected to compete as Contestants in the Show who do not otherwise possess a ticket shall be provided with a complimentary ticket in order to enter the theatre space.
19. Ticket holders must register to be possibly selected as a Contestant in the Show. The purchase of a ticket does not constitute registration into the Contestant pool, nor does it guarantee that a ticket holder will be selected to play as a Contestant.
20. Tickets are non-transferable and non-replaceable. Venue and Producer are not responsible for lost, forgotten or stolen tickets. Tickets are subject to review and verification.
21. Venue and Producer reserve the right to distribute additional tickets via advertising, direct mail or other promotional means.
Registration
22. Only Eligible Individuals are allowed to register to enter the Promotion. Each Eligible Individual who wishes to enter the Promotion must:
a) present their valid government ID to the event staff if requested, then complete the registration process by supplying their name and month and numerical day of birth (1-31) for entry into the registration system.
b) be present at the Venue before the beginning of the Show the Eligible Individual has registered for. Eligible Individuals may only register once for each Show.
23. How to Register
a. In-Person Registration: Registration at the Venue will open approximately two (2) hours before scheduled Show time and will close ten minutes prior to the scheduled Show time. The closing of the registration window can be extended at the sole discretion of Producer. The Eligible Individuals who are in queue to register at close of registration window will be allowed to register. Registration will be held at or near the Venue box office.
b. Electronic Registration: For certain Shows, Eligible Individuals may register for the Show online and such Show’s Venue shall provide information on how to pre-register. Eligible Individuals who register electronically are not required to register again at the venue.
24. Show times are subject to change. An Eligible Individual may only register once. An admission ticket is not required to register.
25. An Eligible Individual who does not have a ticket and who has registered must be present in the designated registration area when his/her/their name is called in order to be confirmed as a Contestant in the Show. In the event a non-ticket holder is randomly selected as a Contestant and makes it known that he/she/they are present within the time period specified below and confirms he/she/they wishes to participate as a Contestant, Producer will provide him/her/them with a complimentary ticket to enter the Venue’s theatre space.
Contestant Selection
26. Selection of players will be random ("Random Selection Process"), and Producer reserves the right to modify the Random Selection Process at its discretion.
Random selection will take place either electronically from the database or with registration cards, if necessary.
Players are randomly selected to play either on-stage or in the audience. If the person registering indicates that they do not want to be selected to play on stage, it is noted on their registration information.
When registration period is completed, all completed registrations (regardless of ticket purchase) are put into one pool (“Contestant Pool”) will be eligible for selection. In the event registration cards are used, all cards in each category shall be pooled together and individual cards shall be selected.
27. Regardless of the method of registration used, Producer or Producer's designee will then randomly select seven (7) names from the Contestant Pool to comprise a list of people to play onstage. Those who have indicated they do not want to play onstage are excluded from this selection. From the same group, another nine (9) names will be randomly selected to comprise a list of alternate onstage players. Ten (10) names are then selected from the Contestant Pool, including those who have indicated they do not want to play onstage, to comprise a list of people to play games in the audience, at the discretion of the Producer.
28. During the show, when a selected name is announced, the Eligible Individual named must immediately make it known that he/she/they are present. If, after fifteen (15) seconds, the Producer is unable to readily identify the person whose name was called as being present in the auditorium, the Eligible Individual will be deemed absent and another Eligible Individual will be selected as the Contestant from the Alternate List. If the new Eligible Individual is absent, the process described above will be repeated until an Eligible Individual from the Alternate’s List who is present is selected as the Contestant.
29. In the event that an Eligible Individual is chosen by having his/her/their name randomly drawn, and does not wish to play the game, he/she/they may forfeit his/her/their participation in the Show, and Producer shall randomly select another Eligible Individual.
30. In the event that an Eligible Individual is unable to play due to physical injury, illness, infirmity or incapacity, said Eligible Individual may designate a proxy player to play on his/her/their behalf, provided such designated proxy player also meets the eligibility criteria set forth herein (the “Proxy Player”). All prizes won by the designee are the property of the original person whose name was selected.
