Wagering Game with Enhanced Progressive Game

• US 20080015012A1
• Filed: 05/17/2005
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Anderson, Peter, Mastropietro, Michael, Englman, Allon
• Granted Patent: US 8,038,528 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3267 Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games

Abstract

A method of playing a wagering game, the wagering game having a basic game and a multi-level secondary game. The method includes conducting the basic game at a gaming terminal. In response to achieving a first-level secondary game entry award, a first-level secondary game is activated. A first set of player-selectable game elements is displayed during the first level secondary game and a player selects, at least one of the first set of player-selectable game elements, which include at least one second-level secondary game entry award. Upon selecting the second-level secondary game entry award, a second-level secondary game is activated and a second set of player-selectable game elements are displayed. The player selects at least one of the second set of player-selectable game elements and a progressive game payoff is awarded based on the selecting.

Claims

1. A method of playing a wagering game, the wagering game having a basic game and a multi-level secondary game, the method comprising:

conducting the basic game at a gaming terminal;

achieving a first-level secondary game entry award at the gaming terminal;

activating a first-level secondary game in response to achieving the first-level secondary game entry award;

displaying a first set of player-selectable game elements during the first level secondary game;

selecting, via player inputs, at least one of the first set of player-selectable game elements, the player-selectable game elements including at least one second-level secondary game entry award;

activating a second-level secondary game in response to selecting the at least one second-level secondary game entry award;

displaying a second set of player-selectable game elements during the second level secondary game;

selecting, via player inputs, at least one of the second set of player-selectable game elements; and

awarding a progressive game payoff based on the selecting.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the secondary game is a multi-level progressive game that is funded by a percentage of a wager amount input by a player.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein in response to achieving the second-level secondary game, awarding the player a first-level progressive award.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the player-selectable game elements include at least one credit-award symbol and in response to the player selecting the at least one credit-award symbol, awarding an award corresponding to the credit award symbol and in response to the player selecting both the at least one credit-award symbol and the at least one progressive game-award symbol, awarding the first level progressive award and the award corresponding to the credit-award symbol.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the player continues to select player-selectable game elements until a game-ending symbol is achieved.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the number of game-ending symbols is varied depending on a wager amount in the basic game.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the ratio of the number of game-ending symbols to the number of second-level secondary game entry awards is varied depending on a wager amount.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the ratio of the number of game-ending symbols to the number of second-level secondary game entry awards decreases as the wager amount increases.

2. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

11. A gaming terminal capable of playing a multi-level secondary game that is triggered during or after a wagering game being played at the gaming terminal, comprising:

an input device for receiving inputs from a player during the wagering game, the inputs including a wager amount;

a display for displaying a randomly selected outcome of the wagering game in response to receiving the wager amount from the player; and

wherein, in response to a first level of the multi-level secondary game being triggered, the display displaying a plurality of player-selectable game elements, initially hiding an associated outcome of each of the plurality of player-selectable game elements, and revealing the associated outcomes of the selected player-selectable game elements, a first level secondary game payoff being determined based on a selection by the player of the player-selectable game elements, such that at least one of the player-selectable game elements triggers a second level of the multi-level secondary game and generates an award of at least a first level secondary jackpot, the second level including a possibility of achieving a second level secondary jackpot.

12. The gaming terminal of claim 11, wherein the player-selectable game elements includes at least one stop-game elements wherein, in response to the player selecting the player-selectable element revealing the at least one stop-game element, the first level of the multi-level progressive game is ended.

14. The gaming terminal of claim 11, wherein the player-selectable game elements includes at least one continue-game element, wherein the at least one continue-game element triggers the second level of the multi-level secondary game.

15. The gaming terminal of claim 14, wherein the ratio of the number of stop-game elements to the number of continue-game elements is varied depending on a wager amount.

16. The gaming terminal of claim 15, wherein the ratio of the number of stop-game elements to the number of continue-game elements decreases as the wager amount increases.

17. The gaming terminal of claim 11, wherein the player-selectable game elements include at least one credit-award element, such that, in response to both the second-level trigger element and the credit-award element being selected, the gaming terminal awards a player the credit amount associated with the credit-award element and the first level secondary jackpot.

18. The gaming terminal of claim 11, wherein the secondary game is a bonus game.

19. The gaming terminal of claim 11, wherein the secondary game is a multi-level progressive game that is funded by a percentage of a wager amount input by a player.

13. (canceled)

20. A method of playing a special-event game at a gaming terminal having a display, the gaming terminal being coupled to a signage that is related to the special event, the signage having a signage display, the method comprising:

allowing the player to participate in the special-event game; and

simultaneously displaying the special-event game on the display of the gaming terminal and on the signage display of the signage, the signage display displaying an altered version of the special-event game.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the special-event game is a bonus game.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein displaying an altered version of the special-event game comprises adding information to the display.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the added information comprises at least one of adding additional animation and sound effects.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein displaying an altered version of the special-event game comprises deleting information from the display.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the displaying an altered version of the special-event game comprises replacing images.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein replacing images comprises replacing a credit amount with a symbol.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein the special-event game is a multi-tiered progressive game.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the player-selectable elements comprise a continue-game element, and in response to receiving the continue-game element, crediting a player with a level-specific payoff amount, allowing the player to continue to a next level of the secondary game, and displaying the level-specific payoff amount on the gaming terminal display.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising altering information on the display of the level-specific payoff amount and displaying the altered information on the signage.

30. A gaming system comprising:

a gaming terminal for playing a special-event game, the gaming terminal having a display; and

a signage that is related to the special event and is coupled and located proximate to the gaming terminal, the signage having a signage display;

wherein the special-event game is simultaneously displayed on the display of the gaming terminal and on the signage display of the signage, the signage display displaying an altered version of the special-event game.

31. The gaming terminal of claim 30, wherein the altered version of the gaming terminal display comprises an additional display.

32. The gaming terminal of claim 31, wherein the additional display comprises at least one of added animation and a real-time display of the progressive jackpot.

33. The gaming terminal of claim 30, wherein the altered version of the gaming terminal display comprises a lesser display, such that the lesser display is missing a portion of the gaming terminal display.

34. The gaming terminal of claim 33, wherein the missing portion of the gaming terminal display is player identification information.

35. The gaming terminal of claim 30, wherein the altered version of the gaming terminal display comprises replacing an item on the gaming terminal display with a different item on the signage.

36. The gaming terminal of claim 35, wherein the item replaced is a credit amount awarded and the replacing item is a symbol.