Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Brings 'Deal or No Deal' To Event Center in December

^{Former Bachelor contestant Bob Guiney will be hosting as Deal or No Deal Live at Seminole Hard Rock Tampa, with tickets available for purchase now. (Image: courtesy of Hard Rock Casino)}

Casinos are always seeking new ways to entertain their customers, and live game show productions have been a popular draw. On December 14, the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tampa, FL will host a live version of the wildly popular game show "Deal or No Deal" at their Event Center.

'Deal or No Deal' Comes to the Hard Rock

The live show will be hosted at the Seminole Hard Rock property, recognized earlier as the luckiest casino in the country. by former Bachelor contestant Bob Gainey, taking on the role usually held by comedian Howie Mandel. The show will not only feature the usual competition format but also entertain attendees with “mini games” so audience members not selected as contestants can still compete for prizes.

Tickets for the event went on sale September 26 and are priced at $65 each. 

The game show premiered on Dutch television in 2001 and on NBC in 2005. For those who haven't seen the show, contestants select one of 26 numbered briefcases with amounts ranging from one cent to $1 million. The contestant chooses one case (hopefully, the million-dollar case) and proceeds to eliminate the briefcases on stage. 

At specific points in the show, action is paused while the contestant faces “The Banker.” “The Banker’s” job is to offer the contestant a chunk of money to give up the case they previously chose. The host of the program reports what “The Banker” is offering by teasingly saying, “Deal…or No Deal.” The contestant then must choose either “The Banker’s” offer or continue with the game. The game ends when the contestant accepts the offer from “The Banker,” or the contestant opens the case they chose. 

Casinos Bet on Live Game Shows

For over two decades, Deal or No Deal has entertained people around the world – and is just the latest addition of casinos staging game show experiences. 

Perhaps the most popular “game show in a casino” is the production of The Price Is Right LIVE!, originally staged in 2003. The show adapts fan-favorite games from like Plinko, Hole in One (or Two), and Punch-a-Bunch. Notable names have hosted the live productions over the years, including Chuck Woolery, Jerry Springer, Mark L. Wahlberg, Joey Fatone, and others.

Tropicana Atlantic City will host a live version of the game show later in October, along with hitting casinos in Oregon, Maryland, Ontario, and Washington. Four separate episodes of the show will be filmed between October 24-26, with the contestants being chosen directly from the viewing audience.  

Growing Casino Entertainment Trend

Casinos have consistently sought to tie in with popular culture when offering their games. Several slot machines have hyped shows such as Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, Wheel of Fortune, and The 100,000 Pyramid. The actual article – staging live game shows – has become a trend in casinos lately. 

Recently, Las Vegas has been embracing this concept. In September, MGM Resorts introduced a livestreamed version for an international audience to wager on. In that same month, BetMGM and Fremantle Media introduced a game called The Lion’s Share as part of the 54^th season of the popular game show on CBS. In that game, players can earn up to five balls if they can correctly price everyday items. Once they have determined how many balls they can collect, the player steps into a wind chamber and, within a short time frame, grabs the specified number of balls. The contestant can stop at any time and take their winnings, but they can also “lose it all” should they keep going and hold one of those balls. 

Could other game shows work as a casino production? Give it time, and casinos around the world will figure out a way to make it work!