Gaming system and method employing rankings of outcomes from multiple gaming machines to determine awards

• US 20070060247A1
• Filed: 08/31/2005
• Published: 03/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Low, Michael, Oberberger, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,640,017 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/16
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements

Abstract

A gaming system is provided in which multiple gaming machines are linked. Each of the machines plays its game and generates at least one outcome. The top or best outcome of each machine is submitted, e.g., to a comparator or server computer for ranking. An award is provided for a certain percentage such as one-half of the highest ranked outcomes. The award is made available to the gaming machine, but a player must be wagering on the associated outcome producing event (such as the payline) to receive the award. For example, if a player plays only payline one of a multi-line slot machine and payline five of that machine generates the highest ranked result of all linked gaming machines, the award is made available to the gaming machine, but the player does not receive the award. In an embodiment, each linked gaming machine participates in play (all paylines) regardless of whether a player is playing that gaming machine.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a plurality of gaming devices, each gaming device having a game including a plurality of different individual outcomes, said gaming device configured to enable a player to place at least one wager on a play of the game and to generate and display at least one of the individual outcomes for said play of the game, wherein each wager placed by the player is associated with one of the generated individual outcomes in said play of the game; and

a processor programmed to;

(a) obtain at least one individual outcome generated from a play of the game from each of the gaming devices regardless of whether said individual outcomes are associated with wagers;

(b) compare and rank each of said obtained individual outcomes;

(c) designate an award for the gaming device having the highest ranked individual outcome; and

(d) if said highest ranked individual outcome is associated with one of the wagers, cause said gaming device to provide said award, wherein if said highest ranked individual outcome is not associated with one of the wagers, said gaming device does not provide said award.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the highest ranked individual outcome is least likely to occur of the compared individual outcomes.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the games are selected from the group consisting of:

slot, poker, keno, and roulette.

4. The gaming system claim 1, wherein the processor has at least one characteristic selected from the group consisting of:

(i) being in one of the gaming devices;

(ii) being separate from and in communication with the gaming devices; and

(iii) being provided with a central determination server, the server configured to generate the outcomes from the plays of the games for the gaming devices.

5. The gaming system claim 1, wherein the award is selected from the group consisting of:

a fixed award, a bonus game and a progressive award.

6. The gaming system claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to:

(i) designate a second award for the gaming device having the second highest ranked individual outcome, said first award being greater than the second award, and

(ii) if said second highest ranked individual outcome is associated with one of the wagers, cause said gaming device to provide said second award, wherein if said second highest ranked individual outcome is not associated with one of the wagers, said gaming device does not provide said second award.

8. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plays of the games which provide the individual outcomes for comparison are synchronized.

9. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein the gaming devices each include an opt-in input device which enables a player of said gaming device to wager on a next synchronized play of the game on said gaming device.

10. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the gaming devices are each configured to enable a player to place multiple wagers on a play of the game on said gaming device, and wherein the individual outcomes compared by the processor are the best outcomes respectively from each of the plays of the gaming devices.

11. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein if the award is not provided, at least a portion of the award is placed in a progressive pool

12. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the gaming devices each include a display device configured to display at least one of:

(i) a countdown to a next play of the game of said gaming device;

(ii) a ranking of the individual outcomes from each of the gaming devices for the play of the game; and

(iii) which of the gaming devices has the highest ranked individual outcome.

13. The gaming system of claim 1, which includes a display device common to a plurality of the gaming devices, the display device configured to display at least one of:

(i) a countdown to a next play of the game for each gaming device;

(ii) the compared individual outcomes from the plays of the games;

(iii) a ranking of the compared individual outcomes from the plays of the game; and

(iv) which of the gaming devices has the highest ranked outcome.

7. The gaming system claim 7, wherein the processor is programmed to:

(i) designate a third award for the gaming device having the third highest ranked individual outcome, said second award being greater than the third award, and

(ii) if said third highest ranked individual outcome is associated with one of the wagers, cause said gaming device to provide said third award, wherein if said third highest ranked individual outcome is not associated with one of the wagers, said gaming device does not provide said third award.

14. A gaming system comprising:

a plurality of gaming devices, each gaming device having a game including a plurality of different individual outcomes, said gaming device configured to enable a player to place at least one wager on a play of the game and to generate and display at least one of the individual outcomes for said play of the game, wherein each wager placed by the player is associated with one of the generated individual outcomes in said play of the game; and

a processor programmed to;

(a) obtain at least one individual outcome from a play of the game from each of the gaming devices regardless of whether said individual outcomes are associated with wagers;

(b) compare and rank each of said obtained individual outcomes;

(c) designate a plurality of awards for a plurality of the highest ranked individual outcomes; and

(d) for each of the highest ranked individual outcomes, if said individual outcome is associated with one of the wagers, cause the gaming device providing said individual outcome to provide the award designated for said individual outcome, wherein if said individual outcome is not associated with one of the wagers, said gaming device does not provide said award.

15. The gaming system of claim 14, wherein the games are selected from the group consisting of:

slot, poker, keno, and roulette.

16. The gaming system claim 14, wherein the processor has at least one characteristic selected from the group consisting of:

(i) being in one of the gaming devices;

(ii) being separate from and in communication with the gaming devices; and

(iii) being provided with a central determination server, the server configured to generate the outcomes from the plays of the games for the gaming devices.

17. The gaming system claim 14, wherein the awards are selected from the group consisting of:

a fixed award, a bonus game and a progressive award.

18. The gaming system of claim 14, wherein the plays of the games which provide the individual outcomes for comparison are synchronized.

19. The gaming system of claim 18, wherein the gaming devices each include an opt-in input device which enables a player of said gaming device to wager on a next synchronized play of the game on said gaming device.

20. The gaming system of claim 14, wherein the gaming devices are each configured to enable a player to place multiple wagers on a play of the game on said gaming device, and wherein the individual outcomes compared by the processor are the best outcomes respectively from each of the multiple plays of the gaming devices.

21. The gaming system of claim 14, wherein if at least one of the award is not provided, at least a portion of said award is placed in a progressive pool

22. The gaming system of claim 14, wherein the gaming devices each include a display device configured to display at least one of:

(i) a countdown to a next play of the game of said gaming device;

(ii) a ranking of the individual outcomes from each of the gaming devices for the play of the game; and

(iii) which of the gaming devices has the highest ranked individual outcomes.

23. The gaming system of claim 14, which includes a display device common to a plurality of the gaming devices, the display device configured to display at least one of:

(i) a countdown to a next play of the game for each gaming device;

(ii) the compared individual outcomes from the plays of the games;

(iii) a ranking of the compared individual outcomes from the plays of the game; and

(iv) which of the gaming devices has the highest ranked individual outcomes.

24. The gaming system claim 14, wherein the processor is programmed to:

designate at least one award for at least two gaming devices having the same ranked individual outcomes

25. A gaming system comprising:

a plurality of gaming devices, each gaming device having a game including a plurality of different individual outcomes, said gaming device configured to enable a player to place one or more wagers on a play of the game and to generate and display a plurality of individual outcomes for said play of the game, wherein each wager placed by the player is associated with one of the generated individual outcomes in said play of the game; and

a processor programmed to;

(a) obtain the plurality of individual outcomes from a play of the game from each of the gaming devices regardless of whether said individual outcomes are associated with wagers;

(b) compare and rank each of said obtained individual outcomes;

(c) designate an award for the gaming device having the highest ranked individual outcome; and

(d) if said individual outcome is associated with one of the wagers, cause said gaming device to provide said award, wherein if said individual outcome is not associated with one of the wagers, said gaming device does not provide said award.

26. The gaming system of claim 25, wherein the highest ranked outcome is least likely to occur of the compared individual outcomes.

27. The gaming system of claim 25, wherein the games are selected from the group consisting of:

slot, poker, keno, and roulette.

28. The gaming system claim 25, wherein the processor has at least one characteristic selected from the group consisting of:

(i) being in one of the gaming devices;

(ii) being separate from and in communication with the gaming devices; and

(iii) being provided with a central determination server, the server configured to generate the outcomes from the plays of the games for the gaming devices.

29. The gaming system claim 25, wherein the award is selected from the group consisting of:

a fixed award, a bonus game and a progressive award.

30. The gaming system of claim 25, wherein the plays of the games which provide the individual outcomes for comparison are synchronized.

31. The gaming system of claim 30, wherein the gaming devices each include an opt-in input device which enables a player of said gaming device to wager on a next synchronized play of the game on said gaming device.

32. The gaming system of claim 25, wherein if the award is not provided, at least a portion of the award is placed in a progressive pool

33. The gaming system of claim 25, wherein the gaming devices each include a display device configured to display at least one of:

(i) a countdown to a next play of the game of said gaming device;

(ii) a ranking of the individual outcomes from each of the gaming devices for the play of the game; and

(iii) which of the gaming devices has the highest ranked individual outcome.

