Apparatus providing payouts proportional to wagers and methods for operating same

• US 20030216170A1
• Filed: 06/11/2003
• Published: 11/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Jorasch, James A., Walker, Jay S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,905,774 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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 17/3262 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

Abstract

A gaming device such as a slot machine is provided having a payout proportional to a wager value. In accordance with one or more embodiments, the gaming machine provides a player with the ability to flexibly and automatically increase and decrease wagers, thereby allowing the player to press his bets when he feels lucky, and to decrease his bets when he feels unlucky. Different proportional payout tables are provided for different levels of wagers.

Claims

1. A gaming device that determines an outcome in response to initiation of a game play, comprising:

a credit balance; and

means for wagering, wherein the means for wagering allows only a wager amount that is the entirety of the credit balance such that an amount that is less than the entirety of the credit balance is always an unacceptable wager amount.

2. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the means for wagering comprises a processor and a mechanism for initiating game play at the gaming device,

the processor being operative to

determine the credit balance, and

determine whether the mechanism for initiating game play has been initiated,

wherein the processor, upon determining that the mechanism for initiating game play has been activated, is operative to determine the credit balance, thereby determining the amount being wagered on the game play to be the entirety of the credit balance.

3. The gaming device of claim 1, further comprising:

a memory, wherein the memory stores a plurality of achievable combinations of symbols, at least one achievable combination of symbols corresponding to a respective proportional payout multiplier.

4. The gaming device of claim 3, wherein the processor is further operative to determine a new credit balance.

5. The gaming device of claim 4, further comprising:

a random number generator, and wherein

the memory further stores a respective at least one random number corresponding to each achievable combination of symbols.

6. The gaming device of claim 5, wherein the processor is operative to determine the new credit balance by:

obtaining a random number from the random number generator;

determining which achievable combination of symbols corresponds to the obtained random number;

determining the proportional payout multiplier that corresponds to the determined achievable combination of symbols; and

determining the new credit balance to be a product of the amount being wagered on the game play and the determined proportional payout multiplier.

7. A method, comprising:

determining a first credit balance of a gaming device, thereby determining an amount being wagered on a game play at the gaming device;

determining an outcome for the game play;

determining a proportional payout multiplier corresponding to the outcome; and

determining a second credit balance of the gaming device, the second credit balance comprising a product of the amount being wagered on the game play and the proportional payout multiplier.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the proportional payout multiplier comprises:

retrieving, from memory, a proportional payout multiplier that corresponds to the outcome, the memory storing a plurality of outcomes and a plurality of proportional payout multipliers, each respective proportional payout multiplier corresponding to one of the outcomes.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining whether the amount being wagered on the game play fits within a first predetermined range or a second predetermined range; and

wherein determining a proportional payout multiplier comprises;

determining the proportional payout multiplier to be a first proportional payout multiplier if the amount being wagered fits within the first predetermined range and determining the proportional payout multiplier to be a second proportional payout multiplier if the amount being wagered fits within the second predetermined range.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second proportional payout multiplier is greater than the first proportional payout multiplier and a maximum of the first predetermined range is less than a minimum of the second predetermined range.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the second credit balance comprises:

determining a product of the amount being wagered on the game play and the proportional payout multiplier; and

if the product is a first number that comprises a whole number, determining the whole number to be the second credit balance, and

if the product is a second number that is not a whole number, rounding the product to a third number that is a whole number and determining the third number to be the second credit balance.

