Gaming system and method for providing bingo wins

• US 20070060287A1
• Filed: 09/12/2005
• Published: 03/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Reddicks, Christopher, Thome, Connie
• Granted Patent: US 8,025,561 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/19
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements

Abstract

A gaming system includes a plurality of gaming machines and a continual game sequence including a plurality of symbols and a plurality of sessions. Each session includes a number of games. At the beginning of a game sequence, the gaming system draws all of the symbols. When the number of games of the current session has been played without a winner, the game sequence proceeds to the next session. For each session, the gaming system activates a number of the drawn symbols based on the session number. Upon player activation, a gaming machine generates a symbol subset, marking each symbol in the subset which matches the activated symbols. If the marked symbols match a predetermined pattern, the gaming system provides an award for a player, basing the award on an award pool amount and the session number. As the session number increases, the award provided to the player decreases.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a controller;

a plurality of gaming devices in communication with the controller, each gaming device operable to play a bingo game;

a game sequence including a total plurality of bingo symbols, the game sequence including a plurality of bingo games, a plurality of said bingo games each including at least one bingo card, each bingo card including a plurality of the bingo symbols arranged in a pattern; and

a plurality of sessions, wherein each session includes a number of the bingo games;

wherein the controller is operable for each game sequence to;

(a) randomly draw a plurality of the bingo symbols in an order;

(b) for each bingo game, determine the number of bingo games previously played to determine the session number;

(c) activate a number of the drawn bingo symbols based on the determined session number; and

each gaming device is operable for each bingo game in said game sequence to;

(a) upon a wager by a player, provide at least one of the bingo cards for the player;

(b) mark each bingo symbol on the provided bingo card which is activated by the controller for that bingo game;

(c) if the marked bingo symbols are in a bingo winning pattern, generate an award for the player, wherein the award is based on the session number.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the bingo winning pattern is chosen from one of the group consisting of:

four corners, a blackout, a plurality of bingo symbols arranged adjacently in a row, a plurality of bingo symbols arranged adjacently in a column, and a plurality of bingo symbols arranged adjacently and diagonally in a straight line.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein each gaming device includes a display device operable to display the bingo cards.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the probability of having an occurrence of the bingo winning pattern increases as the session number increases.

5. The gaming system of claim 4, wherein the award decreases as the session number increases.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the award decreases as the session number increases.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the award is equal to an award pool amount multiplied by (one divided by (two plus the session number)).

8. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the award is equal to an award pool amount multiplied by (one divided by the session number).

9. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the controller activates at least one additional bingo symbol for a next session than the number of bingo symbols activated for a previous section.

10. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein an award pool increases with each bingo game played in a game sequence.

11. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein the award is equal to an award pool amount multiplied by (one divided by (two plus the session number).

12. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein the award is equal to an award pool amount multiplied by (one divided by the session number).

13. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein a probability of having an occurrence of the bingo winning pattern increases as the session number increases.

14. The gaming system of claim 13, wherein an award pool increases with each bingo game played in a game sequence.

15. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the award is additionally based on an award pool.

16. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the award is additionally based on the number of activated bingo symbols.

17. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the award is additionally based on a minimum win percentage.

18. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein a plurality of the bingo cards each include a different plurality of bingo symbols.

19. A gaming system comprising:

a controller;

a plurality of gaming devices in communication with the controller, each gaming device operable to play a bingo game upon a wager; and

a game sequence including a plurality of bingo symbols, the game sequence including a plurality of bingo games, a plurality of said bingo games including at least one bingo card, each bingo card including a plurality of the bingo symbols;

wherein the controller is operable for each game sequence to;

(a) randomly draw a plurality of the bingo symbols in a random order;

(b) for each bingo game, determine the number of previously played bingo games;

(c) activate a number of the randomly drawn bingo symbols based on the number of previously played bingo games;

each gaming device is operable for each bingo game in said game sequence to;

(a) upon a wager by a player, provide at least one of the plurality of bingo cards in the bingo game for the player;

(b) mark each bingo symbol in the provided bingo card for each bingo symbol which is activated by the controller for that game;

(c) if the marked bingo symbols are in a bingo winning pattern, generate an award for the player, wherein the award is based on the number of previously played bingo games.

20. The gaming system of claim 19, wherein the bingo winning pattern is chosen from one of the group consisting of:

four corners, a blackout, a plurality of bingo symbols arranged adjacently in a row, a plurality of bingo symbols arranged adjacently in a column, and a plurality of bingo symbols arranged adjacently and diagonally in a straight line.

21. The gaming system of claim 19, wherein each gaming device includes a display device operable to display the bingo cards.

