Gaming machine with high volatility index

• US 6,302,791 B1
• Filed: 02/09/2000
• Issued: 10/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Giobbi, John J., Frohm, Erica A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrison, Jessica J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): White, Carmen D.
• Application Number:
  US09/500,857
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16-22
• US Class Current: 463/21
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes

Abstract

A gaming machine comprises a spinning reel display showing a plurality of symbols on each of a plurality of rotatable reels. The reels are rotated and stopped to place the symbols of each reel in visual association with a pay line. A winning combination of displayed symbols triggers a payoff. The distribution of payoff values and probabilities results in a high volatility index, so that the distribution is similar to a state-run lottery.

Claims

1. A gaming machine comprising:

a spinning reel display having a plurality of symbols on each of a plurality of rotatable reels, said reels being rotated and stopped at stop positions to place combinations of said symbols in visible association with a pay line; and

a controller randomly determining said stop positions of said reels based on a probability of hitting any payoff-generating one of the combinations of less than 5 percent and based on a volatility index greater than or equal to about 150 for a confidence interval of 99 percent.

2. The gaming machine of claim 1 wherein said spinning reel display includes a video screen showing video images of said reels.

3. The gaming machine of claim 1 wherein said reels are mechanical and said spinning reel display includes a window through which said plurality of symbols on each of said mechanical reels is viewed.

4. The gaming machine of claim 3 wherein said reels are rotatable about a vertical axis.

5. The gaming machine of claim 3 wherein said reels are rotatable about a horizontal axis.

6. The gaming machine of claim 1 wherein there is only one possible payoff.

7. The gaming machine of claim 1 wherein said volatility index is greater than or equal to about 1500.

8. The gaming machine of claim 1 wherein said symbols include only blanks and payoff symbols.

9. The gaming machine of claim 1 wherein only one wager amount is allowed.

10. A high volatility index payoff method for a gaming machine, the method comprising:

providing a game of chance selected from a group consisting of slots, bingo, keno, and roulette, said game having outcomes, randomly determined based on a probability of hitting any payoff-generating one of the outcomes of less than 5 percent and based on a volatility index greater than or equal to about 150 for a confidence interval of 99 percent;

playing said game in response to a wager placed by a player;

generating one of said outcomes; and

providing the player with a payoff for hitting said any payoff-generating one of said outcomes.

12. The gaming machine of claim 10 wherein said game of chance is displayed via a spinning reel display including a video screen showing video images of said reels.

13. The gaming machine of claim 10 wherein said game of chance is displayed via a spinning reel display including mechanical reels and a window through which a plurality of symbols on each of said mechanical reels are viewed.

14. The gaming machine of claim 13 wherein said reels are rotatable about a vertical axis.

15. The gaming machine of claim 13 wherein said reels are rotatable about a horizontal axis.

16. The gaming machine of claim 13 wherein there is only one possible payoff.

17. The gaming machine of claim 13 wherein said volatility index is greater than or equal to about 1500.

11. A gaming machine, comprising a game of chance controlled by a controller in response to a wager, said game of chance being selected from a group consisting of slots, bingo, keno, and roulette, said game having outcomes randomly determined based on a probability of hitting any payoff-generating one of the outcomes of less than 5 percent and based on a volatility index greater than or equal to about 150 for a confidence interval of 99 percent.

18. A gaming machine, comprising a game of chance controlled by a controller in response to one or more wager amounts, said game of chance being selected from a group consisting of slots, bingo, keno, and roulette, said game having randomly determined outcomes for each of said wager amounts, wherein for at least one of said wager amounts said outcomes are randomly determined based on a probability of hitting any payoff-generating one of the outcomes of less than 5 percent and based on a volatility index greater than or equal to about 150 for a confidence interval of 99 percent.

19. The gaming machine of claim 18 wherein said game of chance is displayed via a spinning reel display including a video screen showing video images of said reels.

20. The gaming machine of claim 18 wherein said game of chance is displayed via a spinning reel display including mechanical reels and a window through which a plurality of symbols on each of said mechanical reels are viewed.

21. The gaming machine of claim 20 wherein said reels are rotatable about a vertical axis.

22. The gaming machine of claim 20 wherein said reels are rotatable about a horizontal axis.

23. The gaming machine of claim 20 wherein there is only one possible payoff.

24. The gaming machine of claim 20 wherein said volatility index is greater than or equal to about 1500.