PROGRESSIVE WAGERING GAME HAVING SYMBOL-TRIGGERING AWARD FEATURE

• US 20120021816A1
• Filed: 06/08/2011
• Published: 01/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: WMG Gaming Inc.
• Inventors: Aoki, Dion K.
• Granted Patent: US 8,628,400 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/20
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played
• 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 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

Gaming devices, gaming systems, methods of conducting a wagering game, and computer programs for initiating a wagering game are presented herein. A gaming device is presented that includes a wager input device, a display, and at least one controller. The controller executes the wagering game, which includes first and second progressive awards each associated with a respective symbol-based outcome. Each symbol-based outcome has a respective frequency of occurrence. The controller randomly determines an outcome of the wagering game. The controller initiates a progressive-award-determination sequence in response to displaying the first and/or second symbol-based outcomes. There is a first probability of awarding the first progressive award, and a second probability of awarding the second progressive award. The first initial-award amount is greater than the second initial-award amount, the first frequency of occurrence is lower than the second frequency of occurrence, and the first probability is greater than the second probability.

Claims

1. A gaming device for playing a wagering game, the gaming device comprising:

an input device configured to receive a wager from a player to play the wagering game;

a display configured to display the wagering game; and

at least one controller operatively configured to;

execute the wagering game, the wagering game including;

a first supplemental award associated with a first symbol-based outcome, the first supplemental award having a first initial-award amount, the first symbol-based outcome having a first frequency of occurrence; and

a second supplemental award associated with a second symbol-based outcome distinct from the first symbol-based outcome, the second supplemental award having a second initial-award amount, the second symbol-based outcome having a second frequency of occurrence;

determine an outcome of the wagering game, the outcome being determined from a plurality of outcomes, the plurality of outcomes including the first and second symbol-based outcomes;

initiate a first supplemental-award-determination sequence in response to displaying the first symbol-based outcome, the first supplemental-award-determination sequence having a first probability of awarding the first supplemental award; and

initiate a second supplemental-award-determination sequence in response to displaying the second symbol-based outcome, the second supplemental-award-determination sequence having a second probability of awarding the second supplemental award,

wherein the first initial-award amount is greater than the second initial-award amount, the first frequency of occurrence is lower than the second frequency of occurrence, and the first probability is greater than the second probability.

2. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein, in response to the first supplemental-award-determination sequence being initiated and the first supplemental award not being awarded, the first probability of awarding the first supplemental award is increased.

3. The gaming device of claim 2, wherein, in response to the second supplemental-award-determination sequence being initiated and the second supplemental award not being awarded, the second probability of awarding the second supplemental award is increased.

4. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the first supplemental award is a first progressive award, and wherein, in response to the first progressive-award-determination sequence being initiated and the first progressive award not being awarded, an amount of the first progressive award is increased.

5. The gaming device of claim 4, wherein the second supplemental award is a second progressive award, and wherein, in response to the second progressive-award-determination sequence being initiated and the second progressive award not being awarded, an amount of the second progressive award is increased.

6. The gaming device of claim 5, wherein the responsive increase of the first progressive award amount is by a first predetermined amount and the responsive increase of the second progressive award amount is by a second predetermined amount.

7. The gaming device of claim 5, wherein, in response to not initiating the first or the second progressive-award-determination sequences, the first and second progressive award amounts are both increased.

8. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the wagering game further includes a first standard award associated with the first symbol-based outcome, the first standard award being awarded in response to the wagering game outcome including the first symbol-based outcome regardless of whether the first supplemental award is awarded.

9. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the first frequency multiplied by the first probability is less than the second frequency multiplied by the second probability.

10. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein a respective size of each of the first and the second probabilities is dependent upon a size of the wager.

11. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the first supplemental-award-determination sequence includes randomly determining whether to award the first supplemental award, and the second supplemental-award-determination sequence includes randomly determining whether to award the second supplemental award.

12. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the first and second frequencies and the first and second probabilities are selectively varied to achieve a predetermined volatility and a predetermined expected value.

13. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the first symbol-based outcome includes a combination of top-award symbols, the first probability of awarding the first progressive award being 100% in response to the wager being equal to a predetermined maximum bet.

14. A gaming system comprising:

means for receiving a wager from a player to play a wagering game;

means for receiving input from the player;

means for displaying the wagering game;

means for executing the wagering game, the wagering game including;

a first progressive award associated with one or more first symbol-based outcomes, the first progressive award having a first initial-award amount, the one or more first symbol-based outcomes having a first frequency of occurrence; and

a second progressive award associated with one or more second symbol-based outcomes distinct from the one or more first symbol-based outcomes, the second progressive award having a second initial-award amount, the one or more second symbol-based outcomes having a second frequency of occurrence;

means for determining an outcome of the wagering game, the outcome being randomly determined from a plurality of wagering game outcomes, the plurality of wagering game outcomes including the one or more first and second symbol-based outcomes; and

means for initiating;

a first progressive-award-determination sequence in response to displaying at least one of the one or more first symbol-based outcomes, the first progressive-award-determination sequence having a first probability of awarding the first progressive award; and

a second progressive-award-determination sequence in response to displaying at least one of the one or more second symbol-based outcomes, the second progressive-award-determination sequence having a second probability of awarding the second progressive award,

wherein the first initial-award amount is greater than the second initial-award amount, the first frequency of occurrence is lower than the second frequency of occurrence, and the first probability is greater than the second probability.

