Basic wagering game having a continuously modified pay table

• US 20050176494A1
• Filed: 02/10/2004
• Published: 08/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Thomas, Alfred
• Granted Patent: US 7,686,689 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 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• 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 playing a basic wagering game comprises conducting the basic wagering game at a gaming terminal in response to receiving a wager input. The method includes apportioning the wager input among a plurality of winning outcomes for the basic wagering game, such that the apportioning increases a payout amount associated with each of the winning outcomes. The method includes awarding the payout amount associated with one of the plurality of winning outcomes in response to a randomly selected outcome in the basic wagering game being that one of the plurality of winning outcomes. The method is implemented in a gaming system comprising a plurality of gaming terminals and a controller. The controller is coupled to each of the gaming terminals and receives wager-input signals from the gaming terminals. In response to receiving the wager-input signal, the controller allocates a portion of the wager input among the winning outcomes.

Claims

1. A gaming terminal capable of playing a basic wagering game, comprising:

an input device for receiving inputs from a player during said basic wagering game, said inputs including a wager input;

at least one display displaying a randomly selected outcome from a plurality of outcomes of said wagering game in response to receiving said wager input from said player, said plurality of outcomes including a plurality of winning outcomes, said at least one display further displaying a pay table with said plurality of winning outcomes and a corresponding payout amount for each of said plurality of winning outcomes; and

wherein said pay table is continuously updated in response to portions of said wager input being incrementally added to more than one of said payout amounts.

2. The gaming terminal of claim 1, wherein said at least one display includes two displays, one of said two displays displaying said pay table, the other of said two displays displaying said randomly selected outcome.

3. The gaming terminal of claim 1, wherein said pay table is updated after each session of said basic wagering game.

4. The gaming terminal of claim 1, wherein said plurality of outcomes includes a start-bonus outcome, said at least one display displaying a bonus game in response to said start-bonus outcome being achieved.

5. The gaming terminal of claim 4, wherein said bonus game allows for a second chance to achieve one of said plurality of winning outcomes.

6. The gaming terminal of claim 1, wherein said gaming terminal is linked with other gaming terminals competing for said plurality of winning outcomes, and said pay table is updated on a real-time basis.

7. The gaming terminal of claim 1, wherein said at least one display displays the time at which said plurality of winning outcomes have been most recently achieved.

8. The gaming terminal of claim 1, wherein said input device further receives player-identification information, said basic wagering game with said continuously updated pay table being operable in response to said player-identification information meeting certain criteria.

9. The gaming terminal of claim 1, wherein said basic wagering game is a slot machine and said plurality winning outcomes are various symbol combinations achievable on reels of said slot machine.

10. A method of playing a basic wagering game, comprising:

conducting said basic wagering game at a gaming terminal in response to receiving a wager input;

apportioning said wager input among a plurality of winning outcomes for said basic wagering game, said apportioning increasing a payout amount associated with each of said plurality of winning outcomes; and

awarding said payout amount associated with one of said plurality of winning outcomes in response to a randomly selected outcome in said basic wagering game being said one of said plurality of winning outcomes.

11. The method of claim 10, further including displaying at said gaming terminal said payout amounts associated with each of said plurality of winning outcomes.

12. The method of claim 11, further including continuously updating said payout amounts and displaying said updated payout amounts.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said continuously updating and displaying are on a real-time basis.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein said basic wagering game includes winning outcomes that are not increased by a portion of said wagering input.

15. The method of claim 10, further including receiving player-identification information, said conducting, apportioning, and awarding only occurring in response to said player-identification information meeting certain criteria.

16. A gaming system, comprising:

a plurality of gaming terminals for playing a basic wagering game in response to receiving wager inputs from players, each of said plurality of gaming terminals capable of achieving a plurality of winning outcomes that have a corresponding payout amount, each of said plurality of gaming terminals including a display for displaying a pay table with each of said plurality of winning outcomes and said corresponding payout amount; and

a controller coupled to each of said plurality of gaming terminals and receiving wager-input signals from said plurality of gaming terminals, in response to receiving said wager-input signal from one of said plurality of gaming terminals, said controller allocating portions of said wager input among said plurality of winning outcomes and sending an update pay-table signal to said plurality of gaming terminals to instruct said plurality of gaming terminals to update said corresponding payout amounts within said pay table.

17. The gaming system of claim 16, wherein said update pay-table signals are sent on a real-time basis.

18. The gaming system of claim 16, wherein said update pay-table signals are sent on a periodic basis.

19. The gaming system of claim 16, wherein said plurality of gaming terminals are a bank of terminals within one gaming establishment and said controller is located within said gaming establishment.

20. The gaming system of claim 16, wherein said plurality of gaming terminals are located in one gaming establishment and said controller is located remotely from said gaming establishment.

21. The gaming system of claim 16, wherein said plurality of gaming terminals are located in different gaming establishments.

