Deal or No Deal was one of the most talked-about game shows of the late 2000s. The franchise came to America in 2005 before it t took a break for almost a decade, but it returned to NBC in 2018. Howie Mandel hosts this program in which contestants win money, mostly by pure luck. There are 26 numbered briefcases, each manned by a model, with a noteworthy one of them having been Meghan Markle.
One of the best parts of the show is the infamous Banker. This character was not named or seen in the show’s first iteration, and the new banker is a mystery in the current show. The Banker somewhat ominously exists in an upper control room, making offers they hope the contestant can’t refuse. Details about the mysterious figure are far and few between, but some have been revealed.
The Original U.S. Banker
A common, yet simple, question that fans had was “who is the banker?” The first banker from the Deal or No Deal was a secret during his run on the series but has since had his identity revealed. We always knew he was male, but after the show ended, his identity was unveiled.
Banker 1 was an actor named Peter Abbay. He was an important part of the game show’s first life, but he also acted on programs like Another World, House, and Punk’d.
Voiceover Secret
It’s very interesting to look at Peter Abbay’s IMDb, aside from the fact of him being a fixture on some of MTV’s best reality shows. A handful of Deal or No Deal episodes are listed under self credits, which is odd. More noteworthy, however, is Abbay’s credit for voicing the Banker in a 2006 Deal or No Deal video game!
If a stealthy fan had seen this credit back in 2006, that would have been a dead giveaway. Video and computer games have been a pretty big part of the show’s franchise, even showing up in arcades and restaurants such as Dave and Busters.
Banking ‘Round the World
Some fans might know about the UK version of Deal or No Deal, but the idea for the show has become a worldwide phenomenon, much like other reality shows with international versions. The US version was not nearly the first of the show. A German game show called Die Chance deines Lebens (The Chance of a Lifetime) was the beginning.
This show was on back in 2000, and it is believed to have inspired a Dutch show which translates to “Hunt for Millions.” That show added the element of opening the cases, and the banker. All that to say, the show has a long and international history, and that means that there are numerous mysterious Bankers that the U.S. version drew inspiration from.
What is the Job?
Part of the Banker’s job is to get the contestant to throw in the towel, accept the Banker’s offer, and exit the game entirely. This is sometimes effective, sometimes not. It is a game of risk assessment by the contestant, evaluating whether or not to accept the guaranteed money.
It is often a good litmus test for greed (or determination, depending on how you look at it). Will the contestant play it safe and take an offer from the Banker? Or will they decide to test their luck and aim for more money? The show certainly roots for the banker sometimes, as his offer is oftentimes much lower than what the contestant would win by opening every case.
US Banker 2
With the show looking to revitalize itself during its second run, they chose a brand new banker. This time though, their identity was much less of a secret. The Internet quickly figured out that the banker was played by Carrie Lauren. Deal Or No Deal recasting a famous role did have precedence, but was still a bit surprising.
Her silhouette can be seen in the Banker’s office, and Howie interacts with her just as he did with the old Banker. Carrie Lauren is an accomplished actress–she was on Nickelodeon’s original All That, and she has been in many movies, most notably Magic Mike.
Creative Offers
The Banker’s job is not just to make offers, but to get contestants to accept their offer. This means that some prizes are quite out-of-the-box. An example from more recent episodes involves a family who wants to go all the way and win big for a house and a car. One member of the family is a basketball player and a serious basketball fan.
The Banker makes the offer of a lifetime - a signed ball, tickets to a game, courtside access to practice–things that are extremely hard to come by for the average person. However, the cash offer accompanying these material items is only $7,000, so the contestant decided to say “no deal.”
Is It Rigged?
Reality and game shows are not supposed to be staged or scripted, as that is a common complaint among fans of the genre, most notably leading to some unpopular opinions about Keeping Up With The Kardashians. No show is immune to this question, as many wonder whether or not Deal Or No Deal is rigged or not.
As far as anyone publicly knows, the banker is not tipped off to any secret information. They are not told how much is in each case, and are not keyed in to anything that would be considered game changing information. There is always the chance that production can keep a secret well, but as far as fans know, the banker knows just as much as viewers.
Folklore
Everywhere the Banker goes, they become even more of an enigma. A case in point is a 2006 interview story from Today. To add to the fun of a hidden identity, the writer published the story under an alias, Wendell Wittler. Wittler told the strange saga about himself interviewing the Banker.
Not surprisingly, you get to the end of the interview and Wendell says, “You’re sounding more like a TV producer than a Banker.” The Banker coolly replies, “Okay, to be perfectly honest, I’m not The Banker. I just work for him. You can call me The Teller.” In a piece meant to explain, even more confusion arose.
Research
It’s no surprise that game shows have worked their way into a corner of television studies. Everyone wants to crack the code for the Banker. In 2008, four scholars (Post, van dem Assem, Baltussen, and Thaler) wrote a scholarly article titled “Deal or No Deal? Decision Making under Risk in a Large-Payoff Game Show.”
They sum it up pretty well with this statement on the show: “Risk aversion decreases after earlier expectations have been shattered by unfavorable outcomes or surpassed by favorable outcomes.” The Banker knows this and uses it to their advantage, not only to make dramatic TV but to make it as hard as possible to get a big prize.
Evil Plan
At the end of the day, the Banker is a villain. This is in print in that Today interview, and it is evidenced on the television show. Without the Banker, Deal or No Deal would be pretty bland.
Contestants aimlessly open briefcases until they run out of high cash prizes or win big. The Banker has to shake things up and mess with the mind of each hopeful player. The whole point of his role is to confuse the contestant and make their time on the show harder, so with that in mind, the banker really is the antagonist of the show.