Conditions for the Awarding of and Winning of Prize(s):
31. Awarding of prizing is contingent on verification that Contestant was an Eligible Individual by verifying age, residency, and that the Eligible Individual was not deemed "ineligible" by virtue of past participation in the Promotion or Show or under any terms as set out in Official Rule # 8 above. In the event that an ineligible person participates in the event and is potentially eligible for prizing, this person will be disqualified from winning the prize and the prize will be forfeited and will not be played for again.
AWARDING OF PRIZES FOR SHOWS IN THE UNITED STATES (OFFICIAL RULE #32 APPLIES TO UNITED STATES ONLY)
32. In order to be confirmed as the winner of any prize, Eligible Individuals must also complete and sign a standard release form, including a publicity release (where permitted by law), confirming compliance with these Official Rules, accepting the prize as awarded and indemnifying and releasing Right Angle Entertainment, Right Angle Wheel LLC, Inc., Sony, Califon Productions Inc, Wheel of Fortune Live, booking agent(s), Venues and their respective parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, agencies, agents, respective directors, officers, employees, representatives, sponsors, successors and assigns (Released Parties") from any liability for any loss, harm, damages, claims, costs, causes of action or injury whatsoever including, but not limited to, personal injury, accident or death, property damage, disappointment or inconvenience arising from any act, omission or negligence whatsoever relating to this promotion as a result of participation in the event and/or the receipt, ownership, possession, use or misuse of any prize.
AWARDING OF PRIZES FOR SHOWS IN CANADA (OFFICIAL RULES #33 AND 34 APPLY TO CANADA ONLY)
33. In order to be confirmed as the winner of any prize, the Eligible Individual must first correctly answer unaided and without the benefit of any calculating devices, a time limited mathematical skill-testing question. Failure to correctly answer the question will result in forfeiture of the prize. All answers to skill testing questions are final. Potential winners must comply with the Official Rules before being declared a winner. Should a potential winner incorrectly answer the skill testing question, or otherwise fail to comply with all the promotion rules, the potential winner will be disqualified, will not receive any prize, the prize will be forfeited and will not be played for again (i.e., no Eligible Individual will be able to receive such prize).
FOR THE AVOIDANCE OF DOUBT, ALL POTENTIAL WINNERS, INCLUDING ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY HAVE QUALIFIED FOR A CONSOLATION PRIZE OR A RANDOM GIVEWAY PRIZE MUST ANSWER THE TIMED SKILL BASED QUESTION. THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS.
34. In order to be confirmed as the winner of any prize, Eligible Individuals who have correctly answered the skill-based question must also complete and sign a standard release form, including a publicity release (where permitted by law), confirming compliance with these Official Rules, accepting the prize as awarded and indemnifying and releasing Right Angle Entertainment, Right Angle Wheel LLC, Inc., Sony, Califon Productions Inc, Wheel of Fortune Live, booking agent(s), Venue, Venue booking agent(s) and any other parties and their respective parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, agencies, agents, respective directors, officers, employees, representatives, sponsors, successors and assigns (“Released Parties”) from any liability for any loss, harm, damages, claims, costs, causes of action or injury whatsoever including, but not limited to, personal injury, accident or death, property damage, disappointment or inconvenience arising from any act, omission or negligence whatsoever relating to this promotion as a result of participation in the event and/or the receipt, ownership, possession, use or misuse of any prize.
Show Details
WHEEL OF FORTUNE LIVE! is an on-stage non-televised performance of the popular game show “Wheel of Fortune” in which contestants compete to solve word puzzles to progress through rounds to win cash and prizes in the Bonus Round.
SHOW OVERVIEW
The show will consist of two (2) Regular Games, one (1) Championship Game, and one (1) Bonus Round. Contestants who are randomly selected will play in either one of the two (2) Regular games or in the Championship game. The winners of the Regular games will advance to the Championship Game. Before the Championship Game is played, one (1) additional contestant will be called to the stage to join the Championship Game as the third player. The winner of the Championship Game will win an opportunity to win an additional prize in the Bonus Round if they can solve that puzzle.
ON-STAGE – REGULAR GAMES
Each “Regular Game” will consist of playing a single TOSS-UP PUZZLE (to determine who will be the starting player of the first regular puzzle, plus winning 1000 points for their bank), then up to a total of four (4) more complete puzzles.
