By the ‘stache of Alex Trebek! DoubleDown Casino adds ‘Jeopardy’ game

Slot machines — whether virtual or in Las Vegas — often have a better time of grabbing attention if they use a popular brand.

That’s one of the reasons that publisher International Game Technology is turning the long-running TV quiz show Jeopardy into a social-slot machine game as part of the DoubleDown Casino line of games. It debuts Facebook and mobile devices like iOS and Android for free in the coming days. Mobile gaming is an industry worth around $25 billion, according to market researcher Newzoo, and social casino and slots games make up a significant chunk of that. IGT is hoping that the Jeopardy name will give it a bit of an advantage. The social-casino market alone is worth $2.7 billion worldwide, and major names in real-world gambling, like Churchill Downs, are moving into the space.