PLAYER-BASED COMPENSATION

• US 20090124358A1
• Filed: 07/01/2008
• Published: 05/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acres Technology
• Original Assignee: Acres Technology
• Inventors: Acres, John F.
• Granted Patent: US 9,600,961 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 17/3239 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 17/326 Game play aspects of gaming systems

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention are directed toward a system that rewards identified players with certain benefits that can be used within a base game of a gaming device. Benefits may have a redemption period that differs from the accumulation period, and may have expiration periods. Benefits may expire at different rates. Some of the benefits directly affect the paytable of the base machine.

Claims

1. A player compensation system coupled to a gaming device, the player compensation system comprising:

a player identifier;

a collection of benefits accumulated by an identified player, the collection including at least one benefit that affects game outcome of a base game on the gaming device.

2. The player compensation system of claim 1 in which at least one of the collection of benefits is an award that is considered in the base game outcome without player action.

3. The player compensation system of claim 2 in which the at least one of the collection of benefits is an extra payline.

4. The player compensation system of claim 2 in which the at least one of the collection of benefits is an extra spin.

5. The player compensation system of claim 2 in which the base game is a game of skill and the at least one of the collection of benefits is a hint.

6. The player compensation system of claim 5 in which the hint is a display of odds of winning.

7. The player compensation system of claim 1 in which the at least one benefit is a benefit selected from hold, respin and nudge.

8. The player compensation system of claim 1 in which the at least one benefit is the ability to replace a symbol on the game.

9. The player compensation system of claim 1 in which the at least one benefit is the ability to replace a symbol on the game with a wildcard symbol.

10. The player compensation system of claim 1, further comprising a player qualification component, and in which the collection of benefits is accumulated only by qualified players.

11. The player compensation system of claim 10 in which all identified players are qualified players.

12. The player compensation system of claim 1 in which at least one of the collection of benefits is awarded at a mystery time.

13. The player compensation system of claim 1 in which at least one of the collection of benefits is awarded at a regularly scheduled time.

14. The player compensation system of claim 13 in which the regularly scheduled time is published.

15. The player compensation system of claim 1, further comprising a benefits expiration section that causes at least one of the collection of benefits to expire.

16. The player compensation system of claim 15 in which the expiration of the at least one of the collection of benefits is related to a number of games played on the base game after the at least one benefit was awarded.

17. A method of compensating a player in a gaming system coupled to a player tracking system, comprising:

awarding player benefits to an identified player that can be later redeemed in a game played by the identified player.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising providing a redemption time period during which the awarded player benefits can be redeemed.

19. The method of claim 18 in which each of the awarded player benefits has a redemption time period independent of other awarded player benefits.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising storing the awarded benefits in a player account.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising awarding player benefits only if the identified player is playing above a threshold rate.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising awarding player benefits only if the identified player has a player value above a threshold level.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising awarding player benefits only if the identified player has a projected player value above a threshold level.

24. The method of claim 17, further comprising awarding a player benefit to a newly identified player.

25. The method of claim 17, further comprising expiring the player benefits if the benefits are unused before the expiration period.

26. The method of claim 17 in which awarding player benefits comprises awarding benefits that are automatically considered in the game without player interaction.

27. A method of providing a player benefit to an identified player of a base game coupled to a player rewards system, the method comprising:

determining the identified player qualifies for an award;

granting the identified player the award; and

storing the award in a player account until the award is used by the identified player.

28. The method of claim 27, in which the award is a free game on another base game.

29. The method of claim 27 in which determining the identified player qualifies for an award comprises determining a player value, and providing the award to an identified player having a player value above a threshold player value.

30. The method of claim 27, further comprising awarding additional awards to players having a value above a threshold player value.