15. A method of conducting a wagering game for a player, the method comprising:

initiating the wagering game using at least one processor, the wagering game including a plurality of awards each associated with a respective symbol-based outcome, each of the plurality of awards having a respective initial-award amount, each of the respective symbol-based outcomes having a respective frequency of occurrence;

randomly determining, via at least one processor, an outcome of the wagering game;

causing at least one display device to display the wagering game outcome;

determining, via at least one processor, if the wagering game outcome corresponds to one of a plurality of predefined wagering game outcomes having a predefined award associated therewith;

awarding a respective first award if the wagering game outcome corresponds to one of the plurality of predefined wagering game outcomes having a predefined award associated therewith;

initiating an award-determination sequence responsive to the wagering game outcome comprising a predefined wagering game outcome to determine whether or not to award a second award, the award-determination sequence comprising a predefined probability of a positive outcome and a complementary probability of a negative outcome; and

in response to the occurrence of the negative outcome in the award-determination sequence, increasing the predefined probability of the positive outcome for successive wagering game play.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of awards includes a first award associated with a first symbol-based outcome having a first frequency of occurrence, and a second award associated with a second symbol-based outcome having a second frequency of occurrence that is greater than the first frequency of occurrence, wherein the first award has a first probability of being awarded and the second award has a second probability of being awarded that is less than the first probability.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first frequency multiplied by the first probability is less than the second frequency multiplied by the second probability.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

in response to the respective award associated with the displayed respective symbol-based outcome not being awarded, increasing an amount of the respective award.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the responsive increase of the respective award amount is by a respective predetermined amount

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

in response to not displaying one of the respective symbol-based outcomes, increasing the respective award amount for each of the plurality of awards.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the wagering game further includes a respective standard award associated with each of the symbol-based outcomes, the method further comprising:

in response to displaying one of the respective symbol-based outcomes, awarding the standard award associated with the displayed respective symbol-based outcome regardless of whether the respective award associated with the displayed respective symbol-based outcome is awarded.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein a respective size of each probability of awarding the respective award is dependent upon a size of the wager.

23. A computer program product comprising a non-transient computer readable medium having an instruction set borne thereby, the instruction set being configured to cause, upon execution by one or more controllers, the acts of:

initiating a wagering game using at least one processor, the wagering game including a plurality of awards each associated with a symbol-based outcome, the plurality of awards each having a respective initial-award amount, the symbol-based outcomes each having a respective frequency of occurrence;

randomly determining an outcome of the wagering game from a plurality of wagering game outcomes, the plurality of wagering game outcomes including the symbol-based outcomes;

causing at least one display device to display the wagering game outcome;

initiating an award-determination sequence responsive to displaying one of the symbol-based outcomes, the award-determination sequence determining whether or not to award a respective one of the awards associated with the displayed symbol-based outcome, the respective award having a corresponding probability of being awarded; and

in response to the respective award associated with the displayed symbol-based outcome not being awarded, increasing the corresponding probability of awarding the respective award during successive play of the wagering game.

24. A method of conducting a wagering game for a player, the method comprising:

initiating the wagering game using at least one processor, the wagering game including a first progressive award associated with a first symbol-based outcome, and a second progressive award associated with a second symbol-based outcome distinct from the first symbol-based outcome, the first progressive award having a first value and the second progressive award having a second value;

randomly determining, via at least one processor, an outcome of the wagering game, the outcome being determined from a plurality of wagering game outcomes, the plurality of wagering game outcomes including the first and second symbol-based outcomes;

causing at least one display device to display the wagering game outcome;

initiating a progressive-award-determination sequence in response to displaying at least one of the first and second symbol-based outcomes to determine whether or not to award the progressive award associated with the displayed at least one of the first and second symbol-based outcomes;

if the progressive-award-determination sequence decides to award the progressive award associated with the displayed at least one symbol-based outcome, awarding the progressive award associated with the displayed at least one symbol-based outcome; and

if the progressive-award-determination sequence decides not to award the progressive award associated with the displayed at least one symbol-based outcome, increasing a respective probability of awarding the progressive award associated with the displayed at least one symbol-based outcome by a predetermined amount.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the predetermined amount is equal to a corresponding reset value of the progressive award associated with the displayed at least one symbol-based outcome.