Thousands want chance at $1 million
Hoping to win big, thousands of gamblers flocked to Northern Quest Casino on Tuesday.
They were gaming for a chance at $1 million, but not at the slots or high-stakes poker. Traveling from hundreds of miles away, they turned out betting a witty anecdote or zany costume would land them a coveted spot on the NBC game show “Deal or No Deal.”
Some would-be contestants braved snow, camping for days outside the Airway Heights casino, all for just 30 seconds to pitch their personality to show producers.
Sandy Martin drove from Lewiston on Sunday, camping without a tent. She tapes every show.
“I will do anything I have to do or say, anything to be on that show,” said Martin, 50. “Everybody wants a little bit of green.”
For the “Deal or no Deal” uninitiated, contestants face female models toting 26 sealed briefcases, each representing an amount of money ranging from 1 cent to $1 million. Through a series of rounds, players pick cases to open, hoping to avoid the $1 million case until the end.
Aided or hindered by the advice of friends and family, players are pitted against a mysterious banker who offers deals to buy them out early.
“It’s a game of luck and chance and risk, but you’ve got to know when to stop,” said Mary-Rachel Foot, casting director. “You’ve got to know your odds. If you’ve got cushion, go for it.”
Applicants waited for hours, cheering as they zigzagged through lines outside and within the casino. They were herded to one of four tables, where stopwatch-toting staff listened to stories about weasel chases and motorcycle mamas. Tie-dye ensembles, clown costumes and a bridal veil were par for the course. Staff selected some standouts for further interviews.
For Josh Atchley, the money would help keep son Caden, who had a bone marrow transplant last year, out of day care and in a clean home environment. Breast cancer survivor and Cheney café owner Amor Canaday, dressed in a pink cowboy hat and fur coat, said she would donate the money to charities.
So what qualities land someone a spot on national TV?
“We look for people that are energetic and charismatic and likable,” Foot said. “If you can’t captivate a person in the 20 or 30 seconds that they’re going to get, then they’re not going to for 45 minutes on TV.”
Casting calls average 3,000 to 10,000 people, said Foot. More than 1,200 already had shuffled into the casino Tuesday by about 1 p.m., and hundreds more waited outside. It might take up to a year to notify contestants, and no set number will be picked from Spokane, she said.
To the Kalispel Tribe of Indians, the event was a chance to showcase its casino, which it plans to expand.
“It just can’t hurt,” said Phil Haugen, assistant general manager.
No one has won the grand prize in the U.S. version of the show. But that didn’t dissuade 32-year-old Oliver Bastien III, who told Foot about the time he awoke at home and chatted with his wife and mother – only realizing he was sans clothing after returning to bed.
“I’m really excited,” Bastien said. “It’s been a long 24 hours, let me tell you.”
Debuted in December 2005 and hosted by Howie Mandel, “Deal or No Deal” airs Monday and Wednesday nights.