SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TOURNAMENT GAMING USING SOCIAL NETWORK BASED TEAM FORMATION

• US 20150094135A1
• Filed: 10/21/2014
• Published: 04/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Hedrick, Randy, Lyons, Martin S., Sommer, John, Monette, Amy
• Granted Patent: US 9,155,968 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/792 for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• 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 17/3295 Games involving skill, e.g. dexterity, memory, thinking

Abstract

A method is disclosed of enabling a player to use remote home terminals or mobile devices via a network to enroll in a casino tournament gaming system, in addition to winning prizes offered as an outcome of a primary game on underlying gaming machines located in a casino. The method includes enabling enrollment in the casino tournament gaming system to form tournament teams via remote home terminals or mobile devices, wherein the system uses existing social networks to leverage pre-existing relationships between players that are members of the social network to form tournament teams; enabling play of a game of chance on the underlying gaming machines that award game credits that are redeemable for a payout and are controlled by overall payout percentages relating to the game of chance; and facilitating entry into one or more skill-based tournament games in the player'"'"'s tournament team against other tournament teams.

Claims

1. A system for enabling players to use remote terminals or mobile devices via a network to enroll in a casino tournament comprising:

a communication network providing a non-gaming social network for players;

an enrollment server in communication with said network, said enrollment server adapted to enable players through at least said social network to form tournament teams via said remote home terminals or mobile devices;

a plurality of gaming terminals each having a video game display and providing wager-based gaming, each gaming terminal including at least a base game to randomly or pseudo-randomly produce winning and losing results and to issue credit award having a monetary value to players thereof for a winning outcome and a skill-based tournament game configured to issue awards in non-monetary value points;

a tournament server in communication with gaming terminals to administer said tournament to allocate said tournament game points awarded during play of said gaming terminals to the teams for the players hereof; and

said tournament server controlling at least said gaming terminal displays to display team points and the winning team.

2. The system of claim 1 comprising said terminals configured to provide a bonus game awarded during the play of the base game, said bonus game configured to provide awards of credits and points.

3. The system of claim 2 comprising said bonus game includes a player'"'"'s interaction with a plurality of objects displayed at said terminal, said system configured to, upon initiation of said bonus game, (a) determine the number of total credits of the prize to be awarded (TP) and (b) allocate said TP among said objects, said player interaction with said objects for capturing said prize.

4. The system of claim 1 comprising a game server in communication with said network and configured to provide for practice play of said skill-based tournament game by players.

5. A system for enabling players to use remote terminals or mobile devices via a network to enroll in a casino tournament comprising:

a communication network providing a non-gaming social network for players;

an enrollment server in communication with said network, said enrollment server adapted to enable players through at least said social network to form tournament teams via said remote home terminals or mobile devices;

a plurality of gaming terminals each having a video game display and providing wager-based gaming, each gaming terminal including at least a base game to randomly or pseudo-randomly produce winning and losing results and to issue credit award having a monetary value to players thereof for a winning outcome and a bonus game awarded during the play of the base game, said bonus game configured to provide awards of credits and non-monetary points, at least said points awarded based upon an element of skill;

a tournament server in communication with gaming terminals to administer said tournament to allocate said tournament game points awarded during play of said gaming terminals to the teams for the players hereof; and

said tournament server controlling at least said gaming terminal displays to display team points.

6. A gaming terminal for integration with a system including a non-gaming social network for players to assemble tournament teams via remote home terminals or mobile devices, said terminal comprising;

apparatus for the gaming terminal to communicate with a tournament server configured to store for each team an account including data for each player thereof;

said gaming terminal having a video game display and configured for providing wager-based gaming including at least a base game to randomly or pseudo-randomly produce winning and losing results and to issue credit awards having a monetary value to a player thereof for a winning outcome and a bonus game, said bonus game configured to provide awards of credits and non-monetary points, at least said points awarded based upon an element of skill;

said apparatus reporting points awarded to the tournament server for allocation of said points to the player and the player'"'"'s team during a tournament.

7. An improved method enabling players to use remote terminals or mobile devices via a network engage in a tournament comprising:

providing an enrollment server in communication with a social network for enabling players to form tournament teams via said remote home terminals or mobile devices;

configuring a plurality of gaming terminals having a video game display for providing (a) wager-based gaming including at least a base game for randomly or pseudo-randomly producing winning and losing results and for issuing credit awards having a monetary value to players thereof for a winning outcome and (b) a skill-based tournament game for issuing awards in non-monetary value points;

enabling a tournament server in communication with gaming terminals for administering said tournament and allocating said tournament game points awarded during play of said gaming terminals to the teams for the players hereof; and

said tournament server controlling at least said gaming terminal displays for displaying team points.

8. The method of claim 7 comprising said tournament server controlling at least said gaming terminal displays for displaying team rankings.

9. The method of claim 7 comprising enabling one or more of said enrollment server and tournament server to push team rankings to said players remote home terminals or mobile devices.