Gaming device method and apparatus employing modified payouts

• US 10,055,939 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2016
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Walker, Jay S., Jorasch, James A., Friesen, Scott T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pandya, Sunit
• Application Number:
  US15/254,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20160371932A1
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3234 about the performance of a gaming system, e.g. revenue, diagnosis of the gaming system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3237 about the players, e.g. profiling, responsible gaming, strategy/behavior of players, location of players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

The invention includes a system and method for a gaming device to determine when to offer a player an opportunity to play using a “jackpot only” pay table. The player may choose to accept the gaming device'"'"'s offer to switch from using a conventional pay table to using a pay table that only pays top payout amounts. Play with a jackpot only pay table may only require a small wager amount as compared to play with a conventional pay table. Play with a jackpot only pay table may be automated to generate outcomes quickly to allow a player to relatively inexpensively avoid spending time playing a gaming device perceived to be in a “cold period.”

Claims

1. An electronic gaming machine comprising:

at least one display device;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

determine whether to switch from;

a first mode requiring a first wager amount and including a first paytable for at least one play of a wagering game, to

a second mode requiring a second different wager amount and including a second different paytable for said at least one play of the wagering game, wherein;

the first paytable has;

 

a first quantity of different winning outcomes,

 

a first quantity of different awards associated with said winning outcomes,

 

a first average expected payout for all of said winning outcomes, and

 

a first quantity of losing outcomes, and

the second paytable has;

 

a second quantity of winning outcomes,

 

a second quantity of awards associated with said second quantity of winning outcomes, and

 

a second quantity of losing outcomes, and

responsive to the determination being to switch from the first mode to the second mode, following a placement of the second, different wager amount and utilizing the second paytable, cause the at least one display device to display the at least one play of the wagering game.

2. The electronic gaming machine of claim 1, wherein said second quantity of losing outcomes is greater than said first quantity of losing outcomes.

3. The electronic gaming machine of claim 1, wherein said second quantity of winning outcomes is less than said first quantity of winning outcomes.

4. The electronic gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the first quantity of winning outcomes includes a designated winning outcome.

5. The electronic gaming machine of claim 4, wherein the second quantity of awards includes a designated award associated with said designated winning outcome.

6. The electronic gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the second quantity of losing outcomes includes all of the first quantity of losing outcomes.

7. The electronic gaming machine of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to cause the at least one display device to display information associated with the switch from the first mode to the second mode.

8. The electronic gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising an acceptor, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to:

responsive to a physical item being received via the acceptor, establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item, and responsive to a cashout input being received, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance.

9. A gaming system server comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

determine whether to switch from;

a first mode requiring a first wager amount and including a first paytable for at least one play of a wagering game, to

a second mode requiring a second different wager amount and including a second different paytable for said at least one play of the wagering game, wherein;

the first paytable has;

 

a first quantity of different winning outcomes,

 

a first quantity of different awards associated with said winning outcomes,

 

a first average expected payout for all of said winning outcomes, and

 

a first quantity of losing outcomes, and

the second paytable has;

 

a second quantity of winning outcomes,

 

a second quantity of awards associated with said second quantity of winning outcomes, and

 

a second quantity of losing outcomes, and

responsive to the determination being to switch from the first mode to the second mode, following receipt of data associated with a placement of the second, different wager amount and utilizing the second paytable, communicate data which results in at least one display device displaying the at least one play of the wagering game.

10. The gaming system server of claim 9, wherein said second quantity of losing outcomes is greater than said first quantity of losing outcomes.

11. The gaming system server of claim 9, wherein said second quantity of winning outcomes is less than said first quantity of winning outcomes.

12. The gaming system server of claim 9, wherein the first quantity of winning outcomes includes a designated winning outcome.

13. The gaming system server of claim 12, wherein the second quantity of awards includes a designated award associated with said designated winning outcome.

14. The gaming system server of claim 9, wherein the second quantity of losing outcomes includes all of the first quantity of losing outcomes.

15. The gaming system server of claim 9, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to communicate data which results in the at least one display device to displaying information associated with the switch from the first mode to the second mode.

16. The gaming system server of claim 9, wherein any determined awards for the at least one play of the wagering game cause an increase of a credit balance which is increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and decreasable via a cashout device configured to receive an input to cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance.

17. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

determining, by at least one processor, whether to switch from;

a first mode requiring a first wager amount and including a first paytable for at least one play of a wagering game, to

a second mode requiring a second different wager amount and including a second different paytable for said at least one play of the wagering game, wherein;

the first paytable has;

a first quantity of different winning outcomes,

a first quantity of different awards associated with said winning outcomes,

a first average expected payout for all of said winning outcomes, and

a first quantity of losing outcomes, and

the second paytable has;

a second quantity of winning outcomes,

a second quantity of awards associated with said second quantity of winning outcomes, and

a second quantity of losing outcomes, and

responsive to the determination being to switch from the first mode to the second mode, following a placement of the second, different wager amount and utilizing the second paytable, displaying, by at least one display device, the at least one play of the wagering game.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said second quantity of losing outcomes is greater than said first quantity of losing outcomes.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said second quantity of winning outcomes is less than said first quantity of winning outcomes.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the first quantity of winning outcomes includes a designated winning outcome.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the second quantity of awards includes a designated award associated with said designated winning outcome.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the second quantity of losing outcomes includes all of the first quantity of losing outcomes.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising displaying, by the at least one display device, information associated with the switch from the first mode to the second mode.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein any determined awards for the at least one play of the wagering game cause an increase of a credit balance which is increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and decreasable via a cashout device configured to receive an input to cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance.