Wide area progressive jackpot system and methods

• US 20060073887A1
• Filed: 10/04/2004
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Binh T., Stockdale, James, Paulsen, Craig A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,862,427 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/27
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• 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 progressive jackpot system for allowing access to multiple wide area progressive jackpots at a gaming machine is described. The gaming machine connected to the progressive systems can be switched between two or more different progressive games where each progressive game provides the chance to win a different wide area progressive jackpot. The gaming machine may be operable to dynamically connect to and communicate with one or more different progressive systems. Switches can be triggered based upon a player input at the gaming machine or based upon a command received from a remote gaming device.

Claims

1. A gaming machine for receiving a wager on a game chance, the gaming machine comprising:

a master gaming controller designed or configured a) to control the game of chance played on the gaming machine wherein an outcome for each game of chance is a wide area progressive jackpot, said wide area progressive jackpot a maximum award for the game of chance, and wherein a portion of each wager made on the gaming machine is contributed to the wide area progressive jackpot and b) to switch between a first game of chance including a first wide area progressive jackpot and a second game of chance including a second wide area progressive jackpot wherein the first game of chance and the second game of chance are each a type of the game of chance controlled by the master gaming controller;

a first display coupled to the master gaming controller for displaying an outcome to the game of chance;

an input mechanism for inputting one or more of cash, indicia of credit or combinations thereof for the wager;

an output mechanism for outputting one of more of cash, indicia of credit or combinations thereof; and

a network interface coupled to the master gaming controller for sending a message over a network regarding the portion of each wager contributed to the wide area progressive jackpot.

2. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the first display is a plurality of slot reels.

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

a second display for displaying one or more of an amount of the first wide area progressive jackpot, an amount of the second wide area progressive jackpot or combinations thereof.

4. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein a wager amount is variable for each game of chance.

5. The gaming machine of claim 4, wherein an award of the wide area progressive jackpot is enabled when the wager amount on each game of chance is above or equal to a threshold wager amount or the wide area progressive jackpot is disabled when the wager on each game of chance is below the threshold amount.

6. The gaming machine of claim 5, wherein the threshold wager amount is a maximum wager amount for the game of chance.

7. The gaming machine of claim 5, wherein the threshold wager amount is a minimum wager amount for the game of chance.

8. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein a probability of winning the wide area progressive jackpot is variable.

9. The gaming machine of claim 8, wherein the probability is varied as one or more of a function of an amount contributed to the wide area progressive jackpot, an amount wagered on the game of chance or combinations thereof.

10. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein a portion of the wide area progressive jackpot, which is less than the maximum award, is awarded when the wager on the game of chance is less than a threshold wager amount.

11. The gaming machine of claim 10, wherein the portion is a percentage of the maximum award and is variable.

12. The gaming machine of claim 11, wherein the portion is variable as a function of a wager amount on the game of chance.

13. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein a denomination for each game of chance is variable.

14. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein an amount contributed to the wide area progressive jackpot is variable as a function of an amount wagered on the game of chance.

15. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein a denomination of the first wide area progressive jackpot is different from the denomination of the second wide area progressive jackpot.

16. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein an amount of the first wide area progressive jackpot is different from the amount of the second wide area progressive jackpot.

17. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein a probability of winning the first wide area progressive jackpot is different from the probability of winning the second wide area progressive jackpot.

18. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein, after a switch from the first game of chance to the second game of chance, one or more of a theme, graphics, sounds, a paytable, game software, or combinations thereof that are used to generate the game of chance is changed on the gaming machine.

19. The gaming machine of claim 18, wherein the one or more of a graphics, sounds, a paytable, game software or combinations thereof is downloaded from a remote gaming device.

20. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein all or a portion of the game of chance presented on the first display is generated on a remote gaming device.

21. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the master gaming controller is operable to receive a video stream of a presentation for the game chance from a remote gaming device and to display the video stream on the gaming machine.

22. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the master gaming controller is further designed or configured to establish a communication session with a remote gaming device that polls the gaming machine for contributions to the wide area progressive jackpot.

23. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein, after a switch from the first game of chance to the second game of chance, the master gaming controller is further designed or configured to terminate a first communication session with a first remote gaming device that polls the gaming machine for contributions to the first wide area progressive jackpot and to establish a second communication session with a second remote gaming device that polls the gaming machine for contributions to the second wide area progressive jackpot.

24. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the master gaming controller is further designed or configured to receive updates of an amount of the first wide area progressive jackpot from a first remote gaming device and to receive updates of an amount of the second wide area progressive jackpot from a second remote gaming device.

25. The gaming machine of claim 24, wherein the first remote gaming device and the second remote gaming device are the same gaming device.

26. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein a switch from the first game of chance to the second game of chance is triggered from an event generated at one or more of the gaming machine, a remote gaming device or combinations thereof.

27. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein a switch from the first game of chance to the second game of chance is triggered as a result of a player input at the gaming machine.

28. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the gaming machine is operable to display a plurality of wide area progressive jackpots available for play on the gaming machine and to receive an input for selecting one of the plurality of wide area progressive jackpots available for play.

29. The gaming machine of claim 28, wherein the display of the plurality of wide area progressive jackpots or the input for selecting one of the plurality of wide area progressive jackpots is made via a player tracking unit coupled to the gaming machine.

30. The gaming machine of claim 28, wherein the first display is a video display and the plurality of wide area progressive jackpots available for play on the gaming machine are displayed on the video display.

31. The gaming machine of claim 28, wherein the first display is a touch screen enabled video display and wherein the plurality of wide area progressive jackpots available for play are displayed on the touch screen enabled video display and the input for selecting one of the plurality of wide area progressive jackpots is made via the touch screen enabled video display.

32. The gaming machine of claim 28, further comprising a second display different from said first display wherein the plurality of wide area progressive jackpots available for play are displayed on the second display.

33. The gaming machine of claim 28, further comprising one or more mechanical input buttons or touch screen input buttons wherein an input for selecting one of the plurality of wide area progressive jackpots available for play is made via the one or more mechanical input buttons or touch screen input buttons.

34. The gaming machine of claim 28, wherein the display of the plurality of wide area progressive jackpots available for play on the gaming machine includes information regarding each of the wide area progressive jackpots.

35. The gaming machine of claim 34, the information includes one or more of a jackpot amount for each of the wide area progressive jackpots, a denomination for each of the wide area progressive jackpots, a minimum wager required for each of the wide area progressive jackpots, a theme associated with each of the wide area progressive jackpots, a payout schedule associated with each of the wide area progressive jackpots, a demo game associated with each of the wide area progressive jackpots or combinations thereof.

36. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the first display is a video display.

37. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the gaming machine is further designed or configured to generate a message including information regarding an amount contributed to the wide area progressive jackpot wherein the message further includes routing information that allows the message to be routed to one of plurality remote gaming devices that each provide a different wide area progressive jackpot.

38. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the master gaming controller is further designed or configured to switch from a first paytable to a second paytable wherein the paytables are not dynamically generated and are pre-approved for use on the gaming machine prior to the switch.

39. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising:

a first input mechanism for receiving input from one or more of an RFID tag, a cell phone, a magnetic striped card, a smart card, a printed voucher and a hand-held computer.

40. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the input mechanism is selected from the group consisting of a bill validator, a card reader, a printed voucher acceptor, a coin acceptor and a RFID tag reader.

41. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the output mechanism is selected from the group consisting of a coin hopper, a voucher printer, RFID tag programmer and a card reader.

42. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the game of chance is selected from the group consisting of a bingo game, a centrally determined game, a card game, a slot game, a dice game, a poker game, a pachinko games, a multiple hand poker game, a pai-gow poker game, a black jack games, a keno game, a roulette game, a craps game, checkers and a board game.

43. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the master gaming controller is further designed or configured to control concurrently and to present concurrently the first game of chance and a third game of chance with a third wide area progressive jackpot.

44. The gaming machine of claim 43, wherein the first game of chance is presented on the first display and the third game of chance is presented on a second display.

45. The gaming machine of claim 43, wherein the first game of chance is presented on a first portion of the first display and the third game of chance is presented on a second portion of the first display.

46. The gaming of claim 43, wherein the master gaming controller is further designed or configured to switch between the third game of chance including the third wide area progressive jackpot and the second game of chance including the second wide area progressive jackpot.

47. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the input mechanism is designed or configured to receive an electronic funds transfer of cash or indicia of credit.

48. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the output mechanism is designed or configured to output an electronic funds transfer of cash or indicia of credit for storage on a remote gaming device.

