If you love the challenge of a competitive gameshow, and you’re a fan of the now defunct Howie Mandel-hosted cult-classic TV program, this Deal or No Deal video slot title just might get your adrenaline pumping.
The Deal or No Deal 5-reel slot game, first launched in 2006 by renowned UK-based software provider Gamesys, is a relative newcomer to the New Jersey market. It now offers a progressive jackpot ready to be won on any spin of the reels, and a cool version of the Deal or No Deal game to play as a bonus feature. For New Jersey players looking to get a taste of the anonymous banker and his captivating offers, look no further than the Virgin Casino online platform.
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How to Play
This Deal or No Deal slot title will automatically have a level of familiarity for anyone who was a part of the drama-packed TV gameshow’s dedicated daytime audience during its run on the NBC network.
It’s a 5-reel 20-payline video slot that boasts a shot at the ultimate pay day: a progressive jackpot. Keep in mind, of course, that you’ll need to bet all paylines to be eligible for the enticing progressives.
Once you’ve selected your number of paylines to play, you’ll set the amount you’d like to bet per line. With only three coin sizes available – a minimum 5 cent bet, a mid-range 10 cents and the maximum 20 cents bet per line – your options are limited, but each wager choice is connected to its own unique jackpot level. Begin your game session by hitting the “spin” button, then gear up to battle with the banker. If you’re lucky enough, you could be laughing all the way to the bank.
Symbols
The symbols themselves are relatively retro-styled with a range of fruit machine icons, like Cherries, Lemons, Watermelons, Colored Bars (single green bar/double blue bars/triple red bars) and Sevens (red, blue and green).
The high-value playing card icons (Jack through Ace) provide the more valuable main game wins; for example, land five Ace symbols to scoop the highest paying non-progressive jackpot payout, a truly rewarding 10,000 coins.
Unfortunately, there is no Wild symbol at play here, and those on the hunt for an unlimited Free Spins feature will be sadly disappointed. While there’s no autoplay feature either, those who prefer to stay engaged with the game won’t mind. Plus, there’s still plenty to hold your interest, like the Bonus Scatter and the Banker’s Offer feature, which involves the infamous telephone and the anonymous banker testing your nerve with the lure of a sum of money.
When the telephone appears, the banker calls offering you the opportunity to gamble on the outcome of the next winning spin – the choice is yours, “Deal” or “No Deal”, just like the gameshow. Take your chances, and if you pick wisely you’ll walk away with the larger of the two prizes, either the amount dangled like a carrot in your face by the banker, or the amount resulting from the spin itself.
If that’s not enough to look forward to, this slot game has two cool Scatter Bonus features and the appeal of the progressive jackpot, all of which add to the level of excitement. More on these attractions later.
Jackpot Joy for Max-Payline Players
The Gamesys version of the Deal or No Deal slot title now comes with a tri-level progressive jackpot, available only to players electing to bet all 20 paylines. A portion of every bet made on Deal or No Deal contributes to the jackpot total. Each jackpot amount will continue to grow until a lucky player scoops the superb pool! There are three separate progressive jackpots to be won, the level dependent upon which coin value you opt to play at the start of your session.
Your patience will be rewarded if you’ve stuck around long enough to land the Deal or No Deal Bonus feature. When luck is on your side and you happen to hit three Deal or No Deal Bonus symbols on reels 1, 3 and 5, you’ll unlock the holy grail of this entire slot game and hold the key to a shot at banking the handsome progressive jackpot.
Enter this Bonus game and you’ll immediately be presented with 22 briefcases and no questions except one: “Deal or No Deal.” Each briefcase contains a unique cash amount or the ultimate prize, the progressive jackpot.
The game will randomly select a box that could contain anything from a penny to the jackpot prize. Proceed through the game picking boxes and entertaining the Banker’s offer, before deciding to accept or reject it, with the aim of winning the biggest prize possible, including the big progressive jackpot.
Ride the rollercoaster of emotions through to the final two boxes on offer, and if you’re lucky enough not to have eliminated the jackpot briefcase, two boxes will remain at the end of the game. Click and pick the right one, and you’ll find yourself unclipping a briefcase brimming with a bunch of glorious greenbacks and pocketing the progressive jackpot amount!
Special Features and Symbols
We admit that some players may find the Deal or No Deal slot lacking when it comes to Wild symbols or Free Spins features, but regular small to medium sized wins can keep the game ticking over and there’s value in the higher ranked symbols, which also keeps your bankroll topped up.
The base game does provide some genuine chances at sweet rewards, but the big scores only really happen when the bonus rounds kick in.
We’ve touched on the Banker’s Best Offer earlier in our review, as well as the Jackpot Bonus Game, so let’s skip straight to the Pick Me style Scatter bonus.
Mystery Briefcase Bonus Game
This is a basic Pick Me Bonus game, triggered when you land three Bonus Scatters (the red boxes with “???”), where all 15 symbols on the reels turn into briefcases and you pick from them to win up to 11 cash prizes.
Fans of the TV game show will warm to this feature, as it reflects the essence of the original program’s format. Steer clear of picking the wrong briefcase though, as doing so will signal an early demise to your bonus round revealing the dreaded “Game Over” symbol. Consider yourself lucky should you snap up the ‘Win All’ suitcase instead, as that will award you the sum-total of the cash amounts on offer across all briefcases.
The Mystery Briefcase Bonus game is sure to hit more often than the final feature, but the Deal or No Deal Bonus game is where the game really takes flight, providing the only doorway into the elusive progressive jackpot game.
Graphics and Sounds
This 20-payline slot might lack the visual impact of other contemporary 3-D slots, but those familiar with the TV show’s format will quickly notice the red Deal or No Deal briefcase in the left-hand corner, as well as the current progressive jackpot ticker above the reels. The symbols are only slightly animated in an unassuming way, like the telephone vibrating when the Banker’s Offer feature is activated.
The Deal or No Deal gameshow relies heavily on the rising tension throughout an episode as a contestant progresses through several rounds of picking boxes to reveal cash prizes. Regardless of whether you’re taking a spin on your mobile or sitting down for a session on your desktop, Gamesys has managed to capture the same level of thrill in its slot title of the same name.
It employs a subtle approach to reflecting the iconic gameshow’s tension-filled drama, using sound sparingly in the base game, but building to heightened levels of excitement through a soundtrack punctuated by striking chords on the piano and a beat that echoes a pulsating heart.
Canned studio audience applause plays along with a happy tune whenever something decent has been won. Similarly, the “audience” commiserates with every loss with a chorus of “awwws”.
At a Glance
- Theme: TV Game Show, Deal or No Deal
- Lines: 20
- Reels: 5
- Scatter Symbol: Mystery Bonus, Deal or No Deal Bonus
- Wild Symbol: None
- Bonus Features: Banker’s Offer, Mystery Briefcase Bonus feature, Deal or No Deal Jackpot Bonus round
- Software: Gamesys
Conclusion
The Gamesys Deal or No Deal video slot exemplifies the most-loved aspects of the popular global TV franchise of the same name and does it with flair, remaining true to the heart of the game in its Deal or No Deal Jackpot Bonus round. While it may not attract the big jackpot hunters, it’s a sure bet that those who have ever watched the game on the box and got a kick out of it will still take more than a passing glance at this title.
It’s true that the base game is fairly standard, but if you’re patient and happy to stick around for a bit, you’ll be entertained (and hopefully rewarded) by the frequency of the Banker’s Offer while you wait for the more lucrative Mystery Briefcase Bonus to hit. Plus, add the 3-tiered progressive jackpot, and this title exclusive to VirginCasino.com is not to be sniffed at!
