Gaming system and method providing a multiple-player bonus redemption game

• US 10,360,757 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2017
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Caputo, Scott A., Nicely, Mark C., Parrott, Gregory H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hylinski, Steven J
• Application Number:
  US15/709,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20180033239A1
• Time in Patent Office: 671 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual 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 17/3246 involving coins and/or banknotes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• 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 17/3272 Games involving multiple players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3274 wherein the players cooperate, e.g. team-play

Abstract

A gaming system and method including a plurality of gaming devices that may participate in a shared secondary or bonus game and a controller operable to communicate with said plurality of gaming devices. At least one of the plurality of gaming devices is programmed to generate and accumulate collectors upon an occurrence of a first triggering event. Upon an occurrence of a second triggering event at one of the gaming devices, the controller enables a player of said gaming device to redeem a quantity of accumulated collectors in a bonus event. The controller also enables the player to invite other gaming devices from the plurality of gaming devices to redeem accumulated collectors and participate in said bonus event. The odds of each player earning a higher-valued total award in the bonus event increases with the total number of accumulated collectors redeemed in the bonus event.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the processor upon an occurrence of a triggering event, cause the processor to;

enable a first player to invite a second player to participate in a first play of a game,

responsive to the second player accepting the invitation to participate in the first play of the game, cause a display, by a display device, of the first play of the game, wherein the first play of the game is associated with a first average expected award for each of the first player and the second player participating in the first play of the game, and

responsive to the second player rejecting the invitation to participate in the first play of the game, cause a display, by the display device, of a second play of the game, wherein the second play of the game is associated with a second, different average expected award for the first player participating in the second play of the game.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the first average expected award is less than the second average expected award.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the processor, the plurality of instructions cause the processor to enabling the first player to cancel the first play of the game after the second player has accepted or rejected the invitation to participate in the first play of the game.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the triggering event occurs independent of any displayed events.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the second player comprises a virtual player.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein any award for any of the plays of the game is selected from the group consisting of:

a quantity of monetary credits, a quantity of non-monetary credits, a quantity of promotional credits, and a quantity of player tracking points.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, further comprising an acceptor, wherein when executed by the processor, the plurality of instructions cause the processor to, responsive to a physical item being received via the acceptor, establish a credit balance based 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.

8. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the display device comprises part of a mobile device.

9. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to communicate with the mobile device via a wireless network.

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

upon an occurrence of a triggering event;

enabling a first player to invite a second player to participate in a first play of a game,

responsive to the second player accepting the invitation to participate in the first play of the game, displaying, by a display device, the first play of the game, wherein the first play of the game is associated with a first average expected award for each of the first player and the second player participating in the first play of the game, and

responsive to the second player rejecting the invitation to participate in the first play of the game, displaying, by the display device, a second play of the game, wherein the second play of the game is associated with a second, different average expected award for the first player participating in the second play of the game.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first average expected award is less than the second average expected award.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising enabling the first player to cancel the first play of the game after the second player has accepted or rejected the invitation to participate in the first play of the game.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the triggering event occurs independent of any displayed events.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the second player comprises a virtual player.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein any award for any of the plays of the game is selected from the group consisting of:

a quantity of monetary credits, a quantity of non-monetary credits, a quantity of promotional credits, and a quantity of player tracking points.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein a credit balance is increasable based on any determined awards for the play of the game, said credit balance being increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and said credit balance being decreasable responsive to a cashout input.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the display device comprises a display device of a mobile device.

18. The method of claim 10, which is operated through a data network.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the data network is selected from the group consisting of:

an internet and a wireless network.