Name your prize game playing methodology

• US 20050176498A1
• Filed: 02/04/2005
• Published: 08/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Binh T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,682,245 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 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• 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 disclosed gaming machine has a memory storing a list of one or more prizes, a prize display for viewing prize information, and a prize selection mechanism that allows a user playing a game on the gaming machine to select one or more prizes specific to one or more outcomes of the game played on the gaming machine. One or more gaming machines may be connected in a “prize distribution network” to a “prize server.” The prize server may include an interface for providing prize information to the gaming machines connected in the prize distribution network and a memory storing the prize information as groups of prizes for separate display on the gaming machines. With the prize server and prize distribution network, the prizes available as an award on each gaming machine in the prize distribution network may be easily changed.

Claims

1. A method of awarding prizes on a gaming machine providing wagering on a game of chance, the method comprising;

prior to determining the outcome of the game of chance, receiving information for selecting at least one non-cash prize wherein the selected non-cash prize corresponds to an award for one of the outcomes of the game of chance and wherein the non-cash prize is only awarded after the outcome of the game of chance is determined wherein the gaming machine is operable to award the selected non-cash prize as a result of only the game of chance to be played following the selection of the non-cash prize and to only provide prize redemption for non-cash prizes that are awarded in this manner;

receiving a wager for the game of chance;

determining the outcome for the game of chance wherein odds for all possible outcomes of the played game of chance are described by a paytable and wherein the paytable is generated prior to the selection of the non-cash prize;

presenting the outcome for the game of chance; and

indicating an award of the selected non-cash prize when the determined outcome for the game of chance is the same as the one the outcomes of the game of chance corresponding to the non-cash prize selection.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a download of information describing prizes available for selection on the gaming machine from a remote gaming device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising displaying a list of prizes including the downloaded prizes available for selection on a display mechanism coupled to the gaming machine wherein the list of prizes include at least two or more non-cash prizes.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the paytable is approved for use on the gaming machine by a gaming authority with jurisdiction to specify operating parameters for the gaming machine.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

preventing modification of information stored in the paytable.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein writes to a storage medium storing the paytable are inhibited to prevent modification to the paytable.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the paytable as a combination of a base paytable and a modifier paytable wherein the modification paytable includes information specifying how to modify the odds for one or more outcomes stored in the base paytable.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

matching the selected non-cash prize to a first outcome stored in the paytable wherein the gaming machine is operable to award the selected non-cash prize when the first outcome occurs.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein prior to the match of the selected non-cash prize to the first outcome, an award for the first outcome is a first cash prize or a first non-cash prize different from the selected non-cash prize.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the odds of the first outcome occurring are not changed by the match of the selected non-cash prize to the first outcome.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

matching the selected non-cash prize to a second outcome stored in the paytable different from the first outcome wherein the gaming machine is operable to award the selected non-cash prize when the first outcome or the second outcome occurs.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the selected non-cash prize is matched to the second outcome when a bonus event is detected on the gaming machine.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

switching the selected non-cash prize to a second outcome stored in the paytable different from the first outcome wherein the odds of the second outcome occurring are different from the first outcome and wherein the gaming machine is operable to award the selected non-cash prize when the second outcome occurs.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the odds of the second outcome occurring are greater than the odds of the first outcome occurring and wherein the selected non-cash prize is switched to the second outcome when a bonus event is detected on the gaming machine.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically switching a current prize selection on the gaming machine to a default prize selection wherein the default prize selection is a cash prize or a non-cash prize.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the gaming machine is operable to make the switch from the current prize selection to the default prize selection after detecting a period of inactivity on the gaming machine.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an input signal to confirm that a game player currently utilizing the gaming machine wishes to play the game of chance for the non-cash prize that is currently selected.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the information for selecting the at least one non-cash prize from a remote gaming device in communication with the gaming machine or from an instrument read at the gaming machine.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the received information is for a first non-cash prize previously selected by a game player.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the received information is for a suggested non-cash prize.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the suggested non-cash prize is determined from one or more non-cash previous prize selections made by a game player and wherein the suggested non-cash prize is different from the one or more previous non-cash previous prize selections made by the game player.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the suggested non-cash prize is determined using personal information gathered from a game player.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the instrument is one of a printed media, a magnetic striped card, a smart card, a cell phone, a personal digital assistant, a portable electronic device or an RFID enabled device.

24. The method of claim 1, after receiving information for selecting the at least one non-cash prize, determining whether the gaming machine is operable to provide the award of the at least one non-cash prize.

25. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a new paytable different the paytable is needed to provide the award of the at least one selected non-cash prize.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

selecting the new paytable from a database of paytables stored on the gaming machine.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the new paytable is pre-approved by gaming regulators for use on the gaming machine.

28. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

sending a message to request the new paytable to a remote gaming device and receiving the new paytable from the remote gaming device.

29. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

determining the outcome for the game of chance with the new paytable.

30. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a first message to request an authentication of the paytable to a remote gaming device and receiving a second message from the remote gaming device indicating an authentication status of the paytable.

31. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

changing the paytable used to determine the outcome of the game of chance.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

storing a record describing the change of the paytable to a non-volatile memory on the gaming machine.

33. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

contributing a portion of the wager for the game of chance to a progressive prize pool.

34. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one non-cash prize is a non-cash progressive prize.

35. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving from a remote gaming device information describing a first group of non-cash progressive prizes wherein the at least one non-cash prize is selected from the first group.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising receiving from the remote gaming device information describing a second group of non-cash progressive prizes wherein the at least one non-cash prize is selected from the second group and wherein the value of the prizes in the second group is greater than the value of the prizes in the first group.

37. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one non-cash prize is displayed on a mechanical wheel or a video wheel.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

receiving an input signal to spin the mechanical wheel or the video wheel wherein a final position of the video wheel or the mechanical wheel is used to select the at least one non-cash prize.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising:

randomly generating the final position of the mechanical wheel or the video wheel and moving the mechanical wheel or the video wheel from an initial position to the final position.

40. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

receiving one or more input signals to rotate the video wheel or the mechanical wheel from a first position to a second position wherein a position of the video wheel or the mechanical wheel relative to a selector is used to select the at least one non-cash prize.

41. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a message indicating that the paytable or a pay-out schedule used to generate the game of chance has been changed.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

receiving an input signal to acknowledge receipt of the message by a player at the gaming machine.

43. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing a record including information indicating that a player has been notified of a change to a pay-out schedule or the paytable used to generate the game of chance.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the record includes a copy of a video frame displayed on the gaming machine and wherein the video frame includes a message indicating that the payout schedule or the paytable has been changed.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein the record is stored on a non-volatile memory device.

46. A method of providing wagering on a game of chance on a gaming machine, the method comprising;

changing a paytable used to play the game of chance wherein odds for all possible outcomes of the game of chance are described by the paytable;

displaying a message indicating that the paytable has been changed;

receiving an input signal from an input mechanism coupled to the gaming machine to acknowledge receipt of the message by a player at the gaming machine;

receiving a wager for the game of chance;

determining the outcome for the game of chance; and

presenting the outcome for the game of chance.

47. The method of claim 46, further comprising:

storing a record including information indicating that a player has been notified of a change to the paytable used to generate the game of chance.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the record includes a copy of a video frame displayed on the gaming machine and wherein the video frame includes a message indicating that the payout schedule or the paytable has been changed.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the record is stored on a non-volatile memory device.

50. The method of claim 47, further comprising:

receiving a request to recall information from the stored record;

retrieving the information from the stored record; and

displaying the information retrieved from the record.