Wheel of Fortune fans have noticed that the final spin on the game show never winds up landing on a “Bankrupt” slice. Former host Pat Sajak explained why that happens.

“Final Spin: Why does the Final Spin always end on money? I’ve never seen it stop on bankrupt. Not once!” a Reddit user posted. In Wheel of Fortune, when a bell rings indicating that time is running out, a contestant will spin the wheel to see how much a letter costs for the final puzzle. Whatever they spin, $1,000 is added to that.

However, fans have noticed that the wheel never lands on spots such as “Bankrupt,” “Lose a Turn,” etc. Reddit users explained that it happens, but the contestant has to spin again, and it is edited out.

“They did leave in a couple of Bankrupt hits a few seasons back, and Bankrupt and Lose a Turn hits were left in until after 1999,” one fan said.

A Wheel of Fortune fan shared that Pat Sajak explained the reason for it at the end of one of his episodes. “You know what is a common question I get?” he asked his cohost, Vanna White. “People say, ‘How come you never hit a Bankrupt on final spin?”

“And as you know, I occasionally do hit one, but we edit it out because it’s kind of pointless, it eats up time, and it’s not very exciting to watch the host hit a Bankrupt.”

“So, it does happen, and you just don’t see it,” Sajak explained. “But, I have a whole collection of them at home, you can come over and watch.” White laughed at the host’s joke before they gave their outros.

There was an episode during Sajak’s final season on May 28, 2024, where the game show left in the “Bankrupt” spin. Contestant Brian spun the wheel and landed on the dreaded spot. The audience groaned, but Sajak said, “At least, the universe is making sense again.”

“It’s the final spin. Normally, we would edit out a Bankrupt because who wants to see someone land on a Bankrupt? Although I enjoy seeing all of you do it,” he said. “So, you get another chance, we don’t want a Bankrupt for a final spin.” Brian wound up landing on $900 the second time.

This has not yet happened since Ryan Seacrest has been the host, but it was only his first season, so he has a lot of time for it to air.

Have you ever seen an episode or attended a taping where they landed on Bankrupt during the final spin? Tell us your experience in the comments.