International versions

The immense popularity of Wheel of Fortune since its 1975 debut has caused the format to be sold in many countries around the world, albeit to varying amounts of success. These international versions tend to deviate from the normal American format and typically offer less (or more) money depending on the available budget, puzzle difficulty, and Wheel layouts.

Many of these versions also had home games, published by companies such as Waddington's and branches of Milton Bradley, which were usually localized versions of the American games (and most frequently those made by Pressman) with near-identical parts. Additionally, many of the European adaptions published by Milton Bradley (along with Mexico's adaption albeit with different colors) used France's 1987 Round 1 layout for the spinner unless noted below.

As of June 2016, seven countries outside the United States are known to still be airing their own version of Wheel: Brazil, Greece, Romania, Russia, Spain, Turkey, and Vietnam.

(Note that with perhaps the exception of the British and Australian versions, none of these versions will have an article on this Wiki. If you know a lot about a particular version and want to make a Wikia site all about its history, hosts, etc., then feel free to do so.)

Argentina
Tiempo Límite ATP runs, or ran, on America TV.

Australia
Probably the most well-known iteration to those outside its home country, the Aussie Wheel was a Reg Grundy production which ran on the Seven Network from 21 July 1981 to 28 July 2006 for 5,093 episodes. The show began with Ernie Sigley and Adriana Xenides on a set that (per Grundy's standard) heavily resembled the then-current American one, down to the green-glitter backdrops behind the players. In 1982, the contestant backdrops were replaced by a set of sunbursts nearly identical to the then-current American ones, which were in turn replaced in late 1992 by an "art deco" style.

The format was mostly the same as the American version, with a fanfare playing when the top dollar value was hit. Contestants were also allowed to repeatedly grab the pegs while spinning in order to help elongate the spin, a rule that New Zealand's version (and possibly Turkey's) would use. There was also a different scoring system: while spins were not multiplied by how many times the letter was in the puzzle, the contestant never had to solve to keep his/her bank for that round; as a result, vowels cost a mere $50. Another difference in the scoring system was that the Bonus and Surprise wedges had no effect on scores.

The Wheel had 96 pegs with each wedge being four pegs wide, compared to 72 pegs with three pegs per wedge in most other versions. The dollar values were all multiples of 5, instead of the 50 of most versions.

John Burgess replaced Sigley in June 1984, and he and Xenides became the faces of Wheel in Australia. Around the same time, the Bonus Round began having the day's winner spin a Golden Wheel to determine the prize they would play for; the puzzle itself gave the player two consonants and a vowel, then an additional consonant for every $2,000 the player had earned – up to $38,000 for all the consonants.

At the beginning of 1996, the puzzle board was upgraded to have four rows and Burgess shaved off his mustache, a style he (like Alex Trebek) retains to this day.

Burgess' departure was abrupt and, he since claimed, it was an accident that he even found out about it: the show had decided to move to Sydney, and Burgess' last episode on 12 July 1996 has him mentioning this with the pronoun "we", including himself. He was replaced by Tony Barber on 15 July, and the format and set were overhauled (among other things, no more shopping; a near-vertical Wheel; a "five envelopes" Bonus Round much like the American one; and a new theme song that incorporated lyrics). In addition, while still referred to as "dollars", the scoring system essentially became points.

Viewers did not take to the changes, even after the Golden Wheel and classic theme were reinstated on August 19, and moreso when Adriana left in November due to suffering from depression (Kerrie Friend filled in for her). As a result, the old format returned in January 1997 with Barber passing the torch to new host Rob Elliott. Adriana returned in July, but left permanently in June 1999 and was replaced by Sophie Falkiner.

To celebrate its 22nd Anniversary, Wheel did a special three-week tournament from 11-29 August 2003: representatives from the Australian states competed in a series of heats, and the biggest winners from those played for the title of "State Champion" and go for a Renault Clio in the Bonus Round; home viewers were also awarded $10,000 each day, for a total of $150,000. These episodes were the first to air in high-definition, and also debuted a new set of graphics (including new opening/closing credits); Melanie Simon filled in for Falkiner for a few episodes during the tournament, including the finale.

Elliott left on 28 November, replaced by Steve Oemcke when the show returned in February 2004; this also saw the introduction of a new, touch-based puzzle board. Wheel was shelved in December due to low ratings, although 20 episodes had been recorded (with Oemcke and a visibly-pregnant Falkiner) for the new year.

When the show returned on 30 January 2006, it had been freshened up with new hosts Larry Emdur and Laura Csortan. 21 March was both the 5,000th episode and a celebration of the show's 25th Anniversary, with special $5,000 wedges on the Wheel (two in Round 1, one on the yellow $110 and the other on the yellow $150; a third was added in Round 2, with the wedges moved to three yellow wedges: $450, $385, and $310; as a result, the Surprise Wedge was moved to the red $530); no clips were shown, however. The $5,000 was treated as a Prize wedge: 5,000 points were added to the player's score, but the player had to solve the puzzle to get the actual money. The $5,000 wedges were removed starting in Round 3, but were placed again in Round 4 on the top dollar value, along with two Mystery Wedges placed on blue wedges: $220 and $295 (between Bankrupt and $375).

While Wheel ended again on 28 July, the network still had some unfinished business: from 31 July-25 August, the 10:00 AM slot consisted of the 20 unaired Oemcke shows, the first of which had a "welcome back to 2005" message.

Interestingly, the category strips continued to call Fill In the Blank "Blank" and the "decade" categories by their written form (i.e., "The Sixties") through at least part of 2006. Also, the Puzzler became exclusive to home viewers, not unlike the Preview Puzzle. A common occurrence on Australian versions was the use of infinitives as Phrase puzzles (e.g., TO SCARE THE PANTS OFF SOMEONE), perhaps one of the more notable departures from the American version in the show's writing.

2008

The programme returned briefly on the Nine Network from 26 May-27 June 2008 as Million-Dollar Wheel of Fortune, hosted by Tim Campbell and Kelly Landry. While the American version adopted the Million-Dollar Wedge almost immediately afterward, the Australian version only used it in Round 1 (on the yellow $110 between $200 and $165), greatly decreasing the already-small chance of awarding it. Plus, like the American version, the players kept all money earned.

Normally, the Bonus Round had a single $200,000 wedge; another $200,000 wedge was added each time it was not won, and taking the Million-Dollar Wedge to the Bonus Round only replaced one of these wedges.

Gameplay Elements

Initially, the top amounts were $240 in Round 1, $460 in Round 2, and $1,200 in Rounds 3+; these were increased in 1985 to $360/$690/$1,800, followed by $400/$750/$2,000 beginning on the 2,000th episode in 1990. In 1995, the top values were upped to $500/$1,000/$2,000 (although from July 1996 until 1997, and again from 1999-2000, it used a $500/$1,000/$1,000/$2,000 structure). In 2000, the values were increased for the last time to $750/$1,500/$2,500.


 * Bankrupt - from July 1996 to 1998, it had the further penalty of wiping out that player's score in the game up to that point. Originally, there was one Bankrupt in Round 1 and two for subsequent rounds; in July 1996, the second Bankrupt only appeared in Round 4, with its position being replaced by a blue $600. Sometime in 2000, the second Bankrupt was moved to the green $210 between $600 and $165; at some point later on, it moved again to the purple $180, and in 2006 it was on the red (changed to red-violet in 2008) $180.
 * Lose A Turn - exactly like the American version. There was one wedge in Rounds 1-3 (Rounds 1-2 until July 1996 and again from 1997-98) and two in Round 4 (Round 3 in the aforementioned timeframes).
 * Free Spin - just like the American version, except it could also be used in Speed Up rounds. Originally, it was a green wedge (changed to blue in 1992), but in July 1996 it became a small golden (changed to silver in 2008) rectangular token on a blue $250 (which also allowed the player to add $250 to their score). In 1997, it was moved to the purple $135 (later $150 {the purple $150 was changed to light green in 2008}). The Free Spin was awarded before the contestant gave a letter, though as was the case before the change, more than one could be awarded and the space was only present in Round 1.
 * The Free Spin tokens given to the contestants also had several different appearances: gold, wide hexagon tokens that also stick on the podium (at least 1994); a light blue, curved rectangle for the Tony Barber era; a yellow curved rectangle for Rob Elliott's tenure; a blue piece shaped like the puzzle board from 2004-06; and a silver curved square with red lettering for the 2008 version.
 * Speed Up - also like the American version, except the arrow used to determine the value of each consonant was that of the player in control when Speed Up began and Free Spins could be used. In the event the host landed on the Prize wedge, the first player to call a correct letter picked up the prize and received the value underneath it, but had to solve the puzzle to claim the prize; the value underneath the Prize wedge then became the value for the rest of the round. The move to Speed Up was indicated by a ringing school bell (rather than a tugboat bell like in America) during the Seven Network run.
 * Possibly to adhere to a four round structure, a rule was introduced at some point that there could be more than one Speed Up in an episode. There have been several instances of Rounds 3 and 4 being played as full Speed Up rounds, and the bell has also sounded in Round 2 (with one instance being the 2006 premiere and another being on a 2003 "Stars & Cars" episode).
 * Goodie (1994-95) - A prize that was automatically awarded regardless of outcome to whoever landed on it. Once landed on, the wedge was immediately removed and the cash value under it was played for.
 * Red Mystery Letter (1994-July 1996, 1997-2006) - if a letter revealed was red, the value spun was doubled and added to the contestant's score.
 * Surprise Wedge (1995-96, 1999-2006) - just like the US version. In its first stint, it was placed on the yellow $180 in Round 1, the yellow $210 in Round 2, and the blue $200 in Round 3. From 1999-2002, it was placed on the red $165 in Rounds 2-3 and the blue $220 in Round 4; sometime after the retirement of the Car Wedge, it was placed in that spot. In 2006, it moved to the red $165 in Round 1 and the red $310 in Rounds 2-3 (it is unknown where it was placed in Round 4). In around July 2006, it moved to the red $120 in Round 1, to the blue $150 in Rounds 2-3, and to the green $295 in Round 4. In the 2008 version, the Surprise changed from red to gray and was on the red-violet $155 for Round 1 only.
 * Bonus Wedge - worked like the Prize Box on Wheel 2000, in that it's won right after a correct letter on the wedge. The wedge was blue for most of the run, becoming gold with bold black writing from 1993-July 1996 and a small silver token during the Barber era. The wedge was placed where the Surprise had been; as the token, it was on the blue $390 in Rounds 2-3 (its Round 4 location is unknown). The wedge returned in mid-2006 on the orange $250 in Round 1, the green $180 in Rounds 2-3, and the orange $180 in Round 4.
 * Bonus Prize - a short-lived item that worked like the Bonus Wedge, except it was given to the first person to spin the top dollar value.
 * Bonus Puzzle - worked like the "bonus" categories of the American version, with a $200 bonus.
 * Car Wedge (February 2000-2002) - the player who landed on this had to call a correct letter, solve that puzzle, and then solve a later puzzle to win the car. It was placed on the blue $150 in Round 1.
 * Car Token (February 2000-2002) - the player who won the Car Wedge from a previous round had to land on this, call a correct letter, and solve that puzzle to win the car. Placed on the green $180 in Rounds 2-3, then the blue $295 between Bankrupt and $375 or the yellow $640 in Round 4.
 * Mystery Wedge (2003-08) – worked like the American version, except the "bribe" was $500 (as both were placed on a blue {changed to light green in 2008} $500) and the Mystery prize was never cash. For the Emdur era, there were seven Mystery Wedges on the Wheel starting in Round 2. The 2008 version changed the wedges from blue with yellow numbers and an orange question mark in a purple circle to a red wedge with black numbers and a black question mark in a white circle.
 * The Mystery Wedges had placements (excluding the blue $500s in Rounds 2-3) in mid-2006: red $375, green $385, orange $145, yellow $385, and orange $310 (Round 2); purple $610, yellow $230, orange $145, green $230 between $385 and $430, and orange $310, (Round 3); purple $220, orange $265, green $580, yellow $640, orange $375, yellow $385, and blue $295 between Bankrupt and $375 (Round 4).
 * Flip-Up (2004-08) - worked exactly like the Toss-Ups of the American version, albeit with no value. Two Flip-Ups were played, the second before Round 4. A third Flip-Up was played before Round 2, albeit a Prize Puzzle; like the American version, whoever solved correctly won a prize related to the puzzle, often a small prize. The 2008 version called the Flip-Ups by their American name (Toss Up) and renamed the Prize Puzzle to "Cash Up" (as it now awarded a $500 bonus).

As an aside, the Australian version is probably the only version to be referenced by the American version outside a "Wheel Around the World" or similar week: the theme song was used as a music bed on April 12, 2004 for a description of a trip to Australia which was that day's Prize wedge.

Home Versions

Croner released at least four editions throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s. The spinner layout was exactly the same as Pressman's American layout although the puzzle board display was modeled after the board Australia's version used at the time the first edition was released. As the puzzle cards on the first three editions had the same font Pressman used, the puzzle cards on Australia's fourth edition used the Exotica font. The boxart of the First, Second, and Third Editions featured John Burgess, although the later Third Edition prints had Tony Barber; the Fourth Edition game had Rob Elliot on the cover.

In 2002, Crown & Andrews released a home adaption that greatly resembled Pressman's 1986 Deluxe Editions, including add-on wedges that were the same respective values and colors of the American counterparts, although in different fonts. The Wheel itself now resembled Australia's. Although the game's prototype had the same values as Australia's Round 1 Wheel at the time (albeit with silver 750 being recolored blue and the blue 150 next to Bankrupt becoming a Free Spin space), the game was ultimately released with the values rounded up to the nearest 50.

