SYSTEM FOR ELECTRONIC GAME PROMOTION

• US 20100056264A1
• Filed: 11/11/2009
• Published: 03/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Boyd, Scott A., Jordan, R. Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 8,348,750 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 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• 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 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards

Abstract

A printer on a networked gaming device can be controlled by the network to generate awards. The printer can operate as both a typical printer in a gaming device and as a printer for the gaming network, or separate printers can be installed in the gaming device. If the particular player has identified himself or herself to the gaming network, then the gaming system has a very high probability that it is communicating to a known player. Therefore, the printer operates as a direct communication conduit to a player. Additionally, previously issued awards can be redeemed by a validator coupled to the gaming network.

Claims

1. A gaming machine award system, comprising:

a plurality of gaming devices coupled over a network;

an award server coupled to the network, the award server configured to implement a procedure for making an award in excess of any award established by a pay table of a gaming device in the network;

means for tracking game play across the network of gaming devices and detecting a trigger condition by accessing data on the network, said award server sending out a selection signal over the network to a selected gaming device responsive to the detected trigger condition to provide an award at the selected gaming device, in excess of any award established by a pay table of the selected gaming device; and

a printer associated with the selected gaming device, said printer structured to generate printed output indicating said award responsive to receipt of said selection signal.

2. The gaming machine award system of claim 1, wherein said printed output is a ticket having printed indicia on the ticket indicating said award and printed electronic identification associated with said printed indicia in a database coupled to the gaming network.

3. The gaming machine award system of claim 2, further including a ticket reader at each of the gaming devices adapted to read said printed electronic identification and redeem said award at said gaming device.

4. The gaming machine award system of claim 3, further including means adapted to add credits to a player account balance responsive to an insertion of the ticket into the ticket reader.

5. The gaming machine award system of claim 4, wherein the credits are redeemable.

6. The gaming machine award system of claim 4, wherein the credits can be used to reimburse a played wager.

7. The gaming machine award system of claim 4, wherein the credits can be used to play a game.

8. A gaming machine award system, comprising:

a plurality of gaming devices, one of the plurality of gaming devices being selectable as a

winning gaming device;

a network connecting the plurality of gaming devices;

a first selector to select said winning gaming device;

a second selector to select a subset of the plurality of gaming devices, not including said winning gaming device, as celebration devices;

a ticket printer coupled to each of the plurality of gaming devices and structured to generate printed output based on a signal received from the first or second selectors; and

a transmitter to transmit messages to said subset of the plurality of gaming devices, each message instructing a printer of a recipient gaming device to generate printed output.

9. The gaming machine award system of claim 8, wherein the printed output resulting from receipt at the gaming device of the transmitter message is a ticket having no printed information representative of the value of the ticket.

10. The gaming machine award system of claim 9, each gaming device including a ticket identification mechanism in which tickets inserted in the ticket identification mechanism cause a trigger whereby an award associated with the ticket is granted to a player of the device.

11. A method for printing tickets at gaming devices that are interconnected by a gaming network to a host computer, the method comprising:

using data accessible in the gaming network to create a trigger condition;

storing said trigger condition at a host computer;

tracking game play across the network of gaming devices;

detecting said trigger condition and sending out a selection signal over the network to a selected gaming device responsive to the detected trigger condition, to provide an award at the selected gaming device not based on a pay table of a gaming device in the gaming network; and

generating printed output indicating said award responsive to receipt of said selection signal.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein generating printed output comprises generating a ticket at the selected gaming device.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein generating printed output comprises generating a winning ticket at the selected gaming device and generating a celebration ticket at a selected subset of the gaming devices which have been selected as celebration devices.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the printed output is a ticket having no printed information representative of the value of the ticket.

15. The method of claim 11, further including accepting the printed output at a gaming device and awarding a bonus associated with said printed output.

16. The method of claim 15, where awarding a bonus comprises applying credits to a player account at the selected gaming device.

17. The method of claim 15, where awarding a bonus comprises applying credits to a playable-only credits meter at the selected gaming machine.

18. The method of claim 15, where awarding a bonus comprises applying credits to a player account only if the printed output was accepted at the gaming device within a redeemable time period.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the redeemable time period includes a preestablished start time that occurs after a time at which the printed matter was generated at the selected gaming device.

20. The method of claim 11, further including:

generating a validation number associated with the printed matter and printing said validation number on the ticket;

accepting the printed matter at a gaming device and reading the validation number;

allowing play to occur on the gaming device for a play session; and

generating a second ticket having a validation number associated with the play session and the first such validation number.

21. A gaming machine award system, comprising:

a plurality of gaming devices coupled over a network;

a game play tracker configured and arranged to track game play across the network of gaming devices and to detect a trigger condition created using data accessible in the gaming network wherein a selection signal is provided at a selected gaming device in response to the detected trigger condition to provide an award at the selected gaming device, in excess of any award established by a pay table of a gaming device in the network; and

a printer associated with the selected gaming device, the printer structured to generate printed output responsive to receipt of the selection signal to indicate the award.

22. A method for printing tickets at gaming devices that are interconnected by a gaming network, the method comprising:

storing a trigger condition;

tracking game play across the network of gaming devices;

detecting the trigger condition and providing a selection signal at a selected gaming device which is to receive an award, other than an award based on a pay table of a gaming device in the gaming network, in response to the detected trigger condition, the selection signal providing a player with an option to choose an award from a number of possible awards; and

generating a printed output, indicating the award, in response to the player'"'"'s selection of an award.