Each of the Regular Games will be timed to a pre-determined time limit, determined at producer’s sole discretion. A “final spin” bell will be triggered at the Producer’s discretion, at which time the current puzzle will be deemed the final puzzle of the current game. (see “Final Spin” section).
Values of the game wheel are POINT values and have no monetary/cash value attached.
The player with the most points after the final puzzle of their game has been solved will be declared the winner and shall advance from the Regular Game into a Championship Game to play against winning players of the other Regular Game of the current show. In the event of a tie-score between two or all three players, a final toss-up puzzle will be played between the tied players for an additional 1000 points to declare a clear winner.
Any prizes obtained during game play in either the Regular or Championship games will be deemed as separate wins and shall have a value of ZERO (0) points towards the contestant’s final score in determining a winner.
GAME PLAY - TOSS-UP PUZZLE
The contestants will be holding “buzzers” for the “toss-up” puzzle. For the “toss-up” puzzle, the wheel will not be spun nor will letters be called by the contestants as in the standard play of the game. The host will announce the puzzle category, then letters in the puzzle will be randomly revealed; if there are identical letters in the puzzle, they will not necessarily be revealed in order or at the same time. The contestant that buzzes in first and correctly solves the puzzle will win 1,000 points. (The contestant must answer immediately after buzzing in or he/she/they will be ruled incorrect.)
If the player who buzzes in first gives an incorrect answer to the “toss-up” puzzle, that contestant is “locked out” of the round, and the remaining players would have the chance to buzz-in and attempt to solve the puzzle (assuming the entire puzzle has not been revealed). If whoever buzzes in next is incorrect, the remaining contestants would have a chance to solve the puzzle (assuming the entire puzzle has not been revealed)
Additionally, if there is a “toss up” device malfunction before/during the “toss-up” puzzle, then that specific puzzle may be thrown out and a new one will be played at the Producer’s discretion.
GAME PLAY - REGULAR PUZZLE
Each round will begin with the introduction of a word puzzle, the solution to which will be the name of a person, a place, a thing, etc. Additional categories may be used at the producer's discretion. The board facing the contestants at the beginning of each round will be blank. However, the squares on the board, behind which are the letters of the puzzle, will be clearly distinguishable from the other squares. Therefore, the number of letters and/or words in the puzzle will be easily discerned.
At the start of his/her/their turn, a contestant has three choices - buy a vowel (providing the contestant has 250 points with which to purchase it), spin the wheel, or solve the puzzle. For the purpose of this game, the letter "Y" is treated as a consonant.
SPEED-UP ROUND / FINAL SPIN
At a predetermined time after the completion of the first regular puzzle, but before the conclusion of the fourth puzzle, an alarm will sound, signifying the beginning of the “speed-up round” (also called “Final Spin”). The wheel will be spun by the contestant that has control of the wheel when the alarm sounds. The contestant will spin until a point value has been attained, ignoring any special wedges. One thousand points (1,000) will be automatically added to whatever amount the contestant lands on.
After the point value has been attained, the wheel will no longer be spun, and the contestant whose turn it is at that point will be given the opportunity to call for a consonant or vowel in the puzzle. If that letter is in the puzzle, it will be revealed. The point value attained by the spin of the wheel referred to previously will be credited to the contestant’s score for every consonant which appears in the puzzle (the “multiple letter rule” is still in effect). A vowel will neither earn nor cost a contestant points.
After selecting a letter which is in the puzzle, the contestant will have a three-second (:03) time limit to solve the puzzle. During this three second (:03) time period, the contestant may give more than one answer. However, the correct answer must be started prior to the sound of the buzzer, signifying the end of the time period. If the contestant hesitates/pauses too long (in the determination of the judges) in the completion of the answer, he/she/they will not be awarded the solve. Each case will be evaluated individually with the decision of the judges being final.