Belgium
Het Rad Der Fortuin aired on BRT and was hosted by Mike Verdrengh. It is also likely to be the first international adaptation, as it debuted in 1975 and contains elements of the early American episodes, including the Buy A Vowel wedge (and, interestingly, a four-line puzzle board). This version ended later in the decade.

A revival, Het Rad Van Fortuin, ran on VTM from 1989-97, hosted at various times by Walter Capiau and Bart Kaell. The show returned on Canvas from 2004-06, hosted by Luc Appermont; this version ended due to new laws that banned any kind of "sweepstakes".

Brazil
One of the many Brazilian game shows hosted by Silvio Santos, Roletrando aired on SBT during the 1980s-90s (although one source claims it started in the 1970s) and appears to have been at least partly based on the American format. The puzzle board used just three rows, and even began looking like its 1974-81 American counterpart. By the 1990s, the shape was changed to that of the 1981-94 American puzzle board, still having three rows.

The Wheel used only one arrow; instead of being placed in front of the host or any of the contestants' podiums, it was placed on the other side of the Wheel.

Vowels were treated the same way as consonants, making spinning and solving the only choices.

By 1991, the Bonus Round began using an envelope holder not unlike the American one in use at the time, albeit larger and with seven envelopes.

At one point, based on a 1993 episode, gameplay moved from right to left and each of the four rounds had a time limit of four minutes. If the puzzle was not solved before time expired, the puzzle was revealed and no one won the round, making this one of the few versions to have a possibility to have a game with no winners. Additionally, if a turn was lost in any way, the next player had to call a correct letter (at no value) to obtain the turn. Also, during at least this time, vowels were multiplied by the value spun.

2003-

The current version, Roda a Roda ("Wheel to Wheel"), debuted 13 October 2003 on SBT, hosted again by Silvio Santos with Patricia Salvador as hostess. It is also heavily based on the American version and now plays much more like its American counterpart unlike the original adaption only with the color podiums being, from left to right, yellow, green (previously blue), and red. Arrows are now in front of each of the contestants' podiums. The show was originally sponsored by Chevrolet, but in 2008, Jequiti (then a relatively-new cosmetics company) took over the role.

On 4 April 2010, the show introduced three 1 Milhão wedges. As with the American version's Million-Dollar Wedge, a R$1,000,000 envelope was added in the Bonus Round. The differences were that each wedge wass placed by the contestants before Round 1, the wedges were entirely green with no Bankrupts, they were picked up before calling a letter (exactly like the American Prize wedges from 1983-90), and they could be lost to Passa A Vez (Lose A Turn) as well as Perde Tudo (Bankrupt). To explain the latter rule, on 2 May 2010 the word "Devolve" ("return") was shown at the top of the penalty wedges.

The top prize was won at least four times: 24 October 2010, 8 May 2011, an episode around October 2011, and 29 April 2012. By 2013, however, the 1 Milhão wedges were removed.

Two interesting differences for the revival are that trilons were used until 2013 and, from at least 20 September 2009 through August 2011, Santos would switch places with Salvador partway through each round.

Vowels are still chosen in the same manner as consonants. Originally on this version, vowels awarded only the value spun at a flat rate, but by 2009 the value spun would be multiplied by the number of vowels in the puzzle.

Instead of using Speed-Ups, each round has a time limit; if time runs out, the player in control is given five seconds to immediately solve the puzzle, otherwise they lose their turn. The next contestant is given the opportunity to spin and solve, followed by the contestant after that. If all three fail to solve the puzzle, nobody wins the round, although Santos will prompt the audience for the correct answer.

The Bonus Round used a Wheel similar to the American one, but instead of the envelope being determined by an arrow (despite one being present), Santos spun the Wheel continuously until the contestant selected any envelope, similar to the American Bonus Round rules used from 1989-2001. The contestant then picked four consonants and a vowel, and after any letters were revealed was given ten seconds to think over what the answer could be before being prompted for a single guess at the puzzle solution.

A weekly hour-long series, Roda a Roda Jequiti, debuted on 6 September 2008. On 23 April 2012, Santos and Salvador were replaced for both versions by Patricia Abravanel and Liminha, although their run on Jequiti only lasted two episodes before being replaced on 13 May by a revival of Vamos Brincar de Forca ("Let's Play Hangman"), which had been Santos' first program back in 1961; the new version, hosted by Santos, was sponsored by Jequiti as the weekly Roda had been.

When Abravanel and Liminha hosted Roda a Roda, the Wheel's values were significantly decreased: the largest value was R$100 as opposed to R$1,000, although six wedges had this value; the smallest was R$20. All the two-digit values had a shiny star near the bottom of each wedge, similar to the black diamonds used early in the CBS run.

Beginning on 7 October 2012, Vamos began sharing some of the daily Roda set, including an all-new touch-screen puzzle board. Vamos ended on 31 March 2013, being replaced by the return of Roda a Roda Jequiti, now hosted by Santos and Abravanel. The Wheel currently used has one Perde Tudo, three Passo A Vez spaces, and every multiple of R$50 up to R$1,000 (in a pattern where values opposite each other had a difference of R$50), although before Fall 2013 a second R$650 space sat where the R$150 is now. Sometime in 2014, Abravanel was dismissed.

Possibly the biggest change came on 24 September 2014, when the Bonus Round was overhauled into a luck-based game based on one used by some lottery game shows in the United States since 1994 (generally called "Grand Prix"): the winning contestant picks numbers off a board, each of which moves one of three vehicles (in this case a fire truck, an ambulance, and a police car) across a small track. If the contestant's choice crosses the finish line first, s/he wins R$30,000 in addition to their main-game winnings. This is the only known version of Wheel to use a Bonus Round which has no relation or connection to the rest of the game, and the new format is believed to have been introduced for budgetary reasons.

In early 2016, the Wheel layout was slightly altered: the magenta R$150 and R$200 spaces are now a light pink color, and the R$50 space is now displayed as $050 instead of $50.

Bulgaria
Колелото на късмета (or Koleloto na kasmeta), hosted by Rumen Lukanov and Jasmina Toshkova, debuted January 18, 2010 on Nova TV.

The gameplay is as follows:
 * The Toss-Up is worth 300 лв and the right to introduce themselves.
 * After the contestant introduction, there is the first Speed-Up round starting with the player in the red position.
 * Round 1 starts with the winner of the first Speed-Up round. The top value is 500 лв.
 * Rounds 2 and 3 starts with the player in third place.
 * Following Round 3 is the second Toss-Up worth 100 лв.
 * Round 4 starts with the winner of the second Toss-Up. The top value is now 1,000 лв, increased from the purple 50 лв next to Bankrupt. In addition, the green 150 лв is increased to 600 лв, the red 250 лв is upped to 700 лв, and the second Bankrupt replaces the blue 350 лв.
 * After Round 4, there is the second Speed-Up round starting with the player in the yellow position, followed by the third Toss-Up worth 100 лв. BulgariaLoseEverything.jpg
 * Round 5 begins with the winner of the third Toss-Up. The "green 50 лв-Bankrupt" stretch is replaced by a six-peg 5,000 лв/Губиш всичко/2,000 лв wedge with each section two pegs wide. Губиш всичко (or Lose Everything) acts like Bankrupt, but also takes the contestant's winnings earned in previous rounds.

In the Bonus Round, Λ, Р, С, Т, and А are given and the contestant chooses three consonants and a vowel. S/he then has 10 seconds to solve the puzzle.

Cambodia
A version ostensibly for children aired around 2009 on CTN, as can be seen in this video. The Wheel on this version, clearly modeled after Russia's (read below), is short, with a stark black/white contrast on the wedges, very tall pegs, and a single arrow in the center. The theme resembles "Do-Re-Mi" from The Sound of Music.

Nothing is known about this version outside of the aforementioned video.

Canada
A French-Canadian version, La Roue Chanceuse, was hosted by Donald Lautrec and Lyne Sarrazin. This iteration, airing on TQS from May 1, 1989 to Spring 1992, borrowed and mixed various elements from the American series: the Rounds 1-2 Wheel first used on daytime in September 1989 (although the show originally had a layout with $50 and $75) and a set that could be best described as a "knockoff" of the 1986-89 daytime one; in 1990 or 1991, the set was altered: the host backdrop was replaced by a variation of the American version's Bonus Round chevrons, and the "knockoff" sunburst backdrops were replaced by a set of hexagons (which would sometimes have large stars placed over them).

Also present were a very similar opening sequence (complete with a theme very similar to "Changing Keys"), a version of the W-H-E-E-L envelopes (spelling L-A-R-O-U-E), and even a localized "I'm a Wheel Watcher".

It is known that the shopping format was used for at least part of the run, including after the aforementioned set changes.

Chile
La Rueda de la Fortuna, hosted by Rodolfo Torrealba, ran on Canal 13 from 1978-79 (one of only two versions known to have debuted in the 1970s). In 2012, the show returned as La Ruleta de la Suerte, hosted by Sergio Lagos.

Colombia
La Rueda de La Suerte, hosted by Mauro Urquijo, aired on Canal Caracol from 1998-99. A revival for Canal RCN, helmed by Gonzalo Vivanco, debuted in 2012.

Croatia
Kolo Sreće, hosted by Oliver Mlakar and Maja Vracaric, was another hit for the franchise, running on HRT1 from 1993-2002. Croatia is one of the few countries whose version of Wheel had a wedge ("aeiou" in small case letters) that worked like Shopper's Bazaar's Free Vowel wedge at one point, Italy being another through their Vocale wedge.

Around the same time Croatia introduced the "aeiou" wedge, they also introduced the Jackpot. As with the American version's nighttime Jackpot, the Jackpot started at 5,000 kuna and increased by every value hit. Unlike its American counterpart, the contestant had to solve the puzzle immediately upon landing on it. If s/he couldn't, s/he was allowed to spin again.

The show returned on RTL on May 18, 2015. The gameplay and set are similar to that of the American version with a few differences: the puzzle board's border changes color to reflect whose turn it is, and the show airs for an hour with more rounds being played than the American version despite the noticeably slower pace. Toss-Ups are 250, 500, and 750 kunas; as with the American version if no one solves the $2,000 Toss-Up, the red player starts Round 1 if nobody solves the 500-kuna Toss-Up.

The top value for Rounds 1 and 2 is 500 kunas, increased to 800 in Round 3 and 1,000 for Rounds 4+. There are two such 1,000 wedges, but oddly one is a regular wedge while the other is styled like the Million-Dollar Wedge on the American version. Also in Round 4, a zero-kuna space is added; in Rounds 1-3, 50 is the smallest value.

The Joker (Free Spin) space (sometimes spelled Jocker; previously known as Srećko on the original adaption) is available for the first three rounds until awarded. In order for the player to receive a Joker token, the player needs to call a letter. If successful, s/he receives the token but is awarded no extra money. The wedge is then removed from the Wheel revealing a green 200-kuna space. Oddly, if a player lands on Bankrot (Bankrupt), s/he loses the token along with his/her turn and round score.

Czech Republic
Kolotoč ("Carousel") aired briefly on TV Nova in 1996, then returned for a modest five-year run from 1997-2002. Hosts included Pavel Poulicek, Dalibor Gondik, and Honza Musil.

Two notable variations are present on this show: the Wheel is actually the top of a carousel, and the board operates automatically without a hostess. Although a computerized board is shown to the home audience along with the scores and a game timer, the actual board is never seen by the home audience.

Puzzle solving never locked away a player's score (players' entire scores were always vulnerable to Bankrupts/Bankrots) but always awarded the solver a bonus of 5,000 points/korunas. When time ran out, the puzzle was immediately revealed, and whoever had the highest score at that point spun for a cash bonus (which eventually included a progressive jackpot that increased by 1,000 korunas every day it was not won). If there was a tie for the lead, a spin off determined the winner, which was the one who spun up the highest value.

On the 60-wedge Wheel (perhaps the largest number of wedges in the franchise), two spaces were marked Bankrot, seven were marked Stop (Lose A Turn), and three were marked Bonus, and one was worth 20 points/korunas. The the rest were valued from 50 to 2,000 points/korunas. Landing on Bonus meant the player spun again and whatever was spun was doubled. If the player's Bonus spin landed on a penalty wedge, s/he spun again and kept spinning until a value was landed on.

By 1999, the Wheel changed from a carousel lookalike to an electronic style. A small clear vertical Wheel was spun physically, although the values and colors were projected on a screen. The number of wedges decreased from 60 to 24, the Bonus and Stop spaces were retired, and the lowest value became 50. If time ran out, the incomplete puzzle would carry over into the next episode. In order to keep playing, however, contestants needed to keep solving puzzles. Those who were unable to solve the puzzle were replaced by two new challengers, but presumably kept whatever their score was at the time the puzzle was solved.

One major oddity for this era was that every time after the Wheel was spun, a musical performance was played and the player was asked a trivia question about the piece that was just played. The player had to answer correctly in order to choose a letter. Otherwise, the other two players were given a chance. If all three answered incorrectly, the first player still surrendered control to the player to his/her left. Similar to the British version's early years, this slowed the game to a snail's pace, sometimes having only one puzzle solved per episode.

