What’s the Deal With ‘Deal or No Deal Island,’ and How Does It Work?

The premise of Deal or No Deal is incredibly straightforward. At its simplest, it's a guessing game; contestants need to guess which cases have larger sums of money than the others. Eventually, the players are faced with a choice brought down by the banker. The contestant can take the deal or say no deal, and after they’ve made their choice, they learn if they made the right call or lost out on a large sum of money. Deal Or No Deal Island has the same basic foundation, but how does it work?

Deal or No Deal first originated as a show in the Netherlands called Miljoenenjacht before coming to the U.S. in 2005. Howie Mandel was brought in as the host of the American version of the series, which ran from 2005 to 2009. The series was revived in 2018 with two additional seasons before it ended in 2019. Now, Deal or No Deal is back with a different platform, and Deal or No Deal Island has adapted the concept in a wild way, from challenges to its blend of regular and celebrity cast members.

The original version of the series involved contestants choosing out of 26 cases held by the models. They narrow down the cases through different rounds, as they contain amounts that vary from one cent to sums as high as $1 million. After they make their final case elimination, the banker calls to offer a deal that the contestant either takes or passes on. Deal or No Deal Island still has cases, but rather than be held by a model, they are spread out in secret locations across the island.

Unlike the regular series, the contestants on Deal or No Deal Island have to search for the cases that are scattered all over an island. With $200 million dollars hidden throughout the island, the competitors must compete in rigorous challenges to get access to the cases. After that, the person who has the case with the highest amount of money gets to go into the Temple. There, they are offered a deal, and if they take the deal and it's good, they get the sole power to eliminate another player.

The role of the intermediary between the Banker and the contestants on the U.S. version of Deal Or No Deal has always been Howie Mandel. In fact, his name has become nearly synonymous with the series. This time, however, Howie is acting only as the producer. Deal or No Deal Island’s host is actor and documentary filmmaker Joe Manganiello. As the host, Joe has to carry out the orders of the island’s secretive Banker, as well as introduce the banker's deal to them inside the Temple.

You can watch Deal or No Deal Island Mondays at 9:30 p.m. EST on NBC.