Universal progressive game pool

• US 20060142079A1
• Filed: 12/29/2004
• Published: 06/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Wolf, Bryan, Bansemer, Mark, Olson, Garrett, Lundy, Chris, Anders, Greg, Ikehara, Clyde, Tucker, Aaron
• Application Number:
  US11/026,532
• Publication Number:
  US 20060142079A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/27
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots

Abstract

The present invention provides systems and methods that allow gaming machines to participate in a progressive pool and offer a progressive award regardless of the game installed on the gaming machine. The present invention also permits gaming machine participation in a progressive pool regardless of wager amount. This permits larger progressive awards and awards that grow faster since more games and gaming machines may participate in building a progressive pool award. It also opens the attraction of a large progressive pool award to more games, gaming machines and gaming establishments.

Claims

1. A gaming system that provides a progressive pool to gaming machines, the gaming system comprising:

a first gaming machine that permits play of a first game type;

a second gaming machine that permits play of a second game type that is different from the first game type; and

a progressive pool administrator configured to a) manage a progressive pool award that is winnable at the first gaming machine and the second gaming machine and b) receive a first progressive contribution generated at the first gaming machine and add at least a portion of the first progressive contribution to the progressive pool award and receive a second progressive contribution generated at the second gaming machine and add at least a portion of the second progressive contribution to the progressive pool award.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the progressive pool administrator is configured to create the progressive pool and the progressive pool comprises a set of outcomes for the progressive award.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the progressive pool administrator is configured to distribute outcomes for the progressive pool.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the progressive pool administrator distributes a portion of the progressive pool to the first gaming machine.

5. The system of claim 3 further comprising a progressive pool manager that receives a portion of the progressive pool form the progressive pool administrator.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the progressive pool comprises a set of outcomes for the progressive award and the progressive pool manager sends an outcome for the progressive pool to the first gaming machine.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the first progressive pool contribution comprises an electronic message that includes information related to a wager made at the first gaming machine.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the first gaming machine and the second gaming machine share a) a common manufacturer, b) are located in the same gaming establishment, or c) are included in the same geographic region.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the third gaming machine runs a third game type.

25. The system of claim 1 wherein an outcome for the progressive pool is independent of an outcome for a game played on the gaming machine.

9. A gaming system that provides a progressive pool to gaming machines, the gaming system comprising:

a progressive pool administrator configured to a) create a progressive pool that includes a set of outcomes for a progressive award and b) distribute the outcomes; and

a progressive pool manager configured to a) receive a subset of outcomes from the progressive pool administrator, and b) send a first outcome of the progressive pool to a first gaming machine that permits play of a first game type and send a second outcome of the progressive pool to a second gaming machine that permits play of a second game type that is different from the first game type.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the progressive pool administrator distributes the outcomes by sending multiple decks to the progressive pool manager, wherein each deck comprises a subset of outcomes.

11. The system of claim 9 further comprising a third gaming machine that receives outcomes from the progressive pool administrator.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the progressive pool administrator is configured to distribute the outcomes to the progressive pool manager in response to a request from the progressive pool manager.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein the first gaming machine and the second gaming machine permit different wager amounts.

15. The system of claim 9 wherein the progressive pool manager sends an outcome for the progressive pool to the first gaming machine in response to a communication from the first gaming machine that a player has provided a wager at the first gaming machine.

16. The system of claim 9 wherein an outcome for the progressive pool is independent from an outcome for a game at the first gaming machine.

17. The system of claim 9 wherein the first gaming machine and the second gaming machine:

a) share a common manufacturer, b) are located in the same gaming establishment, or c) are included in the same geographic region.