By 2000, the Wheel became physical again with a modern look. The number of wedges increased to 32 and the lowest value became 100. The rules were similar to the 1996 era but now, contestants were given four shaped tokens (red squares, blue triangles, and yellow circles), each placing one on the Wheel at the start of each puzzle. Should a token be landed on, its respective player received 2,000 points/korunas regardless of whose turn it was, and the player in control played for the value spun up.

At one point, a player who spun up an opponent's token surrendered control to the token's respective player, who received 2,000 points/korunas and played for the amount spun by the previous opponent.

It is unknown whether the Wheel offered points or korunas. It is also unknown if non-winners were given parting gifts whether or not they scored anything at the end of the game.

Denmark
Lykkehjulet debuted on 1 October 1988 and quickly brought success to TV2, which aired the show. The program originally used the shopping format, but later switched to a play-for-cash format.

The show was originally helmed by Michael Meyerheim and Pia Dresner, but they were replaced in 1989 by Bengt Burg and Carina Jensen. Jensen was replaced by Maria Hirse in 1995, with Burg briefly replaced by Keld Heick from 1996-97. Although Burg returned in 1997, he left for good in 2000 and was replaced by Lars Herlow.

The Wheel was slightly smaller, using only 22 wedges. When the show began, the top amount was 1,500 Kroner in early rounds and 2,500 in later ones; from 1990-98, the top value was KR3,000 in Round 1 and KR5,000 in subsequent rounds. KR5,000 became top value in all rounds in 1998. (Vowels cost KR500 throughout the run.) By 1998, Tabt Tur was retired, making Denmark one of the few versions to have not used Lose A Turn for at least some period of time.

The special spaces are as follows.
 * Fallit: Bankrupt
 * Tabt Tur: Lose Turn
 * Joker: Free Spin (later became "Ekstra Tur" first starting out as a wedge and then a token)
 * Gevinst: Gift (worked the same way as a Prize wedge; later became a token as well)
 * Kvit Eller Dobbelt: Double or Nothing. This token was used from about 1993 to about 1998 and was placed on a KR500 space. The contestant chose whether to go for the KR500 face value or lift the token off the Wheel. If they chose to lift the token, this meant risking their round earnings for a chance to double them. Calling a correct letter doubled their earnings, but calling an incorrect letter had the same effects as Fallit.

Lykkehjulet ended in 2001 after 3,599 episodes due to declining viewership and a failed attempt at "modernizing" the show for its final season. It is known that one of these alterations was the debut of a video screen similar to the one currently being used on the American version. Oddly, the puzzle board still used trilons.

Ecuador
La Rueda de la Fortuna has aired since 2004 on Ecuavisa, hosted by Pancho Cabanilla.

Egypt
دائرة الحياة (or Daeret Al Hayat), hosted by Kareem Kojak and Heba Sameer Goudah, began airing on Al Hayat TV on August 19, 2012. This version uses some sounds from the US one, such as the puzzle reveal chimes, but others (including the Prize Puzzle chimes and Final Spin bells) are unique to this version.

The game is confirmed to offer Egyptian pounds (EGP), with the top values being 1,000 in Round 1, 2,000 for Rounds 2-3, and 2,500 in Round 4 with the second Bankrupt added on the pink 200 in Round 4. The Toss-Ups, done at the same spots as the US version, are worth 1,000-1,000-2,000. Vowels cost 150.

Round 1 is a normal round, Round 2 is the Prize Puzzle, and Round 3 places a 10,000-EGP Wedge on the purple 700 (the only removable "extra" on the Wheel, although it does not carry over into Round 4 if it is not claimed). It appears that, much like the 1973-74 American pilots, the game is limited to four rounds and some games do not have a Final Spin; even if the Final Spin is used, nothing is added to the value the host lands on and "invalid" spins are edited out.

For a brief period, a Free Spin token was placed on the green 200.

Solving a puzzle with a score of 0 awards 1,000, even if it is the Prize Puzzle. However, there is no house minimum.

The Bonus Round is played somewhat the same as the US version: the winner spins a Bonus Wheel with cash amounts and a car (usually a Chevrolet worth approximately 100,000 EGP). The player is given three consonants and a vowel, then chooses another three-and-a-vowel before being given 10 seconds to solve. If the player does not land on the car, host Kojak shows where it is. It is known that the car has been won at least once.

Estonia
Õnneratas originally aired from 1999-2000 on TV3 with Emil Rutiku as host. A more recent run, part of a lottery show called Suur lotokolmapäev, hosted by Mart Sander, debuted in 2011 on Kanal 2.

Finland
Finland had another popular version named Onnenpyörä, which ran on MTV3 (not related to the music-based cable network) from Spring 1993-2001. It was originally hosted by Kim Floor and Saija Palin; Floor was dismissed in June 1993 and replaced in August by Janne Porkka.

The Wheel may have offered points instead of markkas when the show started, and this may have been the case throughout the show's run. The Wheel's value layout resembled that of the daytime 1986 Round 1 layout on America's version, albeit with the top value of 800 replacing the 500 next to the 750. For a short time in 1993 and/or 1994, the top value was 2,400. Eventually, this was decreased to 1,500 in 1994, dropped again to 1,350 later that year, and then increased to 1,600 which would be the top value for every round through the end of the run.

Free Spin and Lose A Turn used images of 3/4 rotations, the latter with a red X over it; Bankrupt was referred to as "robber". Early in the show's run, however, the Bankrupt was depicted with a skull-and-crossbones figure. By late 1993 or early 1994, Free Spins were no longer offered.

Unlike the US version, the cost of a vowel (which was usually if not always 300) was not deducted if it was not in the puzzle. Additionally, the show did not penalize for illegal moves such as calling a repeated letter (assuming the repeat was acknowledged) or a vowel after spinning.

France
France was among the more successful countries regarding Wheel, although it began much like the Italian franchise: as the first of five events on the show Pentathlon on the now-defunct channel La Cinq 5; Pentathlon itself had a short run, airing on Thursdays from 21 February through 18 June 1986.

The Wheel's pegs are taller than the current American version (about the same height as those in Wheel of Fortune - Live!) and therefore are easy to reach.

La Roue de la Fortune debuted on 5 January 1987 as a daily series on TF1 hosted by Michel Robbe and Annie Pujol, and was heavily based on the American format (complete with shopping and even a color scheme that was similar to America's 1986 Round 1 layout). The only difference was that vowels cost ₣500 (Francs) and this was not deducted if the vowel was not in the puzzle.

Robbe left in September 1987 and was replaced by Christian Morin, who was in turn replaced by Alexandre Debanne in January 1993. In January 1995, Debanne and Pujol were replaced by Olivier Chiabodo and Sandra Rossi, but Rossi apparently did not fit with the show and was replaced after a month by Frederique Calvez.

Spaces in the original version The top values on the Wheel were...
 * Relance/Joker: Free Spin. It was originally a yellow wedge, but starting around 1993 it was a fancy-colored 6 on the red ₣1,500 (12-wedge-colored Wheel over ₣800 in 1995) between the orange ₣2,000 and blue ₣1,000 (₣1,000 and ₣500 respectively in 1995); in at least 1996, players who landed on it received a Free Spin and played for the value shown on the wedge. They could immediately hand the Free Spin back if s/he called a wrong letter as well as any other time.
 * Bonus: Worked just like the rules for the Prize wedge of the American version from 1983 to 1990 only the value of the prize did not count toward the player's score.
 * Surprise
 * 1987: ₣3,000/₣3,000/₣4,000 (Note two spaces were worth ₣3,000.)
 * 1991: ₣7,000/₣7,000/₣10,000 (By this point, the smallest value increased from ₣500 to ₣1,500. Also, a new template half, based on the one used in rounds 3 and 4 on the American nighttime version at the time, was introduced.)
 * 1993: ₣5,000/₣7,500/₣10,000/₣15,000 (When Debanne became host, the Wheel's color scheme went back to fully resembling the American Round 1 layout.)
 * 1995: ₣3,000/₣3,000/₣5,000/₣10,000 (In 1995, the values from the Debanne version were halved, with some values being rounded up. In 1996, the layout was reversed but was otherwise the same.)

The show ended in April 1997.

2006-12

La Roue de la Fortune returned on 7 August 2006, now hosted by Christophe Dechavanne and Victoria Silvstedt. As before, most of the format was copied from the American one, albeit using the Euro. In fact, the placement of the Banqueroute (Bankrupt) and Passe (Lose A Turn) spaces was the same as that used on the U.S. version at the time. The normal top value on the Wheel was €500 and vowels cost €200. Again, if the vowel was not in the puzzle, the player did not have to pay the fee. The €0 space is the same as $0 on the 1973 Shopper's Bazaar pilot.

Like in America, the game began with a Toss-Up puzzle to see who would be introduced first. Furthermore, every round started with that puzzle worth €500 and the right to start the round with that money; therefore, the contestant had to solve the puzzle without hitting Bankrupt to keep the money. As a result, this is one of the few adaptations (three others being Bulgaria's version via the "Lose Everything" wedge, Greece's current version, Spain's current version and Hungary's most recent version) where a contestant can solve a puzzle but still win nothing; it is also one of the few versions where it is possible for at least one contestant to not even be given a chance to play, the British, the current Spanish and Hungarian versions (as well as the format used in at least the 1973-74 American pilots) being others.

The gameplay was as follows:
 * Round 1's top value was €2,000, along with €1,000 and €1,500. There was also a Filet Garni wedge, which offered a net believed to contain a small prize such as a cell phone or gift card. The net also contained some seemingly worthless accessories such as pre-filled inflatables.
 * A Caverne space was added in Round 2. Landing on it sent that player to a prize-filled cavern where s/he had 15 seconds to collect as many prizes as they could without exceeding €2,500 (€2,000 in Round 3 before the Jackpot debuted).
 * A Bankrupt/€10,000/Bankrupt wedge was added in Round 3. It moved to the newly-added Round 4 around the time the Jackpot Round debuted.

Prior to 2007, the numbers were placed near the center of each wedge. By 2007, they moved near the rim, possibly to aid the cameramen with close overhead shots.

In 2008, TF1 Games released a board game adaption of this version, perhaps the most emulative out of all the board game adaptions of any version of the show ever released. Puzzles are grouped, with two of the groups being for Toss-Ups and Bonus Rounds. The puzzle board has two sides (one being for puzzles and the other being the used letter board) with 26 spaces each. Three Wheels, each with two layouts, are included and are spun via the rim. Interestingly, some of the layouts include Caverne spaces, although the rules state that the cash value shown is given automatically. One layout also has a 10,000-euro wedge included, but it and the two Bankrupts surrounding it are the equivalent of being two pegs wide as opposed to one. As a result, a yellow 150 just clockwise of them is removed. Another wedge included is one marked Voyage. When this is landed on, players repeatedly swap positions within a time limit. One of the Wheels is used for the Bonus Round only; using color-coded wedges, it is flipped to reveal what the player won or did not win.

​31 August 2009 added one more round and at least one new wedge: the Jackpot, in Round 3. Its value began at €0 at the beginning of the game (before becoming available in Round 3) and increased with each amount landed on, with the wedge itself treated like a Prize wedge. The Hold-Up wedge, used in Round 4 (which allowed that player to steal an opponent's score for that round), debuted around the same time.

Around 2010, ½ Auto wedges were introduced, a forerunner to the ½ Car tags used on the American version. Interestingly, this is one of only two known elements used on the American version that were introduced in a foreign adaption, the first being the Million-Dollar Wedge (introduced for the 2008 Australian version).

The Bonus Round prizes were cash amounts of €5,000, €7,500, €10,000, €15,000, €20,000, two cars, or the top prize of €100,000.

Daytime Version

The show became a daytime series on 2 January 2012, changing its format and replacing Dechavanne and Silvstedt with Benjamin Castaldi and Valérie Bègue. €300 was the normal top value on the Wheel, vowels cost €100, and gameplay was as follows:


 * The game began with a Toss-Up, and whoever solved it correctly went first in Round 1.
 * Round 1 (Mystery): Played just like America, with a "bribe" of €50 per letter and one wedge hiding €500. When one is revealed, the other one is also removed, unlike the US version. The two wedges were placed on €0 and the on the blue €50 next to the normal top value.
 * Starting in Round 2, the yellow €150 between two €100s became a third Bankrupt space.
 * Round 2 (Caverne): Same as the pre-2012 version, except the time limit was increased to 30 seconds and the limit was decreased to €1,500. After this, the contestant chose a consonant for €150. This wedge was placed on the yellow €150 between €50 and €200.
 * Round 3 (Flash Cash): if the Flash Cash wedge was landed on, that player had 10 seconds to solve the puzzle for €1,000 minus €100 for each second elapsed. This wedge was placed on the green €100 two wedges apart from the normal top dollar value.
 * Round 4 had several wedges: Weekend (a weekend trip to a popular vacation spot), Hold-Up (same as before), and one similar to the Million-Dollar Wedge that offers €60,000 in the Bonus Round. The Weekend Wedge was placed on the orange €200 between €150 and €100, Hold-Up on €0, and the Bankrupt/€60,000/Bankrupt wedge on the Bankrupt next to the normal top value.

The only removable wedge available throughout the game was the Half Gift Wedge. Whoever landed on it picked it up and then called a consonant for €50 (played like the pre-1991 Prize wedge rules in the US version); whoever picked two of them and solved the puzzle won the prize. This wedge was placed on the blue €50 three wedges from Lose A Turn.

In the Bonus Round, the winning contestant played for an electric car or cash of up to €30,000 (€60,000 if that player had the aforementioned wedge). The gameplay was otherwise exactly like the American version.

