Wagering game with bonus game triggered by linked terminal

• US 20060079318A1
• Filed: 09/29/2005
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Aoki, Dion K., Olsen, Christy Juinsuk, Kopera, Thomas M., Gilmore, Jason C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,545,304 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a gaming terminal and a method of playing a wagering game, whereby a player at one gaming terminal is allowed to link to other gaming terminals via a player-selectable option. The wagering game may include a basic game and a bonus game. Once linked, the player can enter a bonus game that is triggered by an outcome at a linked terminal.

Claims

1. A gaming terminal for playing a wagering game, comprising:

a wagering game having a plurality of symbols that indicate a randomly selected outcome in response to a wager input by a player;

a player-selectable input device for linking to another gaming terminal; and

wherein in response to said player-selectable input device being activated, said gaming terminal is linked to said another gaming terminal and said gaming terminal conducts a special event in response to a certain event occurring at said another gaming terminal.

2. The gaming terminal of claim 1, wherein said special event is a bonus game.

3. The gaming terminal of claim 1 wherein said special event is played at said gaming terminal and said another gaming terminal.

4. The gaming terminal of claim 1, where said player-selectable input device is activated in response to a second wager input at said gaming terminal.

5. The gaming terminal of claim 4, wherein said second wager input corresponds to a predetermined number of spins at said another gaming terminal.

6. The gaming terminal of claim 1, wherein said player-selectable input device is activated in response to achieving a certain outcome at said gaming terminal.

7. The gaming terminal of claim 6, wherein said certain outcome includes an award of credits to be used for linking to said another gaming terminal.

8. The gaming terminal of claim 6, wherein said certain outcome includes a certain symbol or combination of symbols that appear on a display.

9. The gaming terminal of claim 1, wherein said certain event includes a start-bonus-game outcome at said another gaming terminal.

10. A method of playing a wagering game at a gaming terminal, comprising:

providing said wagering game having a plurality of symbols that indicate a randomly selected outcome in response to a wager input by a player;

activating a player-selectable option on said gaming terminal for linking to another second gaming terminal;

linking said gaming terminal and said another second gaming terminal; and

providing a bonus game at each of said gaming terminals based on a start-bonus-outcome at one of said gaming terminals.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said another second gaming terminal is selected by said player from a plurality of gaming terminals.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said another second gaming terminal is selected by a player from adjacent gaming terminals.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said another second gaming terminal is randomly selected by a controller.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein said another second gaming terminal is a designated gaming terminal.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said designated gaming terminal includes a wagering game that can be displayed on a casino-wide video display.

16. A gaming system, comprising

a plurality of gaming terminals, said gaming terminals capable of being linked to other gaming terminals;

a controller operative to

link said plurality of gaming terminals; and

conduct a wagering game at each of said plurality of gaming terminals wherein an outcome of a wagering game at one of said plurality of gaming terminals is influenced by an outcome of a wagering game at a linked gaming terminal.

17. The gaming system of claim 16, wherein said linking by said controller is activated via a wager input at at least one of said plurality of gaming terminals.

18. The gaming system of claim 16, wherein said linking by said controller is activated by a special-event-outcome at at least one of said plurality of gaming terminals.

19. The gaming system of claim 18, wherein said special-event-outcome includes an award of credits to be used for said linking.

20. The gaming system of claim 16, wherein said outcome at said linked gaming terminal includes a start-bonus-game outcome.

21. The gaming system of claim 16, wherein said outcome at said linked gaming terminal includes a certain symbol or combination of symbols that appears on a display.