Progressive gaming method, apparatus, and program product for lottery-type gaming systems

• US 7,708,639 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2004
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Everi Games Inc. (Everi Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Multimedia Games Incorporated
• Inventors: O'Connor, Brendan, Enzminger, Joseph R., Lind, Clifton, Malle, Nimai
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Peter DungBa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hall; Arthur O.
• Application Number:
  US11/008,533
• Publication Number:
  US 20050137010A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,972 Days
• Field of Search: 463 9- 13, 463 16- 20, 463/25, 463/46, 463/47, 273/138.1, 273/139, 283/72, 283/94, 283/903
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots

Abstract

A progressive gaming method includes producing a set of game records with each game record being associated with a result in a game. Progressive prize bearing records are included in the set of game records according to a progressive win frequency rule. Each progressive prize bearing record is associated with a progressive win indicator and a progressive prize. After producing the game record set, the method includes assigning game records from the game record set to a number of players. Each game record is assigned to a respective player in response to a game play request associated with the respective player. The method also includes awarding a progressive prize to the respective player to whom a progressive prize bearing record is assigned in response to a game play request.

Claims

1. A lottery type progressive gaming method including:

(a) generating a set of game records through a game controller, each game record being associated with a predetermined result in a lottery game, one or more of the lottery game results being associated with a predetermined lottery game prize;

(b) designating, using a game controller, a subset of the set of game records to include one or more progressive prize bearing records independent from the respectively associated lottery game results, each of the progressive prize bearing records being associated with a win in a progressive game and also being associated with a progressive prize;

(c) storing a number of the game records, including one or more of the progressive prize bearing records, in memory accessible by a game services site controller, and operating the game services site controller under the control of program code to assign respective game records from the stored number of the game records to respective players, each assigned game record from the number of game records being assigned in response to a game play request which is (i) associated with a respective one of the players, and (ii) initiated through a player station for the respective player, the game play request including a request to play the lottery game, the progressive game, or both the lottery game and the progressive game;

(d) determining a value for the progressive prize through the game services site controller operating under the control of the program code;

(e) in the case when the progressive game is requested and one of the designated progressive prize bearing records is assigned to the respective one of the players, awarding the associated progressive prize to the respective one of the players; and

(f) in the case when the lottery game is requested and one of the designated progressive prize bearing records is assigned to the respective one of the players, separately awarding one or more lottery game prizes to the respective one of the players in accordance with the lottery game results associated with the one assigned of the designated game records or one or more non-designated of the assigned game records.

2. The progressive gaming method of claim 1 wherein the game services site controller maintains a current value for the progressive prize as the game records are assigned to respective players, and determines the value for the progressive prize by reading the current value for the progressive prize.

3. The progressive gaming method of claim 2 wherein game services site controller maintains the current value for the progressive prize through a running count of assigned game records.

4. The progressive gaming method of claim 2 wherein the current value for the progressive prize is maintained through a local database associated with the game services site controller.

5. The progressive gaming method of claim 2 wherein the current value for the progressive prize is maintained through the game services site controller and one or more game services site controllers, each associated with a different respective gaming site, and through the game controller connected to each of the gaming sites.

6. The progressive gaming method of claim 5 further including polling each of the game services site controllers by the game controllers to maintain a current progressive prize value for a system-wide progressive game, each of the game services site controllers being associated with a respective gaming site through which the system-wide progressive game is available for play.

7. The progressive gaming method of claim 1 further including collecting, at an accounting server, at least a portion of available accounting information associated with each game record that has been assigned to a respective player.

8. The progressive gaming method of claim 1 further including dividing the set of game records up into a number of game record subsets by the game controller and distributing the game record subsets to a number of different gaming sites for assignment of game records to respective players.

9. The progressive gaming method of claim 1 further including setting a next progressive prize value with a seed value in response to the assignment of the progressive prize bearing record to the respective player.