This overhauled format only lasted for two months, and the series as a whole ended on 23 March. By the end, €100 became the smallest value on the Wheel.

Georgia
იღბლიანი ბორბალი (or Igbliani Barbali), hosted by Duta Skhirtladze, has aired on Rustavi 2 since March 3, 2011. The hostess wore a bikini, and trilons were still used. This version may have ended some time in 2015.

Germany
Wheel also became popular in Germany as the long-running Glücksrad, debuting on Sat.1 on November 7, 1988. In a rare move, Frederic Meisner and Peter Bond alternated hosting duties from episode to episode, with Maren Gilzer as hostess.

Germany's version is one several to have used similar aspects of an American Wheel layout: when the show premiered, it used the 1985 nighttime Round 1 layout (albeit reversed) for all three rounds on a rainbow-esque Wheel.
 * In Round 2, the 150 by 900 was replaced by a Sonderpreis (special prize) wedge while the other 150 increased to 500. The Aussetzen (Lose A Turn) was replaced by a second Bankrott (Bankrupt).
 * In Round 3, the Extra Dreh (Extra Turn/Free Spin) was replaced by an Aussetzen, the adjacent 200 was increased to 2,000, the 200 next to 700 was increased to 1,500, and the Sonderpreis was replaced by 5,000.
 * The following year, the font and pegs changed from black to white, the colors were brightened, and 350 and Bankrott swapped positions. This would be the basis for most of its layouts until around 1999, when Germany switched to the Euro.
 * By around 2000, the show began using only one arrow, placed in front of the host. This would be the standard until the show ended in 2005.

From around 1989 to the time the shopping element was dropped around 1998, a Super Puzzle was played after round 3. Five words were arranged in a crossword-type fashion, each with a different category. The first two contestants each chose two consonants while the third chose one consonant and one vowel. The six letters chosen would appear, and the contestants had 90 seconds to solve all five words, 30 for each player. It is not entirely known what the purpose of the Super Puzzle is, but it is most likely to offer cash along with the prizes purchased by each player during the shopping segments.

In 1990, Parker Brothers released three board game adaptions (two regular editions and one Junior). All three editions, including the Junior, used the layout used in Pressman's regular and Deluxe editions in the 1980s.

In late 1991, the trio did a behind-the-scenes special while at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida about the American Wheel's "Around the World" tapings of Season 9, which had quite a few other international hosts and hostesses present as well.

Originally in the Bonus Round, contestants selected five consonants and a vowel. At some point, RSTLNE was given automatically (displayed as ERNSTL, a common diminutive of the German name "Ernst"); unlike other versions, these letters were not revealed until after the contestant called his/her extra letters.

In mid-May 1998, the show moved to Kabel Eins; Bond and Gilzer left shortly afterward, the latter replaced by Sonja Kraus around 2000 (by which point the puzzle board had become electronic). The last changes came near the end, as Meisner was replaced in 2001 by Thomas Ohrner and Kraus was replaced in 2002 by Katrin Wrobel. The show ended on October 31, 2002.

The show returned on the call-in channel 9 Live from March 2004 to March 2005, with Meisner and Ramona Drews hosting. Oddly, the puzzle board reverted back to using trilons, the only known adaption of Wheel to go this route. This version ended after 100 episodes were produced, all of which were repeated afterward.

The show is expected to return on RTL Plus in September 2016.

Kinder-Glücksrad

A children's version, hosted by Petra Hausberg, aired on Sat.1 from 1992-93 and used three teams of two players. In a rarity for the franchise, there was no hostess (the puzzle board was entirely electronic) or Bankrupt wedges. Oddly, only a single round was played (with values ranging from 50 to 1,000 marks, two Extra Dreh spaces just three spaces away from the other, one Ausstzen, and one Sonderpreis), and the team who solved the puzzle went on to the Bonus Round.

Glücksrad-Gala

A bigger-budget series aired on Sat.1 from 1993-96, presumably replacing Kinder-Glücksrad. The show aired about once a month for 100 minutes, all live; the hosts were the same as the regular series, with Gundis Zambo alternating with Gilzer at the puzzle board.

Greece
Ο τροχός της τύχης ran on ANT1 from January 1, 1990 to 1996, then revived as O trokós tis túkis on MEGA from 1997-98. It was hosted at various times by George Polychroniou, Paul Chaikalis, Danis Katranidis, and Yiannis Koutrakis.

For at least one point in time, if not through its entire run, Greece's Speed-Up Round had one major difference from most other versions. Instead of one letter per turn, contestants kept the turn as long as they continued to call correct letters.

From about 1993-94, to celebrate its 3rd Anniversary, the show changed its opening to a localized version of the 1992 American one, complete with that remix of "Changing Keys".

The wheel had no Lose a Turn wedges at a point; only Bankrupt. A Bankrupt, however, wiped out the entire score from the start, not just the current round score.

The show returned on Star on March 23, 2015. This is the first version outside the United States to use the Express wedge (used in Round 3 only), although under a different name: All or Nothing. It also uses the Cavern wedge used on France's version under the name Gift (introduced in Round 2). The limit is €600. To access the Cavern, the player must call a letter that is in the puzzle (€45 per occurrence, €10 on the premiere). If the limit is not exceeded, the player must solve that round's puzzle without going Bankrupt in order to keep the prizes.

The gameplay structure is very similar to the American version only there is no house minimum and nothing is added to the final spin. The first and third Toss-Ups are worth €100, while the second only determines who starts the first round. Vowels cost €100. Bankrupts now act like their American counterparts. The Free Spin (all rounds), Wild (all rounds), and Mystery spaces (Round 2 only) each have a face value of €45. Should the contestant flip over the Mystery Wedge that has €500, that amount is added in spendable cash. Also, unlike the American Mystery Round, the contestant gets to keep the €45 per letter.

The Wild Wedge is placed on the red €45, the Gift Wedge is placed on the light purple €10, two Mystery Wedges are placed on two indigo €45 wedges, and the All or Nothing Wedge are placed on the indigo €45 between €10 and €20.

Hungary
Another popular version was Szerencsekerék, originally running from 1993-97 on MTV1 before jumping to TV2 until 2001, then returning for its current series in 2011 on Story4TV. The original series' Wheel used 23 wedges, with three pegs each.

The series, in its three runs, has gone through several personnel changes. Also, the surname is listed first per customs of the Hungarian language.
 * In 1993, the hosts were Gajdos Tamás, Klausmann Viktor, and Prokopp Dóra.
 * In 1999, Tamás left and was replaced by Vízy András; Viktor left in 2000 and was not replaced.
 * When the show returned in 2011, Viktor returned as well and was joined by Árpa Attila and Rácz Zsuzsi.
 * In 2012, Viktor and Attila were replaced by Szulák Andrea.

In at least one 1994 episode, Hungary tried a unique concept by filling the entire puzzle board with what at first would look like a series of random letters. The objective was to choose letters that were not in the puzzle. The letters that were in the puzzle were presumably in order yet with spaces between them regardless of whether or not they were in the same word.

Special wedges
 * Csőd: Same as Bankrupt.
 * Kimarad: Same as Lose A Turn. It was originally called "Passz" until around 2000.
 * Joker: Same as Free Spin. It was originally called "Újra" until around 2000.
 * Különdíj (Special Prize): When landed on, the host asks a trivial question and if the contestant answered it correctly, s/he must solve the puzzle to win the prize. In the original version, it behaved like the Jackpot Wedge in the US version and the Prize wedge in the Polish version. Around 2000, 5,000 forintok per letter was awarded even if the contestant did not immediately solve the puzzle.
 * Dupla vagy Semmi (Double or Nothing): Used only on the original version, a player who landed on this wedge had to call a correct letter to double their money; otherwise, it acted as a Bankrupt.
 * Risiko (Risk): Wrong letters upon landing on it takes away money. It is only used around 2000.

India
Surf Wheel of Fortune (so called because it was sponsored by Surf, a brand of detergent) existed in India from 1995 to 1997. Their intro consisted of a shot of the puzzle board, a computerized slot machine and a computerized Wheel layout with the special spaces spelled out vertically in English.

Indonesia
Roda Impian, hosted by Charles Bonar Sirait, originally ran on SCTV from August 6, 2001 to August 2, 2002 for 260 episodes. The original hostess, "Vicky", was replaced on May 1 by "Ike".

Originally, the show aired daily at 17:30 (5:30 PM), but on November 5 moved to 17:00 until February 4, when it returned to 17:30. On May 6, the show moved to its final timeslot of 16:00, where it remained until its demise.

The series appears to have ended out of controversy; according to Sirait, some deception of the public was involved.

Revivals

The series was revived on antv from 2003 to July 29, 2005, followed by a very brief revival on Indosiar from January 2-March 3, 2006.

Another revival was planned for MBC 4 to begin in December 2011 or January 2012, although it appears that these plans fell through.

Israel
גלגל המזל (or Galgal HaMazal) ran on Channel ב from 1994-2000, hosted by Erez Tal (אֶרֶז טַל). A revival, מחזירים את הגלגל ("Return the Wheel"), aired in at least 2010.

Strangely, at least the revival has the set reversed (Wheel at left, puzzle board at right). Even stranger is that the revival's Wheel has just one arrow, positioned in front of the host.

Italy
La Ruota Della Fortuna debuted in 1985 as one of several games played on Pentatlon, which aired on Canale 5 and was hosted by Mike Bongiorno. The Wheel used on this version had only 15 wedges. (France followed suit with their own version of Pentatlon, which aired for four months in 1986 as Pentathlon.)

The original pilot used an automated Wheel, with players stopping it via a button in front of them (similar to the Shopper's Bazaar pilot); these buttons were covered with boxes when the show went to series. Beginning in 1987 (specifically, on a "redemption episode"), each contestant was given one spin to begin the round.

1987-88

A revival aired on Odeon TV from September 1987 to 1988, using the shopping element and hosted by Augusto "Casti" Mondelli. This version was half gameplay, half something else (most likely a comedy show).

Parole d'oro

What could be best described as a knockoff, "Golden Words" aired on Sundays during the 1987-88 season at 4:00 PM, ending due to low ratings. The main difference was that the Wheel, rather than use money, had all letters of the alphabet (the Italian alphabet does not use J, K, W, X, or Y, except on loanwords) plus one Perde Tutto (Bankrupt) and three Jolly (Wild). Players who landed on a letter could take the letter (for 500,000 lire per appearance) or pass their turn, as a wrong letter cost that player 500,000 lire. Negative scoring is known to have occurred. Landing on a letter that was already attempted to be put in (whether in the puzzle or not) was an automatic pass unless the player had any Joker tokens (which were supplied at the beginning of the game) left.

Some letters on the Wheel were gold, and hence were worth 1,000,000 lire per appearance. Landing on the Wild space or using a Joker token allowed that player to choose a letter. Choosing a letter that was golden still awarded 1,000,000 per appearance. Once a puzzle was solved, all players won what was on their display, with the person who solved receiving an additional 5,000,000 lire.

The Bonus Round allowed the player to choose five letters, albeit picked at random from a bag. The player then had sixty seconds to solve the puzzle but was presumably allowed only one guess at the solution. Guessing correctly doubled his or her winnings.

Interestingly, audience coaching (similar to that on The Price is Right) was allowed in the main round although it was not in the Bonus Round.

1989-2003

The more famous version debuted on Rete 4, with Bongiorno as host and Ylenia Carrasi as hostess, although Carrasi was quickly dismissed and replaced by Paola Barale.

On this version, the Free Spin was called "Jolly" and used a picture of a jester. Originally, the Jolly was a disc with a J on it, but this appears to have been changed because the wedge it was on said "JOO". By the end of the run, the Toss-Up awarded a Free Spin.

This version was one of the few to try Wheel in an hour-long format; unlike in America, the show played at least nine rounds. The "warm-up lap" used on Pentatlon was dropped after the first few seasons.

Round 3 was the Prize Puzzle, which was awarded only if the player could answer a "bonus" question. Round 8 added the "Golden Letter", which when called began a short minigame: Bongiorno named a category, after which the contestant had to name a certain number of things that both fit the category and began with the Golden Letter; success doubled that player's score, but failure was essentially Bankrupt.

The final round increased all cash values and added a Vowel wedge, which essentially acted like Free Vowel did in the Shopper's Bazaar pilot.

By the end of the run, the Bonus Round was played for a car.

Aside from Carrasi briefly returning in 1992, Ruota remained stable until Barale left in 1995. She was originally replaced by Roberta Capula, who in turn was quickly replaced by Antonella Elia, who herself was replaced in 1996 by Claudia Grego; after Grego departed in 1997, Ana Laura Ribas briefly held the role and was replaced by Miriana Trevisan. At this point, the show returned to stability until 2002, when Trevisan was replaced by Nancy Comelli until the show's demise.

In 1995, the trademark "Gira la Ruota (Spin the Wheel)" theme was introduced. Interestingly, the music shows some resemblance to the American "I'm a Wheel Watcher" song and in fact may have been inspired by it. Also, from 1995-96, unlike most other adaptions, a fourth arrow was seen in front of Bongiorno's hosting area, although this was presumably used only to determine the Speed-Up value. When not in use, it was rotated 90 degress counterclockwise.

By 2003, an electronic puzzle board was introduced. It was different from most others because in the case of multiple occurrences of a letter, the hostess only needed to touch one to reveal the others.

The show ran for 3,125 episodes, ending with a Tournament of Champions.

2007-09

The most recent version aired on Italia 1, with Enrico Papi hosting and Victoria Silvstedt (from the French version) at the puzzle board. The theme music was a dance remix of the "Gira la Ruota" song.

