Wagering game with special event shard by adjacent gaming machines

• US 20090124366A1
• Filed: 09/08/2006
• Published: 05/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Hornik, Jeremy M., Aoki, Dion K.
• Granted Patent: US 8,303,402 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/27
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3213 Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3286 Type of 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 method of conducting a plurality of wagering games on a group of gaming machines includes receiving wagers from players at the group of gaming machines. In response to a triggering condition associated with a gaming machine of the group of gaming machines, the method further includes presenting a special event on the gaming machine, and changing a set of wagering game symbols required to achieve a known award on at least another one of the group of gaming machines.

Claims

1. A method of conducting a plurality of wagering games on a group of gaming machines, comprising:

receiving wagers from players at said group of gaming machines for playing said plurality of wagering games; and

in response to a triggering condition associated with one of said group of gaming machines,

presenting a special event on said one of said group of gaming machines, and

changing a set of wagering game symbols required to achieve a known award on at least another one of said group of gaming machines.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said special event is selected from a group consisting of a group progressive award and an in-machine progressive award.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising achieving said triggering condition in response to obtaining a predetermined symbol arrangement in a gaming machine, said gaming machine being one of said group of gaming machines.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least another one of said group of gaming machines includes only adjacent ones of said group of gaming machines.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

achieving another triggering condition within one of said adjacent ones of said group of gaming machines, said another triggering condition being achieved during said presenting of said special event; and

altering a game condition of a wagering game of another adjacent one of said group of gaming machines, said another adjacent one of said group of gaming machines being adjacent to said one of said adjacent ones of said group of gaming machines.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising ending said altering step based on at least one of a predetermined time period, a fixed number of spins, a prequalified number of spins, and a predetermined symbol arrangement.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to another triggering condition being achieved within yet another one of said group of gaming machines, presenting another special event on said yet another one of said group of gaming machines, said special event and said another special event being selected from a group consisting of a group progressive award and an in-machine progressive award.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a special event award associated with said special event on a signage connected to said group of gaming machines.

9. A computer readable storage medium or media is encoded with instructions for directing a gaming system to perform the method of claim 1.

10. A gaming system for playing a plurality of wagering games, the gaming system comprising:

a first gaming machine having a first display for displaying a first one of said plurality of wagering games in response to receiving a first wager from a first player;

a second gaming machine having a second display for displaying a second one of said plurality of wagering games in response to receiving a second wager from a second player; and

a controller coupled to said first gaming machine and said second gaming machine and programmed to, in response to a special event associated with said first gaming machine, cause a change to a set of wagering game symbols required to achieve a known award on said second gaming machine.

11. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein said controller is located in at least one of said first gaming machine and said second gaming machine.

12. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein said controller is remotely located from said first gaming machine and said second gaming machine.

13. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein said special event is selected from a group consisting of a group progressive award and an in-machine progressive award.

14. The gaming system of claim 10, further comprising

a third gaming machine having a third display for displaying a third one of said plurality of wagering games in response to receiving a third wager from a third player;

and

wherein said controller is further coupled to said third gaming machine and programmed to, in response to another special event being achieved at said second gaming machine, cause a change to another set of wagering game symbols required to achieve another known award on said third gaming machine.

15. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein said controller is further programmed to end an altered state of said game condition upon the occurrence of a predetermined condition, said predetermined condition being selected from a group consisting of a fixed number of spins, a prequalified number of spins, and a symbol arrangement.

16. A method of conducting a plurality of wagering games on a group of gaming machines including a first gaming machine, a second gaming machine, and a third gaming machine, the method comprising:

receiving wagers from players at said group of gaming machines for playing said plurality of wagering games;

in response to triggering a first special event at said first gaming machine, changing a first set of wagering game symbols required to achieve a first known award on said second gaming machine; and

in response to triggering a second special event at said second gaming machine, changing a second set of wagering game symbols required to achieve a second known award on said third gaming machine, said triggering of said second special event occurring during said first special event.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one of said first known award and said second known award is a progressive award.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein said first gaming machine is adjacent to said second gaming machine, said second gaming machine being adjacent to said third gaming machine.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing an award to said first gaming machine in response to said triggering of said second special event.

20. A method of conducting a plurality of wagering games on a group of gaming machines, comprising:

receiving wagers from players at said group of gaming machines for playing said plurality of wagering games, said group of gaming machines including a first gaming machine and a second gaming machine; and

in response to a triggering condition associated with said first gaming machine, awarding a free spins award to said second gaming machine.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising awarding said free spins award to said first gaming machine and to all adjacent gaming machines of said first gaming machine.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising, in response to a retriggering condition associated with said second gaming machine, awarding said free spins award to a third gaming machine of said group of gaming machines.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising awarding said free spins award to said second gaming machine and said first gaming machine.

24. A gaming system for playing a plurality of wagering games, the gaming system comprising:

a first gaming machine having a first display for displaying a first one of said plurality of wagering games in response to receiving a first wager from a first player;

a second gaming machine having a second display for displaying a second one of said plurality of wagering games in response to receiving a second wager from a second player; and

a controller coupled to said first gaming machine and said second gaming machine and programmed to, in response to a triggering condition associated with said first gaming machine, award a free spins award to said second gaming machine.

25. The gaming system of claim 24, wherein said controller is located in at least one of said first gaming machine and said second gaming machine.

26. The gaming system of claim 24, wherein said controller is remotely located from said first gaming machine and said second gaming machine.

27. The gaming system of claim 24, wherein said special event is selected from a group consisting of a group progressive award and an in-machine progressive award.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein said controller is further programmed to, in response to a retriggering condition associated with said second gaming machine, award said free spins award to a third gaming machine of said group of gaming machines.

29. A gaming system for playing a plurality of wagering games, the gaming system comprising:

a first gaming machine having a first display for displaying a first one of said plurality of wagering games in response to receiving a first wager from a first player; and

a second gaming machine linked to said first gaming machine and having a second display for displaying a second one of said plurality of wagering games in response to receiving a second wager from a second player, said second player being eligible for a progressive jackpot while playing said second wagering game, in response to a special event occurring at said first gaming machine, said progressive jackpot being more likely to be achieved by said second player at said second gaming machine.

30. The gaming machine of claim 29, wherein a symbol combination required to achieve said progressive jackpot at said second gaming machine is changed to a symbol combination that is more likely to occur.