NETWORKED SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR GROUP PLAY GAMING

• US 20080139305A1
• Filed: 11/09/2007
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Darrah, Harlan Jay, Schultz, David, Vallejo, John, Villagran, Alexander, Kruczynski, Keith
• Application Number:
  US11/938,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20080139305A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/27
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament

Abstract

Disclosed are wagering games, gaming machines, networked gaming systems and methods for group gaming.

Claims

1. A networked group play gaming system comprising:

a group play controller;

a plurality of gaming machines linked with the group play controller by a network;

wherein the group play controller, upon receipt of a trigger from one of the gaming machines, causes one or more of the gaming machines to be configured for participation in a group game.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a progressive controller linked with one or more of the gaming machines,

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the progressive controller increments one or more progressive awards based on play at one or more of the plurality of gaming machines.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the group game comprises a tournament.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the tournament comprises at least one progressive prize

6. The system of claim 1 wherein each gaming machine determines its eligibility for group play.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising a display operatively coupled to the group play controller.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the group play controller determines the group play standings of each of the gaming machines and displays the standings on the display.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the amount of a group play prize associated with each participating gaming machine is determined by each gaming machine based on information provided by the group play controller.

10. The system of claim 9 further comprising a progressive controller operatively coupled to one or more of the gaming machines,

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the amount of the group play prize is further based on information provided by the progressive controller.

12. A method of operating a group play game including the steps of:

connecting a group play controller to a plurality of gaming machines through a network;

randomly determining a group play trigger at one of the gaming machines;

determining eligibility of each gaming machine for group play;

for each eligible machine, determining a set of group play outcomes;

ranking each eligible gaming machine according its set of outcomes; and

paying at least one award as a result of the rankings.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein each gaming machine determines its eligibility for group play.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the trigger is unrelated to a displayed outcome of a game.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein each gaming machine determines a group play award based on its ranking.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of connecting a progressive controller to the plurality of gaming machines and paying at least one progressive award as a result of the rankings.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein all participants in group play receive a prize.

18. A method of operating a group play gaming network including the steps of:

connecting a group play controller to a plurality of gaming machines through a network;

connecting a progressive controller to the plurality of gaming machines;

determining a set of group play outcomes for one or more eligible machines of the plurality of gaming machines;

ranking the sets of outcomes for the eligible gaming machines; and

awarding at least one progressive prize according to the ranking.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein a gaming machine'"'"'s eligibility for group play is based on wagering activity at the gaming machine.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the group play controller ranks the sets of outcomes for the eligible gaming machines.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein each eligible gaming machine determines a group play award associated with that machine.

22. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of awarding a consolation prize to a player of a gaming machine unqualified for a progressive prize.

23. A group gaming network comprising:

a plurality of gaming machines, each including a group gaming controller, any one of the gaming machines triggering a group gaming event and enabled to operate as a master group gaming controller for a group game associated with the triggered event, the master group gaming controller signaling start of the group game to any one or more of the other gaming machines.

24. The group gaming network of claim 24 wherein a plurality of the gaming machines are concurrently enabled to operate as master group gaming controllers, each of the master group gaming controllers coordinating a different group game.

25. A group gaming network comprising:

a plurality of gaming machines;

a gaming server including a group gaming controller;

one of the gaming machines triggering a group gaming event and transmitting a signal to the group gaming controller;

the group gaming controller signaling a group game to each of the other gaming machines.