22. The gaming system of claim 19, wherein a probability of having an occurrence of the bingo winning pattern increases as the number of previously played bingo games increases.

23. The gaming system of claim 22, wherein the award decreases as the number of previously played bingo games increases.

24. The gaming system of claim 19, wherein the award decreases as the number of previously played bingo games increases.

25. The gaming system of claim 19, wherein the award decreases as the number of activated bingo symbols increases.

26. The gaming system of claim 19, wherein an award pool increases with each bingo game played in a game sequence.

27. The gaming system of claim 19, wherein the award is additionally based on an award pool.

28. The gaming system of claim 19, wherein the award is additionally based on the number of activated bingo symbols.

29. The gaming system of claim 19, wherein the award is additionally based on a minimum win percentage.

30. The gaming system of claim 19, wherein a plurality of the bingo cards each include a different plurality of bingo symbols.

31. A bingo gaming system comprising:

a controller;

a plurality of different bingo cards; and

a plurality of bingo gaming machines in communication with the controller, wherein each bingo gaming machine is operable to provide a play of at least one of the bingo cards upon a wager by a player;

wherein the controller is operable with the gaming machines to;

(a) determine a bingo draw that determines a bingo draw order;

(b) designate a subset of the bingo draw order as active;

(c) communicate the designated subset of the bingo draw order to at least each bingo gaming machine on which a wager is made;

(d) cause the play of at least one of the bingo cards upon a wager by a player at said bingo gaming machine;

(e) determine the number of bingo cards played by all of the bingo gaming machines;

(f) determine if the number of bingo cards played by all of the bingo gaming machines without a winning bingo event occurring exceeds a predetermined number of bingo cards;

(g) if the determined number of bingo cards played by all of the bingo gaming machines without the winning bingo event occurring exceeds the predetermined number of bingo cards, designate a different subset of the bingo draw order as active and repeat (b) to (g);

(h) determine an award to provide to the player of the bingo gaming machine which played the bingo card associated with the winning bingo event, wherein said award is based, at least in part, on the designated subset of the bingo draw order associated with the winning bingo event.

32. The gaming system of claim 31, wherein the bingo winning event is a pattern chosen from one of the group consisting of:

four corners, a blackout, a plurality of bingo symbols arranged adjacently in a row, a plurality of bingo symbols arranged adjacently in a column, and a plurality of bingo symbols arranged adjacently and diagonally in a straight line.

33. The gaming system of claim 31, wherein the designated different subset of the symbol draw order includes the previously designated subset of the symbol draw order.

34. The gaming system of claim 31, wherein a probability of having an occurrence of the winning bingo event increases as the number of previously played bingo cards increases.

35. The gaming system of claim 31, wherein the award decreases as the number of previously played bingo cards increases.

36. The gaming system of claim 31, wherein an award pool increases with each bingo card played without the winning bingo event.

37. The gaming system of claim 31, wherein the award is additionally based on an award pool.

38. The gaming system of claim 31, wherein the award is additionally based on a minimum win percentage.

39. A gaming system comprising:

a controller;

a plurality of sets of different prearranged symbols; and

a plurality of gaming machines in communication with the controller, each gaming machine being operable to provide a play of at least one game upon a wager by a player, wherein each game is associated with at least one of the sets of prearranged of symbols;

wherein the controller is configured to;

(a) determine a symbol draw, wherein the symbol draw determines a symbol draw order;

(b) designate a subset of the symbol draw order as active;

(c) communicate the subset of the symbol draw order to at least each gaming machine on which a wager was made;

(d) determine the number of games played by all of the gaming machines;

(e) determine if the number of games played by all of the gaming machines without a winning event occurring exceeds a predetermined number of games;

(f) if the determined number of games played by all of the gaming machines without the winning event occurring exceeds the predetermined number of games, designate a different subset of the symbol draw order as active and repeat (b) to (f);

(g) determine an award to provide to the player of the gaming machine which played the game associated with the set of prearranged symbols associated with the winning event, wherein said award is based, at least in part, on the designated subset of the symbol draw order associated with the winning event.

40. The gaming system of claim 39, wherein the designated different subset of the symbol draw order includes the previously designated subset of the symbol draw order.

41. The gaming system of claim 39, wherein a probability of having an occurrence of the winning event increases as the number of previously played games increases.

42. The gaming system of claim 39, wherein the award decreases as the number of previously played games increases.

43. The gaming system of claim 39, wherein an award pool increases with each games played without the winning event.

44. The gaming system of claim 39, wherein the award is additionally based on an award pool.

45. The gaming system of claim 39, wherein the award is additionally based on a minimum win percentage.