10. A lottery-type progressive gaming system including:

(a) a game services site controller configured to store a number of game records from a set of game records and assign individual game records from the number of game records,

(b) a game controller configured to;

i) generate the set of game records, each of the game records being associated with a predetermined lottery game result in a lottery game, one or more of the lottery game results being associated with a predetermined lottery game prize;

ii) designate at least one game record in the set of game records to include a progressive prize bearing record independently from the respectively associated lottery game result, the progressive prize bearing record being associated with a win in a progressive game and also being associated with a progressive prize, and

iii) transfer the number of game records to the game services site controller including the at least one designated game record;

(c) a plurality of player stations in communication with the game services site controller, each player station configured to submit one or more game play requests to the game services site controller in response to a player input at each respective player station and receive one or more of the individual game records so as to assign respective individual game records to respective players in response to the respective game play requests, each game play request including a request to play the lottery game, the progressive game, or both the lottery game and the progressive game; and

(d) in the case when the progressive game is requested and one of the received individual game records includes the designated game record, the game services site controller communicates to the player station whether a respective player has won the progressive prize associated with the progressive prize bearing record; and

(e) in the case when the lottery game is requested and one of the received individual game records includes the designated game record, one or more lottery game prizes may be separately awarded to the respective player through the player station in accordance with the lottery game result associated with the designated game record or one or more different of the received individual game records.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the progressive prize bearing record is identified by a progressive prize indicator included in the designated game record.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the game services site controller and the number of player stations are associated with a first gaming site and further including:

(a) an additional game services site controller associated with a second gaming site configured to store a number of additional game records and assign additional individual game records from the number of additional game records, the number of additional game records comprising a unique subset of the set of game records;

(b) a number of additional player stations in communication with the additional game services site controller, each additional player station configured to submit one or more additional game services site controller in response to a player input at the respective additional player station and receive a respective one or more of the additional individual game records in response to the respective additional game play requests, each additional game play request including a request to play the lottery game, the progressive game, or both; and

(c) an accounting server operatively connected to the first gaming site and the second gaming site for maintaining a current progressive prize value associated with the progressive prize.

13. The system of claim 12 further including:

(a) a database located at the first gaming site, the database connected to the game services site controller to collect progressive value contributions for game records assigned at the first gaming site; and

(b) an additional database located at the second gaming site, the additional database connected to the additional game services site controller to collect progressive value contributions for additional game records assigned at the second gaming site.

14. The system of claim 12 further including a database located at the first gaming site connected to the game services site controller to maintain a current progressive prize value associated with a local progressive prize associated with the first gaming site.

15. A computer readable medium including a program product, the program product including a set of machine-readable instructions that when executed configure a game services site controller to:

(a) receive and store a set of game records generated by a game controller, each game record being associated with a predetermined result in a lottery game, one or more of the lottery game results being associated with a predetermined lottery game prize;

(b) designate, using the game controller, at least one of the game records to include a progressive prize bearing record independent from the respectively associated lottery game result, the progressive prize bearing record being associated with a win in a progressive game and also being associated with a progressive prize;

(c) assign a number of game records from the set of game records to one or more players, each assigned game record being assigned in response to one or more game play requests associated with a respective player at a player station, each game play request including a request to play the lottery game, the progressive game, or both the lottery game and the progressive game; and

(d) in the case when the progressive game is requested and one of the designated progressive prize bearing records is assigned to the respective player, award the associated progressive prize to the respective player at the player station; and

(e) in the case when the lottery game is requested and one of the designated progressive prize bearing records is assigned to the respective player, separately award one or more lottery game prizes to the respective player in accordance with the lottery game results associated with the one assigned of the designated game records or one or more non-designated of the assigned game records.

16. The program product of claim 15 wherein the set of machine-readable instructions, when executed, configure the game services site controller to increase a value for the progressive prize as each game record is assigned from the set of game records.

17. The program product of claim 15 wherein the set of machine-readable instructions, when executed, configure the game services site controller to maintain a current value for the progressive prize through a local database associated with a single gaming site.