Progressive jackpot game with guaranteed winner

• US 6,210,275 B1
• Filed: 05/26/1999
• Issued: 04/03/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: Mikohn Gaming Corporation (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Olsen, Eric Burton
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Joe H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOSSER, KATHLEEN MICHELE
• Application Number:
  US09/318,891
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 463/21-25, 463/27, 463/16, 463/18, 463/42, 463/6, 273/143 R, 273/138.1, 273/309
• US Class Current: 463/16
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament

Abstract

The present invention relates to a progressive game that can be incorporated either as a bonus game or a stand-alone game in a progressive linked gaming machine environment. The game utilizes a plurality of progressive jackpot pools each associated with a particular game outcome (i.e., such as Quiniela, Exacta, Trifecta and Superfecta in the case of a horse race derby game). Each progressive jackpot pool is funded through play at the underlying linked game such as a contribution of each wager or through separate wagers. When the game of the present invention initiates, a plurality of successive game rounds are played. Each successive game round reduces the number of possible game outcomes such as by reducing the number of horses in each successive horse race. Therefore, with each successive game players have a higher probability of winning. The terminating round is reached in which the last game always results in at least one guaranteed winner through reduction of the possible game outcomes. However, a player (or players) may win in the first or any successive round which would immediately terminate the overall common game.

Claims

1. A casino race bonus game for an underlying set of eligible gaming machines in a system of linked gaming machines comprising the steps of:

starting the casino race bonus game,

playing a plurality of bonus rounds in the casino race bonus game with a number of displayed race icons in response to the step of starting, each bonus round comprising the steps of;

(a) displaying a set of randomly selected sweepstakes tickets at each eligible gaming machine;

(b) racing the number of displayed race icons on a displayed race track to a random finish;

(c) awarding each eligible gaming machine having at least one displayed sweepstakes ticket corresponding to the random finish of the displayed race icons and ending the bonus game,

(d) when no award occurs in aforesaid step, reducing the number of displayed race icons by at least one and repeating steps (a) through (c).

2. The casino race bonus game of claim 1 wherein the race icon is a horse icon.

3. The casino race bonus game of claim 2 wherein the set of sweepstakes tickets in the first bonus round comprise:

Quiniela, Exacta, Trifecta, and Superfecta for four randomly selected race icons in the number of displayed race icons.

4. The casino race bonus game of claim 3 wherein the set of sweepstakes tickets only comprise the Quiniela and Exacta after a certain number of bonus rounds have occurred.

5. The casino race bonus game of claim 3 further comprising the steps of:

providing a separate pool for Quiniela, Exacta, Trifecta, and Superfecta,

funding each separate pool from wagers placed at the linked gaming machines.

6. The casino race bonus game of claim 5 further comprising the step of using the Quiniela pool value in comparison to a randomly generated value as a bonus game trigger to start the casino race bonus game.

7. The casino race bonus game of claim 1 having the plurality of bonus rounds equal to nine.

8. The casino race bonus game of claim 7 having the number of race icons equal to ten in the first bonus round.

9. The casino race bonus game of claim 1 wherein another set of sweepstakes tickets is randomly displayed when additional wagering occurs in the eligible gaming machine prior to the start of the casino race bonus game.

10. The casino race bonus game of claim 1 wherein an additional set of sweepstakes tickets is randomly displayed for each multiple of a minimum wager in the eligible gaming machine prior to the start of the casino race bonus game.

11. The casino race bonus game of claim 1 wherein the step of awarding further comprises the step of providing a pro-rata share of a payoff to each eligible gaming machine.

12. A casino race bonus game for an underlying set of eligible gaming machines in a system of linked gaming machines comprising the steps of:

starting the casino race bonus game,

funding a plurality of jackpot pools from wagers made in the linked gaming machines, each of the plurality of jackpot pools corresponding to a race outcome,

playing a plurality of bonus rounds in the casino race bonus game with a set number of displayed race icons in response to the step of starting, each bonus round comprising the steps of;

(a) displaying a set of randomly selected tickets at each eligible gaming machine, each of said tickets corresponding to a race outcome;

(b) racing the number of displayed race icons on a displayed race track to a random finish;

(c) awarding each eligible gaming machine for each displayed ticket winning in the random finish of the displayed race icons, debiting each jackpot pool in accordance with the award for the winning ticket, and ending the bonus game,

(d) when no award occurs in aforesaid step, reducing the number of displayed race icons by at least one and repeating steps (a) through (c).

13. The casino race bonus game of claim 12 further comprising the step of randomly selecting the reduced number of displayed race icons from the set number of displayed race icons.

14. The casino race bonus game of claim 12 wherein the step of funding uses a predetermined percentage of the wagers.

15. The casino race bonus game of claim 12 wherein the step of awarding includes the step of evenly splitting the award from a jackpot pool among all eligible gaming machines having the same winning ticket.

16. The casino race bonus game of claim 12 wherein the step of displaying a set of randomly selected tickets includes selecting a common set of race icons such that each ticket includes the same race icons for each higher probability race outcome.

17. The casino race bonus game of claim 16 wherein the step of awarding includes paying awards from all higher probability jackpot pools having the common set of race icons.

