DYNAMIC PLACEMENT OF IN-GAME ADS, IN-GAME PRODUCT PLACEMENT, AND IN-GAME PROMOTIONS IN WAGER-BASED GAME ENVIRONMENTS

• US 20180005483A1
• Filed: 06/29/2017
• Published: 01/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Empire Technological Group Limited
• Original Assignee: Synergy Blue LLC
• Inventors: Washington, Georg, Serra, Joe
• Granted Patent: US 9,940,785 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3213 Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3246 involving coins and/or banknotes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3288 Betting, e.g. on live events, bookmaking

Abstract

Various aspects are described herein for implementing in-game advertising, in-game product placement, and in-game promotion techniques in wager-based games conducted at an electronic gaming device of a casino gaming network. These techniques provide the ability for traditional video-type wager-based gaming machines (such as those deployed at casino gaming establishments) to be quickly and easily converted to wager-based games which support in-game advertising while still satisfying the strict regulatory compliance rules and regulations governing wager-based gaming

Claims

1. A computer implemented gaming method conducted in a gaming network, the gaming network including a first electronic, wager-based gaming device (“

first EGD”

), the first EGD including a first display, a first input interface, a first bill or ticket acceptor, the method comprising causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions stored in a memory for causing at least one component of the gaming network to;

enable a player to engage in a first interactive gaming session of a wager-based game conducted at the first EGD;

initiate, during the first interactive gaming session, a first wager-based game event at the first EGD;

establish an account balance using at least a portion of cash or credit received via the first bill or ticket acceptor;

automatically fund an amount wagered on the first wager-based game event using the account balance;

determine an event outcome of the first wager-based game event, the event outcome having associated therewith game event outcome content;

display, at the first display and during the first interactive gaming session, wager-based game content depicting an in-game environment of the wager-based game;

identify a first portion of advertising content for display as an in-game advertisement within the in-game environment of the wager-based game; and

display, at the first display and during the first interactive gaming session, the first portion of advertising content as an in-game advertisement within the in-game environment of the wager-based game.

2. The computer implemented gaming method of claim 1 further comprising causing the at least one processor to execute instructions stored in the memory to:

enable the player to initiate an in-game interaction with the displayed in-game advertisement.

3. The computer implemented gaming method of claim 1 further comprising causing the at least one processor to execute instructions stored in the memory to:

select the first portion of advertising content using at least one type of advertising selection criteria selected from a group consisting of;

criteria relating to the player'"'"'s gambling preferences;

criteria relating to the player'"'"'s spend amount over a given time interval;

criteria relating to wager-based game session points or score;

criteria relating to the player'"'"'s skill level; and

criteria relating to the player'"'"'s historical financial transactions.

4. The computer implemented gaming method of claim 1 wherein the in-game advertisement corresponds to an in-game product placement advertisement.

5. The computer implemented gaming method of claim 1 wherein the in-game advertisement corresponds to an in-game promotional advertisement.

6. The computer implemented gaming method of claim 1 further comprising causing the at least one processor to execute instructions stored in the memory to:

enable the player to initiate an in-game interaction with the displayed in-game advertisement; and

automatically initiate a food or beverage order on behalf of the player in response to the player'"'"'s-game interaction with the displayed in-game advertisement.

7. The computer implemented gaming method of claim 1 further comprising causing the at least one processor to execute instructions stored in the memory to:

cause the first portion of advertising content to be displayed as a symbol of a virtual slot reel.

8. A computer implemented gaming system implemented in a gaming network, the gaming network including a first electronic, wager-based gaming device (“

first EGD”

), the first EGD including a first display and a first input interface, the system comprising at least one processor operable to execute a plurality of instructions stored in a memory for causing at least one component of the gaming network to;

enable a player to engage in a first interactive gaming session of a wager-based game conducted at the first EGD;

initiate, during the first interactive gaming session, a first wager-based game event at the first EGD;

establish an account balance using at least a portion of cash or credit received via the first bill or ticket acceptor;

automatically fund an amount wagered on the first wager-based game event using the account balance;

determine an event outcome of the first wager-based game event, the event outcome having associated therewith game event outcome content;

display, at the first display and during the first interactive gaming session, wager-based game content depicting an in-game environment of the wager-based game;

identify a first portion of advertising content for display as an in-game advertisement within the in-game environment of the wager-based game; and

display, at the first display and during the first interactive gaming session, the first portion of advertising content as an in-game advertisement within the in-game environment of the wager-based game.

9. The computer implemented gaming system of claim 8 being further operable to cause the at least one processor to execute instructions stored in the memory to:

enable the player to initiate an in-game interaction with the displayed in-game advertisement.

10. The computer implemented gaming system of claim 8 being further operable to cause the at least one processor to execute instructions stored in the memory to:

select the first portion of advertising content using at least one type of advertising selection criteria selected from a group consisting of;

criteria relating to the player'"'"'s gambling preferences;

criteria relating to the player'"'"'s spend amount over a given time interval;

criteria relating to wager-based game session points or score;

criteria relating to the player'"'"'s skill level; and

criteria relating to the player'"'"'s historical financial transactions.

11. The computer implemented gaming system of claim 8 wherein the in-game advertisement corresponds to an in-game product placement advertisement.

12. The computer implemented gaming system of claim 8 wherein the in-game advertisement corresponds to an in-game promotional advertisement.

13. The computer implemented gaming system of claim 8 being further operable to cause the at least one processor to execute instructions stored in the memory to:

enable the player to initiate an in-game interaction with the displayed in-game advertisement; and

automatically initiate a food or beverage order on behalf of the player in response to the player'"'"'s-game interaction with the displayed in-game advertisement.

14. The computer implemented gaming system of claim 8 being further operable to cause the at least one processor to execute instructions stored in the memory to:

cause the first portion of advertising content to be displayed as a symbol of a virtual slot reel.