GAMING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING ENHANCED WAGERING OPPORTUNITIES

• US 20080182655A1
• Filed: 01/17/2008
• Published: 07/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: DeWaal, Daniel J., Baerlocher, Anthony J., Elias, Hans, Schneider, Richard J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,152,629 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 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3237 about the players, e.g. profiling, responsible gaming, strategy/behavior of players, location of players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• 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 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played
• 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
• 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 including a central server linked to a plurality of gaming machines. In one embodiment, the gaming system provides players with one or more enhanced wagering opportunities. One enhanced wagering opportunity enables a player to continue playing one or more primary games at the maximum wager even if the player'"'"'s continued play causes the gaming device'"'"'s credit meter to fall below zero credits. In one such embodiment, after playing one or more maximum wager games which cause the credit meter to drop below zero, the player'"'"'s player tracking account is utilized to cover any amount of credits the gaming device'"'"'s credit meter is below zero.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

at least one display device;

at least one input device;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to;

(a) display a negative balance in a credit meter for a player after at least one play of a game; and

(b) account for the negative balance indicated in the credit meter by at least one of a plurality of forms of payment selected from the group consisting of;

(i) information received from a player tracking system associated with the player,

(ii) any determined award amounts associated with any game outcomes generated in any subsequent plays of the game by the player,

(iii) an amount of money received from the player,

(iv) an amount from an enhanced wagering opportunity pool, and

(v) an amount provided from a gaming establishment marketing department.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, said plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to display the negative balance in the credit meter if the credit meter if the credit meter indicates an amount less than a maximum wager amount, and the player placed the maximum wager amount.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, said plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to generate and display a game outcome for said at least one play of the game, determine any award amount associated with the generated game outcome, credit the amount indicated in the credit meter by any award amount associated with the generated game outcome, and account for the negative credit balance indicated in the credit meter if the credit meter indicates a negative number after any award amount associated with the generated game outcome is credited to the credit meter.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein said at least one display device and said at least one input device reside in a housing remote from said at least one processor.

5. A gaming system comprising:

at least one display device;

at least one input device;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to;

(a) receive an identification of a player;

(b) determine a player tracking level for the identified player, wherein different player tracking levels are associated with different negative credit meter thresholds;

(c) if the player tracking level for the player is at least a designated player tracking level, enable the player to place a wager for a play of a game even if said placed wager causes a balance of a credit meter to become negative;

(d) display the play of the game; and

(e) if the balance of the credit meter has not reached the negative credit meter threshold of the player tracking level for the player, repeat (c) to (d) at least once.

6. The gaming system of claim 5, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, said plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to determine if the player tracking level for the player is at least the designated player tracking level if the balance of the credit meter is less than a maximum wager amount.

7. The gaming system of claim 5, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, said plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to account for the negative balance of the credit meter if the negative credit meter threshold of the player tracking level for the player is reached, wherein said credit meter is accounted for, at least in part, based on information received from a player tracking system.

8. The gaming system of claim 5, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, said plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to account for the negative balance of the credit meter if the negative credit meter threshold of the player tracking level for the player is reached, wherein said credit meter is accounted for, at least in part, based on any determined award amounts associated with any subsequently generated game outcomes.

9. The gaming system of claim 5, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, said plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to account for the negative balance of the credit meter if the negative credit meter threshold of the player tracking level for the player is reached, wherein said credit meter is accounted for, at least in part, based on an amount of money received from the player at the gaming device.

10. The gaming system of claim 5, wherein said received identification of the player is from a player tracking system.

11. The gaming system of claim 5, wherein said at least one display device and said at least one input device reside in a housing remote from said at least one processor.

12. A gaming system comprising:

at least one display device;

at least one input device;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to;

(a) monitor a number of wagers of a maximum wager amount placed by a player during a time period;

(b) if said monitored number of wagers of the maximum wager amount placed by the player during the time period reaches a designated number, enable the player to place the maximum wager amount for a play of a game, wherein said player placed maximum wager amount causes a credit meter to become negative; and

(c) display said play of the game.

13. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, said plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to enable the player to place one of a plurality of different wager amounts, including the maximum wager amount, for at least another play of the game if a negative credit meter threshold is not reached.

14. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, said plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to account for any negative balance of the credit meter after the play of the game.

15. The gaming system of claim 14, wherein said negative balance of the credit meter is accounted for, at least in part, by at least one of a plurality of forms of payment selected from the group consisting of:

(i) information received from a player tracking system associated with the player,

(ii) any determined award amounts associated with any game outcomes generated in any subsequent plays of the game by the player,

(iii) an amount of money received from the player,

(iv) an amount from an enhanced wagering opportunity pool, and

(v) an amount provided from a gaming establishment marketing department.

16. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein said determination to enable the player to place said maximum wager amount is based, at least in part, on a fee paid by the player.

17. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein said at least one display device and said at least one input device reside in a housing remote from said at least one processor.

18. A gaming system comprising:

at least one display device;

at least one input device;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to;

(a) monitor any wagers placed by a player during a time period;

(b) determine whether to offer the player a guaranteed quantity of consecutive games played at a predetermined wager placed per game played, wherein;

(i) said guaranteed quantity of consecutive games played times the predetermined wager placed per game played exceeds a total value displayed on a credit meter, and

(ii) said determination is based on if the monitored wagers placed by the player during the time period meet a predefined criteria for wagers placed during the time period; and

(c) if the determination is to offer the player the guaranteed quantity of consecutive games played at the predetermined wager placed per game played;

(i) enable the player to accept said offer of the guaranteed quantity of consecutive games at the predetermined wager placed per game, and

(ii) if the player accepts said offer, display a play of each of the guaranteed quantity of consecutive games even if the plays of the guaranteed quantity of consecutive games cause the credit meter to display a negative balance.

19. The gaming system of claim 18, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, said plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to account for any negative balance of the credit meter after the guaranteed quantity of consecutive games played.

20. The gaming system of claim 19, wherein said negative balance of the credit meter is accounted for, at least in part, by at least one of a plurality of forms of payment selected from the group consisting of:

(i) information received from a player tracking system associated with the player,

(ii) any determined award amounts associated with any game outcomes generated in any subsequent plays of the game by the player,

(iii) an amount of money received from the player,

(iv) an amount from an enhanced wagering opportunity pool, and

(v) an amount provided from a gaming establishment marketing department.

21. The gaming system of claim 18, wherein said at least one display device and said at least one input device reside in a housing remote from said at least one processor.

22. A gaming system comprising:

at least one display device

at least one input device;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions executable by the at least one processor to cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to;

(a) determine whether to enable a player to place a maximum wager amount to play a first game if a credit meter indicates an amount less than a maximum wager amount, wherein the first game is associated with a first average expected payback percentage;

(b) if the determination is not to enable the player to place the maximum wager amount;

(i) enable the player to place a non-maximum wager amount to play a second game associated with a second average expected payback percentage which is lower than the first average expected payback percentage, and

(ii) display the play of the second game; and

(c) if the determination is to enable the player to place the maximum wager amount;

(i) enable the player to place the maximum wager amount to play the first game, and

(ii) display the play of the first game.

23. The gaming system of claim 22, wherein said at least one display device and said at least one input device reside in a housing remote from said at least one processor.