TABLE GAMES AND RELATED METHODS

• US 20130184044A1
• Filed: 03/07/2013
• Published: 07/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SG Gaming ANZ Pty Ltd. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Crown Limited, Shuffle Master Australasia Pty Limited
• Inventors: Frost, Brian, Choo, Jason
• Granted Patent: US 9,990,799 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/17
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/081 electric
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 5/04 Disc roulettes; Dial roulettes; Teetotums; Dice-tops
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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 17/3262 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 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament

Abstract

A gaming table in which the outcome of the game is determined manually, and in which players place bets electronically and wins or losses are calculated electronically. The gaming system is applicable to any suitable game including roulette.

Claims

1. A gaming system, comprising:

a random outcome determining device for a table game, the random outcome determining device initiable to produce a random game outcome;

a plurality of player terminals associated with play of the table game system, each player terminal including a player user interface to permit a player to select at least one possible game outcome and to receive at least one wager from the player on the at least one possible game outcome; and

at least one processor programmed to provide to all player terminals of the plurality active for play of the table game an indication of an initiation and a termination of a same time limit for placement of wagers before commencement of game play and a countdown for display on active player terminals of a time remaining between the initiation and the termination of the same time limit for placement of wagers, to determine winning wagers corresponding to a determined random outcome of the table game, and to credit winning proceeds for display at player terminals associated with winning wagers.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the random outcome determining device is physically located adjacent a dealer position to enable interaction with a dealer at the dealer position, and the random outcome determining device is initiable responsive to interaction with the dealer.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to provide to all player terminals of the plurality active for play of the table game the indication of the initiation and the termination of the same time limit for placement of wagers before commencement of game play and the countdown for display on active player terminals of the time remaining between the initiation and the termination of the same time limit for placement of wagers responsive to initiation by a dealer.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, further comprising a dealer terminal operably coupled to the at least one processor and including a dealer user interface configured to enable a dealer to directly credit a player terminal after receipt of funds for wagering from a player associated with the respective player terminal.

5. The gaming system of claim 4, wherein the dealer user interface is configured to enable a dealer to debit a player account so as to pay out to a player in physical form, upon request by the player, a remaining credit balance associated with a player terminal in use by the player.

6. The gaming system of claim 4, wherein each player terminal of the plurality is operably communicable with a central controller comprising the at least one processor, and the central controller is operably communicable with a system game controller operably communicable with the dealer user interface and configured to control game administration.

7. The gaming system of claim 6, wherein before the commencement of game play, the system game controller is programmed to send a new game signal to the central controller to confirm that all player terminals are synchronized.

8. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein after confirmation that all player terminals are synchronized, the system game controller is programmed to initiate the countdown of the same time limit from initiation to termination thereof for placement of wagers to begin a game after receipt of confirmation of terminal synchronization.

9. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein the central controller is programmed to initiate the countdown responsive to a start game command from the system game controller.

10. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein the start game command from the system controller is initiable through the dealer interface responsive to interaction with a dealer.

11. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein the central controller is configured to relay the start game command with the same time limit and time limit information to player terminal screens for display.

12. The gaming system of claim 6, wherein each player terminal is configured to send respective betting information to the central controller for storage by the central controller.

13. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to automatically poll each player terminal for wager details and balances upon the termination of the same time limit for placement of wagers.

14. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the random outcome determining device comprises at least one of a roulette wheel, a wheel, dice, coins and playing cards.

15. A gaming system, comprising:

at least one processor;

a random outcome determining device for a table game initiable to produce a random game outcome;

a plurality of individual player terminals, each player terminal including a player user interface to permit a player to select at least one possible game outcome and to receive at least one wager from the player on the at least one selected possible game outcome;

a dealer terminal operably coupled to the at least one processor and including a dealer user interface, the dealer user interface configured to enable a dealer to directly credit a player terminal after receipt of payment for wagering from a player associated with the respective player terminal;

the at least one processor programmed to;

provide player terminals of the plurality with an indication of a commencement and a completion of a same time limit for placement of wagers before commencement of game play and a countdown for display by each of the player terminals of time remaining between the commencement and completion of the same time limit;

determine winning wagers corresponding to a sensed random game outcome; and

credit winning proceeds for display at player terminals associated with winning wagers.

16. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein the dealer terminal is configured to enable a dealer to debit a player account so as to pay out to a player in physical form, upon request by the player, a remaining credit balance associated with a player terminal in use by the player.

17. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein each player terminal of the plurality is operably communicable with a central controller comprising the at least one processor, and the central controller is operably communicable with a system game controller operably communicable with the dealer terminal and configured to control game execution.

18. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein before the commencement of a game, the system game controller is programmed to send a new game request to the central controller to confirm that all player terminals are synchronized.

19. The gaming system of claim 18, wherein the system game controller is programmed to send the new game request responsive to a signal from the dealer terminal initiated by a dealer.

20. The gaming system of claim 18, wherein after confirmation that terminals are synchronized, the system game controller is programmed to send a start game command to the central controller.

21. The gaming system of claim 20, wherein the central controller is programmed to initiate the countdown of the same time limit from commencement to completion thereof responsive to a start game command from the system game controller.

22. The gaming system of claim 21, wherein the central controller is configured to relay the start game command with the same time limit and time limit information to player terminal screens for display.

23. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to automatically poll each player terminal for wager details and balances upon the completion of the time limit for placement of wagers.

24. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein the random outcome determining device comprises at least one of a roulette wheel, a wheel, dice, coins and playing cards.

25. A method of administering a wagering game, the method comprising:

providing to player terminals an indication of an initiation and a termination of a same time limit for placement of wagers before commencement of game play and a countdown of time remaining between the initiation and the termination of the same time limit;

receiving from each of one or more of the player terminals at least one selected possible game outcome and at least one wager associated with the at least one selected possible game outcome;

initiating a random outcome determining device for a table game to produce a random game outcome;

determining winning wagers corresponding to a determined random outcome of the table game; and

crediting winning wagers corresponding to a determined random outcome of the table game for display at player terminals associated with winning wager;

wherein at least one programmed processor is used to effect at least one of the acts of providing, initiating, determining and crediting.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising inputting a player credit entry at a dealer terminal after receipt of payment for wagering from at least one player, and responsive to said credit entry, directly crediting the amount of payment to a player terminal for the at least one player.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising the at least one programmed processor determining a remaining credit balance on a player terminal in use by the at least one player and cashing out the at least one player from the player terminal upon request by clearing the remaining credit balance from the player terminal and paying the credit directly to the at least one player.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein paying the credit directly to the at least one player further comprises providing the credit in physical form to the at least one player.

29. The method of claim 25, further comprising initiating the random outcome determining device one of manually and automatically.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein initiating the random outcome determining device comprises at least one of physically or virtually spinning a roulette wheel, spinning a wheel, casting dice, casting coins and distributing playing cards.