The set and Wheel layout were similar to France's 2006-2011 version only the set was mirrored and the Wheel used a different font. The puzzle board also used a bold font and did not have a border that signified whose player's turn it was (the border was always a magenta-red color). Intially, contestants played for a top prize of €200,000. Before 2008 came to an end, the top prize was halved.

Board Game Adaptions

Many board game adaptions were released throughout the years by Milton Bradley. The first, released in 1988, used the Round 1 layout in the 1987 Odeon version. The rest of Milton Bradley's releases used a layout with a similar style to that used on the show.

In 2008, Clementoni released a home adaption of the most recent version. It had a puzzle board which was designed to use custom puzzles as well as puzzles provided on cards and even had a cardboard cutout figure of Silvstedt that could be attached to the side. The Wheel was designed to be spun via the rim without pegs (although it oddly replaced the Passe with a second €0 wedge). The gameplay structure, however, was similar to Pressman's versions with the Wheel's top value being €400 and vowels costing €200.

Japan
Hoiru﻿ obu Fochon, hosted by Jyoji Shibue and Miyuu Sawai, aired on the Tokyo Broadcasting System during the 1980s-90s. These two would later play Usagi Tsukino and Mamoru Chiba in Toei's Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon.

Kurdistan
There was a version, possibly a one-time special, sometime in the 2000s.

Lithuania
Laimės Ratas is confirmed to have existed in Lithuania, possibly during the late 1990s as their Wheel's patterned color scheme resembled that of Poland's (read below). It is also believed to have aired on TV3.

Macedonia
Тркало На Среќата (or Trkalo Na Srekata) premiered on A1 Channel in 2009, hosted by Igor Dzambazov and Natali Grubovic.

Malaysia
Roda Impian was another success for the franchise, airing on Astro Ria from 1996-2006; original host Halim Othman was replaced by Hani Mohsin in 2002. Hostesses included Zalda Zainal, Abby Abadi, "Spell", "Liza AF1", and Irma Hasmie. The show ended out of respect for Mohsin, who had died suddenly of a heart attack in 2006.

The top values were RM200 for Round 1, RM500 for Round 2, RM700 for Round 3, and RM1000 for Round 4, with Bankrupt and Lose A Turn being called "Muflis" and "Hilang Giliran" respectively. RM 200 was placed counterclockwise of Hilang Giliran in Round 1 while the top values for Rounds 2 to 4 were placed counterclockwise of Muflis. A Prize wedge was added on the other side of the top value for Rounds 2 and 3. In Round 4, a second Prize wedge was added.

Spaces used in the original version
 * Mystery Wedges: Much like the American version, with two wedges and a face value of RM500. They hid either a prize or Lose A Turn. These were available in Round 4 only.
 * Selesaikan (Solve): Landing on this forced the contestant to solve the puzzle. Doing so doubled their money, but failing resulted in a Bankrupt.
 * Undur (Reverse): Same as Lose A Turn, except the turn order was temporarily reversed (for example, if the blue contestant landed on it, the yellow contestant gained control; once the yellow contestant lost his/her turn, the blue player got it back).
 * Putaran Percuma (Free Spin): Placed on the top value of each round.
 * Misteri (Surprise)

The show briefly returned in 2009 on TV3, hosted by "Kieran" and Fauziah Gaus.

Despite the program's demise in Malaysia, the original Roda Impian remains the longest-running and most-watched game show in the country.

Mexico
La Rueda de la Fortuna, hosted by Laura Flores and "Anastasia", aired on Televisa from 1995 to May 10, 1996. The opening was a localized version of the 1992 American one, and oddly the show used two puzzle boards.

As opposed to 24, the Wheel had 25 wedges, each with three pegs. Originally, the top values were $850/$1,000/$1,500, but became $1,000/$2,000/$3,000 when peso values were increased (some of them being doubled) not long into the show's run. The currency symbol seen on the Wheel throughout most of the run was N$, which meant new peso, as Mexico replaced their old peso with a new one in 1993. Before the show's run ended, the N was omitted from the Wheel.

As opposed to having a final spin of the game, a final spin of the round was done if a round was taking too long. The house minimum for a round was $500, but the minimum for the game was $2,000, meaning if anyone won less than $2,000 after three rounds, their score was bumped to that amount.

Mongolia
Agshin ("A Moment"), heavily modeled after the Russian version, premiered on TV MNB in April 1992 and eventually became the longest-running show on Mongolian television. Despite its longevity, it is unknown if the show still airs.

The Netherlands
Het Rad van Fortuin, originally hosted by Hans van der Togt, ran on RTL 4 from 1989-98 and at one point used a localized version of the 1989-92 American opening. For the first few years, this version was very similar to Belgium's version at the time, including similar Wheel layouts, and even the same music and sound effects. Hostesses included Leontine Borsato, Patricia Rietveld, and Cindy Pielstroom. This version used the shopping format.

The show was briefly revived in 2009, with Carlo Boszhard (who also hosted that country's version of The Price Is Right) as host, and Borsato returning to the puzzle board. This version was played for cash using the Euro, with a top value of just €500 with a €0 wedge to the right of it.

Bankrupt and Lose A Turn were named "Bankroet" and "Verliesbeurt", respectively.
 * Overval: Used in Rounds 1-2, placed on the €100 between €250 and €350, the wedge gave players a chance to steal their opponents' money (much like the Power Wedge in the Filipino version).
 * Mystery Wedges: Two were used beginning in Round 3 (one on the €100 between €250 and €350, the other on the light-purple €100). The wedges had a face value of €100, although the Mystery Prize is unknown.
 * Bankroet/€5,000/Bankroet: Placed on the Bankroet next to €500, but it is not known if this was treated as a cash prize or spendable cash.

Rad van Fortuin will be returning somewhere in fall 2016 on the dutch broadcast channel SBS 6

Host and Hostess are yet unknown

New Zealand
Wheel debuted on TV2 in February 1991, hosted by Phillip Leishman and Lana Coc-Kroft with Grant Walker as announcer. This version based itself heavily on the Australian one, with a very similar set (and possibly rules).

The show began at 5:30 PM, then moved to TV ONE at 7:00 PM (previously held by $ale of the Century). In 1995, TV ONE expanded its newscast to a full hour and moved Wheel to TV2 at 6:00 PM, where it was unable to compete with the news broadcasts of TV ONE and TV3 and ended in 1996.

One infamous episode which appears from time to time in blooper specials was boxer David Tua's game on October 10, 1992: at one point, he asked for P when buying a vowel; at another, he tried to buy a "constonant". He was also believed to have tried to call "O for awesome", but in fact it was "O for Olsen" (a reference to Olsen Filipaina), although the main problem is that he was supposed to call a consonant.

Home Version

Croner released a board game that was the same as the games released in Australia with the sole difference (possibly apart from puzzles) being the boxart, which featured Leishman and New Zealand's puzzle board.

2008-09

The show returned on April 14, 2008, again on TV ONE, now hosted by Jason Gunn and Sonia Gray. Like the American version, a SPIN ID number was drawn during the show; in this case, it was an "aside" during one round and awarded $500. In addition to using categories (most of which appeared to be identical to the American and Australian versions), Sonia offered a clue pertaining to each puzzle at the start of every round (similarly to the 1974 American pilots).

Values ranged from $50-$500 in Round 1, $50-$900 in Round 2, and $100-$2,000/$150-$2,000 in Rounds 3+. Like they did in the original version, consonants only rewarded the amount spun at a flat rate.
 * Toss-Ups were played like the US version, with a value of $100.
 * The Wheel's color scheme was the exact same as the barren Round 1 layout used on the American version from 2006 to 2008 save for the Bankrupt switching places with the green space (coincidentally valued at $300 on both versions) two wedges counterclockwise.
 * Placements of extras varied from episode to episode, unlike the American version where extras almost always had a default position.
 * A Free Spin was placed on a $50 space in Rounds 1 and 2.
 * Vowels cost $100. Interestingly, there was possibly no warning as to whether or not there were any vowels left. In at least one episode, Jason said that even if there was a vowel left to buy, it may not be in the puzzle.
 * A Prize wedge was placed in all rounds. The prize was always kitchen appliances.
 * $600, $700, $800, and $900 were placed on four of the $50 spaces beginning in Round 2.
 * $1,000 and $2,000 were added for Round 3. Also added were a Bankrupt/$5,000/Bankrupt wedge, another Bankrupt wedge, and two Mystery Wedges.
 * The Mystery Wedges had a bribe of $300, with a Bankrupt or $2,500 on the reverse.
 * The consolation prize for non-scoring contestants was $250.
 * RSTLNE was given by default in the Bonus Round but, if a player accidentally called one of those letters, that pick was considered to have been wasted and was essentially held against the contestant.

Wheel ended in June 2009 due to low ratings, low advertiser revenue, and high production costs; an increased emphasis on the play-by-phone game "Speed Digits" (where Gray gave RSTLNE and Gunn gave a sixth consonant) is likely to have been a contributing factor, as it typically disrupted the game flow. The week of April 27, 2009 had firefighters playing the game; while not stated outright, all of them were male, likely in an attempt to draw a large female demographic.

Norway
Lykkehjulet aired from 13 March 1990 to 16 April 1993 on TV3 and is the same as the original Swedish Lyckohjulet, with one contestant from Norway and two from Sweden (or vice versa) playing against each other (and as a result of the dual-country airing, intros and promos used two logos). This is the only known version of Wheel to have contestants from different countries playing against each other as a regular part of the format (Canadians have played on the American version, and at least one American played on the Australian version).

For a while, the format was similar to the American 1975 hour-long version. The first set consisted of two Swedish players while the second consisted of two Norwegian players. For each set of players, two regular rounds were played. The top winner from each set played a duel round, which was similar to the Bonus Round only with two players. The winner of the duel round would play the Bonus Round. If neither player won the duel round, however, no Bonus Round was played. This is the only known time a version in the worldwide franchise to regularly depart from the standard three-player format.

Originally, the show was hosted by Ragnar Otnes and Ulrika Nilsson. Otnes was replaced by Knut Bjornsen on 31 December 1991, while Nilsson was replaced by Lise Nilsen on 1 September 1992.

Values on the Wheel ranged from 1000 to 4000 (with one Bankrupt/Bankrutt space and no Lose A Turns), although vowels cost a mere 300. During the two-player era, a Bonus token (which worked similar to the Prize wedge) was placed on the sole 1000 space in the second round of each set. The Wheel is believed to have offered both krones and kronas, which are the currencies of Norway and Sweden respectively, as both currencies are similar in name and value.

Initially, a shopping-based turntable was at center stage, which appears to have been dropped when Knut became host.

A board game adaption was released in both countries, which was modeled after Waddington's British version. Damm released the game in Norway while Karnan released the game in Sweden. The main difference was the Wheel layout. As the British layout was the same as Pressman's American layout, values were raised in Norway's and Sweden's versions to reflect the Norwedgian/Swedish show's layout although values were multiples of 500 as opposed to the show's 50. Furthermore, one Lose A Turn and one Free Spin space were placed on the Wheel in the same respective positions as Pressman's and Waddington's Wheel layouts. Finally, some of the special spaces were named differently between both versions. For example, Sweden's uses the show's Bankrutt as the name for their Bankrupt wedge while Norway's uses the term Konkurs.

There also appears to have been a one-time special that aired in Norway only on February 26, 2007.

Panama
La Rueda de la Fortuna, hosted by Rassiel Rodriguez and Nadage Herrera, briefly ran on Telémetro in 2001. It was revived on Canal 13 on June 9, 2010, hosted by Jorge Ortega, but appears to have ended in 2011.

Peru
La Ruleta de la Suerte premiered in late November 2011 on Frecuencia Latina, with host Cristian Rivero. It appears to have ended in 2012.

The Philippines
Wheel originally aired on ABC-5 from November 19, 2001 to October 2002, hosted by Rustom Padilla and Victoria London. This version used the Surprise wedge and Free Spin wedge (though treated like the token), along with the W-H-E-E-L envelopes and RSTLNE given automatically in the Bonus Round. The logo was the American one used from 1995-97.

The Wheel used on this version most likely holds the record as being the largest Wheel in the franchise. When the show premiered in 2001, the values were 500, 550, 600, 650, 700, 750, 800, 850, 900, 950, 2,000, 3,000, and 4,000 (notably being between Lose A Turn and Bankrupt); by 2002, the amounts on the Wheel became 1,000, 1,200, 1,400, 1,600, 1,800, 2,000, 2,250, 2,500, 2,750, 3,000, 3,250, 3,500, 3,750, and 4,000 (still between Lose A Turn and Bankrupt although the penalty wedges around it swapped positions). Vowels cost 400 pesos.

Special wedges included:
 * Surprise (Rounds 1-2; later Round 1 only): Placed on the green 500 between 3,000 and 750; later on the 1,000 between 3,500 and 1,600.
 * Free Spin (All Rounds; later Rounds 1-2 only): Placed on the yellow 500 between 2,000 and 550; later on the green 1,000 between 1,400 and 2,250.
 * Goodie 1 (Round 2): A Prize wedge placed on the green 500 between 700 and 650; later on the orange 1,000.
 * Jackpot (Round 2): Started at 5,000 pesos, with the wedge placed on the teal 500 between Bankrupt and 850, later on the light-green 1,000 between 3,000 and Bankrupt.

The Speed-Up was played like the American version, with consonants worth the Final Spin's amount plus 1,000 pesos.

