DYNAMIC MANAGEMENT OF WAGERING GAME AVAILABILITY

• US 20100255901A1
• Filed: 04/02/2010
• Published: 10/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Garvey, Jesse L., Gura, Damon E., Smith, Jason A., Sylla, Craig J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,508,219 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 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• 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 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3267 Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3269 Timing aspects of game play, e.g. blocking/halting the operation of a gaming machine

Abstract

A wagering game system and its operations are described herein. In some embodiments, the operations can include initiating, at a wagering game server, a secondary game for presentation on a wagering game machine. The secondary game may be associated with a primary wagering game being presented on the wagering game machine. The operations can also include detecting that the secondary game becomes unavailable for play while the secondary game is being presented on the wagering game machine, and determining identification information associated with a player of the primary wagering game and the secondary game. The operations can further include generating results for the secondary game associated with the player after the secondary game is available for play, and providing an award, depending on the secondary game results, to the player using the identification information.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

initiating, at a wagering game server of a wagering game system, a secondary game for presentation on a wagering game machine of the wagering game system, wherein the secondary game is associated with a primary wagering game being presented on the wagering game machine;

detecting, at the wagering game server, that the secondary game becomes unavailable for play while the secondary game is being presented on the wagering game machine;

determining, at the wagering game server, identification information associated with a player of the primary wagering game and the secondary game;

determining, at the wagering game server, results for the secondary game associated with the player after the secondary game is available for play; and

providing an award, depending on the secondary game results, to the player using the identification information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said detecting that the secondary game becomes unavailable for play while the secondary game is being presented on the wagering game machine comprises detecting that the secondary game becomes unavailable for play after the secondary game is initiated for presentation on the wagering game machine and a bet associated with the secondary game is in progress.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said detecting that the secondary game becomes unavailable for play comprises one of detecting a hardware failure, a software failure, a network failure, and unavailability of game content associated with the secondary game.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining identification information associated with the player of the primary wagering game and the secondary game comprises determining an account number of an account associated with the player of the secondary game, and wherein said providing an award comprises depositing monetary value into the account associated with the player depending on the secondary game results.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, if an account number is not found for the player of the secondary game, said determining identification information associated with the player of the primary wagering game and the secondary game further comprises causing the wagering game machine to prompt the player for a name and address, and receiving a player input including the name and address from the wagering game machine, and wherein said providing an award comprises processing a monetary award, depending on the secondary game results, for the player to cause a check to be sent to the name and address that was provided by the player.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the account associated with the player of the secondary game comprises one of a casino player account, a savings account, a checking account, and a hotel account.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing the secondary game to be serviced in response to detecting that the secondary game becomes unavailable for play.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending at least one of a text message and an email to notify the player that the results associated with the secondary game have been determined, and an award has been provided to the player, depending on the secondary game results.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to detecting that the secondary game is unavailable for play, initiating a different secondary game for presentation on the wagering game machine.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to detecting that the secondary game is unavailable for play:

causing the wagering game machine to display a visual indication of one or more secondary games that are available for play;

receiving a player input selecting one of the available secondary games; and

initiating the selected one of the available secondary games for presentation on the wagering game machine.

11. A wagering game server of a wagering game system, the wagering game server comprising:

a secondary game controller configured to initiate a secondary game for presentation on a wagering game machine of the wagering game system, wherein the secondary game is associated with a primary wagering game being presented on the wagering game machine;

a game availability unit configured to detect that the secondary game becomes unavailable for play while the secondary game is being presented on the wagering game machine;

an award processing unit configured to determine identification information associated with a player of the primary wagering game and the secondary game;

wherein the secondary game controller is further configured to determine results for the secondary game associated with the player after the secondary game is available for play; and

wherein the award processing unit is further configured to provide an award, depending on the secondary game results, to the player using the identification information.

12. The wagering game server of claim 11, wherein the game availability unit is configured to detect that the secondary game becomes unavailable for play after the secondary game is initiated for presentation on the wagering game machine and a bet associated with the secondary game is in progress.

