MULTI-CARD BINGO GAME FEATURES

• US 20090075715A1
• Filed: 09/10/2008
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Coleman, James, Wolf, Bryan D., Bansemer, Mark, Saffari, M. Ali
• Granted Patent: US 8,506,384 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/19
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3286 Type of games
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards

Abstract

After the main ball drop of a bingo game, a player may be given a free extra bingo number. A probability of awarding a free ball may be determined, at least in part, according to a desired paytable percentage for the bingo game (or vice versa). Some implementations of the invention provide multi-card bingo games. A player may be required to hit a predetermined pattern on more than one bingo card in order to obtain a progressive award. The number of hits in the pattern(s) and/or the number of bingo cards involved may be determined according to a desired progressive award size and/or a desired probability of obtaining the progressive award. Players may have an opportunity to purchase one or more additional bingo numbers after the main ball drop of a bingo game. A player may be provided the option of purchasing a block of more than one additional bingo number after the main ball drop. The player may be offered such a block at a discount, as compared to the price for purchasing the additional bingo numbers individually.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling a bingo paytable percentage, comprising:

a network interface; and

a logic system comprising at least one logic device, the logic system configured to do the following;

receive an indication of a desired bingo paytable percentage for a bingo game involving a selection of N bingo numbers;

determine a probability of awarding a free (N+1)^th bingo number to a player, the probability corresponding to the desired bingo paytable percentage; and

provide an indication of the probability.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises a display device and wherein the logic system is further configured to provide a graphical user interface (“

GUI”

) configured to receive the indication of the desired bingo paytable percentage.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the logic system is configured to receive the indication of the desired bingo paytable percentage from the network interface.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a server that is further configured to provide, at least in part, the bingo game.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to provide the indication to another device via the network interface.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bingo game is a multi-card bingo game.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the logic system is further configured to control the display device to provide the indication of the probability.

8. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the apparatus further comprises a random number generator configured to determine when to award the free (N+1)^th bingo number to a player according to the indicated probability.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein each of the bingo cards provided to a player for a single instance of the bingo game indicate different bingo numbers from each of the other bingo cards provided to the player for the single instance of the bingo game.

10. A method of controlling a bingo paytable percentage, comprising:

receiving an indication of a bingo paytable percentage for a bingo game involving a selection of N bingo numbers; and

determining a probability of awarding a free (N+1)^th bingo number to a player, the probability corresponding to the bingo paytable percentage.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing an indication of the probability.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

providing the bingo game; and

awarding the free (N+1)^th bingo numbers to players according to the probability.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving an indication of the value of N, wherein the determining step comprises determining the probability based, at least in part, on the value of N.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving an indication of how many bingo numbers are used in the bingo game, wherein the determining step comprises determining the probability based, at least in part, on how many bingo numbers are used in the bingo game.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving an indication of how many bingo cards are used in the bingo game, wherein the determining step comprises determining the probability based, at least in part, on how many bingo cards are used in the bingo game.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein changing the bingo paytable percentage does not change winning patterns of the bingo game.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising offering players at least one additional bingo number in exchange for an indicium of value.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising offering players a plurality of additional bingo number in exchange for an indicium of value.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising receiving an indication of how many spots are on the bingo cards used in the bingo game, wherein the determining step comprises determining the probability based, at least in part, on how many spots are on the bingo cards.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein changing the bingo paytable percentage does not change a payout for any winning pattern of the bingo game.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the offering step comprises offering players the entire plurality of additional bingo number in exchange for the indicium of value.

22. A gaming system, comprising:

means for receiving an indication of a bingo paytable percentage for a bingo game involving a selection of N bingo numbers; and

means for determining a probability of awarding a free (N+1)^th bingo number to a player, the probability corresponding to the bingo paytable percentage.

23. The gaming system of claim 22, further comprising means for providing an indication of the probability.

24. The gaming system of claim 22, further comprising:

means for providing the bingo game; and

means for awarding the free (N+1)^th bingo numbers to players according to the probability.

