High granularity promotion-based awards and use in gaming environments

• US 7,682,244 B1
• Filed: 02/15/2001
• Issued: 03/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Luciano, Robert Anthony Jr., Marsden, Russ Frederick, Crowder, Robert William
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Peter DungBa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yoo; Jasson H
• Application Number:
  US09/788,162
• Time in Patent Office: 3,323 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/25, 463/29, 463 40- 42, 463/30, 463 16- 20
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• 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 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements

Abstract

A system and method for determined, issuing, and using promotion based awards and games based on those awards that encompass granularity and diversity of individually enforceable options, such as individual games at specified locations, heretofore not achievable in a gaining environment.

Claims

1. A method for enhancing game play on gaming machines, each gaming machine comprising a central processor and a memory, a prize-bearing instrument reader and a prize-bearing instrument writer operatively coupled to the processor, and further comprising program logic stored in the memory usable to play at least one base game in exchange for a wager, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a Newprom award to a player at a first gaming machine by way of the prize-bearing instrument writer;

receiving the Newprom award from the player by way of the prize-bearing instrument reader at a second gaming machine;

determining by the central processor of the second gaming machine whether the Newprom award is applicable to the at least one base game on the second gaming machine; and

altering the at least one base game on the second gaming machine to an enhanced base game state in response to the Newprom award, wherein the Newprom award is configured to add one or more game play enhancements available to the player only by way of the Newprom award to the at least one base game, thereby altering the at least one base game to the enhanced base game state so that the at least one base game is played with the one or more game play enhancements, wherein the game play enhancements comprise a change in a game play, game format, game style or game type of the at least one base game, additional pay lines to the at least one base game, additional winning indicia for the at least one base game, or any combination thereof.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the Newprom award includes time restriction data having a predetermined, fixed expiration date for the Newprom award.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the Newprom award includes location restriction data that restricts use of the Newprom award to a predetermined location or a predetermined set of locations.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the Newprom award includes gaming device restriction data that restricts use of the Newprom award to a particular game, a set of related games, a family of games, or a predetermined subset of games.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein altering the at least one base game further comprises providing a new pay table for the game in response to the Newprom award.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein altering the at least one base game further comprises applying a multiplier to any winning outcomes of the game.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising issuing a Newprom award to the player during a gaming session.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising issuing a Newprom award to the player at the conclusion of a gaming session.

9. A method for enhancing game play on gaming machines, each gaming machine comprising a central processor and memory and input/output devices operatively coupled to the processor, and program logic stored in the memory usable to play at least one base game in exchange for a wager, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving player input associated with a Newprom award issued by a first gaming;

determining by the central processor the second gaming machine whether the Newprom award is applicable to the at least one base game on the second gaming machine; and

altering the at least one base game on the second gaming machine in response to the Newprom award, wherein the Newprom award is configured to add one or more base game play enhancements available only by way of the Newprom award, thereby altering the least one base game to an enhanced base game state so that the at least one base game is played with the one or more game play enhancements, wherein the game play enhancements comprise a change in a game play, game format, game style or game type of the at least one base game, additional pay lines to the at least one base game, additional winning indicia for the at least one base game, or any combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving player input further comprises:

accepting player identification; and

retrieving a Newprom award that is associated with the player identification.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the Newprom award includes time restriction data having a predetermined, fixed expiration date for the Newprom award.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the Newprom award includes location restriction data that restricts use of the Newprom award to a predetermined location or a predetermined set of locations.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the Newprom award includes gaming device restriction data that restricts use of the Newprom award to a particular game, a set of related games, a family of games, or a predetermined subset of games.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein altering the at least one game further comprises providing a new pay table for the at least one base game in response to the Newprom award.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein altering the at least one base game further comprises applying a multiplier to any winning outcomes of the game.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising issuing a Newprom award to the player during a gaming session.

17. The method of claim 9, further comprising issuing a Newprom award to the player at the conclusion of a gaming session.