13. The wagering game server of claim 11, wherein the award processing unit is configured to determining an account number of an account associated with the player of the secondary game, and configured to deposit monetary value into the account associated with the player, depending on the secondary game results.

14. The wagering game server of claim 13, wherein, if an account number is not found for the player of the secondary game, the award processing unit is configured to:

cause the wagering game machine to prompt the player for a name and address;

receive a player input including the name and address from the wagering game machine; and

process a monetary award, depending on the secondary game results, for the player of the secondary game to cause a check to be sent to the name and address that was provided by the player.

15. The wagering game server of claim 11, wherein the game availability unit is further configured to cause the secondary game to be serviced in response to detecting that the secondary game becomes unavailable for play.

16. The wagering game server of claim 11, wherein the award processing unit is further configured to send at least one of a text message and an email to notify the player that the results associated with the secondary game have been determined, and an award has been provided to the player, depending on the secondary game results.

17. The wagering game server of claim 11, wherein, in response to the game availability unit detecting that the secondary game is unavailable for play, the secondary game controller is configured to:

cause the wagering game machine to display a visual indication of one or more secondary games that are available for play; and

initiate one of the available secondary games for presentation on the wagering game machine based on a player input received from the wagering game machine.

18. A wagering game server of a wagering game system, the wagering game server comprising:

means for initiating a primary wagering game for presentation on a wagering game machine of the wagering game system, the primary wagering game comprising a pay table that is tied to a secondary game associated with the primary wagering game;

means for initiating the secondary game for presentation on the wagering game machine;

means for detecting that the secondary game becomes unavailable for play;

means for associating a new pay table, that is independent of the secondary game, with the primary wagering game; and

means for generating results for the primary wagering game based on the new pay table.

19. The wagering game server of claim 18, wherein said means for associating a new pay table, that is independent of the secondary game, with the primary wagering game comprises means for initiating a new instance of the primary wagering game comprising a new play table that is independent of the secondary game.

20. The wagering game server of claim 18, wherein said means for detecting that the secondary game becomes unavailable for play comprises means for receiving a message indicating that the secondary game is unavailable for play.

21. The wagering game server of claim 18, further comprising means for causing the wagering game machine to display an indication that the secondary game is unavailable for play.

22. A computer-implemented method comprising:

initiating, at a wagering game server of a wagering game system, a primary wagering game for presentation on a wagering game machine of the wagering game system, wherein a pay table associated with the primary wagering game is tied to a secondary game associated with the primary wagering game;

detecting that the secondary game is unavailable for play;

initiating a new instance of the primary wagering game for presentation on the wagering game machine, the new instance of the primary wagering game having a new play table that is independent of the secondary game;

determining results for the new instance of the primary wagering game based on the new pay table; and

causing the wagering game machine to present the results for the new instance of the primary wagering game.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said detecting that the secondary game is unavailable for play comprises receiving a message indicating that the secondary game is unavailable for play.

24. One or more machine-readable storage media, having instructions stored therein, which, when executed by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform operations that comprise:

initiating a secondary game for presentation on a wagering game machine of a wagering game system, wherein the secondary game is associated with a primary wagering game being presented on the wagering game machine;

detecting that the secondary game becomes unavailable for play while the secondary game is being presented on the wagering game machine;

determining an account number of an account associated with a player of the primary wagering game and the secondary game;

determining results for the secondary game associated with the player after the secondary game is available for play; and

depositing monetary value into the account associated with the player depending on the secondary game results.

25. The machine-readable storage media of claim 24, wherein, if an account number is not found for the player of the secondary game, the operations further comprise causing the wagering game machine to prompt the player for a name and address, receiving a player input including the name and address from the wagering game machine, and processing a monetary award, depending on the secondary game results, for the player of the secondary game to cause a check to be sent to the name and address that was provided by the player.