49. A gaming machine for receiving a wager on a game chance, the gaming machine comprising:

a master gaming controller designed or configured a) to control the game of chance played on the gaming machine and b) to switch between a first operational mode and a second operational mode wherein, in the first operational mode, the game of chance includes a chance to win a wide area progressive jackpot, said wide area progressive jackpot a maximum award for the game of chance, and wherein a portion of each wager made on the gaming machine while it is in the first operational mode is contributed to the wide area progressive jackpot and wherein in the second operational mode the game of chance does not include the chance to win the wide area progressive jackpot and the gaming machine does not contribute to the wide area progressive jackpot;

a first display coupled to the master gaming controller for displaying an outcome to the game of chance;

an input mechanism for inputting one or more of cash, indicia of credit or combinations thereof for the wager;

an output mechanism for outputting one of more of cash, indicia of credit or combinations thereof; and

a network interface coupled to the master gaming controller for sending a message over a network regarding the portion of each wager contributed to the wide area progressive jackpot when the gaming machine is in the first operational mode.

50. The gaming machine of claim 49, wherein the master gaming controller is further designed or configured to establish a communication session with a remote gaming device that allows the gaming machine to notify the remote gaming device of its contributions to the wide area progressive jackpot when the gaming machine is initialized in the first operational mode or when the gaming machine is switched from the second operational mode to the first operational mode.

51. The gaming machine of claim 50, wherein the remote gaming device polls the gaming machine for its contributions to the remote gaming device.

52. The gaming machine of claim 49, wherein the master gaming controller is further designed or configured to terminate a communication session with a remote gaming device that determines an amount of the wide area progressive jackpot and that receives information from the gaming machine indicating its contributions to the wide area progressive jackpot when the gaming machine is switched from the first operational mode to the second operational mode.

53. The gaming machine of claim 49, wherein, after a switch between the first operational mode and the second operational mode, one or more of a theme, graphics, sounds, a paytable, game software, or combinations thereof that are used to generate the game of chance is changed on the gaming machine.

54. The gaming machine of claim 53, wherein the one or more of a graphics, sounds, a paytable, game software or combinations thereof is downloaded from a remote gaming device.

55. The gaming machine of claim 49, wherein all or a portion of the game of chance presented on the first display is generated on a remote gaming device.

56. The gaming machine of claim 49, wherein the master gaming controller is operable to receive a video stream of a presentation for the game chance from a remote gaming device and to display the video stream on the gaming machine.

57. The gaming machine of claim 49, wherein a switch between the first operational mode and the second operational mode is triggered from an event generated at one of the gaming machine, a remote gaming device or combinations thereof.

58. The gaming machine of claim 49, wherein a switch from the first operational mode to the second operational mode is triggered as a result of a player input at the gaming machine.

59. The gaming machine of claim 49, wherein the gaming machine is operable to display a plurality of different types of games of chance available for play on the gaming machine wherein a portion of the plurality of different types of games of chance include the chance to win the wide area progressive jackpot and to receive an input for selecting one of the plurality of different types of games of chance.

60. The gaming machine of claim 59, where the input for selecting one of the plurality of different types of games of chance triggers a switch between the first operational mode and the second operational mode.

61. The gaming machine of claim 59, wherein the display of the plurality of different types of games of chance available for play or the input for selecting one of the plurality of different types of games of chance is made via a player tracking unit coupled to the gaming machine.

62. The gaming machine of claim 59, wherein the first display is a video display and wherein the plurality of different types of games of chance available for play are displayed on the video display.

63. The gaming machine of claim 59, wherein the first display is a touch screen enabled video display and wherein the plurality of different types of games of chance available for play are displayed on the touch screen enabled video display and the input for selecting one of the plurality of different types of games of chance is made via the touch screen enabled video display.

64. The gaming machine of claim 59, further comprising a second display different from said first display wherein the plurality of different types of games of chance available for play are displayed on the second display.

65. The gaming machine of claim 59, further comprising one or more mechanical input buttons or touch screen input buttons wherein the input for selecting the one of the plurality of different types of games of chance available for play is made via the one or more mechanical input buttons or the touch screen input buttons.

66. The gaming machine of claim 49, wherein the master gaming controller is further designed or configured to switch from a first paytable to a second paytable wherein the paytables are not dynamically generated and are pre-approved for use on the gaming machine prior to the switch.

