Enhanced process for gaming using multiple random progressive prize opportunities and bingo-type of gaming products thereby

• US 7,749,066 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2005
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fortunet Incorporated (Yuri Itkis Gaming Trust 1993)
• Original Assignee: Gametech International Incorporated
• Inventors: Hartman, Michael, Kisenwether, Joseph, Nicholson, Calvin
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Peter DungBa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hall; Arthur O.
• Application Number:
  US11/050,114
• Publication Number:
  US 20050192088A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,980 Days
• Field of Search: 463 17- 22, 463 24- 29, 463/33, 463 42- 43, 463/16, 273/138.1, 273/138.2, 273/139, 273/141.A, 273/269, 273/296, 273454-456, 273460-461, 273/142.B, 273/142.C, 273/142.J
• US Class Current: 463/19
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value

Abstract

Novel enhanced gaming systems employ unique, specialized, for example, FIRESTAR ™ type of indicia disposed upon at least one location of a plurality of pre-mapped locations housed on, for example, a multiplicity of bingo-type of cards. Percentages of indicia arrayed on, for example, card sets are controlled by a gaming proprietor'"'"'s or operator'"'"'s configuration settings as are the respective locations of the subject indicia, for example, by using a random number generator to induce players to participate in multiple opportunities to garner prizes, for example, for achieving a bingo-type of victory concomittant with pre-established winning requirements and a pre-selected occurrence of a unique specialized indicum. Progressive reports serve to keep players, proprietors/operators and gaming authorities apprised of earnings both in terms of amounts, odds and related data on occurrence of the same indicia in real time providing unique inducement and tracking value in both hard copy and electronic form.

Claims

1. A method of playing a special bingo game, the method comprising:

displaying, on a display, a plurality of bingo cards;

receiving, using a computer, a selection of a location on a first bingo card of the plurality of bingo cards;

displaying, on a display, a first unique, specialized indicum at the selected location on the first bingo card; and

awarding, using the computer, a first special prize when, concurrently, a bingo resulting from a plurality of numbers called consecutively by an operator is completed on the first bingo card and the last number called of the plurality of numbers called to complete said bingo corresponds to the selected location on the first bingo card of the plurality of bingo cards.

2. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising awarding, using said computer, a second special prize when, concurrently, said bingo resulting from the plurality of numbers called consecutively by the operator is completed on one or more of the plurality of bingo cards excluding the first bingo card and the last number called of the plurality of numbers called to complete said bingo corresponds to a location on the second bingo card of the plurality of bingo cards that is, location-wise, the same location as the selected location on the first bingo card.

3. The method of claim 2, the method further comprising displaying, on said display, a second unique, specialized indicum at the location on the second bingo card that corresponds location-wise to the same location on the first bingo card that corresponds to the first indicum, wherein the second indicum is different from the first indicum.