34. The gaming system of claim 25, which includes a display device common to a plurality of the gaming devices, the display device configured to display at least one of:

(i) a countdown to a next play of the game for each gaming device;

(ii) the compared individual outcomes from the plays of the games;

(iii) a ranking of the compared individual outcomes from the plays of the game; and

(iv) which of the gaming devices has the highest ranked individual outcome.

35. A gaming system comprising:

a plurality of gaming devices, each gaming device having a game including a plurality of different individual outcomes, said gaming device configured to enable a player to place one or more wagers on a play of the game and to generate and display a plurality of individual outcomes for said play of the game, wherein each wager placed by the player is associated with one of the generated individual outcomes in said play of the game; and

a processor programmed to;

(a) obtain the plurality of individual outcomes from a play of the game from each of the gaming devices regardless of whether said individual outcomes are associated with wagers;

(b) compare and rank each of said obtained individual outcomes;

(c) designate a plurality of awards for a plurality of the highest ranked individual outcomes; and

(d) for each of the highest ranked individual outcomes, if said individual outcome is associated with one of the wagers, cause the gaming device providing said individual outcome to provide the award designated for said individual outcome, wherein if said individual outcome is not associated with one of the wagers, said gaming device does not provide said award.

36. The gaming system of claim 35, wherein the games are selected from the group consisting of:

slot, poker, keno, and roulette.

37. The gaming system claim 35, wherein the processor has at least one characteristic selected from the group consisting of:

(i) being in one of the gaming devices;

(ii) being separate from and in communication with the gaming devices; and

(iii) being provided with a central determination server, the server configured to generate the outcomes from the plays of the games for the gaming devices.

38. The gaming system claim 35, wherein the award is selected from the group consisting of:

a fixed award, a bonus game and a progressive award.

39. The gaming system of claim 35, wherein the plays of the games which provide the individual outcomes for comparison are synchronized.

40. The gaming system of claim 35, wherein the gaming devices each include an opt-in input device which enables a player of said gaming device to wager on a next synchronized play of the game on said gaming device.

41. The gaming system of claim 35, wherein if the award is not provided, at least a portion of the award is placed in a progressive pool

42. The gaming system of claim 35, wherein the gaming devices each include a display device configured to display at least one of:

(i) a countdown to a next play of the game of said gaming device;

(ii) a ranking of the individual outcomes from each of the gaming devices for the play of the game; and

(iii) which of the gaming devices has the highest ranked individual outcomes.

43. The gaming system of claim 35, which includes a display device common to a plurality of the gaming devices, the display device configured to display at least one of:

(i) a countdown to a next play of the game for each gaming device;

(ii) the compared individual outcomes from the plays of the games;

(iii) a ranking of the compared individual outcomes from the plays of the game; and

(iv) which of the gaming devices has the highest ranked individual outcomes.

44. A gaming system comprising:

a first gaming machine operable to provide a play of a first game regardless of whether a wager has been placed on said first game, said play of the first game generating and displaying a first outcome from a plurality of different first outcomes;

a second gaming machine operable to provide a play of a second game regardless of whether a wager has been placed on said second game, said play generating and displaying a second outcome from the plurality of different second outcomes;

a third gaming machine operable to provide a play of a third game regardless of whether a wager has been placed on said third game, said play generating and displaying a third outcome from the plurality of different third outcomes; and

a processor programmed to;

(i) rank the first, second and third outcomes, and

(ii) designate an award for at least the gaming machine associated with the top ranked outcome, wherein said award is provided by said gaming machine if the top ranked outcome was wagered on.

45. The gaming system of claim 44, wherein the first, second and third outcomes have at least one characteristic selected from the group consisting of:

(i) being generated at least substantially simultaneously;

(ii) being slot machine outcomes;

(iii) being poker outcomes;

(iv) being keno outcomes;

(v) being roulette outcomes;

(vi) being base game outcomes;

(viii) being bonus game outcomes;

(ix) being outcomes from different wagering games;

(x) being determined centrally;

(xi) being determined locally;

(xii) being delivered over an internet;

(xiii) being delivered over a wide area network;

(xiv) being delivered over a local area network;

(xv) being completely random outcomes; and

(xvi) being a combination of a random determination and a player decision.