Gaming system and method for permanently increasing the average expected payback percentage of a game for a player

• US 10,096,208 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2016
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Caputo, Scott A., Nicely, Mark C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): HALL, SHAUNA-KAY N
• Application Number:
  US15/383,225
• Publication Number:
  US 20170098345A1
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• 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 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/326 Game play aspects of gaming systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3267 Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a gaming system and method for permanently increasing the average expected payback percentage of a game for a player. The gaming system is configured to operate a game associated with one or more designated point thresholds, each of which is associated with a quantity of points. The gaming system maintains a point balance for the player for the game. Upon an occurrence of a point accumulation event, the gaming system adds a quantity of points to the player'"'"'s point balance for the game. When the player'"'"'s point balance for the game reaches one of the designated point thresholds, the gaming system permanently modifies a feature of the game and/or adds a new feature to the game. In various embodiments, the modification to the feature and/or the new feature permanently increases the average expected payback percentage for the game for that player.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying a player through a device remote from a server;

initiating a gaming session of the player through the remote device;

after the player has been identified and during the gaming session of the player, randomly determining, by a processor of the server communicatively coupled with the remote device, an outcome for a first play of a game, wherein the game has an average expected payback percentage;

causing the processor to communicate display data to the remote device to cause a display device of the remote device to display the outcome;

responsive to a first modification event occuring in association with the first play of the game, modifying, by the processor, the game in a first manner so the average expected payback percentage of the game for at least one of any subsequent plays of the game during the gaming session is greater than the average expected payback percentage of the game for the first play of the game; and

responsive to a second modification event occuring in association with the first play of the game, modifying, by the processor, the game in a second manner different from the first manner for at least one of any subsequent plays of the game during the gaming session, the second manner of modification not causing the average expected payback percentage of the game to increase,

wherein one of the first modification event and the second modification event occurs based on a point balance associated with the player.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising increasing, by the processor, the quantity of accumulated items associated with the player responsive to an occurrence of an item increase event in association with the first play of the game.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein causing, by the processor, the display device to display the outcome comprises causing, by the processor, data associated with the outcome to be transmitted.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein causing, by the processor, the data associated with the outcome to be transmitted comprises causing, by the processor, the data associated with the outcome to be transmitted over a data network.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the data network is the Internet.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after the player has been identified and during a second gaming session of the player subsequent to the gaming session of the player, randomly determining, by the processor, an outcome for a second play of the game, wherein if the first modification event occurred in association with the first play of the game, the average expected payback percentage of the game for the second play of the game is greater than the average expected payback percentage of the game for the first play of the game.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, if the first modification event occurs in association with the first play of the game, modifying, by the processor, the game in the first manner so the average expected payback percentage of the game for each of any subsequent plays of the game during the gaming session is greater than the average expected payback percentage of the game for the first play of the game.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising, if the first and second modification events both occur in association with the first play of the game, modifying, by the processor, the game in both the first manner and the second manner so the average expected payback percentage of the game for at least one of any subsequent plays of the game during the gaming session is greater than the average expected payback percentage of the game for the first play of the game.

9. A system comprising:

a server configured to be communicatively coupled to a remote device to identify a player and initiate a clamming session of the player, the remote device including a display device, said server comprising;

a processor; and

a memory device that stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

after the player has been identified and during the gaming session of the player, randomly determine an outcome for a first play of a game, wherein the game has an average expected payback percentage;

cause the display device to display the outcome;

responsive to a first modification event occurring in association with the first play of the game, modify the game in a first manner so the average expected payback percentage of the game for at least one of any subsequent plays of the game during the gaming session is greater than the average expected payback percentage of the game for the first play of the game; and

responsive to a second modification event occuring in association with the first play of the game, modify the game in a second manner different from the first manner for at least one of any subsequent plays of the game during the gaming session, the second manner of modification not causing the average expected payback percentage of the game to increase,

wherein one of the first modification event the second modification event occurs depending on a point balance associated with the player.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to increase the quantity of accumulated items associated with the player responsive to an occurrence of an item increase event in association with the first play of the game.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to cause the display device to display the outcome by causing data associated with the outcome to be transmitted.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to cause the data associated with the outcome to be transmitted by causing the data associated with the outcome to be transmitted over a data network.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the data network is the Internet.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to, after the player has been identified and during a second gaming session of the player subsequent to the gaming session of the player, randomly determine an outcome for a second play of the game, wherein if the first modification event occurred in association with the first play of the game, the average expected payback percentage of the game for the second play of the game is greater than the average expected payback percentage of the game for the first play of the game.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to, if the first modification event occurs in association with the first play of the game, modify the game in the first manner so the average expected payback percentage of the game for each of any subsequent plays of the game during the gaming session is greater than the average expected payback percentage of the game for the first play of the game.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to, if the first and second modification events both occur in association with the first play of the game, modify the game in both the first manner and the second manner so the average expected payback percentage of the game for at least one of any subsequent plays of the game during the gaming session is greater than the average expected payback percentage of the game for the first play of the game.