2008

The show was revived on ABS-CBN from January 14-July 25, 2008 for 140 episodes, hosted by Kris Aquino with Zara Aldana and Jasmine Fitzgerald alternating at the puzzle board, making this one of only two known adaptions of Wheel of Fortune (the other being Mexico) to have no male hosts whatsoever.

Strangely, promos and the like for this version made no mention of the Padilla series.

This version closely resembled the American format then in use, albeit with puzzles in both English and Tagalog, and K replacing R in the Bonus Round. The Bonus Round prizes were: cars and cash amounts ranging from 50,000 pesos to 1,000,000 pesos and a top prize of 2,000,000 pesos. The most notable difference was the Power wedge (known as "Hold Up" in other versions that use it) which, after calling a correct letter, allowed a player to steal all current round winnings from an opponent. If neither opponent had any money, the player still had to call a correct letter at no value. Another notable difference was the position of each of the player's arrows. Instead of being placed at the center of each player's podium, they were placed just clockwise of the center. The reason for this is unknown.

The peso amounts on the Wheel were 3,000, 5,000, 6,000, 7,000, 8,000, 9,000, 10,000, and 15,000. Vowels cost 2,500 pesos. A Free Spin token (styled just like the US version's only shaped like an oval) was present on the purple 6,000, and obtaining it also added 6,000 pesos per letter to that player's score. There was no house minimum, but it was implied that the contestants were given parting gifts.


 * Toss-Ups: Like the American version, three Toss-Ups were played for 5,000, 10,000, and 15,000 pesos respectively. Whoever solved a Toss-Up spun first in the next round (Rounds 1, 3, and 4 respectively). The person who won Round 1 also started Round 2, as was the case on the 1973-74 American pilots.
 * Bankrupt/100,000/Bankrupt: Used in Round 1. A correct letter on the center simply added 100,000 pesos to that player's score, which could be spent on vowels.
 * Jackpot (Round 2): Began at 100,000 pesos, but wrong letters did not add to it. Landing on the wedge itself added 3,000 to the Jackpot.
 * Prize Puzzle: Also used in Round 2. After the puzzle was solved, a question was asked about it for the prize.
 * Mystery Wedge (Round 3): Unlike the American version, there was only one Mystery Wedge (placed on the blue 5,000 and with a face value of 5,000) that could be a Bankrupt or 200,000 pesos; the wedge was either yellow, red, or blue. Also in this round, Power moved to between 3,000 and 9,000, with its former spot becoming a green 3,000.
 * Bankrupt/200,000/Bankrupt: Used in Round 4 if there was time for one, replacing the blue 5,000.
 * Speed-Up: When the Speed-Up began, the amount landed on was the value of the round (if the Wheel landed on Power, the highest score earned by a contestant in this round would go to whoever solved the puzzle). Vowels originally had to be bought unless the contestant did not receive any money, but this was scrapped later on.

Unlike the original run, the 2008 series ended with a proper finale: a special game with adult-child teams.

Poland
Koło Fortuny was a TVP2 show which debuted on 2 October 1992, originally hosted by Wojciech Pijanowski and Magda Masny. Pijanowski left the show in 1995 and was replaced by Paweł Wawrzecki, who was himself quickly replaced by Stanisław Mikulski until the show's end on 1 September 1998.

The show debuted during Poland's period of Złoty hyperinflation, resulting in the top amounts being zł5,000,000/zł12,500,000/zł17,500,000/zł25,000,000 until 1995, when the "new" Złoty was introduced and all the values were numerically divided by 10,000, with the top amounts becoming zł500/zł1,250/zł1,750/zł2,500 (the change happened on January 1, 1995 - either before or during Wawrzecki's tenure). The use of a four-round structure was unusual, as this version also used the shopping format until sometime in 1994.

Numerically, Poland's top values from 1992-95 were 5,000 times as high as the American top dollar values at the time. From 1995-96, they were half as much as their American counterparts.

The contestant podiums were reversed in color to blue, yellow, and red from left to right. Behind the players were diamond backdrops similar to those of the American version, which were used until 1997 at the latest.

From 1992-96, the Wheel had 21 wedges with three pegs each; this was decreased to 20 wedges with two pegs each when the top amounts were changed to zł500/zł1,400/zł2,000 in 1996, when the Wheel also adopted a patterned color scheme. Bankrupt and Lose A Turn were called "Bankrut" and "Stop" respectively, although the latter was "Strata Kolejki" until sometime in 1993.

During a celebrity special for Christmas 1992, the Round 4 Wheel layout was used during the entire game. By Round 2, Niespodzianka (Surprise) was placed on the pink zł500,000, Zestaw (a set of prizes) on Lose A Turn, and a blue zł17,500,000 on Bankrupt.

Gameplay-wise, there were several large differences from the American version:
 * Only one arrow was used, located in front of the yellow player's podium.
 * Vowels cost zł500,000 from 1992-94, dropping to zł50 in 1995 when the "new" Złoty debuted. Oddly, in order for a contestant to buy a vowel, s/he needed to choose a consonant that was in the puzzle first. Beginning in 1997, vowels were treated the same way as consonants.
 * During the shopping era, the scores of players who failed to solve a puzzle were not affected. From at least 1995-97, however, whenever a contestant solved a puzzle, their opponents were penalized half of their winnings. Players landing on Bankrut were penalized their entire score, regardless of whether s/he had solved a puzzle.
 * The Bonus Round was played for a car through 1996 and a zł10,000 prize package from 1997-98, but the seven envelopes (spelling out F-O-R-T-U-N-A on a pedestal much like the American one used from about 1990/91-92) only determined which five consonants and one vowel the player would receive at the outset, after which s/he then called for another three-and-a-vowel; if the contestant tried to give a letter already given in the chosen envelope, it was considered a wasted pick and held against the player. The time limit was 15 seconds, which started immediately after any picks were revealed; unlike most other known adaptations of the Bonus Round (apart from various American home console and computer game adaptations and possibly Denmark's version), the player had just one guess at the puzzle solution.

By 1993, the seven envelopes were reduced to four (now spelling K-O-Ł-O with a star between each) and gave just three-and-a-vowel. For a brief time, the graphics were altered to show the chosen envelope's letters and the contestant's picks at the same time along with the 15-second clock, although this was dropped by Spring 1994.

Sometime between Winter 1995 and Spring 1997, the time limit was reduced to 10 seconds; the envelope podium was shrunk to a short, domed style; and the player was not given any free letters.

2007-09

A revival aired on TVP2 from 29 October 2007 to 27 October 2009, helmed by Krzysztof Tyniec and Marta Lewandowska. The format used here more closely resembled the American format, including three arrows, the scoring system, and the ability to give unlimited answers in the Bonus Round. zł1,500 was the top value in all rounds, even though larger values were seen from round to round.


 * Toss-Ups were played for a dishwasher or a trip to a hotel in Poland. The puzzle board's border lit up depending on which player (red, yellow, or green) buzzed in.
 * Vowels cost zł200. It is unknown whether a player could start his/her turn by buying vowels.
 * Prize wedges behaved like the US nighttime Jackpot wedge: players had to call a correct letter on it and immediately solve the puzzle to win it.
 * The Bonus Round was played for cars, trips, and cash prizes up to zł50,000, using the Bonus Wheel. The player was given RSTLNE and selected the three-and-a-vowel, after which s/he had unlimited guesses.

Special spaces


 * AGD: Home appliances worth zł5,000. This wedge was placed on the orange zł150 between zł200 and zł300 in Round 3.
 * Wycieczka: Represented trips.
 * Sklep Internetowy: A computer-related prize. Placed on the orange zł150 between zł200 and zł300 in Round 2.
 * Skuter: A scooter. Placed on the green zł100 between zł150 and the Mystery Wedge in Round 3.
 * Nagroda: Any other prize. Placed on the orange zł150 between zł100 and zł200 for Rounds 1-2 and the other orange zł150 (between zł200 and zł250) in Round 3.
 * Bankrut/zł10,000/Bankrut: Placed on the Bankrut between zł500 and zł400 in Round 2. The zł10,000 section awarded that much in spendable cash.
 * Mystery Wedges: Two were placed on the Wheel in Round 3 (one on the blue zł250 between zł350 and Skuter, the other on zł1,000), with a "bribe" of zł500; these hid either a Bankrut or zł10,000. Unlike the US version, the player had to choose whether to flip the wedge before calling a letter:
 * If s/he opted not to flip, the wedge was treated as a regular zł500 space for that turn.
 * If the wedge was flipped and was the zł10,000 (treated like a Prize wedge), the contestant had to call a correct letter to actually get the cash, which could be spent on vowels. Regardless of what was on the reverse, the other Mystery Wedge was removed from the Wheel and Tyniec took both wedges back to his hosting area.

Portugal
A Roda da Sorte originally ran on RTP1 from 1990 to December 31, 1993, then returned in September 2008 on SIC. Both versions were hosted by Herman José.

The original series ended in a rather unorthodox way: Herman walked out dressed in leather, wearing sunglasses and holding a shotgun. As the game progressed, José destroyed the various prizes sitting at center stage and, at the beginning of the Bonus Round, destroyed a weight scale in the same way. After the bonus puzzle was solved, he gave the winner all three bonus prizes before shooting at several trilons (notably blowing out one's light). During the credits, José pretended to kill the onstage staff before pretending to commit suicide.

Romania
Roata Norocului originally aired briefly in March 1997 on TVR1, hosted by Doru Dumitrescu. Another version, hosted by Mihai Călin, aired on Pro TV from December 1997 to May 1999. The set and rules were similar to the French version at the time, including the Free Spin/Joker wedge. Unlike France's version, however, the player had to choose whether to play for the Joker token or 150,000 lei (leu, singular) per consonant occurrence. Values were displayed in thousands of lei.

In Round 3, a Jackpot wedge was placed on the Wheel. It worked similar to a blend of both the daytime and nighttime Jackpots used on the American version: it started at 0 lei and increased by the cash amount spun only when a chosen letter was not in the puzzle. If the Jackpot was not claimed, the amount carried over subsequent episodes until claimed. The Jackpot worked just like a Prize wedge on the American. It is unknown if the Jackpot was reset to 0 at the beginning of the next episode if claimed yet not won.

A revival debuted June 20, 2012 on Kanal D, now helmed by Liviu Vârciu, airing two-hour-long episodes. It is unknown if the Wheel (which had a top value of 1,500) offered points or lei (the current leu was introduced in 2005). After what appeared to be a two-year hiatus, the show returned on Sunday, August 23, 2015.

Bankrupt and Lose A Turn are called Faliment and Stai o Tura respectively. On the Pro TV version, Lose A Turn was known as Stai un Tur.

The first Toss-Up is worth 1,500 lei and the second is worth 800 lei; the contestant has to solve the round's puzzle without hitting Faliment to keep the Toss-Up money.

There are four Prize wedges and one ½ Car wedge (or sometimes a 1/3 Car wedge) that is a full wedge. The color of the latter wedge varies in each episode.

Other spaces in the 2012 revival
 * Pedeapsa (Punishment): When this wedge is landed on, the player has to perform a stunt with the host and/or hostess. There is no effect on scoring or gameplay, the only known wedge or token in the Wheel franchise to have such a purpose.
 * Surpriza: Acts like the Surprise Wedge; if this was landed on and the correct letter is called, the host and the hostess open the treasure box and reveal the name of the prize.
 * Joker: Free Spin.
 * Faliment/20,000 lei/Faliment: Treated like the Bankrupt/$10,000/Bankrupt Wedge in the US version.

In the Bonus Round, NRTSCE is given by default followed by the contestant's three-and-a-vowel.

Russia
По́ле Чуде́с (or Polé Chudes, literally "The Field of Wonders") has been airing on Channel One (1TV) since 25 October 1990. The original host was Vladislav Listyev, who was replaced in October or November 1991 by Leonid Yakubovich and Rimma Agafoshina.

The Wheel on this version is a drum, and scores are kept in points (although they are not shown during the game). Prize wedges offer that player 2,000 points or a prize, but the latter can only be taken at the cost of leaving the game (as does solving a puzzle incorrectly). Three puzzles are played with three new contestants each, and the three winners play another puzzle to determine the champion.

The Wheel always had only two colors. Originally, the colors were black and white. By around 2000, they became blue-gray and yellow. Currently, they are indigo and silver.

Polé Chudes is the only known iteration of Wheel currently on the air which uses the shopping format (although Romania's version may be another), done only by the final winner. The player then has the option to play a Super Game for an additional prize spun on the drum, with failure forfeiting all prizes already purchased.

The current logo and theme debuted on 29 December 2000, the same day the opening sequence was overhauled. The current opening sequence debuted sometime between 8 February and 8 March 2013.

Serbia
Kolo Sreće premiered on Happy TV on December 21, 2015, with host Milorad "Manda" Mandić and hostess Soraja Vucelic. Interestingly, different layouts are used, some containing euro values (signified by the euro symbol) and others containing dinar values (which have no currency symbols). The placement of each of these spaces vary from show to show. Additionally, some of the euro values are not multiples of 5 (3, 7, and 12), a possible first for the franchise.

Singapore
Wheel of Fortune, hosted by Bernard Lim and Eunice Olsen, has aired on MediaCorp Channel 5 since May 8, 2002.

Channel 5 also currently airs episodes of the US version over a year after their original airdates (along with other American syndicated series). It is known that Season 25 aired from 2009-10, and the channel has gone as far back as Season 19. Season 33 began airing in December 2015.

Slovakia
Koleso šťastia ran on STV, then VTV, from 1994-97, hosted at various times by Jozef Pročko, Tibor Hlista, Roman Feder, Laco Híveš, Roman Pomajbo, and Peter Marcin. The shopping format was used for the entire run.

The show's set and opening titles shared elements with the German and Hungarian versions (as well as a few sound effects from the latter version), but used the theme of the Croatian version. The sound for Bankrot (Bankrupt) was the famous first four notes of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony.

Oddly, Marcin's hosting duties appear to have been simply voiceovers, not unlike the "hosts" of 100%.

The show is planned to revive in 2016 on Markiza.

Slovenia
Kolo sreče aired during the 1990s on TV SLO1.

Spain
La Ruleta de la Fortuna originally ran from at least June 30, 1990 to 1997 on Telecinco, with the current version (La Ruleta de la Suerte) airing since April 17, 2006 on Antena 3. A bigger-budget version called La Ruleta de la Suerte Premium aired from April-July 2011.

Originally hosted by Mayra Gómez Kemp, subsequent hosts include Ramón García, Irma Soriano, Bigote Arrocet, Mabel Lozano, Belén Rueda, Fernando Esteso, Jesús Vázquez, Andoni Ferreño, Goyo González, Carlos Lozano, and Diana Fernández. The hosts of the current version are Jorge Fernández and Laura Moure; Laura started on January 22, 2015, replacing Paloma López, who had been hostess since the very first show in 2006.

The Wheel values are €0, €25, €50, €75, €100, €150, €200 (although initially, €25 was the minimum, until the introduction of the €0 wedge on September 29, 2012. The maximum was €250 in the very early days) with vowels costing €50 (originally €100 in the very early days). The counterclockwise pattern of the wedges since 2008 was: green, red, purple, blue, yellow, penalty, but since 2014 not all the sections follow this pattern (red-green, blue-purple, purple-red and even blue-red in a single episode). To this date, the €200 wedge has been only green or yellow. The Premium values were originally €50, €75, €100, €150, €200, €300, and €500, with €50 replaced by €800 shortly into the run, €75 replaced by €600 near the end, and vowels costing €100. Since 2008, the layout changes every few months.

There is no house minimum: players who end without solving any puzzle leave the show with €0. Moreover, there isn't house minimum for solving a round: in strange ocassions there have been players who had to solve the puzzle with €0.

Lose A Turn and Bankrupt were originally called Turno Pasa and Bancarrota respectively, but were renamed to Pierde Turno and Quiebra.

One notable difference between the 2006 version and other versions is how puzzles are solved: if a contestant guesses a word incorrectly at any point, they are stopped immediately without completing their answer. Conversely, contestants are allowed to solve a bonus puzzle one word at a time like the British version.

Spaces from the current version
 * ×2 and ½: Respectively double and halve the contestant's score (rounded down) when a correct letter is called. ×2 is green, while ½ is red (originally black). When these premiered around 1993, ½ was called ÷2 and the penalty (along with a lost turn) was immediately put on that player. They first appeared on the current version sometime between October and November 2009.
 * ?: A yellow wedge (originally silver) with a large white question mark (originally black) that acts like a Mystery Wedge but, rather than using a flat face value, the host tells to the player three options that can be under the wedge, a good one (usually cash, €100, €150, €200, €300, €400, €500) an intermediate one (×2, Comodín or Todas Las Vocales) or a bad one (Pierde Turno, Quiebra or ½). Before August 31, 2015, a "bribe" was made by the host with a maximum of €150, and it could hide €100, €200, €300, €500, Quiebra and ocasionally, Comodín, Me Lo Quedo, ×2 and ½). Premium had the wedge hide a Quiebra, €100, €200, €300, €500, or €600 with the host's maximum offer being €300. This wedge is usually placed to the right of either Pierde Turno or Quiebra. This wedge remains from the first episode of the 2006 version, and it's placed over a yellow cash wedge.
 * Bote: Used only in the Panel con Bote (the Jackpot round). This wedge remains from the first episode of the 2006 version.
 * Premio: A dark yellow Prize wedge (originally silver and later dark green) with the name and picture of the prize in reverse. It is usually placed to the right of Pierde Turno or Quiebra (a yellow cash wedge), and the value of the prizes are usually between €150 and €400 (although there have been some prizes valued under €150 and over €400 in the past). This wedge remains from the first episode of the 2006 version.
 * Quiebra/€1,000/Quiebra: Commonly introduced after Round 5, but often removed for the final round, and acts like the former $10,000 Wedge of the American version with one difference – the red €1,000 section (€1,500 for the 1,500th show on June 11, 2012 and €2,000 for the 2,000th on September 12, 2014, and originally silver) is a cash wedge, and the money can be spent. It was introduced on April 17, 2008 as a permanent wedge on the Wheel, but was limited to the second half of the show starting that September.
 * Exprés: a red wedge that appears during Round 3. It was introduced on August 31, 2015, and it's the counterpart of the Express wedge of the American version. However, there are some differences: players have 45 seconds to solve the puzzle after accepting the challenge, and if they run out of time, they also go Bankrupt. Moreover, if a contestant decides to accept it, (s)he has to pick up the wedge, meaning that only one ride will take place in a show. Consonants award €50 for every appearance.
 * Comodín: A dark blue wedge (originally silver and later orange) that acts like Free Spin, and is usually placed over a blue cash wedge. The wedge was originally called Turno Extra, but changed to its current name by 1993. At one point on the original version, unused Comodin tokens had to be surrendered at the end of the round in which they were earned.
 * Doble Letra: A light green wedge that acts like the Wild Card (a player may turn it in to call another consonant on the amount previously spun), and is usually placed on ×2. It was introduced on September 14, 2011.
 * Ayuda Final: A red and blue wedge (originally red and silver) usually placed on ½ that, if taken to the Bonus Round, will give the player additional help for its puzzle. Before the player spins the Bonus Wheel, the hostess presents a tray with three colored envelopes (red, yellow, and blue) which contain an additional consonant, an additional vowel, or five extra seconds to solve the puzzle (before the five seconds were introduced, on August 31, 2015, an extra clue was offered). It was introduced on the 1,000th episode, aired April 26, 2010.
 * Gran Premio: A two-space blue and green Prize wedge (originally pink and orange), with the reverse being the same as Premio. Players must solve the puzzle with the two pieces to win that prize during the round in which the second piece has been picked up. If only one wedge has been picked up, it's not lost with Bankrupt, but if the two pieces have been picked up, they are lost immediately, regardless the player has one or both wedges. If Me Lo Quedo hasn't been picked up nor used, the host doesn't take away the wedges, with this wedge being the only way to steal the other part to each other of the players, but if Me Lo Quedo has been used or the third player who has not a wedge of the Gran Premio has it, the host retires both wedges from both players. It was introduced on April 19, 2012, the show's 6th-Anniversary episode. The values of the current prizes are between €600 and €1,200.
 * Me Lo Quedo: A red wedge that allows players to steal an opponent's money and wedges. It was introduced on September 27, 2012.
 * Todas Las Vocales: An orange wedge introduced on April 17, 2015. It allows to the players to reveal all the vowels present in a puzzle, all of them for free. Players don't lose the turn if any of the five vowels doesn't appear in the puzzle.

On some occasions, wedges that represent companies are placed on either one round or throughout the game. If the contestant lands on either of them, s/he flips it over to reveal a prize or cash that represents a brand.

Due to an overabundance of special spaces on the Wheel, in 2013 some wedges began to be put onto other special spaces: normally, Doble Letra is placed on ×2 and Ayuda Final at ½, although Me lo Quedo has been placed at ½ sometimes and one time on ×2. For at least one 2012 episode, Comodín was placed on a Pierde Turno.

On November 27, 2013, wedges that represent other Spanish programs on Antena 3 hid cash amounts.

In some special programs since November 2013, they have used another Wheel with triangular envelopes with questions, each one with a different color. When a round finishes, the player who has won it has the right to choose one of them. If s/he answers correctly, he is awarded the quantity that is inside the envelope (normally between €150 and €400).

Retired spaces
 * Pregunton (aprrox. 1993 - 1997): Used only on the original version, when landed on, the host asked a question and the player had to answer it correctly in order to keep the turn. If the player answered correctly, s/he would receive no money but still had the option to spin again, buy a vowel (at the cost of 50,000 pesetas), or solve the puzzle.
 * Quiebra/Comodín (approx. November 2008 - September 27, 2012): The Free Spin version of the ? Wedge, hiding either a Comodín or Quiebra.
 * ×2 / ½ (April 17, 2008 - October or November 2009): A wedge hiding either an ×2 or ½, replaced by the ×2 and ½ wedges.
 * Desbloquear (November 2010 - May 13, 2013): Used only in the "Blocked Puzzle" round (see below).
 * €10,000/€30,000/€50,000: Used only on Premium, if this was landed on and a correct letter was called, the top prize in the Bonus Round was replaced by whatever section was landed on if the contestant won the game holding that wedge.

Puzzles from the current version
 * Prueba de Velocidad (Toss-Up; debuted April 18, 2006): Mostly the same as the American version, but worth €100 and contestants can have an unlimited number of guesses. Toss-Ups on this version are mostly song lyrics with the clue being the artist of the song (and the song is played by the house band), but sometimes it is strange or funny news (as a "Titular loco" or "Noticias amables").
 * Prueba de Velocidad Patrocinada (Sponsored Toss-Up; debuted April 21, 2014): another kind of Toss-Up that are played ocassionally and sponsored by a brand. The puzzle is related to that brand, and it is usually worth €300 instead of €100, although in one case (December 10, 2015) it gave €1,000 to the players.
 * Panel de la Palabra (Word Puzzle; debuted September 21, 2011): A one-word Toss-Up also worth €100, but the letters are randomly shown and hidden until it is solved.
 * Panel de la Letra Traducida (Translated Lyrics Puzzle; debuted September 11, 2013): A normal Toss-Up with song lyrics, but the original song is in English. Players must solve a translated version of the lyrics to win €100, after which the puzzle board will show the original lyrics and the house band will play it in its original version.
 * Canción con Pregunta (Song with Question; debuted August 31, 2015): another kind of Toss-Up. The puzzle is also a song lyric, but the clue of the puzzle is a question that, after solving the puzzle and the song being played by the band, players must answer correctly in order to win €200 more, so players can win up to €300 with this Toss-Up.


 * Panel Normal: Standard puzzles, although some use the general category and a more specific clue – for example, "Frases de cine" (Movie Quotes) is the category and the clue is the movie the puzzle solution is from.
 * Panel de la Letra Oculta (Hidden Letter Puzzle; debuted May 6, 2013): At the beginning of the round, the titular letter (always a consonant) is shown to the audience. If a player calls this letter, it will appear green in the puzzle and the host awards a Supercomodín that can only be claimed by solving the puzzle. Afterward, the contestant may use the Supercomodín as Comodín or Doble Letra; if that player wins the game without using it, it acts as an Ayuda Final.


 * Panel con Crono (Counter-Clock Puzzle; debuted April 17, 2008): A Speed-Up round worth €300, played with a time limit of two minutes but without giving any money for consonants.
 * Panel con Pregunta (Question Puzzle; debuted September 7, 2011): Played like Clue of the American version, with the clue for the puzzle being a question and the puzzle being something related to the answer. Correctly answering the question awards an extra €200. On September 12, 2014, a new variation of this puzzle was introduced, where the question is "¿Verdadero o falso?" ("True or false?"). The contestants must tell if the statement of the puzzle is true or false in order to win the €200.
 * Panel "Tú eliges" ("You Choose" Puzzle; debuted August 31, 2015): this puzzle is played after a Toss-Up, and the player who won it (and who will start the next round) can choose between two topics for the next puzzle.
 * Panel Desordenado (Disordered Puzzle; debuted January 7, 2014): In this puzzle, all words are distributed randomly at the puzzle board, and they can be in horizontal or vertical and sharing letters with other words.
 * Panel con Bote (Jackpot Round; debuted April 17, 2006): Played like the American version, with two differences – the Jackpot starts at €1,000, and it does not go up by the wedge values but what the players earn from them; for example, landing on €50 and calling three of a consonant adds €150 to the Jackpot.

Retired puzzle types
 * Panel Cruzado (Crossed Puzzle; April 16, 2013 - January 8, 2014): A crossword-style puzzle with three words, usually two horizontal and one vertical, although sometimes this was reversed. It was replaced by the Panel Desordenado due to a high number of contestants failing to solve it due to adding an "y" ("and" conjunction in Spanish) between the last two words.
 * Panel Bloqueado (Blocked Puzzle; November 2010 - May 13, 2013): This puzzle had a red-marked word on the puzzle board, where any letter were revealed although there was any instance (although the corresponding cash was added to the scoreboard if the letter was in that word). During this puzzle, a green Desbloquear wedge was placed on the Wheel; if a contestant landed on it and called a correct consonant, the blocked word was revealed and all instances of the letters of this word were also revealed.
 * Panel del Espectador (Viewer's Puzzle; September 2006 - January 31, 2013): Played like a normal round by the contestants, but home viewers could win €500 if they solved first via phone call.
 * Panel al Revés (Backwards Puzzle; approx. October 2008 - September 2011): A puzzle composed only of two words written backwards.
 * Panel Misterio (Mystery Puzzle; February 2007 - September 2011): Played like the Clue puzzles of the American version, but contestants had to answer the question to win the round.
 * Panel Crono Imagen (Counter-Clock Image Puzzle; April or May 2010 - September or October 2010): A different version of the Panel con Crono, where contestants had 45 seconds to answer a question (which was the clue of the puzzle) by identifying an image. The puzzle board initially showed a phrase which was a clue to answer the question, and contestants told consonants or vowels of this phrase to remove them from the puzzle board and try to identify the image. The winner earned €300.
 * This puzzle was played again on Premium, giving €500 to the winner with two differences: contestants had one minute, and the image was disordered.
 * Panel de Facebook/Panel de Twitter (Facebook/Twitter Puzzle; March 21, 2012 - August 2014): A puzzle not written by the show, but sent in by viewers through the show's official Facebook and Twitter pages.