18. A casino horse race bonus game for an underlying set of gaming machines linked to a controller comprising the steps of:

starting the casino horse race bonus game in the controller in response to a bonus game trigger for eligible gaming machines,

playing a set maximum number of bonus rounds in the casino horse race bonus game with a number of displayed horses, each bonus round comprising the steps of;

(a) displaying at each eligible gaming machine a different set of sweepstakes tickets randomly selected in the controller;

(b) racing the number of displayed horses on a displayed race track to a random finish as determined in the controller;

(c) awarding each eligible gaming machine having at least one displayed sweepstakes ticket corresponding to the random finish of the displayed horses and ending the casino horse race bonus game,

(d) when no award occurs in aforesaid step, reducing the number of displayed horses by at least one and repeating steps (a) through (c).

19. The casino horse race bonus game of claim 18 wherein the set of sweepstakes tickets in the first bonus round comprise:

Quiniela, Exacta, Trifecta, and Superfecta for four randomly selected horses in the number of displayed horses.

20. The casino horse race bonus game of claim 19 wherein the set of sweepstakes tickets only comprise the Quiniela and Exacta after a certain number of bonus rounds have occurred.

21. The casino horse race bonus game of claim 19 further comprising the steps of:

providing a separate pool for Quiniela, Exacta, Trifecta, and Superfecta,

funding each separate pool from wagers placed at the underlying set of gaming machines.

22. The casino horse race bonus game of claim 21 further comprising the step of using the Quiniela pool value in comparison to a randomly generated value as the bonus game trigger.

23. The casino horse race bonus game of claim 18 having a set number of bonus rounds equal to nine.

24. The casino horse race bonus game of claim 18 having the number of horses equal to ten in the first bonus round.

25. The casino horse race bonus game of claim 18 wherein another set of sweepstakes tickets is randomly displayed when additional wagering occurs in the eligible gaming machine.

26. The casino horse race bonus game of claim 18 wherein an additional set of sweepstakes tickets is randomly displayed for each multiple of a minimum wager in the eligible gaming machine.

27. The casino horse race bonus game of claim 18 wherein the step of awarding further comprises the step of providing a pro-rata share of a payoff to each eligible gaming machine.

28. A casino horse race bonus game for eligible gaming machines in an underlying set of gaming machines linked to a controller comprising the steps of:

providing a separate pool for Quiniela, Exacta, Trifecta, and Superfecta race outcomes,

funding each separate pool from wagers placed at the underlying set of gaming machines,

using the value of one of the separate pools in comparison to a randomly generated value as the bonus game trigger,

starting the casino horse race bonus game in the controller in response to a bonus game trigger for eligible gaming machines,

playing a set maximum number of bonus rounds in the casino horse race bonus game with a number of displayed horses, each bonus round comprising the steps of;

(a) displaying at each eligible gaming machine a set of sweepstakes tickets randomly selected in the controller;

the set of sweepstakes tickets in the first bonus round comprising;

Quiniela, Exacta, Trifecta, and Superfecta for four randomly selected horses in the number of displayed horses;

(b) racing the number of displayed horses on a displayed race track to a random finish as determined in the controller;

(c) awarding each eligible gaming machine having at least one displayed sweepstakes ticket corresponding to the random finish of the displayed horses and ending the casino horse race bonus game.

29. The method of claim 28 further comprising the step of:

when no award occurs in step (c), reducing the number of displayed horses by at least one, after a first predetermined number of bonus rounds eliminating the Superfecta ticket, after a second predetermined number of bonus rounds eliminating the Trifecta ticket, and repeating steps (a) through (c).

30. A method of operating a common game on a linked progressive jackpot system having a plurality of betting terminals on which players place wagers, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of jackpot game outcomes,

providing a plurality of progressive jackpot pools funded from the wagers, each of the plurality of progressive jackpot pools associated with one jackpot game outcome, the plurality of jackpot game outcomes arranged in order of most probable to least probable,

starting the common game with all possible game outcomes maximized,

playing a plurality of individual games in response to the step of starting with each successive individual game having fewer possible game outcomes,

issuing a set of wagered game outcomes to each player prior to each successive individual game played,

paying from the progressive jackpot pools when the wagered game outcomes match the individual game outcomes.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the process of selecting said game outcome wagers includes the random selection of game outcomes from the set of all possible game outcomes of each successive individual game.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein the process of selecting said set of game outcome wagers includes at least one game outcome wager associated with a progressive jackpot.

33. The method of claim 30 wherein the process of selecting said set of game outcome wagers is such that each successive lower probability game outcome wager includes the outcomes of all other higher probability game outcomes such that matching a particular game outcome involves matching the game outcomes for any and all higher probability game outcomes for each set of game outcome wagers.

34. The method of claim 30 wherein the process of paying any said progressive jackpot when said game outcome wager matches the associated individual game outcome, and wherein the process of paying the progressive jackpot may include splitting the progressive jackpot evenly among all players having an identical game outcome wager associated with each individual game outcome.

35. The method of claim 30 wherein each progressive pool is incremented through a predetermined percentage contribution of all wagers placed for each said individual game played on each said betting terminal.

36. The method of claim 30 wherein the process of re-establishing the starting of the common game when any said individual game wager matches the results of an individual game.