Decreasing or increasing number of multipliers for a multi-spin slot game

• US 6,561,904 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2001
• Issued: 05/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Locke, David K., Raneses, Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): ONEILL, MICHAEL W
• Application Number:
  US09/950,193
• Publication Number:
  US 20030054872A1
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16-22, 463/25-28, 463/40-42, 273/143.R
• US Class Current: 463/25
• 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

Abstract

A game of chance is conducted on a gaming machine controlled by a processor in response to a wager. A primary game outcome is randomly selected from a plurality of possible primary game outcomes. In response to the primary game outcome being a bonus triggering outcome, a plurality of secondary game outcomes are randomly selected and represented with respective successive free spins of a plurality of symbol-bearing reels. In each free spin the reels are rotated and stopped to place symbols on the reels in visual association with a symbol array. Payout multipliers are randomly selected for, and vary with, the respective secondary game outcomes. Payouts are awarded for the respective secondary game outcomes according to a pay table. Each payout is multiplied by the respective payout multiplier.

Claims

1. A method of conducting a game of chance on a gaming machine controlled by a processor, comprising:

receiving a wager from a player;

randomly selecting a plurality of outcomes;

representing the outcomes with respective successive selections of game indicia;

selecting a payout multiplier for each of the respective outcomes from a group of possible payout multipliers, the group of possible payout multipliers varying with the respective outcomes;

awarding payouts for the respective outcomes according to a pay table; and

multiplying each payout by the respective selected payout multiplier.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of representing the outcomes includes representing each of the outcomes with a plurality of symbols placed in a symbol array.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the symbol array includes a plurality of rows and columns.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of representing each of the outcomes with a plurality of symbols placed in a symbol array includes rotating and stopping a plurality of symbol-bearing reels to place the symbols on the reels in visual association with the symbol array.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of selecting a payout multiplier for each of the respective outcomes from a group of possible payout multipliers includes randomly selecting each payout multiplier from the group of possible payout multipliers.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the group of possible payout multipliers varies in number with the respective outcomes.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the group of possible payout multipliers is successively reduced in number with the respective outcomes by successively removing smallest ones of the possible payout multipliers from the group of possible payout multipliers.

8. The method of claim 1, further including randomly selecting a primary game outcome, and wherein the step of randomly selecting a plurality of outcomes occurs in response to the primary game outcome being a bonus triggering outcome.

9. A method of conducting a game of chance on a gaming machine controlled by a processor, comprising:

receiving a wager from a player;

randomly selecting a primary game outcome from a plurality of possible primary game outcomes;

in response to the primary game outcome being a bonus triggering outcome, randomly selecting a plurality of secondary game outcomes;

representing the secondary game outcomes with respective successive free spins of a plurality of symbol-bearing reels, wherein in each free spin the reels are rotated and stopped to place symbols on the reels in visual association with a symbol array;

selecting a payout multiplier for each of the respective secondary game outcomes from a group of possible payout multipliers, the group of possible payout multipliers varying with the respective secondary game outcomes;

awarding payouts for the respective secondary game outcomes according to a pay table; and

multiplying each payout by the respective selected payout multiplier.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of selecting a payout multipliers for each of the respective secondary game outcomes from a group of possible payout multipliers includes randomly selecting each payout multiplier from the group of possible payout multipliers.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the group of possible payout multipliers varies in number with the respective secondary game outcomes.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the group of possible payout multipliers is successively reduced in number with the respective secondary game outcomes by successively removing smallest ones of the possible payout multipliers from the group of possible payout multipliers.

13. A method of conducting a game of chance on a gaming machine controlled by a processor, comprising:

receiving a wager from a player;

randomly selecting a plurality of outcomes;

representing the outcomes with respective successive spins of a plurality of symbol-bearing reels, wherein in each spin the reels are rotated and stopped to place symbols on the reels in visual association with a symbol array;

selecting a payout multiplier for each of the respective outcomes from a group of possible payout multipliers, the group of possible payout multipliers varying with the respective outcomes;

awarding payouts for the respective outcomes according to a pay table; and

multiplying each payout by the respective selected payout multiplier.

14. A gaming machine controlled by a processor in response to a wager, comprising:

means for randomly selecting a plurality of outcomes;

means for representing the outcomes with respective successive selections of game indicia;

means for selecting a payout multiplier for each of the respective outcomes from a group of possible payout multipliers, the group of possible payout multipliers varying with the respective outcomes;

means for awarding payouts for the respective outcomes according to a pay table; and

means for multiplying each payout by the respective selected payout multiplier.

15. A gaming machine controlled by a processor in response to a wager, comprising:

meals for randomly selecting a plurality of outcomes;

means for representing the outcomes with respective successive spins of a plurality of symbol-bearing reels, wherein in each spin the reels are rotated and stopped to place symbols on the reels in visual association with a symbol array;

means for selecting a payout multiplier for each of the respective outcomes from a group of possible payout multipliers, the group of possible payout multipliers varying with the respective outcomes;

means for awarding payouts for the respective outcomes according to a pay table; and

means for multiplying each payout by the respective selected payout multiplier.