18. A gaming machine that participates in a progressive pool, the gaming machine comprising:

an external cabinet defining an interior region of the gaming machine, the external cabinet adapted to house a plurality of gaming machine components within or about the interior region;

a display device adapted to display game play information, the display device being located within or about the external cabinet;

a scanner configured to receive credit from a player that is used as a wager to initiate a game on the gaming machine;

a processing system configured to output an outcome of the progressive pool to the player,

wherein participation in the progressive pool by the gaming machine is independent of a game type for the game played on the gaming machine; and

a network interface that allows the gaming machine to receive the outcome.

19. The gaming machine of claim 18 wherein the progressive pool award is altered in size relative to an amount of the wager.

20. The gaming machine of claim 18 wherein the network interface is configured to communicate with a game pool manager that provides the outcome to the gaming machine and at least one other gaming machine.

21. The gaming machine of claim 20 wherein the game pool manager is included in a cluster controller.

22. The gaming machine of claim 20 wherein the game pool manager and the gaming machine are located in the same gaming establishment.

23. The gaming machine of claim 20 wherein the game pool manager provides a deck of outcomes to the gaming machine.

24. The gaming machine of claim 18 wherein the network interface is configured to communicate with a game pool administrator that created the progressive pool.

26. A game pool manager that provides progressive pool outcomes for a progressive award to multiple gaming machines, the game pool manager comprising:

a processing system configured to a) receive a set of outcomes for a progressive pool, and b) select a first outcome of the progressive pool from the set of progressive pool outcomes for distribution to a first gaming machine that permits play of a first game type and select a second outcome of the progressive pool from the set of progressive pool outcomes for distribution to a second gaming machine that permits play of a second game type that is different from the first game type; and

a network interface that permits the game pool manager to send the first outcome to the first gaming machine and to send the second outcome to the second gaming machine.

27. The game pool manager of claim 26 wherein the progressive pool manager sends the first outcome to the first gaming machine in a deck of outcomes.

28. The game pool manager of claim 26 wherein the progressive pool manager is configured to receive a progressive contribution generated at the first gaming machine and send the progressive contribution to a progressive pool administrator.

29. The game pool manager of claim 28 wherein the progressive pool manager is configured to receive a second progressive contribution generated at the second gaming machine and send the second progressive contribution to the progressive pool administrator.

30. The game pool manager of claim 28 wherein the progressive pool manager is configured to receive the set of progressive pool outcomes from the progressive pool administrator.

31. The game pool manager of claim 26 wherein the first progressive pool contribution includes an electronic message of a wager made at the first gaming machine.

32. The system of claim 26 wherein the first gaming machine and the second gaming machine:

a) share a common manufacturer, b) are located in the same gaming establishment, or c) are included in the same geographic region.

33. A method for building a progressive award, the method comprising:

adding at least a portion of a first progressive contribution to a progressive award pool, wherein the first progressive contribution is generated at a first gaming machine that permits play of a first game type; and

adding at least a portion of a second progressive contribution to the progressive award pool, wherein the second progressive contribution is generated at a second gaming machine that permits play of a second game type.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein the first progressive contribution and the second progressive contribution are about equal.

35. The method of claim 33 wherein the first gaming machine permits a larger wager than the second gaming machine.

36. The method of claim 33 wherein the first gaming machine permits incremental wagers.

37. The method of claim 33 wherein the progressive contribution includes a percentage of a wager made at the first gaming machine.

38. The method of claim 33 wherein the entire progressive contribution is added to the progressive award pool.

39. The method of claim 33 wherein the progressive award pool permits a maximum wager across all gaming machines participating that offer the progressive award.

40. The method of claim 33 further comprising adding a portion of the progressive contribution not added to the progressive award pool to a reserve award pool used to seed the progressive award pool.

41. The method of claim 33 further comprising broadcasting a new progressive award after adding the portion of the first progressive contribution to the progressive award pool.

42. The method of claim 33 awarding a fraction of the progressive award to a player at the first gaming machine based on a wager input by the player for the game.

43. The method of claim 42 further comprising determining a ratio used in awarding the progressive award based on the wager input by the player relative to a reference wager for the progressive award pool.