 * Solo ante el panel (Alone to the Puzzle): Only used on Premium, it was played like the Puzzler and Bonus Round – after solving the puzzle, that contestant faced another puzzle worth an extra €500. The player was given PISTA (clue), then chose another three-and-a-vowel and had ten seconds to solve.
 * Panel Premium (Premium Puzzle; July 2011): Also only used on Premium, as the final puzzle beginning in the second half of July (before this, the final puzzle was Panel con Bote). It was played like a Prize Puzzle: contestants would earn an extra quantity of money when solving the puzzle, beginning at €1,000.

Bonus Round

The winner spins a Bonus Wheel containing a car and various cash amounts (€1,000, €1,500, €2,000, €2,500, €3,000, €3,500, €4,000, €4,500, €5,000, €6,000, €7,000 and €8,000). RSFYO are given by default (CLXGA before August 31, 2015), after which the contestant picks another three-and-a-vowel. The player then has 10 seconds to solve the puzzle, and the audience gives a standing ovation if the Bonus Round is won.

Sweden
Lyckohjulet originally aired on TV3 during the 1990s, hosted by Ragnar Otnes and Ulrika Nilsson. This run was the same as Norway's Lykkehjulet, played in the same studio with one contestant from Sweden and one from Norway playing against each other.

A revival, Miljonlotteriet Lyckohjulet, has aired on TV8 since 18 January 2010. Hosted by Hans Wiklund and Hannah Graaf, the Wheel values range from 500-300,000 Kronor, then 300-2,000 Kroner. Stå​ Över means Lose A Turn, Bankrutt means Bankrupt, and Frispel means Free Play.

Special spaces in the 2010 version


 * Kvitt/Dubbelt (Double or Nothing): Placed on both 1,000 spaces, when a contestant lands on either wedge with them and calls a correct consonant, s/he can take another turn or risk their current earnings for a chance of doubling their money or losing it all. They behave like the Mystery Wedges without face value.
 * Joker (Free Spin): Placed on 700.
 * Jackpot Wedge: Placed on the pink 600 between 300 and 400, although the starting Jackpot amount is unknown.

Taiwan
While Mahjong Fortune is not a licensed version of Wheel, it nonetheless heavily borrows from the franchise. One major difference is that the Wheel is replaced by a Pachinko machine, with the player in control rolling a Lucky Ball down to hopefully land on a money amount. The other major difference is to the puzzles: they are actually configurations of mahjong blocks, which may perhaps make the show purely based on luck.

This version also has several "variety show" elements, a typical staple of Taiwan programming.

Turkey
Çarkıfelek, hosted by Tarık Tarcan, debuted on June 1, 1992 as a Show TV program, then moved to FOX Turk a few years later, hosted by actor and comedian Mehmet Ali Erbil. The show, which aired live, ended on October 6, 2010 (a Wednesday) after Erbil made a derogatory reference to Alevism (a Turkish religion) that day, something he had been known for doing during his career on television.

The Turkish version became one of the odder incarnations of Wheel when Erbil became host: not only did some Wheel layouts have different sized wedges (as well as black wedges that were not always Bankrupts [İflas] but rather Lose A Turns [Pas] and even cash values), but some episodes (particularly in the early 2000s) had only one or two rounds played despite the show running for at least an hour; this was due to most of the show being taken up by contestants making musical performances and chatting with the host rather than playing the game. In one instance, the Bonus Round puzzle was set up only for the show to end without the Bonus Round even being played.

A spinoff, Cark 2000, was hosted by Ataman Erkel and aired on Kanal D in 2000. It is also one of only two known international adaptations of Wheel 2000, the other being Vietnam.

By 2008, rules of the Turkish version began to resemble those of the British version (read below). The Wheel was believed to offer points, and all the scores were banked and kept safe from Bankrupts (İflas) regardless of who solved the puzzle.

The show returned on the Turkish version of TNT in September 2011, hosted by Petek Dinçöz.

In Summer 2014, the show began airing on Kanal D with İlker Ayrık as host. One of the new features of Ayrık's version was the Kartıfelek, a small vertical Wheel spun by players after they win a round. As the players on the show were in credit card debt, this Wheel helped take away any, all, or none of that debt. The player had up to three tries to get 100% or as close to it as possible. After the second spin, the host offered the contestant to try one last time with three additional 100% tokens that could be placed anywhere on the Wheel. This version was cancelled by October 2014, after just three months on the air, although it returned on Star TV with Erbil on June 15, 2015 with some small visual changes. Interestingly, the shopping element is used although the Kartıfelek from Ayrık's version is not. Also, the puzzle board dimensions are much smaller. On Ayrık's version, they were the same as America's version. On Erbil's recent version, it had only 44 spaces after the removal of two columns. Although Erbil's recent version appeared to have ended in September 2015, new episodes started airing in June 2016.

United Arab Emirates
عجلة الحظ debuted in 2003 on America Plus, moving to Al Yawm in 2005 and LBC Sat in 2007 before ending in 2011. A revival was planned for MBC 4 in 2013, but it is unknown if this version went to series.

United Kingdom
The British Wheel aired on ITV. debuting 19 July 1988 with Nicky Campbell and Angela Ekaette hosting. The format was similar, albeit with points, although Free Spin remained a wedge throughout the show's run. Solving a puzzle allowed that contestant to pick an onstage prize to be kept regardless of outcome. Unlike the American version, all three players' scores are banked after a puzzle is solved.

However, the format had one major problem from at least 1988-89: at the start of the round, and every time the Wheel changed hands, the player in control had to answer a 50/50 question to actually get control. A wrong answer meant the next player was asked a question for control, and the process continued until a correct answer was given. This slowed the show to a crawl, especially for difficult puzzles, and was replaced by 1993 with an open-ended toss-up question at the beginning of each round.

In Round 1, there was one Bankrupt and one space worth 1,000 points. Round 2 added one of each, and for Round 3 a third 1,000 space was added. By 1993, point values were doubled for Rounds 3+. Prior to 1993, if there was time for a fourth round, a fourth 1,000 space was added. Oddly, whenever a 1,000-point space was added, the camera would erroneously zoom in on a 1,000 space already on the Wheel instead the newly-added one.

According to one recollection, vowels were never available for purchase (not even through a wedge like the American version briefly used), and trying to do so presumably cost that player their turn. It is possible that such a rule only existed for part of Series 2, as Series 1 and at least one episode of Series 2 allowed players to buy vowels for a flat rate of 250 points. If the rule was altered, it was reverted by 1993.

Unlike the American version, when there are no more consonants in the puzzle, the contestant is only allowed to guess the puzzle even if they have enough points to buy a vowel. Additionally, there is no house minimum whatsoever regardless of what score the player has when s/he solves a puzzle.

Ekaette was replaced by Carol Smillie at the beginning of Series 2, who in turn was replaced by Jenny Powell in late 1994. Bradley Walsh became host in late 1996, but his style (a cross between Pat Sajak and Edd Byrnes) proved unfitting for the show and he was replaced by John Leslie in late 1997. Powell left after 2000, being replaced by Terri Seymour, and Leslie followed suit later in 2001 (replaced by Paul Hendy).

The Bonus Round originally used three envelopes (A-B-C, offering a prize, a new car, or £3,000), but were dropped in 1989 in favor of "pick your prize" (with the cash award increased to £4,000) and in 1993 this was replaced by a single package containing a car and £10,000. The envelopes returned in late 1994, splitting the two prizes and increasing the cash award to £20,000. In 1999, when the show moved to daytime, the envelopes were again removed in favor of a flat £2,000. Unlike many other versions, the contestant is allowed to solve the bonus puzzle one word at a time instead of being required to give the correct answer all at once.

For the entirety of 2001, Lose A Turn became Miss A Turn and a "500 Gamble" wedge was added. If a player landed on the latter wedge, s/he had the option of going for 500 points per letter or gambling their round score. If they chose to gamble their points and called a correct letter, their score would be increased to a larger amount (how the larger amount is determined is unknown); an incorrect letter was the same as Bankrupt.

The opening sequence originally used a unique logo, which changed in 1993 to a flashier one that more closely resembled the 1992 American logo. This changed from 1999-2000 to the American "marquee" intro from Season 16, after which the final two series in 2001 used another "original" sequence and a new logo.

Two board games were released by Waddington's in the late 1980s (as stated in Norway's section above). The gameplay was the exact same as Pressman's board games. One of the main differences was instead of having a wipe-off used letter board, tiles containing each letter of the alphabet were used. A tile was simply flipped around after its respective letter was called. The other main difference was the spinner. Instead of using a rotating arrow or a knob, a ball was used, much like a Roulette Wheel. The first edition came out in 1988 with the box cover showing a localized version of Pressman's first three editions (albeit with the in-game Wheel layout only in different colors). A Revised edition was released a short time later with three differences. One, the boxart was now a photo of the show's set. Two, the puzzle cards had red lettering (possibly to distinguish between editions). Finally, cards with 50/50 trivia questions were included as an attempt to match the show's rules at the time.

Venezuela
La Estrella de la Fortuna ("The Star of Fortune") aired on Venevisión from 1984-89, hosted at various times by Orlando Urdaneta, Corina Azopardo, Luis Velazco, and Juan Manuel Montesinos with Maru Winklemann as hostess.

Vietnam
Chiếc nón kỳ diệu (most likely meaning "Magic Hat") debuted on VTV3 in June 2001, and from at least 2007-09 was heavily based on Wheel 2000 (one of only two countries known to have done so, the other being Turkey). The format used since then appears to be based on the regular nighttime one.

As the title of the show suggests, the Wheel was at times shaped like a cone in a way to resemble an Asian-style hat. From 2007-09, then again in 2011, and for a third time in 2014, the Wheel has been flat like in most other versions (including the American one); furthermore, the 2007-09 Wheel likely holds the record for being the smallest in the franchise.

From 2002 to around 2006, the Wheel's rim was entirely red with white numbers (at times the numbers were yellow). The large beige center was cone-shaped. In 2007, the Wheel became multicolored and the numbers became white (red with a white outline beginning in 2011). By 2012, a shadow effect was added to the numbers.

It is unknown if the Wheel values offer points or are in thousands of dongs. It is also unknown when the Wheel started offering dongs if at all. The game begins with the first two Toss-Ups, worth 500 and 1,000 dongs respectively. Interestingly, a player can ring in during a Toss-Up after all the letters have been revealed. The player colors are in left-to-right order: red, blue, and yellow, although at times, they use the American sequence. Both Toss-Ups, the three rounds, and the Bonus Round go into detail about the puzzle answers, just like Wheel 2000 did.

Current spaces
 * Mat Diem (Lose Points): Bankrupt.
 * Mat Luot (Lose Turn): Lose A Turn.
 * Them Luot (Free Turn): If this is landed on, the contestant has to call a correct letter to earn the a Free Spin. Calling an incorrect letter costs the player his/her turn. Originally, the name of this wedge was Mien Phi.
 * Nhan Doi (Double)/Chia Doi (Half): If a correct letter is given, Nhan Doi doubles the contestant's score. Chia Doi halves his/her score, but s/he still has to call a correct letter to keep his/her turn. Nhan Doi is also known as Gap Doi from around 2007-09.
 * May Man (Lucky): Introduced most likely when the show debuted in 2002. If a contestant lands on it, s/he may choose a blank space to reveal a letter in it (including duplicates), with no change in score. In at least one episode (early 2012), this space was known to have been covered by a black-numbered 800.
 * O Bi Mat (Oh Secret): Mystery Wedges that hide a Bankrupt or 3,000,000 dongs. Only used during Round 2. If a contestant lands on it, s/he has a choice of choosing a letter for 1,000,000 dongs or flipping it (like Poland's version). Even if a Bankrupt is revealed, the contestant still keeps his/her turn.
 * Doi Hay Khong Doi (Change or No Change): If this is landed on and a correct letter is called, the contestants open their chosen presents and reveal cash or prizes they will win. Only used during Round 3.
 * Phan Thuong (Prize): Originally, when this was landed on, the contestant chose one of two boxes&#x2013;one containing a white square, the other containing a black square. If they opened the box and found a white one, the player won a bonus. After a hiatus, it returned with new rules. Presumably, the contestant is asked a trivia question. If s/he answers correctly, s/he wins a prize.

Retired Spaces
 * Thuong (Normal): Rules unknown.
 * Mon Qua (Gift): When this was landed on, the contestant chose one of four boxes, each containing a number. The number in the box was added to the player's score. Although this is no longer a space, the four boxes still exist today. The first person to choose a correct letter in Round 3 has the option to take a box or keep his/her turn. If the box is chosen, the player must solve the puzzle to be awarded what's in the box.

The Bonus Wheel contains cash amounts in dongs: 5,000,000; 10,000,000; 20,000,000; and 30,000,000. The contestant picks two letters and has 30 seconds to solve the puzzle.