SERVER BASED GAMING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING DEFERRAL OF BONUS EVENTS

• US 20100120525A1
• Filed: 11/07/2008
• Published: 05/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Baerlocher, Anthony J., Russell, Glen Keith
• Granted Patent: US 8,376,836 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/24 Electric games; Games using electronic circuits not otherwise provided for video games A63F13/00; computerized gaming systems G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots

Abstract

A gaming system including a central server linked to a plurality of gaming machines. The gaming system includes a bonus event unit based system to provide one or more awards to one or more players. Such bonus event units are accumulated by a player based on one or more events associated with the player'"'"'s gaming experience. The bonus event units utilized in the gaming system are selectively redeemed by the player in exchange for one or more opportunities to win an award.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

at least one controller configured, if any of a plurality of gaming devices cause a designated secondary game triggering event to occur, to operate with that gaming device to;

(a) determine if a player of the gaming device is enrolled in a bonus event participation program;

(b) if the player is not enrolled in the bonus event participation program;

(i) cause the gaming device to display a play of a secondary game, and

(ii) cause the gaming device to provide to the player any secondary game award resulting from the play of the secondary game;

(c) if the player is enrolled in the bonus event participation program;

(i) cause the gaming device not to display the secondary game, and

(ii) store a quantity of bonus event units in an account associated with the player, wherein;

(1) said quantity of bonus event units is based on the secondary game triggering event which occurred and on a wager placed on a play of a primary game, and (2) each bonus event unit has an average expected value; and

(d) cause the gaming device to enable the player to selectively redeem at least one of said bonus event units by participating in a bonus event.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the secondary game triggering event occurs if the gaming device generates at least one secondary game triggering symbol in the play of the primary game.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is configured to cause the gaming device to enable the player to enroll in the bonus event participation program if the secondary game triggering event occurs.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the secondary game is associated with an average expected payout and if the player is enrolled in the bonus event participation program, the quantity of bonus event units stored in the account associated with the player is based on said average expected payout.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is configured to cause the gaming device to enable the player to convert at least one bonus event unit into at least one bonus event component for at least one bonus event.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein if any gaming device causes the designated secondary game triggering event to occur and the player of that gaming device is not enrolled in the bonus event participation program, said at least one controller is configured to operate with that gaming device to:

store the quantity of bonus event units in a temporary account associated with the player.

7. A gaming system comprising:

at least one controller configured to operate with a gaming device to;

(a) for a first play of a game upon a first wager;

(i) receive a first signal from said gaming device that a player has not enrolled to skip at least one play of a designated secondary game, said designated secondary game having a secondary game triggering event including a designated quantity of secondary game triggering symbols associated with the secondary game, and

(ii) receive a second signal from said gaming device that a first quantity of at least one, but less than the designated quantity of secondary game triggering symbols were generated for the first play of the game, wherein said first quantity of at least one, but less than the designated quantity of secondary game triggering symbols is associated with a value of zero;

(b) for a second play of the game upon a second wager;

(i) receive a third signal from said gaming device that the player has enrolled to skip at least one play of the designated secondary game,

(ii) receive a fourth signal from said gaming device that the first quantity of at least one, but less than the designated quantity of secondary game triggering symbols occurred for the second play of the game, and

(iii) after receiving the fourth signal, accumulate a first quantity of bonus event units in an account associated with the player, wherein said first quantity of accumulated bonus event units is based, at least in part, on an average expected payout of the skipped designated secondary game, and each bonus event unit has an average expected value;

(c) determine a bonus event award for the player, wherein said bonus event award is based, at least in part, on the first quantity of bonus event units accumulated in the account associated with the player and the average expected value of each bonus event unit; and

(d) cause said gaming device to display said determined bonus event award to the player.

8. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein after receiving a fifth signal from said gaming device that the player has enrolled to skip at least one play of the designated secondary game and that the designated quantity of secondary game triggering symbols were generated for a third play of the game upon a third wager, the at least one controller is configured to operate with said gaming device to:

(i) cause the gaming device to not display the secondary game, and

(ii) accumulate a second quantity of bonus event units in the account associated with the player, wherein said second quantity of accumulated bonus event units is based, at least in part, on an average expected payout of the skipped designated secondary game.

9. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein after receiving a sixth signal from the gaming device that the player is not enrolled to skip at least one play of the designated secondary game and that the designated quantity of secondary game triggering symbols were generated for a fourth play of the game upon a fourth wager, the at least one controller is configured to operate with said gaming device to:

(i) cause a display of the secondary game,

(ii) cause any secondary game award resulting from the play of the secondary game to be provided to the player, and

(iii) cause zero bonus event units to be accumulated in the account associated with the player.

10. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein the average expected value of the secondary game award is lower than a product of the second quantity of accumulated bonus event units and the average expected value of each bonus event unit.

11. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein said first quantity of accumulated bonus event units is based, at least in part, on the second wager.

12. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein the player is enabled to enroll to skip the at least one play of the designated secondary game if the secondary game triggering event occurs.

13. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein each of said secondary game triggering symbols are not individually associated with the secondary game triggering event.

14. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein after receiving the second signal from said gaming device that the first quantity of at least one, but less than the designated quantity of secondary game triggering symbols were generated for the first play of the game, said at least one controller is configured to operate to cause the gaming device to:

(i) not display the secondary game and (ii) not provide any award to the player for the generated first quantity of secondary game triggering symbols.

15. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein the at least one controller is configured to operate to cause the gaming device to enable the player to selectively redeem at least one of said bonus event units by participating in a bonus event.

16. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein after receiving the first signal from said gaming device that the player has not enrolled to skip at least one play of the designated secondary game and after receiving the second signal from said gaming device that the first quantity of at least one, but less than the designated quantity of secondary game triggering symbols were generated for the first play of the game, the at least one controller is configured accumulated the first quantity of bonus event units in a temporary account associated with the player.

17. A gaming system comprising:

at least one controller configured to operate with a gaming device to;

(a) cause the gaming device to enable a player to enroll in a bonus event unit participation program; and

(b) if the player enrolls in the bonus event unit participation program;

(i) after an occurrence of a bonus event unit accumulation event, accumulate a first quantity of bonus event units for the player, wherein the first quantity of bonus event units is based, at least in part, on an average expected payout associated with a skipped secondary game,

(ii) maintain any accumulated bonus event units for the player,

(iii) after an occurrence of a bonus event unit redemption event, cause the gaming device to enable the player to selectively redeem a second quantity of accumulated bonus event units to participate in a bonus event,

(iv) if the player selectively redeems the second quantity of accumulated bonus event units to participate in the bonus event, randomly determine a bonus event award, and

(v) cause the gaming device to display the determined bonus event award to the player.

18. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein the first quantity of bonus event units is based, at least in part, on a wager.

19. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein the determined bonus event award is based on the second quantity of selectively redeemed bonus event units.

20. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein the first quantity of bonus event units is the same as the second quantity of bonus event units.

21. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein the at least one controller is configured to cause the gaming device to enable the player to enroll in the bonus event participation program if a secondary game triggering event occurs.

22. A gaming system comprising:

at least one controller configured to operate with a plurality of gaming devices to;

(a) for each of a plurality of players of said gaming devices, accumulate a quantity of bonus event units; and

(b) after an occurrence of a bonus event redemption trigger;

(i) for each of said gaming devices, cause said gaming device to enable the player of said gaming device to bid a quantity of any accumulated bonus event units for a bonus event award in an auction bidding sequence, wherein for said auction bidding sequence, a value of the bonus event award is unknown,

(ii) cause said gaming devices to each display a current winning bid,

(iii) repeat (i) to (ii) until a termination of the auction bidding sequence occurs; and

(iv) after the termination of the auction bidding sequence;

(1) determine which of any of the bid quantities of bonus event units is a final winning bid, and

(2) cause the gaming device of the player that placed the final winning bid to enable that player to participate in a bonus event, wherein said bonus event includes a determination and display of the value for the bonus event award, said value being based on an average expected value of each bonus event unit and the quantity of bonus event units of the final winning bid.

23. The gaming system of claim 22, wherein, after the occurrence of a bonus event redemption trigger, the at least one controller is configured to cause each of the gaming devices with at least a first quantity of accumulated bonus event units to bid a quantity of said accumulated bonus event units for the bonus event award in the auction bidding sequence.

24. The gaming system of claim 22, wherein after the occurrence of the auction bidding sequence trigger, for each of said gaming devices currently played by a player with a minimum quantity of accumulated bonus event units the at least one controller is configured to cause said gaming device to enable the player of said gaming device to bid a quantity of any accumulated bonus event units for the bonus event award in the auction bidding sequence.

25. A gaming system comprising:

at least one controller configured to operate with a plurality of gaming devices to;

(a) after an occurrence of an auction bidding sequence trigger;

(i) for each gaming device, cause said gaming device to enable a player of said gaming device to place a bid on a bonus event award having an unknown value,

(ii) cause each gaming device to display a current winning bid, and

(iii) repeat (i) to (ii) until a termination of the auction bidding sequence occurs; and

(b) after the termination of the auction bidding sequence;

(i) determine which of any of the bids is a final winning bid,

(ii) determine an average expected value for the final winning bid, and

(iii) randomly determine and display a value of the bonus event award, said value being based on the determined average expected value for the final winning bid.

26. The gaming system of claim 25, wherein the auction bidding sequence trigger occurs based on an amount of time.

27. The gaming system of claim 25, wherein the termination of the auction bidding sequence occurs based on elapsed period of time since the auction bidding sequence trigger occurred.