Gaming device having odds of winning which increase as a player's wager increases

• US 7,374,486 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2005
• Issued: 05/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Baerlocher, Anthony J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coburn; Corbett B.
• Application Number:
  US11/242,157
• Publication Number:
  US 20060030399A1
• Time in Patent Office: 960 Days
• Field of Search: 463/20, 463/16
• US Class Current: 463/20
• 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 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots

Abstract

A gaming device having a game which requires the same average investment from a player to win an award, including a jackpot award, regardless of the amount that the player bets at any one time. The award can be unchanging, e.g., $10,000, each time a player plays the gaming device. The award can also vary such as with a progressive jackpot, i.e., the jackpot builds until a player “hits” the jackpot. The game enables the average investment necessary to win the jackpot to be uniform by varying the odds of winning the jackpot as the player'"'"'s bet varies. That is, a player betting less money needs to play the game more times, on average, to win the jackpot. Likewise, a player betting more money needs to play the game less times, on average, to win the jackpot. The average overall bet or investment thus remains constant despite the player'"'"'s betting habits or betting ability.

Claims

1. A gaming machine operable under control of a processor, said gaming machine comprising:

a plurality of reels controlled by the processor;

a plurality of paylines associated with the reels;

at least one wager input device operable to communicate with the processor; and

a bonus game controlled by the processor and having a bonus award, wherein

odds of generating a designated combination of symbols on the reels that trigger a play of the bonus game are constant regardless of;

(i) the number of paylines wagered on; and

(ii) the wager per payline, and

the bonus game has a plurality of levels, wherein

(a) a first one of the levels has odds contributing to a generation of said bonus award that vary based on the number of the paylines wagered on and do not vary based on the wager per payline, and

(b) a second one of the levels has odds contributing to the generation of said bonus award that vary based on the wager per payline and do not vary based on the number of paylines wagered on.

2. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein said bonus award has a constant payout ratio regardless of the number of paylines wagered and the wager per payline.

3. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the odds of generating said bonus award vary linearly based on the number of paylines wagered and the wager per payline, respectively.

4. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the odds of generating said bonus award vary proportionately with the number of paylines wagered and the wager per payline, respectively.

5. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein constant odds of playing the bonus game are achieved via one the paylines being dedicated to determining whether the bonus game is played.

6. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein constant odds of playing the bonus game are achieved via each of the paylines passing through a single paystop on one of the reels.

7. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second levels of the bonus game includes an odds constant for the bonus award in addition to the varying odds based on the number of paylines wagered and the wager per payline, respectively.

8. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the bonus game includes a third level having constant odds of generating the bonus award.

9. A gaming machine operable under control of a processor, said gaming machine comprising:

a base game controlled by the processor and having a plurality of reels, a plurality of paylines associated with the reels, and a plurality of base game awards;

at least one wager input device operable to communicate with the processor; and

a bonus game controlled by the processor and having a bonus award, wherein;

odds of initiating the bonus game depend on an event not associated with generating base game awards,

the bonus game has a plurality of levels, wherein

(a) a first one of the levels has odds contributing to a generation of the bonus award that vary based on the number of the paylines wagered and do not vary based on the wager per payline, and

(b) a second one of the levels has odds contributing to the generation of the bonus award that vary based on the wager per payline and do not vary based on the number of paylines wagered on.