BINGO GAME SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20110009180A1
• Filed: 09/13/2010
• Published: 01/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: White, Warren R., Luciano, Robert A. JR.
• Granted Patent: US 8,647,199 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/19
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3286 Type of games

Abstract

Presented is a system and method for generating bingo game bonuses that are non-banked, for use with pooled bingo games. The system generates pools of money for use in bingo games by deducting a percentage of the amount used to purchase bingo cards (in the present invention, virtual bingo cards). Each bingo game automatically enrolls active players in one or more bonus games, exemplified by “4 corners,” where the amounts to be given away to players as bonuses are calculated to be equal, over time, to the amount taken in from players buying bingo cards. The house has no stake in the bonus awards.

Claims

1. A bingo gaming system comprising:

at least one bingo game manager configured to define a non-bingo game of chance having a set of non-bingo winning outcomes and associated non-bingo prizes,

to create a bingo game prize pool comprising elements generated according to the probabilities of the set of non-bingo winning outcomes, each element including a bingo game winning outcome and a bingo prize equal to its generating non-bingo prize; and

one or more player terminals configured to present the bingo game to one or more players until at least one of the selected elements'"'"' bingo game winning outcome occurs, and

to display a non-bingo winning outcome associated with a non-bingo prize equal to the bingo prize associated with the occurring bingo winning outcome.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the non-bingo prizes and associated non-bingo game outcomes comprises a bonus game prize and bonus game play.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the bonus game play is randomly selected by the one of more player terminals from a set of potentially matching bonus game plays, each of the set having a non-bingo prize equal to the bingo prize associated with the occurring bingo winning outcome.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the non-bingo prizes and associated bingo prizes comprise a progressive award.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the bingo prize associated with the occurring bingo outcome is returned to the prize pool in the event the bingo game winning outcome is not daubed at the one of more player terminals.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the bingo prize associated with the occurring bingo outcome is allocated to a progressive prize pool associated with the bingo game in the event the bingo game winning outcome is not daubed at the one or more player terminals.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the non-bingo winning outcome is randomly selected from a set of potentially matching non-bingo winning outcomes, each of the set having a non-bingo prize equal to the bingo prize associated with the occurring bingo winning outcome.

8. A bingo gaming system comprising:

at least one bingo game manager configured to define a non-bingo game of chance having a set of non-bingo winning outcomes and associated non-bingo prizes and further configured to create a bingo game prize pool template comprising elements generated according to the probabilities of the set of non-bingo winning outcomes, each element including a bingo game winning outcome and a bingo prize equal to its generating non-bingo prize,

to create a plurality of bingo game prize pools from the template; and

one or more player terminals configured to present the bingo game to one or more players until at least one of the selected elements'"'"' bingo game winning outcome occurs and further configured to display a non-bingo winning outcome associated with a non-bingo prize equal to the bingo prize associated with the occurring bingo winning outcome.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein at least one of the non-bingo prizes and associated non-bingo game outcomes comprises a bonus game prize and bonus game play.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the bonus game play is randomly selected from a set of potentially matching bonus game plays, each of the set having a non-bingo prize equal to the bingo prize associated with the occurring bingo winning outcome.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein at least one of the non-bingo prizes and associated bingo prizes comprise a progressive award.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein the bingo prize associated with the occurring bingo outcome is returned to the prize pool in the event that the bingo game winning outcome is not daubed.

13. The system of claim 8 further comprising allocation of the bingo prize associated with the occurring bingo outcome to a progressive prize pool associated with the bingo game in the event the bingo game winning outcome is not daubed.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein the non-bingo winning outcome is randomly selected from a set of potentially matching non-bingo winning outcomes, each of the set having a non-bingo prize equal to the bingo prize associated with the occurring bingo winning outcome.