Celebrity Wheel of Fortune's Vanna White joins the 2025 World Tournament of Slots

Vanna White made a surprise appearance at the 2025 World Tournament of Slots, held October 22–26 at Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas.

According to tournament organizers, over 500 players competed for a US $1 million grand prize.

During the event, White took to the stage to help crown the winner, and in an interview with Parade, she opened up about the adrenaline rush she still gets both on the show Celebrity Wheel of Fortune and in moments like this. 

“I don’t get nervous very often,” she said, “Every once in a while I do. Like if I know we have a million dollars on the wheel, and she picks up the million dollars… It’s not nerves, but my heart is pounding. It’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, I just want her to solve it or him to solve it!’”

Vanna White creates buzz with appearance at World Tournament of Slots

White’s career is inseparable from the show Celebrity Wheel of Fortune: she has served as its co-host for more than four decades, turning letters, interacting with contestants, and becoming a television staple.

Her appearance in the World Tournament of Slots is one of the first high-profile live event appearances that makes an explicit connection between a fan gaming tournament and the game-show brand.

The 2025 World Tournament of Slots, produced by PLAYSTUDIOS (through its myVIP platform), was an experience event taking place in Atlantis Paradise Island over a week.

The champion won USD 1 million, and the award was handed over to the Canadian winner, Hector Barahonda, on the last night.

Beyond the competition, White’s presence delivered multiple moments of genuine audience engagement.

For example, she shared nostalgic reflections tied to her time on Celebrity Wheel of Fortune when asked about what still makes her heart race. 

“I remember years ago, I was sitting in the makeup chair and Stevie Wonder walked in… So yes, I got nervous when I saw Stevie Wonder,” she said. “And I also got nervous when I saw Mister Rogers. He came on our show, and I was just so nervous to meet him.”

The link back to Celebrity Wheel of Fortune was clear: White described the same kind of pulse-quickening excitement in both that show’s studio and at the slots tournament.

Her remark about the million-dollar wedge on Celebrity Wheel of Fortune resonated with the million-dollar prize on the tournament floor.

Vanna White also gave two longtime fans the surprise of their lives when she showed up at their wedding and walked them down the aisle herself.

For fans of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, the crossover held appeal: it was familiar but fresh.

White brought in the show’s spirit — the suspense, the big wins, the letters turning moment to moment — and translated it into a live, immersive setting.

White’s involvement lends credibility and visibility to such expansions. In her interview, she said: 

“It’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, I just want her to solve it or him to solve it!’” 

A line she used to describe a moment on Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, yet one that applied equally to the tournament prize stage.

That comment underscores how the mechanics of game-show drama can translate to real-world event settings.

The connection between Celebrity Wheel of Fortune and the 2025 World Tournament of Slots appears to be a mutually beneficial one: the tournament gains a mainstream television face; the show gets extended visibility beyond its studio episodes.

For White, it also serves as another milestone in a career defined by one of TV’s longest-running game shows.

As the week concluded at Atlantis, the final scenes included White handing over the winner’s trophy, engaging with attendees, and lending her voice to the tournament’s social-media campaign.

Her arrival and role at the event created buzz not just among slot-tournament participants but across game-show and entertainment media outlets alike.

For fans who tune into Celebrity Wheel of Fortune night after night, the message is clear: the show’s brand isn’t confined to the puzzle board.

With White front and center at events like the World Tournament of Slots, Celebrity Wheel of Fortune is branching into experiences where the host meets the audience outside of their living rooms.

As production on Celebrity Wheel of Fortune shows no signs of slowing, and as live-event collaborations increase, one thing remains consistent: Vanna White’s presence continues to define what audiences expect from the brand.

Her appearance at the 2025 World Tournament of Slots may very well signal the beginning of more cross-platform extensions of the show into arenas beyond the studio, engaging fans in new and memorable ways.

Stay tuned for more updates.