GAMING SYSTEM AND METHOD PROVIDING VARIABLE PAYBACK PERCENTAGES

• US 20090088239A1
• Filed: 06/26/2008
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Baerlocher, Anthony J., Iddings, Cara L., DeWaai, Daniel J., Schneider, Richard J., Steinbach, Brad Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,992,306 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/20
• 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

Abstract

A gaming system and method is disclosed which provides variable payback or hold amounts for a primary or base game, a secondary or bonus game, or both. The gaming system includes a central controller that changes at least one aspect of the game to provide a variable payback or hold for a gaming device in the gaming system. The gaming system includes a plurality of different paytables or award sequences each having a different average expected payback. The gaming system selects one of the paytables or award sequences for the game based on a player ranking assigned to each player. The player ranking is associated with a player tracking status obtained through a suitable player tracking system. The selection of one of the paytables or award sequences and its associated average expected payback is based on the player ranking (i.e., the player tracking status) of the player.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

at least one display device operable to display a game which is playable with one of;

(i) a first paytable having a first average expected return, and

(ii) a second paytable having a second average expected return, the second paytable being different from the first paytable, and the second average expected return being different from the first average expected return;

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 a wager amount placed by a player for at least one play of the game,

(b) cause a determination of a rank of the player,

(c) if the determined rank of the player is less than a first ranking, select the first paytable for the at least one play of the game for the player,

(d) if the determined rank of the player is at least equal to the first ranking, select the second paytable for the at least one play of the game for the player,

(e) display the at least one play of the game employing the selected paytable, and

(f) in accordance with the selected paytable, display any awards resulting from the at least one play of the game.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the memory device stores at least one instruction which when executed by the at least one processor causes the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device to:

display the selected paytable for the at least one play of the game.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the memory device stores at least one instruction which when executed by the at least one processor causes the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device to:

(i) display the first average expected return for the at least one play of the game if the determined rank of the player is less than the first ranking, and (ii) display the second average expected return for the at least one play of the game if the determined rank of the player is at least equal to the first ranking.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the memory device stores at least one instruction which when executed by the at least one processor causes the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device to:

display the first average expected return and the second average expected return for the at least one play of the game.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the memory device stores at least one instruction which when executed by the at least one processor causes the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device to:

(i) display a condition associated with the first ranking if the determined rank of the player is less than the first ranking, (ii) display information for satisfying the displayed condition, and (iii) if the displayed condition is satisfied, change the determined rank of the player to the first ranking for at least one subsequent play of the game for the player.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the memory device stores at least one instruction which when executed by the at least one processor causes the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device to:

(i) display a condition associated with at least one designated ranking, the designated ranking being higher than the determined rank of the player, (ii) display information for satisfying the displayed condition, and (iii) if the displayed condition is satisfied, change the determined rank of the player to the designated ranking for at least one subsequent play of the game for the player.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, which includes a player tracking system configured to operate with the at least one processor.

8. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein the at least one memory device includes at least one instruction which when executed by the at least one processor causes the at least one processor to operate with the player tracking system to determine the rank of the player.

9. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein the at least one memory device includes at least one instruction which when executed by the at least one processor causes the at least one processor to receive the determined rank of the player from the player tracking system, wherein the paytable selected is based on the determined rank of the player received from the player tracking system.

10. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the memory device stores at least one instruction which when executed by the at least one processor causes the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device to display:

the first paytable, the first average expected value, the second paytable, and the second average expected value.

11. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the first paytable and the second paytable each include a plurality of symbol combinations and a plurality of the awards, the first paytable including an association between a first symbol combination and a first one of the awards and the second paytable including an association between the first symbol combination and a second different one of the awards.

12. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein the second paytable includes an association between a second different symbol combination and the second different one of the awards.

13. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the first paytable includes a first winning condition for the at least one play of the game and the second paytable includes the first winning condition and a second different winning condition for the at least one play of the game, the second different winning condition not being part of the first paytable.

14. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the first paytable includes a first quantity of winning conditions for the at least one play of the game, and the second paytable includes a second different quantity of winning conditions for the at least one play of the game.

15. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the second paytable includes at least one winning condition associated with a first symbol being positioned to overlay a second different symbol.

16. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the second average expected return is associated with an eligibility for:

(i) the at least one play of the game, (ii) at least one subsequent play of the game, or (iii) at least one play of another different game.

17. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the second average expected return is associated with at least one opportunity to win another one of any awards independent from the at least one play of the game.

18. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the first paytable is associated with a first frequency of winning any awards for the at least one play of the game, and the second paytable is associated with a second higher frequency of winning any awards for the at least one play of the game.

19. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the first paytable is associated with a first group of awards for the at least one play of the game, and the second paytable is associated with a second different group of awards for the at least one play of the game, at least one of the awards of the second, different group being larger than at least one of the awards of the first group.

20. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the first average expected return is associated with a first threshold to qualify for a subsequent play of the game, and the second average expected return is associated with a second different threshold to qualify for the subsequent play of the game.

21. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the second paytable is associated with at least one play of another different game.

22. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the second paytable is associated with at least one progressive award, the at least one progressive award being available to be provided to the player based on the determined rank of the player.

23. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the second paytable is associated with at least one progressive award associated with the at least one play of the game, the at least one progressive award incrementing based on the determined rank of the player.

24. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the second average expected return is higher than the first average expected return.

25. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the second average expected return is higher than the first average expected return by a designated amount, the designated amount based on the determined rank of the player.

26. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the game is playable with at least one third paytable having a third average expected return, the third paytable being different from the first and second paytables, and the third average expected return being different from the first and second average expected returns.

27. The gaming system of claim 26, wherein the third average expected return is higher than the first average expected return and higher than the second average expected return.

28. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the second paytable provides at least one advantage over the first paytable, said at least one advantage selected from the group consisting of:

(i) higher available awards to be won, (ii) higher available multipliers to be applied, (iii) random multipliers to be applied, (iv) a different number of available winning symbol combinations, (v) different types of available winning symbol combinations, (vi) a different number of available symbols;

(vii) different types of available symbols; and

(viii) a different proportion of available symbols.

29. A gaming system comprising:

at least one display device operable to display a game which is playable with one of a plurality of different paytables, each paytable having one of a plurality of different average expected returns;

at least one input device;

at least one player tracking system configured to determine a player ranking of a player of the game;

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, the at least one input device, and the at least one player tracking system to;

(a) receive the determined player ranking associated with the player for at least one play of the game,

(b) if the determined player ranking is a first ranking, select a first one of the paytables for the at least one play of the game for the player, the first paytable having a first one of the average expected returns,

(c) if the determined player ranking is a second ranking, select a second one of the paytables for the at least one play of the game for the player, the second paytable having a second one of the average expected returns, and

(d) in accordance with the selected paytable, display any awards associated with any designated winning conditions in the at least one play of the game.

30. The gaming system of claim 29, wherein the memory device stores at least one instruction which when executed by the at least one processor causes the at least one processor to:

assign the first ranking to any player that is not registered with the at least one player tracking system.

31. The gaming system of claim 30, wherein the memory device stores at least one instruction which when executed by the at least one processor causes the at least one processor to:

assign the second ranking to any player that is registered with the at least one player tracking system.

32. The gaming system of claim 29, wherein the memory device stores at least one instruction which when executed by the at least one processor causes the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device to:

display the selected paytable.

33. The gaming system of claim 29, wherein the second average expected return is higher than the first average expected return.

34. The gaming system of claim 29, wherein the second average expected return is higher than the first average expected return by a designated amount, the designated amount being based on the determined player ranking.

35. 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 a wager amount for a play of a game, the wager amount being placed by a player,

(b) cause a determination of a rank of the player for the play of the game,

(c) if the determined rank of the player is a first ranking, select a first paytable having a first average expected return,

(d) if the determined rank of the player is a second different ranking, select a second paytable having a second average expected return, the second paytable being different from the first paytable, and the second average expected return being different from the first average expected return, and

(e) in accordance with the selected paytable;

(i) display the play of the game in accordance with the selected paytable, and

(ii) display any awards resulting from any designated winning conditions in the play of the game in accordance with the selected paytable.

36. The gaming system of claim 35, wherein the rank of the player is determined based on an amount of the games played by the player.

37. The gaming system of claim 35, wherein the rank of the player is determined based on a designated rate at which an amount of the games are played by the player.

38. The gaming system of claim 35, wherein the rank of the player is determined based on time.

39. The gaming system of claim 35, wherein the rank of the player is determined based on an amount of the games played by the player in a designated amount of time.

40. The gaming system of claim 35, wherein the rank of the player is determined based on a criteria tracked in association with the player by a player tracking system.

41. The gaming system of claim 35, wherein the rank of the player is determined based on the game played.

42. The gaming system of claim 35, wherein the rank of the player is determined based on an amount won over a designated number of the games played by the player or an amount lost over a designated number of the games played by the player.

43. The gaming system of claim 35, wherein the rank of the player is determined based on a number of visits to at least one designated gaming establishment.

44. The gaming system of claim 35, wherein the rank of the player is determined based on an amount of purchases made in association with at least one designated gaming establishment.