Thursday’s (May 15) edition of Wheel of Fortune marked the 14th episode in a row where a contestant flopped in the Bonus Round, which has fans wondering whether the game show has run out of money, at least for this season.

Danny Harrison, an aspiring commercial pilot from Wilton Manors, Florida, was the latest contestant to fail the Bonus Round. After winning Thursday’s episode with $28,890 cash, Harrison couldn’t figure out the final puzzle (BAKING A QUICHE) and missed out on an extra $40,000.

Viewers have been debating whether the show has run out of money and is, therefore, making the Bonus Rounds extra tricky. Over the past 14 episodes, puzzles have included phrases such as “ACCOMPLISHED AVIATOR,” “JAM PACKED CAFE,” and “RUMMAGING IN THE BACKYARD.”

“They had too many wins and can’t afford any more. Don’t be surprised if we get no more wins in the remainder of the season,” speculated one fan on the Wheel of Fortune Reddit forum. The season wraps up next month.

This same user claimed, “This same thing happened in Season 36 at the exact same point. The final six weeks, starting at the last Monday of April, had a record 20 losses in a row (shattering the previous record of 17 set in Dec 2000-Jan 2001), then one win (on a “show 6”/compilation ep that taped earlier than the other weeks), then nine more losses.”

“It’s end of season budget crunch. We got some easier bonus puzzles the end of last season because of the 8,000th show week, Fan Favorites II, and Pat’s final week, but obviously those aren’t happening this time,” said another.

Another wrote, “What is going on with these Bonus Round puzzles? Why do they have to be that difficult?”

“Simple answer: No bonus round prize budget left,” replied one user.

“The final puzzle in the past 2 weeks or so have been absolutely ridonk by and large,” said another.

Wheel of Fortune YouTube

One YouTube user wrote, “The puzzles are awful, they don’t even make any sense half the time. My husband and I would I have never and would never say that phrase.”

“Don’t forget some of last weeks too “kind of vague” “aquatic birds” “acting quirky” “rummaging in the backyard,” wrote another, referring to how difficult recent puzzles have been.

Wheel of Fortune YouTube

“Do they not want contestants to win? I mean I understand not wanting EVERY contestant to win, but you think you’d want 65-75% or something. It seems better for the show to be a happy / positive?” asked one commenter.

Another said, “I presume that there is no prize budget left. I’ll make a bet that for the rest of the season, it will be winless.”

“For the same reason the lowest prize hasn’t moved up from $40,000 in several seasons: They aren’t pulling in the money like they used to,” suggested another. “Plus, if you ever see when they run the full credits, just look at how many people work on the show. Add Vanna’s big raise and it wouldn’t surprise me if each episode cost an average of $250,000.”

While there has been a recent Bonus Round drought, it’s possible the show may be building up to a massive $1 million win. Viewers recently saw a contestant make it to the Bonus Round with a $1 million wedge in play, and host Ryan Seacrest has made it no secret he wants to see a million-dollar winner. Only four contestants have ever won the million.

The Bonus Round hasn’t been won since the April 25 episode, which saw a contestant bagging the $40,000 cash prize. Will the losing streak be broken tonight (Friday, May 16)? Tune in to find out!