67. The gaming machine of claim 49, wherein the first display is a plurality of slot reels.

68. The gaming machine of claim 49, further comprising:

a first input mechanism for receiving input from one or more of an RFID tag, a cell phone, a magnetic striped card, a smart card, a printed voucher and a hand-held computer.

69. The gaming machine of claim 49, wherein the input mechanism is selected from the group consisting of a bill validator, a card reader, a printed voucher acceptor, a coin acceptor and a RFID tag reader.

70. The gaming machine of claim 49, wherein the output mechanism is selected from the group consisting of a coin hopper, a printer, a RFID tag programmer and a card writer.

71. The gaming machine of claim 49, wherein the game of chance is selected from the group consisting of a bingo game, a centrally determined game, a card game, a slot game, a dice game, a poker game, a pachinko games, a multiple hand poker game, a pai-gow poker game, a black jack games, a keno game, a roulette game, a craps game, checkers and a board game.

72. The gaming machine of claim 49, wherein the master gaming controller is designed or configured to instantiate and control two or more game play interfaces wherein separate wagers are received for each game of chance played in each game play interface.

73. The gaming machine of claim 72, wherein each game of chance played in each game play interface is generated independently and played independently.

74. The gaming machine of claim 72, wherein, when two or more game play interfaces are simultaneously instantiated, two or more games of chance can be played concurrently on the gaming machine.

75. The gaming machine of claim 72, wherein each of the game play interfaces can be operated in the first operational mode or the second operational mode.

76. The gaming machine of claim 75, wherein each of the game play interfaces can be switched between the first operational mode and the second operational mode.

77. The gaming machine of claim 72, wherein the first display is a video display and wherein each instantiation of the game play interfaces uses a portion of the video display.

78. The gaming machine of claim 49, further comprising:

a second display for displaying an amount of the wide area progressive jackpot.

79. The gaming machine of claim 49, wherein an amount of the wide area progressive jackpot is displayed on the first display.

80. The gaming machine of claim 49, wherein the gaming machine is operable to receive messages indicating an amount of the wide area progressive jackpot and display the amount of the wide area progressive jackpot.

81. The gaming machine of claim 49, when the gaming machine is in the first operational mode, the master gaming controller is further designed or configured to switch between a first game of chance including a first wide area progressive jackpot and a second game of chance including a second wide area progressive jackpot.

82. The gaming machine of claim 81, wherein the master gaming controller is further designed or configured to direct a first contribution to the first wide area progressive jackpot when the wager is made on the first game of chance and to direct a second contribution to the second wide area progressive jackpot when the wager is made on the second game of chance.

83. The gaming machine of claim 81, wherein the master gaming controller is further designed or configured to receive updates of an amount of the first wide area progressive jackpot from a first remote gaming device and to receive updates of an amount of the second wide area progressive jackpot from a second remote gaming device.

84. The gaming machine of claim 49, wherein the input mechanism is designed or configured to receive an electronic funds transfer of cash or indicia of credit.

85. The gaming machine of claim 49, wherein the output mechanism is designed or configured to output an electronic funds transfer of cash or indicia of credit for storage on a remote gaming device.

86. A gaming machine for playing a game chance, the gaming machine comprising:

a master gaming controller designed or configured a) to control the game of chance played on the gaming machine, said game of chance comprising;

a first game of chance and second game of chance b) to switch from the first game of chance to the second game of chance when a first event occurs during a play of the first game of chance, c) to switch between the second game of chance to the first game of chance when a second event occurs during the play of the second game of chance wherein the play of the second game of chance includes a chance to win a wide area progressive jackpot, said wide area progressive jackpot a maximum award for the second game of chance, and wherein the gaming machine at least contributes to the wide area progressive jackpot when the second game of chance is played; and

d) to receive a first wager on the first game of chance;

a first display coupled to the master gaming controller for displaying an outcome to the game of chance;

an input mechanism for inputting one or more of cash, indicia of credit or combinations thereof for the first wager;

an output mechanism for outputting one of more of cash, indicia of credit or combinations thereof; and

a network interface coupled to the master gaming controller for sending a message over a network regarding an amount contributed to the wide area progressive jackpot when the second game of chance is played.

87. The gaming machine of claim 86, wherein the first event is a random bonus event determined from a paytable for the first game of chance.