THE WHEEL
The wheel is divided into spaces and is made up of various point values and special spaces such as "lose a turn", "bankrupt", “express”, etc. The round will commence with the spinning of the wheel by the first contestant. If, in the host’s opinion, a contestant has spun the wheel in such a fashion as to try to "beat the house", the host will stop the wheel, return it to its original position, and ask the contestant to spin the wheel again. If a contestant accidentally slips while trying to spin the wheel, the contestant will be asked to spin again without returning the wheel to its original position. However, the host will not ask the contestant to re-spin the wheel if the wheel has completed at least one revolution. If the flipper stops on a spoke between point values, etc., the contestant receives the point value, etc., immediately to the left of the spoke as viewed by the contestants. In other words, the flipper must completely clear a spoke for a contestant to be credited with the item to the right of that spoke.
If the wheel stops on a point value space, the first contestant will be asked to select a letter - consonant only (no vowels). If the letter selected is in the puzzle, the point value on the wheel at that point goes into the contestant's score. If the letter selected by the contestant appears in the puzzle more than once, the point value on the wheel will be multiplied by the number of times that letter appears in the puzzle. Play continues with a contestant until he/she/they correctly solves the puzzle or he/she/they:
a) asks for a letter already in the puzzle,
b) asks for a letter that is not in the puzzle,
c) lands on "lose a turn" or "bankrupt",
d) purchases a vowel not in the puzzle,
e) makes an incorrect guess at the solution to the puzzle.
During the normal play of the game, if the contestant asks for a consonant before spinning the wheel, he/she/they will be instructed to spin the wheel, and if a point value is attained, he/she/they will be held to the letter previously requested.
If the contestant spins the wheel and then asks to buy a vowel (even if the letter has already been called), the host will ask the contestant for a consonant. If the letter is in the puzzle, his/her/their turn will continue.
If the contestant asked to buy a vowel but instead calls out a consonant (even if the letter has already been called), the host will ask the contestant for a vowel. If the letter is in the puzzle, his/her/their turn will continue.
If a contestant spins the wheel and then solves the puzzle without giving a consonant, the answer, if it is correct, will be accepted - however, no additional points will be credited to the contestant. A contestant may solve the puzzle without spinning the wheel. If a contestant has less than 1,000 points in their score, and solves the puzzle, his/her/their point value will be raised to 1,000.
If at any time a contestant lands on "bankrupt", he/she/they loses everything credited to him/her during that round including any points and/or prizes, but he/she/they does not lose any of the points and/or prizes awarded in prior rounds. Once a contestant wins a round, those points and/or prizes are his/hers to carry through the rest of the game.
On stage, the "used letter board" is provided to assist the contestants in keeping track of which letters have been played in each round. Please note that the contestants are solely responsible for knowing which letters have been played; the "used letter board" is only a "guide".
TIMING
As a general rule, a contestant must spin, buy a vowel, or solve the puzzle within a 3 second time limit. If he/she/they spins and lands on a point value, he/she/they has three seconds to call a letter. Once a letter is called, the three second timer begins when the hostess completely clears the puzzle display to continue his/her/their turn. If in the opinion of the judge(s), a contestant is deliberately taking longer than 3 seconds in order to gain an advantage, than that contestant will be "buzzed" out and the turn will pass to the next player. The three contestants will continue to play the game in turn until one of them solves the puzzle.
SOLVING THE PUZZLE
At the beginning of the contestant's turn or after the contestant has furnished a new letter in the puzzle, the contestant may attempt to solve the puzzle. The contestant must solve the puzzle as it appears on the puzzle board including the word order.
In all cases the judges will try and give the "benefit of the doubt" to the contestant solving the puzzle, taking into consideration speech impediments, regional dialects, nervous contestants and studio conditions. Each case will be evaluated individually, and the decision of the judges will be final.
As a general rule, contestants should not add any extra sounds or words not in the puzzle and the solving of the puzzle will, in general, be considered correct if letters have not been added or subtracted.
A contestant will not be disqualified for adding "it's a" or "it's an" to the puzzle, if this is in response to the host's question "What is it?" or "What are we looking for?", or any variation thereof, or if the question is implied, and if "it's a" or "it's an" is a natural and grammatically correct part of the sentence structure.
In solving the puzzle, whether it be in the main game or during the bonus portion, if a contestant has begun to solve the puzzle and makes an error, that contestant must correct the error and solve the puzzle correctly. This correction must be made before the entire answer is completed, with each case being determined individually with the decision of the judges being final.
