SYSTEM, DEVICE AND METHOD FOR USING TIME-SENSITIVE TICKETS AS PLAYER AWARDS IN GAMING DEVICES

• US 20110045900A1
• Filed: 11/03/2010
• Published: 02/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Luciano, Robert A. JR.
• Granted Patent: US 8,523,652 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0209 Incentive being awarded or redeemed in connection with the playing of a video game
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0212 Chance discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• 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 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3269 Timing aspects of game play, e.g. blocking/halting the operation of a gaming machine
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 283/903 Lottery ticket

Abstract

Gaming devices, gaming systems, and methods for awarding time-sensitive instruments in a gaming environment are disclosed herein. According to one embodiment, a gaming device includes a game display for presenting a game having one or more winning game outcomes. The gaming machine also includes one or more network interfaces that are in communication with an instrument database that includes data corresponding to values and terminations dates for the time-sensitive instruments. The gaming device also includes a game controller in communication with the game display and the network interfaces. The game controller awards one or more time-sensitive instruments in response to one or more game based event or non-game based event.

Claims

1. A system for providing a right to a time sensitive ticket to one or more players of one or more gaming devices configured to play a game comprising:

a host computer;

a data structure storing data corresponding to a set of time-sensitive tickets, said data associating to one or more tickets a value and a termination date after which said tickets become substantially valueless, said data structure accessible to said host computer;

a communication network providing communication between said gaming devices and said host computer;

a memory storing a prize structure associated with one or more event criteria occurring based upon the play of said gaming devices, said event criteria including criteria based upon one or more of outcome events of the game at a gaming device or one or more non-game events;

apparatus for said gaming devices to accept wagers by players to play said gaming devices;

a display at said one or more gaming devices, at least one of said gaming devices and host computer configured to display to said players at said one or more displays an association between an event and one or more tickets where said prize corresponds to said associated value of one or more of said tickets; and

one or more of said gaming devices and host computer configured to award a right to said one or more tickets to a player satisfying said event criteria and to deplete said set of said tickets corresponding to said award.

2. The system of claim 1 comprising a ticket provider database storing data corresponding to time sensitive tickets and a communication link between said database and said data structure to update said data stored at said data structure.

3. The system of claim 1 comprising said data structure storing data corresponding to multiple sets of time-sensitive tickets of one or more of differing assigned values and termination dates.

4. The system of claim 1 comprising a device to issue a printed voucher, said one or more of said gaming devices and host computer configured to award a right to said one or more tickets to a player satisfying said event criteria as a printed voucher.

5. The system of claim 1 comprising each gaming device including a game memory storing data correlating a plurality of award values to game outcomes and one of said host or gaming device configured to provide a ticket having an assigned value for a game outcome having corresponding award value.

6. A system for a casino to provide a right to a time sensitive instrument representing a good or service offered by one or more of the casino or a third party to one or more players of one or more gaming devices configured to play a game comprising:

a host computer;

a data structure storing data corresponding to a set of time-sensitive instruments, said data associating to one or more instruments a value and a termination date after which said instruments lose value, said data structure accessible to said host computer, one of said host or said data structure configured to update said data in response to one of said casino or said third party providing rights to instruments from said set;

a communication network providing communication between said gaming devices and said host computer;

a memory storing a prize structure associated with one or more event criteria occurring based upon the play of said gaming devices, said event criteria including criteria based upon one or more of outcome events of the game at a gaming device or one or more non-game events;

apparatus for said gaming devices to accept wagers by players to play said gaming devices;

a display proximate said one or more gaming devices, at least one of said gaming devices and host computer configured to display to said players at said one or more displays an association between an event and one or more instruments where said prize corresponds to said associated value of one or more of said instruments; and

one or more of said gaming devices and host computer configured to award a right to said one or more instruments to a player satisfying said future event.

7. The gaming system of claim 6 comprising said data structure storing data corresponding to multiple sets of time-sensitive instruments of one or more of differing assigned values and termination dates.

8. The system of claim 6 comprising a device for issuing a printed voucher, said one or more of said gaming devices and host computer configured to award a right to said one or more instruments to a player satisfying said event criteria represented by a printed voucher.

9. The system of claim 6 comprising each gaming device including a game memory storing data correlating a plurality of award values to game outcomes and one of said host or gaming device configured to provide a right to an instrument having an assigned value for a game outcome having corresponding award value.

10. A method for providing a right to a time sensitive ticket to one or more players of one or more gaming devices configured to play a game comprising:

accessing data at a data structure corresponding to a set of time-sensitive tickets, said data associating to one or more tickets a value and a termination date after which said tickets lose value;

providing communication between said gaming devices and said data structure;

storing in a memory a prize structure associated with one or more event criteria occurring based upon the play of said gaming devices, said event criteria including criteria based upon one or more of outcome events of the game at a gaming device or one or more non-game events;

accepting wagers by players to play said gaming devices;

displaying for view by one or more players the association between said event criteria and one or more tickets where said prize corresponds to said associated value of one or more of said tickets; and

awarding a right to said one or more tickets to a player satisfying said future event criteria and updating said data structure to corresponding to said award.

11. A method for a gaming venue to provide a right to a time sensitive instrument representing a good or service offered by one or more of the casino or a third party to one or more players of one or more gaming devices configured to play a game comprising:

storing data at a data structure corresponding to a set of time-sensitive instruments, said data associating to one or more instruments a value and a termination date after which said instruments lose value;

updating said data at said data structure in response to one of said casino or said third party issuing rights to instruments from said set;

providing for communication between said gaming devices and said data structure;

storing a prize structure associated with one or more event criteria occurring based upon the play of said gaming devices, said event criteria including criteria based upon one or more of outcome events of the game at a gaming device or one or more non-game events;

accepting wagers by players to play said gaming devices;

displaying proximate said one or more gaming devices an association between an event and one or more instruments where said prize corresponds to said associated value of one or more of said instruments; and

awarding a right to said one or more instruments to a player satisfying said future event.

12. A gaming device for providing a right to a time sensitive instruments to a player of a gaming device configured to play a game, data representing said time sensitive instrument stored at a data structure storing data corresponding to a set of time-sensitive instruments, said data associating to one or more instruments a value and a termination date after which said instruments become substantially valueless, said gaming device comprising:

a controller;

a memory storing a prize structure associated with one or more event criteria occurring based upon the play of said gaming device, said event criteria including criteria based upon one or more of outcome events of the game at a gaming device or one or more non-game events;

a communication link to provide communication between said controller and said data structure;

apparatus for said gaming device to accept wagers by the player to play said gaming device;

a display, said controller configured to control the display to display to said player an association between an event and one or more tickets where said prize corresponds to said associated value of one or more of said instruments; and

said controller configured to award a right to said one or more instruments to a player satisfying said event criteria.

13. The gaming device of claim 12 comprising said memory storing data correlating a plurality of award values to outcomes of said game and said controller configured to award the right to an instrument having an assigned value for a game outcome having corresponding award value.