88. The gaming machine of claim 87, wherein the paytable includes chances to trigger a plurality of different random bonus events.

89. The gaming machine of claim 87, wherein the random bonus event is accompanied by an award of bonus credits, said bonus credits available for making a second wager on the second game of chance.

90. The gaming machine of claim 89, wherein the second wager is made only using the bonus credits.

91. The gaming machine of claim 89, wherein the second event occurs when an amount of bonus credits falls below or is equal to a threshold value.

92. The gaming machine of claim 91, wherein the threshold value is zero.

93. The gaming machine of claim 89, wherein the bonus credits can be cashed out as payout from the gaming machine.

94. The gaming machine of claim 89, wherein the bonus credits are non-cashable such that they can only be used to play the second game of chance.

95. The gaming machine of claim 89, wherein the bonus credits are cashable as a payout from the gaming machine for less than face value.

96. The gaming machine of claim 89, wherein the gaming machine is operable to receive an input of cash or indicia of credit to increase the bonus credits.

97. The gaming machine of claim 86, wherein a payout schedule for the second game of chance includes the wide area progressive jackpot and a plurality of credit payouts less than the wide area progressive jackpot.

98. The gaming machine of claim 97, wherein the credit payouts are available for making a second wager on the second game of chance.

99. The gaming machine of claim 97, wherein the credit payouts are not available for making a second wager on the second game of chance.

100. The gaming machine of claim 97, wherein the credit payouts are available for making the first wager.

101. The gaming machine of claim 97, wherein one or more of the credit payouts is only available for making a second wager on the second game of chance.

102. The gaming machine of claim 86, wherein the first game of chance does not include a progressive jackpot award.

103. The gaming machine of claim 86, wherein the first game of chance is selected from the group consisting of a bingo game, a centrally determined game, a card game, a slot game, a dice game, a poker game, a pachinko games, a multiple hand poker game, a pai-gow poker game, a black jack games, a keno game, a roulette game, a craps game, checkers and a board game.

104. The gaming machine of claim 86, wherein the second game of chance is selected from the group consisting of a bingo game, a centrally determined game, a card game, a slot game, a dice game, a poker game, a pachinko games, a multiple hand poker game, a pai-gow poker game, a black jack games, a keno game, a roulette game, a craps game, checkers and a board game.

105. The gaming machine of claim 86, wherein the second event is a request by a player to return to the first game of chance.

106. The gaming machine of claim 86, further comprising:

a first input mechanism for receiving input from one or more of an RFID tag, a cell phone, a magnetic striped card, a smart card, a printed voucher and a hand-held computer.

107. The gaming machine of claim 86, wherein the master gaming controller is further designed or configured to establish a communication session with a remote gaming device that allows the gaming machine to notify the remote gaming device of its contributions to the wide area progressive jackpot when second game of chance is played.

108. The gaming machine of claim 107, wherein the remote gaming device polls the gaming machine for its contributions to the remote gaming device.

109. The gaming machine of claim 86, wherein the master gaming controller is further designed or configured to terminate a communication session with a remote gaming device that determines an amount of the wide area progressive jackpot and that receives information from the gaming machine indicating its contributions to the wide area progressive jackpot when the gaming machine is switched from the first game of chance to the second game of chance.

110. The gaming machine of claim 86, wherein, after a switch between the first game of chance and the second game of chance, one or more of a theme, graphics, sounds, a paytable, game software, or combinations thereof that are changed on the gaming machine.

111. The gaming machine of claim 110, wherein the one or more of a graphics, sounds, a paytable, game software or combinations thereof is downloaded from a remote gaming device.

112. The gaming machine of claim 86, wherein all or a portion of the game of chance presented on the first display is generated on a remote gaming device.

113. The gaming machine of claim 86, wherein the input mechanism is selected from the group consisting of a bill validator, a card reader, a printed voucher acceptor, a coin acceptor and a RFID tag reader.

114. The gaming machine of claim 86, wherein the output mechanism is selected from the group consisting of a coin hopper, a voucher printer, RFID tag programmer and a card reader.

115. The gaming machine of claim 86, wherein the input mechanism is designed or configured to receive an electronic funds transfer of cash or indicia of credit.

116. The gaming machine of claim 86, wherein the output mechanism is designed or configured to output an electronic funds transfer of cash or indicia of credit for storage on a remote gaming device.