GAMING SYSTEM AND METHOD HAVING PROMOTIONS BASED ON PLAYER SELECTED GAMING ENVIRONMENT PREFERENCES

• US 20080096650A1
• Filed: 10/24/2006
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Baerlocher, Anthony J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,491,392 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/30
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A gaming system and method including a tracking system or a player tracking system and plurality of gaming machines. The gaming machines include at least one display device and a plurality of player preferences selections. These player preference selections enable a player to choose one or more elements of the background or an entertainment setting of the gaming machine while they are playing a game at the gaming machine. The gaming machine enables the player to enter identification information at the gaming machine and choose at least one preference. The gaming machine tracks all of the preference selections made by the player. Upon meeting certain promotional criteria, the gaming machine determines a promotion to provide the player based on the preferences of that player. That is, the player does not directly select any promotions. The gaming system determines personalized promotions for the player based on the preference selections made by that player.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a central controller;

a player tracking system;

a gaming machine including;

(i) a primary game operable upon a wager; and

(ii) a plurality of preference selections;

a plurality of promotions, wherein the promotions are different than the preference selections;

wherein the gaming machine, the player tracking system and the central controller are together operable to;

(a) enable a player to choose at least one preference selection;

(b) determine the at least one preference selection chosen by the player;

(c) store data based on the at least one preference selection chosen by the player in association with a player account;

(d) enact the at least one preference selection chosen by the player on the gaming machine;

(e) enable the player to play the primary game while the at least one preference selection chosen by the player is enacted;

(f) upon the player account meeting promotion criteria, determine one of the promotions to provide the player, wherein the determination is based, at least in part, on the stored data; and

(g) cause any determined promotion to be provided to the player.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the preference selections are auditory selections.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the preference selections are visual selections.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the preference selections are audio-visual selections.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the promotion criteria is based on how much the player wagers.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the gaming machine, the player tracking system and the central controller are together operable to enable the player to change the at least one preference selection chosen by the player.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the gaming machine, the player tracking system and the central controller are together operable to enable the player to choose a category of preferences and to choose at least one of the preference selections based on the chosen category.

8. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the determination is based on how many times the player has chosen each of the preference selections.

9. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the data is the at least one preference selection chosen by the player.

10. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the data is information related to the at least one preference selection chosen by the player.

11. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein upon the player account meeting promotion criteria, the gaming machine, the player tracking system and the central controller are together operable to determine one of the promotions to provide the player additionally based on additional data stored in the player account based on previous preference selections made by the player.

12. A gaming system comprising:

a central controller;

a player tracking system;

a gaming machine including;

(i) a primary game operable upon a wager; and

(ii) a plurality of preference selections operable to be enacted on said gaming machine;

a plurality of promotions;

wherein the gaming machine, the player tracking system and the central controller are together operable to;

(a) enable a player to choose a preference selection;

(b) determine the chosen preference selection;

(c) store data based on the chosen preference selection in association with a player account for the player;

(d) cause a gaming environment of said gaming machine to change based on the chosen preference selection;

(e) enable the player to play the primary game;

(f) determine if the player account has met a predetermined promotion criteria;

(g) if the player account has met the predetermined promotion criteria, determine a promotion to provide the player, wherein if the player account has met a preference condition, the determination is based, at least in part, on the preference selection chosen by the player; and

(h) cause any determined promotion to be provided to the player.

13. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the preference selections are auditory selections.

14. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the preference selections are visual selections.

15. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the preference selections are audio-visual selections.

16. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the predetermined promotion criteria is based on how much the player wagers.

17. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the gaming machine, the player tracking system and the central controller are together operable to enable the player to change the chosen preference selection.

18. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the gaming machine, the player tracking system and the central controller are together operable to enable the player to choose a category of preferences and to choose one of the preference selections based on the chosen category.

19. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the preference condition is a number of times the player has chosen at least one of the preference selections.

20. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the preference condition is a percentage of time the player has chosen at least one of the preference selections.

21. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the preference condition is one of the preference selections being chosen more times than another one of the preference selections.

22. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the preference condition is based on preference selections from multiple categories.

23. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein if the player account has met the predetermined promotion criteria and if the player has not met the preference condition, the determination is a random determination.

24. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein if the player account has met the predetermined promotion criteria, the gaming machines, the player tracking system and the central controller are together operable to determine one of the promotions to provide the player, wherein if the player account has met the preference condition, the determination is additionally based on additional data stored in association with the player account based on previous preference selections chosen by the player.

25. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

(a) enabling a player to choose at least one preference selection from a plurality of preference selections;

(b) determining the at least one preference selection chosen by the player;

(c) storing data based on the at least one preference selection chosen by the player in association with a player account;

(d) enacting the at least one preference selection chosen by the player;

(e) enabling the player to play a primary game while enacting the at least one preference selection chosen by the player;

(f) upon the player account meeting promotion criteria, determining a promotion from a plurality of promotions to provide the player, wherein the promotions are different than the preference selections and the determination is based, as least in part, on the stored data; and

(g) causing any determined promotion to be provided to the player.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the preference selections are auditory selections.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the preference selections are visual selections.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the preference selections are audio-visual selections.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the promotion criteria is based on how much the player wagers.

30. The method of claim 25, which includes enabling the player to change the at least one preference selection chosen by the player.

31. The method of claim 25, which includes enabling the player to choose a category of preferences and to choose at least one of the preference selections based on the chosen category.

32. The method of claim 25, which includes basing the determination on how many times the player has chosen each of the preference selections.

33. The method of claim 25, wherein the data is the at least one preference selection chosen by the player.

34. The method of claim 25, wherein the data is information related to the at least one preference selection chosen by the player.

35. The method of claim 25, which includes upon the player account meeting promotion criteria, determining one of the promotions to provide the player additionally based on additional data stored in association with the player account based on previous preference selections made by the player.

36. The method of claim 25, which is provided through a data network.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the data network is the internet.

38. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

(a) enabling a player to choose a preference selection from a plurality of preference selections;

(b) determining the chosen preference selection;

(c) storing data based on the chosen preference selection in association with a player account for player;

(d) causing a gaming environment to change based on the chosen preference selection;

(e) enabling the player to play a primary game;

(f) determining if the player account has met a predetermined promotion criteria;

(g) if the player account has met the predetermined promotion criteria, determining a promotion to provide the player, wherein if the player account has met a preference condition, the determination is based, at least in part, on the preference selection chosen by the player; and

(h) causing any determined promotion to be provided to the player.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the preference selections are auditory selections.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein the preference selections are visual selections.

41. The method of claim 38, wherein the preference selections are audio-visual selections.

42. The method of claim 38, wherein the predetermined promotion criteria is based on how much the player wagers.

43. The method of claim 38, which includes enabling the player to change the chosen preference selection.

44. The method of claim 38, which includes enabling the player to choose a category of preferences and to choose one of the preference selections based on the chosen category.

45. The method of claim 38, wherein the preference condition is a number of times the player has chosen at least one of the preference selections.

46. The method of claim 38, wherein the preference condition is a percentage of time the player has chosen at least one of the preference selections.

47. The method of claim 38, wherein the preference condition is one of the preference selections being chosen more times than another one of the preference selections.

48. The method of claim 38, wherein the preference condition is based on preference selections in multiple preference categories.

49. The method of claim 38, wherein if the player account has met the predetermined promotion criteria and if the player has not met the preference condition, the determination is a random determination.

50. The method of claim 38, wherein if the player account has met a preference condition, the determination is additionally based on additional data stored in association with the player account based on previous preference selections made by the player.

51. The method of claim 38, which is provided through a data network.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein the data network is the internet.