Game show host, Wink Martindale, notable for hosting Gambit and Tic-Tac-Dough, dies at 91 following a battle with a form of blood cancer, his cause of death reveals. The icon, dubbed the King of television game shows, made his first TV break as the host of the children’s television series, Mars Patrol, and famously granted the first-ever recorded TV interviews with a young Elvis Presley. His most notable gig was his emcee position on the game show, Tic-Tac-Dough, hosting the revival series from 1978 to 1985. The game show remains the legend’s most recognizable role to date. His life and legacy intertwined with the show once again decades later, as Martindale reportedly passed away just one day after its 2025 revival premiered on Game Show Network.
The game show host Wink Martindale’s publicist, Brian Mayes, announced his death on Tuesday, April 15. According to him, the emcee passed away at Eisenhower Health in Rancho Mirage, California. He also revealed that Matindale “was doing pretty well up to a couple of weeks ago.” He was 91.
What Is Wink Martindale’s Cause of Death as Game Show Host Dies at 91?
Prior to his passing, the game show host Wink Martindale battled lymphoma for about a year, which is a likely cause of death per the game show host’s publicist. The Cleveland Clinic defines Lymphoma as a broad term for a group of blood cancers in the lymphatic system. They are one of the common cancers affecting the immune system, broadly classified into Hodgkin Lymphoma and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. The condition has a high survival rate, with most cases successfully treated and cured. However, the prognosis highly depends on the specific type of lymphoma.
Martindale’s Commitment to His Shows
Wink Martindale made a successful career out of his game show hosting, with numerous shows under his belt, making him a household name. The icon held each one of them dear to his heart, so much so that he named several of his dogs acquired throughout his lifetime after the various game shows he championed. The legend hammered on his affiliation to one of his shows in his 2000 memoir, Winking at Life, penning,
“From the day it hit the it, Gambit spelled winner, and it taught me a basic tenet of any truly successful game show: KISS! Keep It Simple Stupid. Like playing Old Maids as a kid, everybody knows how to play 21, i.e., blackjack.”
Martindale’s days hosting Gambit ran its course when the NBC game show, Wheel of Fortune, overshadowed it, becoming a viewers’ favorite. Yet, Wink Martindale kept up his hosting pursuits, with shows like High Rollers, Bumper Stumbers, Trivial Pursuits, Debt, Instant Rell, and Tic-Tac-Dough. He also ventured into radio hosting and started his own channel in 2014. Additionally, he took on another hosting gig in 2021 on The History of Rock ‘n’ Roll, which rose to new heights during his stint.
Before his death, Wink Martindale was a member of the nominating committee of the Hit Parade Hall of Fame, a position he rose to in 2007. A year prior, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and became one of the first inductees into the American TV Game Show Hall of Fame in October 2007. He left behind his wife of 50 years, Sandy Martindale, and four children from his first marriage.
