The SPIN ID is one of the gameplay elements on Wheel of Fortune. It is notable for being one of the few parts of the show to directly involve the viewer.
History[]
Although mainly considered an extension of the Prize Puzzle, the SPIN ID has historically been used in other parts of the show as well.
The SPIN ID was first referenced in popups on the show in late 2002, although no other contemporary sources suggest that it existed any earlier than March 2003. This would suggest that it likely had a test run in Southern California markets before becoming official.
It is an online rewards program through which home viewers could earn points towards prizes via Sony Rewards. On March 15, 2004, the show started allowing Wheel Watchers Club members to win the prize offered in a Prize Puzzle with an assigned SPIN ID number. SPIN IDs initially consisted of the viewer's first and last initial, followed by five randomly-selected digits; while ones issued from Season 24 onward are seven digits, five-digit ones are still valid. After promoting the prize, the announcer reads a SPIN ID; home viewers who see their SPIN ID then have 24 hours after the episode's airing to confirm it via the show's website. When seen on Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), the SPIN ID graphic was covered by a red box reading "Open to US residents only".
From April 23, 2007 through September 16, 2011, winners who had an active Sony Card received $50,000 in cash as well.
The SPIN ID reveal has changed several times. Its copy was originally "If you're a Wheel Watchers Club member and your SPIN ID is [number], you're a winner." The first line changed in Season 24 to "Hey, Wheel Watchers, if this is your SPIN ID, [number]...". For the first few weeks of Season 27, it was changed again to "Tonight's winning SPIN ID number, [number], belongs to [first name and last initial] of [city, state]. You have 24 hours to log on to wheeloffortune.com to claim your [description of trip].", with the viewer's name and hometown shown on a "nameplate" graphic while a map of the United States zoomed in on their town. This changed again on October 2, 2009 to omit the hometown, while displaying the viewer's name and state name on an outline of the state as it "popped out" of the map (as seen at right). On September 19, 2011, the map was altered again to always show Alaska and Hawaii on the side, as opposed to those states only being shown if the SPIN ID owner was from one of them. Just two months later (November 21), due to some members failing to include it, the mention of the state was also removed. The graphic concurrently changed to the viewer's name on a ring with either a purple, blue, or green background.
The number itself has always been displayed on a graphic resembling the tumblers of a slot machine, although it has changed subtly over time. The ID itself is not actually read in-studio but dubbed in post-production, and new SPIN IDs were dubbed into reruns until Season 35, where they are now edited out. Starting September 17, 2012, Prize Puzzle prizes are no longer awarded to home viewers, although the SPIN IDs continue to be used for sweepstakes. The SPIN IDs (and names and locations) continued to be drawn and shown on the weekend repeats until November 23, 2013, after which they were omitted. However, Season 37's mid-season reruns, scheduled to replace episodes pulled due to the 2020 COVID-19 outbreak, did dub in new SPIN IDs when applicable.
During the rotation of guest announcers following Charlie O'Donnell's death in November 2010, Vanna usually read the SPIN ID instead of whoever was announcing. On the Summer 2011 repeats, the new SPIN IDs were read by two uncredited females believed to be Kelly Miyahara and Sarah Whitcomb (Foss) of the Jeopardy! Clue Crew.
Starting in Season 41, the SPIN ID is no longer announced on-air. Instead, a QR code is shown which home viewers may scan, and e-mails are sent out to any Wheel Watchers Club members. Starting sometime in Season 42, the SPIN ID is replaced by "Watch Wheel for more chances to win with your Wheel Watchers Club SPIN ID," in the SPIN ID verification page if the Mystery Wedge is not won, except during Secret Santa. Towards the end of Season 42, the no SPIN ID verification page is changed to better inform Wheel Watchers Club members that there is no SPIN ID winner for the episode.
Use outside the Prize Puzzle From September 12, 2005 through mid-2009, if a contestant won a car in the Bonus Round, a SPIN ID was also drawn to award the same car to a home viewer as well.
SPIN IDs have also been used in home viewer sweepstakes. The first was the Thanks a Million Sweepstakes in February 2008; during these four weeks, two SPIN IDs were drawn throughout the episode, with each winner receiving $25,000. In Seasons 26 and 30-34, the show held "$5K Every Day", where a randomly-drawn SPIN ID after Round 2 (or sometimes during the contestant interviews) randomly awarded $5K to a home viewer to whom the SPIN ID was matched. This was replaced in Season 35 by awarding $10,000 cash to a home viewer randomly selected via SPIN ID if the $10,000 cash prize is won by a contestant in the Mystery Round.
Starting in Season 29, SPIN IDs are also used during the Secret Santa Sweepstakes, two weeks of Christmas-themed episodes airing in late November or early December. During these weeks, three SPIN IDs are drawn per game: ones corresponding to the third- and second-place contestants after the Speed-Up, and one corresponding to the top winner after the Bonus Round. The owners of these SPIN IDs win the same cash and/or prizes as their respective contestants.
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