12. A method, comprising:

determining a current credit balance of a gaming device;

receiving an indication, from a player, of a desired final credit balance;

determining a desired proportional payout multiplier based on the current credit balance and the desired final credit balance; and

setting a proportional payout multiplier of a payout schedule of the gaming device to be the desired proportional payout multiplier,

wherein the proportional payout multiplier corresponds to an achievable combination of symbols such that, if the combination of symbols is achieved for a game play at the gaming device, the corresponding proportional payout multiplier is applied to the current credit balance to determine the final credit balance.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein setting the proportional payout multiplier comprises:

determining at least one achievable combination of symbols from a plurality of achievable combinations of symbols, each achievable combination of symbols corresponding to a respective proportional payout multiplier; and

setting the proportional payout multiplier corresponding to the at least one achievable combination of symbols to be the desired proportional payout multiplier.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein determining the at least one achievable combination of symbols comprises:

determining which at least one achievable combination of symbols the player has selected.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein determining the at least one achievable combination of symbols comprises:

selecting at least one achievable combination of symbols based on a difference between (i) a current proportional payout multiplier corresponding to the at least one achievable combination of symbols, and (ii) the desired proportional payout multiplier.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein determining the at least one achievable combination of symbols comprises:

selecting a predetermined at least one achievable combination of symbols.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining a remainder of achievable combinations of symbols of the plurality of achievable combinations of symbols,

the remainder of the achievable combinations of symbols comprising the achievable combinations of symbols the corresponding proportional payout multipliers of which were not set to be the desired proportional payout multiplier.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

setting the respective proportional payout multiplier corresponding to each achievable combination of symbols of the remainder to be zero.

19. A method, comprising:

determining an outcome for a game play at a gaming device;

determining a current credit balance of the gaming device; and

if the outcome is a losing outcome,

determining a new credit balance by subtracting a predetermined amount from the credit balance, and

if the outcome is a winning outcome,

determining a new credit balance by determining a proportional payout multiplier and applying the proportional payout multiplier to a predetermined portion of the credit balance.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein determining the proportional payout multiplier comprises:

determining a proportional payout multiplier that is independent of particular symbols comprising the winning outcome, such that a same proportional payout multiplier is applied to any outcome that is a winning outcome.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein determining the proportional payout multiplier comprises:

determining the proportional payout multiplier that corresponds to the outcome in a memory,

wherein the memory stores a plurality of winning outcomes, each winning outcome corresponding to a respective proportional payout multiplier.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the proportional payout multiplier is greater than one hundred percent.

23. A method, comprising:

determining an amount being wagered on a first game play at a gaming device, based on a first credit balance of the gaming device;

determining a first percentage, the first percentage being greater than zero and less than one hundred percent;

determining a second percentage, the second percentage being greater than one hundred percent;

determining a first outcome for the first game play;

determining whether the first outcome is a winning outcome; and

determining a second credit balance of the gaming device by

if the first outcome is not a winning outcome, determining a product of the first percentage and the amount being wagered on the first game play, and

if the first outcome is a winning outcome, determining a product of the second percentage and the amount being wagered on the first game play.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

determining a portion;

determining a current credit balance; and

wherein determining the amount being wagered on the first game play comprises;

determining the portion of the current credit balance.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

determining that a second game play has been initiated at the gaming device;

determining an amount being wagered on the second game play to be the portion of the new credit balance;

determining a second outcome for the second game play;

determining whether the second outcome is a winning outcome; and

determining a third credit balance of the gaming device by;

if the second outcome is not a winning outcome, determining a product of the first percentage and the amount being wagered on the second game play, and

if the second outcome is a winning outcome, determining a product of the second percentage and the amount being wagered on the second game play.

26. A gaming device, comprising:

an updateable display device for displaying a payout schedule of the gaming device,

wherein the payout schedule displays a plurality of combinations of symbols that are achievable on the gaming device, each combination of symbols corresponding to

a respective proportional payout multiplier,

a respective final credit balance that is a product of the corresponding proportional payout multiplier and an amount being wagered on a game play of the gaming device, and

a respective payout amount that is a difference between the product and the amount being wagered on the game play;

a memory storing a current credit balance; and

a processor,

the processor being operable to update the payout schedule of the updateable display device based on the current credit balance.

27. The gaming device of claim 26, wherein the processor is further operative to:

determine a particular combination of symbols achieved for a game play at the gaming device;

determine a new credit balance based on the particular combination of symbols and the payout schedule at the time of the game play; and

update the payout schedule based on the new credit balance.