If the contestant hesitates/pauses too long (in the estimation of the judges) in the completion of the answer, he/she/they will not be awarded the solve. Each case will be evaluated individually with the decision of the judges being final.
If only vowels are left in the puzzle, the contestant whose turn it is, will be asked to solve the puzzle or first buy a vowel(s) and then solve the puzzle. If the vowel selected is not in the puzzle, the contestant will not be permitted to solve the puzzle. No spin of the wheel will be permitted. The game will proceed in this fashion until the puzzle is solved or until none of the contestants has enough points to purchase a vowel and each contestant has failed to solve the puzzle in his/her/their last turn. In that case the puzzle will be discarded and all points and/or prizes credited will be erased.
Once a contestant solves the puzzle correctly, the point scores in the banks of the two losing contestants of that puzzle are erased and the contestant who solves the puzzle is awarded the point value in his/her/their bank and/prizes for that puzzle will be considered “obtained”.
“BIG MONEY WEDGE & BONUS ROUND”
The “Big Money Wedge” will be placed on the wheel at the beginning of each Regular Game before the first puzzle is played.
The “Big Money Wedge” is available to be claimed until completion of the final regular puzzle of a Regular Game. If a contestant spins and lands on the “Big Money Wedge” and calls a letter that's in the puzzle, he/she/they will pick up the “Big Money Wedge”.
In order to keep the “Big Money Wedge”, the contestant must eventually solve that puzzle. If, after claiming the “Big Money Wedge”, the contestant lands on BANKRUPT (during the present Regular game or the Final game), the “Big Money Wedge” is surrendered and is no longer in play.
If the contestant advances to the Bonus Round with the “Big Money Wedge”, the top value envelope is removed from the “Bonus Wheel” and replaced with a Big Money envelope. (The top value envelope is not available to be won in any bonus round in which the Big Money envelope is on the “Bonus Wheel”.)
If the contestant's spin of the “Bonus Wheel” lands on a slot with the Big Money envelope and he/she/they successfully solves the bonus puzzle, the contestant is awarded the value of the Big Money envelope value announced during that show.
“GOODIE PRIZE, TRIP PACKAGE, or PRIZE WEDGES”
At the beginning of a game, and decided on by the Producers, a special wedge or wedges signifying "goodie" prizes, a “trip package”, or a prize will be placed on the wheel.
If a contestant lands on a “Goodie” Prize, they will instantly win that Prize. No other game effects after this point will affect this award.
If a contestant lands on a “trip package”, a correct consonant must be called in order for the “trip package” to go into the contestant's bank. Additionally, if the letter is in the puzzle, 500 points (per consonant) will go into the player’s score and his/her/their turn will continue. If a correct consonant is not given, the “trip package” remains on the wheel and the turn passes to the next player.
If a contestant lands on a “prize” wedge, a correct consonant must be called in order for the “prize” to go into the contestant's bank. Additionally, if the letter is in the puzzle, 500 points (per consonant) will go into the player’s score and his/her/their turn will continue. If a correct consonant is not given, the “prize” remains on the wheel and the turn passes to the next player.
If the contestant solves the puzzle, he/she/they will win the “trip package” or “prize” (assuming bankrupt was not landed on) along with any other points accumulated during the puzzle. If won, the retail value of the prize(s) as determined by the Producer will NOT be included in the contestant's score for that puzzle.
“EXPRESS WEDGE”
The “Express Wedge” will be available during the Championship Game only. When the “Express Wedge” is landed on, the player will first call a consonant (1,000 points per consonant). If the consonant is in the puzzle, the hostess reveals each of those consonants. Then the player must declare "pass" or "play".
If the decision is "pass", the player may spin again, buy a vowel (if he/she/they has at least 250 points), or solve the puzzle.
