Reel slot machine

• US 6,186,894 B1
• Filed: 07/08/1998
• Issued: 02/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: Battle Born Gaming, Inc.
• Inventors: Mayeroff, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin-Wallace, Valencia
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOTALING, JOHN M
• Application Number:
  US09/112,225
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16-20, 463/21, 273/138.1, 273/141.R, 273/142.R
• US Class Current: 463/20
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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 17/3267 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

A slot machine is configured to have a main game comprising a multi-reel payline mechanical reel or video reel slot arrangement with at least one payline and a secondary event game comprising a multi-reel, one or more payline mechanical slot arrangement. Whenever the player achieves a combination of symbols on the main game that awards the player with the secondary event game, the number of chances provided to the player to play the secondary event game is based on the number of paylines that the player has played on the main game or by the number of credits wagered on each payline. Alternatively, the number of spins awarded to the player on the secondary event game can be determined by the symbol combinations achieved by the player on the main game. All spins of the three reel secondary event game can be winning spins or, alternatively, the spins on the secondary event reel game can be either winning or losing spins.

Claims

1. A method of playing a gaming machine having a main slot machine with multiple reels and multiple paylines and a secondary event slot machine with at least one mechanical reel and at least one payline, each reel having a plurality of symbols thereon, comprising:

a) making a wager of at least one credit on at least one of the paylines on the main slot machine;

b) activating the main slot machine to cause the reels to spin;

c) when the reels stop spinning, determining which symbols appear on the paylines upon which a wager has been made;

d) awarding a payout if one or more of preselected winning combinations appear on any of the paylines on which a wager has been made;

e) determining a number of spins on the secondary event slot machine by the number of paylines activated on the main slot machine and awarding the determined number of spins on the secondary event slot machine if a preselected secondary event bonus combination is achieved;

f) determining which symbol combination appears on any payline of the secondary event slot machine; and

g) awarding a payout on each bonus spin in which a winning symbol combination is achieved on a payline of the secondary event slot machine.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the main slot machine is provided with five reels and nine paylines and the secondary event slot machine is provided with three reels and one payline.

3. The method of claim 1 in which each spin of the secondary event slot machine is a winning spin.

4. The method of claim 1 in which a multiplier number is randomly selected at randomly determined intervals during the play of the secondary event slot machine and the multiplier number is used to increase the amount of payouts achieved during the play of the secondary event slot machine.

5. A method of playing a gaming machine having a main slot machine with multiple reels and at least one payline and a secondary event slot machine with at least one mechanical reel and at least one payline, each reel having a plurality of symbols thereon, comprising:

a) making a wager of at least one credit on at least one of the paylines on the main slot machine;

b) activating the main slot machine to cause the reels to spin;

c) when the reels stop spinning, determining which symbols appear on the paylines upon which a wager has been made;

d) awarding a payout if one or more of preselected winning combinations appear on any of the paylines on which a wager has been made;

e) determining a number of spins on the secondary event slot machine by the number of credits wagered on a payline and awarding the determined number of spins on the secondary event slot machine if a preselected secondary event bonus combination is achieved;

f) determining which symbol combination appears on any payline of the secondary event slot machine; and

g) awarding a payout on each spin in which a winning symbol combination is achieved on a payline of the secondary event slot machine.

6. The method of claim 5 in which the main slot machine is provided with five reels and nine paylines and the secondary event slot machine is provided with three reels and one payline.

7. The method of claim 5 in which each spin of the secondary event slot machine is a winning spin.

8. The method of claim 5 in which a multiplier number is randomly selected at randomly determined intervals during the play of the secondary event slot machine and the multiplier number is used to increase the amount of payouts achieved during the play of the secondary event slot machine.

9. A method of playing a gaming machine having a main slot machine with multiple reels and at least one payline and a secondary event slot machine with at least one mechanical reel and at least one payline, each reel having a plurality of symbols thereon, comprising:

a) making a wager of at least one credit on at least one of the paylines on the main slot machine;

b) activating the main slot machine to cause the reels to spin;

c) when the reels stop spinning, determining which symbols appear on the paylines upon which a wager has been made;

d) awarding a payout if one or more of preselected winning combinations appear on any of the paylines on which a wager has been made;

e) determining a number of spins on the secondary event slot machine by which symbol combinations were achieved on the active paylines of the main slot machine, the determined number of spins to be at least two, and awarding the determined number of spins on the secondary event slot machine if a preselected secondary event bonus combination is achieved;

f) determining which symbol combination appears on any payline of the secondary event slot machine; and

g) awarding a payout on each spin in which a winning symbol combination is achieved on a payline of the secondary event slot machine.

10. The method of claim 9 in which the main slot machine is provided with five reels and nine paylines and the secondary event slot machine is provided with three reels and one payline.

11. The method of claim 9 in which each spin of the secondary event slot machine is a winning spin.

12. The method of claim 9 in which a multiplier number is randomly selected at randomly determined intervals during the play of the secondary event slot machine and the multiplier number is used to increase the amount of payouts achieved during the play of the secondary event slot machine.

13. A gaming machine having a main slot machine with multiple reels and at least one payline and a secondary event slot machine with at least one mechanical reel and at least one payline, each reel having a plurality of symbols thereon, and including computer controls to operate the gaming machine, comprising:

a) means for wagering at least one credit on at least one of the paylines on the main slot machine;

b) means for activating the main slot machine to cause the reels to spin;

c) means for determining after the reels stop spinning which symbols appear on the paylines upon which a wager has been made;

d) means for awarding a payout if one or more of preselected winning combinations appear on any of the paylines on which a wager has been made;

e) means for awarding a determined number of spins on the secondary event slot machine by the number of paylines activated on the main slot machine if a preselected secondary bonus event is achieved on the main slot machine;

f) means for determining which symbol combination appears on any payline of the secondary event slot machine; and

g) means for awarding a payout on each spin in which a winning symbol combination is achieved on a payline of the secondary event slot machine.

14. The gaming machine of claim 13 in which the main slot machine is provided with five reels and nine paylines and the secondary event slot machine is provided with three reels and one payline.

15. The gaming machine of claim 13 further including means for randomly selecting a multiplier number at randomly determined intervals during the play of the secondary event slot machine and means for increasing the amount of payouts achieved during the play of the secondary event slot machine by the amount of the multiplier number.

16. A gaming machine having a main slot machine with multiple reels and at least one payline and a secondary event slot machine with at least one mechanical reel and at least one payline, each reel having a plurality of symbols thereon, and including computer controls to operate the gaming machine, comprising:

a) means for wagering at least one credit on at least one of the paylines on the main slot machine;

b) means for activating the main slot machine to cause the reels to spin;

c) means for determining after the reels stop spinning which symbols appear on the paylines upon which a wager has been made;

d) means for awarding a payout if one or more of preselected winning combinations appear on any of the paylines on which a wager has been made;

e) means for awarding a determined number of spins on the secondary event slot machine by the number of credits wagered on a payline on the main slot machine if a preselected secondary bonus event is achieved on the main slot machine;

f) means for determining which symbol combination appears on any payline of the secondary event slot machine; and

g) means for awarding a payout on each spin in which a winning symbol combination is achieved on a payline of the secondary event slot machine.

17. The gaming machine of claim 16 in which the main slot machine is provided with five reels and nine paylines and the secondary event slot machine is provided with three reels and one payline.

18. The gaming machine of claim 16 further including means for randomly selecting a multiplier number at randomly determined intervals during the play of the secondary event slot machine and means for increasing the amount of payouts achieved during the play of the secondary event slot machine by the amount of the multiplier number.