Deal or No Deal The Banker's Riches Slot
This is another in long line of UK game show tie-ins from slot software house Endemol. Deal or No Deal was huge at one point – scheduled in prime time slots and attracting millions of viewers. This slot game takes the theme of the game and allows you to play for real money. Unlike most Endemol slots, you can win a huge progressive jackpot – and there are a total of 3 separate bonus games which will keep you entertained.
In keeping with other Endemol slots there is a disconnect between the retro look of the symbols and reels, and the advanced options for playing the bonus rounds. Symbols are small, bright and blocky. The movement of them is more modern, the blurring as they spin looks quite good. Symbols include the shadowy banker, telephone and a mug with a question mark. Bigger pay-outs come from the mystery boxes, while smaller wins from the playing card symbols. There are minimal animations and an eerie humming in the background. Other sounds are a mix of beeps and brassy game-show like tunes, which come into play during the features.
None of the features is too bad compared to other slots. The free spins game is ‘unlimited’ so there is no pick-em round to kick this off. The other bonuses are based on the show, and you’ll get chances to decline or accept the banker's offer in different ways.
Setup and Play for Deal or No Deal
Endemol specialize in 5 reel, 3 row, 20 win-line video slots – I have yet to find one of their games which does not follow this setup. You can spin from 1p to £10 per line (20c min, £200 max for full lines). If you want to you can lower the number of lines played, or choose the auto play option.
There is a wild in this game, though it does not have any wins of its own – instead substituting for the highest possible wins using the other symbols. The gold box has the biggest regular prize; this is worth 2500 coins for 5 and 1250 for 4. The red box is next (1500 for 5) and then the banker (1000), seal (750) and podium (500). Smaller wins are made up by the book and pen, mug and the playing card symbols.
The iconic black telephone is the scatter symbol, when you hit 3+ of these you will trigger one of the bonus games at random. My experience is that the spins and Banker’s best offer were triggered frequently, while the jackpot game is not as common.
Deal or No Deal The Banker's Riches – Bonus Games
Free spins are ‘unlimited’ in this game, the reels just keep on spinning (and the wins accumulating) until the banker appears on the middle reel to bring things to a halt. One time the banker appeared on the very first spin. While I get that this is random, it was a disappointment, and could easily have been programmed into the game to at least give a few spins. That said - this is an entertaining enough bonus when it does get going.
The Banker’s best offer is a simple game based on whether you accept the deal or not. You can win up to 20x your spin amount, and have 10 chances to either accept or decline an amount. If you keep declining then you will get whatever the last offer is. I found that 19x or 20x came up often enough to make choosing those very easy.
The last bonus is the Jackpot game, this is based on the main game from the show, and you can win potentially life-changing money if you hit one of the progressives. You start by selecting a box, which sits on the table for the remainder of the game. You then select other boxes, which each have a cash amount. When you select 6 the banker makes you an offer, which you can accept (ending the game) or keep on playing. 4 rounds later, if you decline all the offers you will be down to 2 boxes. You then have the chance to switch (you can see what prizes are left at the sides of the screen) or keep your original choice. Next your box is opened and you win that amount.
Deal or No Deal – Conclusion
If you have played Endemol slots before you will be immediately familiar with the setup and play of this one. A simple game, with reasonably interesting bonus rounds, though nothing to really stand out. If you enjoyed the original show, I can see the appeal of trying the games for real money, and the progressive jackpot would certainly add some interest here. What I am not sure about is how well this kind of game will keep your interest. That said, this is a solid slot, and if you have ever wanted to say ‘No Deal!’ then here is your chance – give it a try for yourself and see what you think.
