Progressive game with bonus

• US 20040242320A1
• Filed: 03/18/2004
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Jackson, Kathleen Nylund
• Granted Patent: US 7,850,524 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/26
• 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

Abstract

A method of providing all players on a linked network to receive a bonus opportunity based on one player hitting the primary jackpot. All players in an active game, (i.e., the reel spinning mode has been activated by the player bet, and the reels have not yet stopped) receive a bonus opportunity when the primary jackpot is hit. This bonus can be in many different forms. Examples of bonuses are of “scratch tickets” to players that would distribute varying amounts, or a secondary jackpot bonus of a fixed amount or an amount in proportion to the main jackpot, randomly assigned bonuses, an immediately available mini-jackpot for less then jackpot hands, and a period of time of increased pay amounts or an amount of mini-jackpot that is exhausted by players who are playing the game at the time of the jackpot. An alternative bonus would incorporate a specific time span after the primary jackpot is hit in which all players on the network will have the chance for a bonus payoff or prize, without having to achieve the extremely high rank of the jackpot award.

Claims

21-1. The method of claim 21 wherein the jackpot is not a progressive jackpot.