22. The gaming system of claim 16, wherein said controller allocates said portions of said wager inputs only to selected ones of said plurality of winning outcomes.

23. The gaming system of claim 21, wherein unselected ones of said plurality of winning outcomes receive a portion of wager inputs inputted at only the local one of said plurality of gaming terminals.

24. The gaming system of claim 16, wherein said plurality of gaming terminals further receive player-identification information that is transmitted to said controller, said controller allowing said basic wagering game to be conducted by a player in response to said player-identification information meeting certain criteria.

25. A method of conducting a basic wagering game, comprising:

conducting a plurality of sessions of said basic wagering game at a plurality of gaming terminals including receiving a wager input for each of said plurality of gaming sessions, said basic wagering game having a plurality of winning outcomes and a payout amount associated with each of said plurality of winning outcomes; and

apportioning said wager inputs from said plurality of sessions among said payout amounts for said plurality of winning outcomes of said basic wagering game being conducted at said plurality of gaming terminals so as to increase said payout amounts.

26. The method of claim 25, further including receiving player-identification information, said conducting and apportioning only occurring in response to said player-identification information meeting certain criteria.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein said some of said plurality of sessions occur sequentially at one of said plurality of gaming terminals.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein said apportioning is accomplished by a controller located remotely from said plurality of gaming terminals.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein said plurality of gaming terminals are located within a gaming establishment, said apportioning is accomplished by a controller located within said gaming establishment.

30. The method of claim 25, further including displaying said payout amounts associated with each of said plurality of winning outcomes on said plurality of gaming terminals.

31. The method of claim 30, further including continuously updating said payout amounts and displaying said updated payout amounts on said plurality of gaming terminals.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein said continuously updating and displaying are on a real-time basis.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein said continuously updating and displaying are performed at each of said plurality of gaming terminals after one of said sessions.

34. The method of claim 25, wherein said apportioning of said wager inputs is for only selected ones of said plurality of winning outcomes.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein unselected ones of said plurality of winning outcomes receive a portion of wager inputs inputted at only the local one of said plurality of gaming terminals.

36. A method of playing a basic wagering game, comprising:

conducting sessions of said basic wagering game on at least one gaming terminal in response to receiving wager inputs from players, said basic wagering game having a plurality of winning outcomes and a payout amount associated with each of said plurality of winning outcomes;

in response to a first player not achieving one of said plurality of winning outcomes in one of said sessions, increasing said payout amounts associated with each of said plurality of winning outcomes; and

in response to a second player achieving one of said plurality of winning outcomes in another of said sessions, awarding to said second player said payout amount that is associated with said one of said plurality of winning outcomes and increasing said payout amounts associated with the other of said plurality of winning outcomes.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein said sessions are conducted at a plurality of gaming terminals.

38. The method of claim 36, further including displaying said payout amounts associated with each of said plurality of winning outcomes on said at least one gaming terminal.

39. The method of claim 38, further including continuously updating said payout amounts and displaying said updated payout amounts on said at least one gaming terminal.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein said continuously updating and displaying are on a real-time basis.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein said continuously updating and displaying are performed after each of said sessions at said at least one gaming terminal.

42. A gaming terminal capable of playing a basic wagering game and being a member of a plurality of linked gaming terminals, comprising:

an input device for receiving inputs from a player during said basic wagering game, said inputs including a wager input;

at least one display displaying a randomly selected outcome from a plurality of outcomes of said wagering game in response to receiving said wager input from said player, said plurality of outcomes including a plurality of winning outcomes, said at least one display further displaying a pay table with said plurality of winning outcomes and a corresponding payout amount for each of said plurality of winning outcomes; and

wherein a first group of said plurality of winning outcomes is continuously updated in response to portions of wager inputs received at a first collection of said plurality of linked gaming terminals, and a second group of said plurality of winning outcomes is continuously updated in response to portions of wager inputs received from a second collection of said plurality of linked gaming terminals.

43. The gaming terminal of claim 42, wherein said at least one display includes two displays, one of said two displays displaying said pay table, the other of said two displays displaying said randomly selected outcome.

44. The gaming terminal of claim 42, wherein said first group and said second group include different numbers of said winning outcomes.

45. The gaming terminal of claim 42, wherein said gaming terminal is located within a gaming establishment, said first collection including gaming terminals located only within said gaming establishment, said second collection including gaming terminals located outside said gaming establishment.

46. The gaming terminal of claim 42, wherein said first collection includes only said gaming terminal and said second collection includes others of said plurality of linked gaming terminals.

47. The gaming terminal of claim 42, wherein said gaming terminal is a member of a bank of adjacent gaming terminals, said first collection including only said bank of adjacent gaming terminals.

48. The gaming terminal of claim 42, wherein a third group of said plurality of winning outcomes is continuously updated in response to portions of wager inputs received from a third collection of said plurality of linked gaming terminals.

49. The gaming terminal of claim 42, wherein said first and second groups are updated on a real-time basis.