If the decision is "play", the player calls a consonant and earns 1,000 points for each one in the puzzle. After each one is revealed, the player must continue calling consonants (without spinning again), adding 1,000 points to his/her/their total for each consonant in the puzzle – until he/she/they is able to solve the puzzle. If he/she/they has at least 250 points, the player may also buy a vowel(s). (If the vowel is not in the puzzle, the player will go “bankrupt” and lose his/her/their turn.) If at any point on the way to trying to solve the puzzle, the player calls a consonant not in the puzzle, buys a vowel not in the puzzle, re-uses a letter or makes an incorrect guess as to the solution to the puzzle, the contestant will go “bankrupt” - losing his/her/their turn as well as the cash and/or prizes acquired in the current round (including the Gift Tag, Trip Package wedge, the Wild Card, or the Big Money wedge acquired during the current or previous rounds).
RETAIL VALUE OF PRIZES
The retail value of all prizes will be rounded off to the nearest dollar. In other words, if the retail value ends in an amount of 50 cents or more, the value of the item will be "rounded up" to the next higher dollar amount. Likewise, if the retail price of the item is 49 cents or less, the value of the item will be rounded down to the next lower dollar amount.
NOTE: For purposes of game play and scoring, the retail values of the prizes do not affect the score of the players in possession of the Prize, and will score ZERO (0) points for any prize.
BONUS ROUND
The contestant who has won the most points at the end of the Championship Game is the big winner and shall play the Bonus Round. At the end of the Championship Game, the contestant who goes to the Bonus Round will select their category from three (3) possible category options as determined by Producers in its sole discretion. Once the host offers up the three (3) category options, the contestant will have to make that decision immediately and cannot change their choice once made. The three (3) category choices will not be disclosed prior to the end of the Final Game. The three (3) category choices will vary from one show to the next.
The "Bonus Wheel" will be introduced. There are 24 wedges on the “Bonus Wheel” - each wedge has its own envelope. The breakdown of the bonus wheel envelopes and the value and/or quantity of each cash and/or prize contained therein are determined at producer’s sole discretion. The contestant will spin the “Bonus Wheel”. (The wheel must go at least once around; if the wheel does not go around at least once, the contestant will be asked to re-spin the wheel once the wheel has been reset to its starting position). The contestant will remove the envelope which corresponds to the wedge landed on and hand it to the host.
If the contestant reaches the bonus round with the “Big Money wedge”, the top prize envelope will be removed from the “Bonus Wheel” and replaced with a Big Money envelope. (The normal top value envelope is not available to be won in any bonus round in which the Big Money envelope is on the Bonus Wheel.)
The category of the puzzle the contestant selected will be revealed and then the contestant will be shown the R, S, T, L, N and Es in the puzzle; after which he/she/they will be instructed to choose three additional consonants and one additional vowel. (Note: If an "E" is revealed initially, there may or may not be any additional vowels. However, the host will not indicate one way or another and will still ask for an additional vowel.)
The contestant will have 10 seconds to solve the puzzle. During these 10 seconds, the contestant may give more than one answer. However, the correct answer must be started prior to the sound of the buzzer, signifying the end of the time period. If the contestant hesitates/pauses too long (in the estimation of the judges) in the completion of the answer, he/she/they will not be awarded the solve. Each case will be evaluated individually with the decision of the judges being final.
Note: the contestant must give the answer in its entirety without any additional words coming between the correct order of the words in the puzzle solution.
Whether the contestant solves the bonus puzzle or not, the host will open the envelope to find out what prize he/she/they had played for in the round.
At the discretion of the Producer, a matching prize may be given to a randomly selected audience member.
TIE-BREAKER
If two or more contestants have won the same amount at the end of the Regular or Championship Game and this amount is the highest for the round, those “tied” contestants will play a 1,000 point “tossup” round puzzle to determine who will play in the bonus round. The contestant who correctly solves this toss up puzzle first, will receive 1000 points for the correct solve of the puzzle and moves on to play the bonus round.
SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES
If a puzzle is discarded for any reason such as a technical error or because an answer has been given by a member of the audience, a new puzzle will be substituted and any points and/or prizes from that puzzle will be held over, and become their starting scores for the replacement puzzle. Instead of a replacement puzzle, at the Producer’s discretion, the puzzle can be terminated, and all contestants scores are banked as they stand at that moment.
If the bonus round puzzle is thrown out for any reason, it will be replaced with one in the same category initially chosen by the contestant.
All decisions of the Producer and/or Judges are Final. Producers reserve the right to change, add to, delete from, modify or amend these rules at its sole discretion.