25. The gaming system of claim 24, further comprising means for offering players at least one additional bingo number in exchange for an indicium of value.

26. A method of controlling a progressive bonus for a bingo game, comprising:

receiving an indication of a desired probability of winning a progressive award in a bingo game involving multiple bingo cards;

determining a number M of hits on R of the bingo cards that will provide an actual probability of winning the progressive award that approximates the desired probability, where R>

1; and

indicating M and R.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising indicating at least one pattern of hits for each of the R bingo cards.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein each of the bingo cards indicates N bingo numbers.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

calculating an average size of the progressive award based, at least in part, on the actual probability of winning the progressive award; and

indicating the average size of the progressive award.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the indicating step comprises indicating at least one of M or R on a display device.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein the indicating step comprises indicating at least one pattern on a display device.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein the pattern is the same for each of the R bingo cards.

33. The method of claim 28, wherein M>

N.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein the calculating step is also based on a percentage of wagers to be contributed to a progressive award pool.

35. The method of claim 29, wherein the calculating step is also based on a required wager per bingo card, further comprising the step of receiving the required wager per bingo card.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the required wager per bingo card is received from at least one of a network interface, a graphical user interface, a user input device or a memory.

37. A method of controlling a progressive bonus for a bingo game, comprising:

receiving an indication of a desired probability of winning a progressive award in a bingo game involving multiple bingo cards, wherein each of the bingo cards indicates N bingo numbers;

determining a number M of hits on bingo numbers of the bingo cards that will provide an actual probability of winning the progressive award that approximates the desired probability, where M>

N; and

indicating M.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the M hits must be on R of the bingo cards, further comprising indicating R.

39. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

calculating an average size of the progressive award based, at least in part, on the actual probability of winning the progressive award; and

indicating the average size of the progressive award.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein the indicating step comprises indicating M on a display device.

41. The method of claim 38, further comprising indicating at least one pattern of hits for each of the R bingo cards.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the indicating step comprises indicating at least one pattern on a display device.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein the pattern is the same for each of the R bingo cards.

44. An apparatus for controlling a progressive bonus for a bingo game, comprising:

a network interface; and

a logic system comprising at least one logic device, the logic system configured to do the following;

receive an indication of a desired probability of winning a progressive award in a bingo game involving multiple bingo cards, each of the bingo cards having N bingo numbers;

determining a number M of hits on R of the bingo cards that will provide a probability of winning the progressive award that approximates the desired probability, where R>

1; and

indicating M and R.

45. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the logic system is further configured to indicate a pattern of hits for each of the R bingo cards.

46. The apparatus of claim 44, further comprising a display device, wherein the logic system is further configured to indicate M and R on the display device.

47. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the pattern is the same for each of the R bingo cards.

48. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the logic system is further configured to indicate a pattern of hits for each of the R bingo cards on the display device.

49. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the logic system is further configured to provide a graphical user interface (“

GUI”

) on the display device, the GUI configured for receiving the indication of the desired probability of winning the progressive award.

50. The apparatus of claim 49, wherein the GUI is further configured for receiving a value of N and a number of bingo cards for the bingo game.

51. A method of controlling purchases of extra bingo numbers for a bingo game, comprising:

providing a bingo game involving a selection of N bingo numbers;

indicating hits on bingo cards corresponding to selected bingo numbers; and

offering at least some bingo players an option of purchasing a predetermined quantity of (N+1)^th through (N+A)^th bingo numbers for a first indicium of credit, where A is an integer greater than 1.

52. The method of claim 51, further comprising the step of determining whether a player has been awarded a free (N+1)^th bingo number prior to the offering step.

53. The method of claim 51, further comprising offering at least some bingo players an option of purchasing a single (N+1)^th bingo number for a second indicium of credit.

54. The method of claim 52, further comprising the step of determining that a player has been awarded a free (N+1)^th bingo number prior to the offering step, further comprising offering the player an option of purchasing a predetermined quantity of (N+2)^th through (N+B)^th bingo numbers for a first indicium of credit, where B is an integer greater than 2.