Wagering game with unilateral player selection for developing a group

• US 7,874,920 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Issued: 01/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: VMS Gaming Incorporated
• Inventors: Casey, Michael P., Flemming, Peter W., Ward, Matthew J., Hornik, Jeremy M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol; Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEICHLITER, CHASE E
• Application Number:
  US11/240,407
• Publication Number:
  US 20060100019A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,943 Days
• Field of Search: 463/40, 463/20, 463/16, 463/25, 463/42
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3206 Player sensing means, e.g. presence detection, biometrics
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament

Abstract

A wagering game system includes a service for conducting a group-wagering game for a group of players under the control of a gaming control system and a plurality of gaming terminals, each gaming terminal connected to the service and being configured to conduct a group-wagering game in combination with the service. The gaming control system is configured to permit a player in the group of players to unilaterally alter a membership of the group of players.

Claims

1. A wagering game system, comprising:

a service for conducting a group-wagering game for a group of players under the control of a gaming control system; and

a plurality of gaming terminals, each gaming terminal connected to said service and being configured to conduct a group-wagering game in combination with said service,

wherein the gaming control system is configured to permit a player in the group of players to unilaterally alter a membership of another player of said group of players by removing said another player from the group, said another player being automatically placed in another group for continued and substantially uninterrupted play of the group-wagering game.

2. The wagering game system according to claim 1, wherein the gaming control system is configured to permit a player in the group of players to unilaterally alter a membership of said group of players to add or remove at least one player.

3. The wagering game system according to claim 2, wherein the gaming control system is configured not to disclose alteration of a membership to a removed player.

4. The wagering game system according to claim 3, wherein the alteration of a membership of said group of players to remove said player is achieved by forming a second group containing said removed player.

5. The wagering game system according to claim 4, wherein subsequent group-wagering game play by the remainder of said group of players is replicated within the second group.

6. The wagering game system according to claim 2, wherein information regarding the alteration of a membership of said group of players is disseminated at least to a removed group member.

7. The wagering game system according to claim 1, wherein the group-wagering game comprises a basic wagering game.

8. The wagering game system according to claim 1, wherein the group-wagering game comprises a supplemental game.

9. The wagering game system according to claim 4, wherein the supplemental game comprises a bonus game, a secondary game, or a progressive game.

10. The wagering game system according to claim 1, wherein each player in the wagering game system is provided an opportunity to unilaterally replace a player in the group with a computer generated player.

11. The wagering game system according to claim 1, wherein said group comprises at least one player having a wager on an outcome of said group-wagering game and at least one player whose game play at a respective gaming terminal influences an outcome of said group-wagering game, but does not participate in any award received by the group arising from said outcome of said group-wagering game.

12. The wagering game system according to claim 1, wherein each player in the wagering game system is provided an opportunity to unilaterally choose players who will play in a group-wagering game and influence an outcome therein.

13. The wagering game system according to claim 12, wherein said gaming control system prohibits players in a group who do not unilaterally choose to be a part of such group from receiving any part of any award received by the group.

14. The wagering game system according to claim 13, wherein said gaming control system is configured to provide players with an option of being a member of more than one group and to share in any award received by a group in which a player is a member upon satisfaction of a pre-condition.

15. The wagering game system according to claim 14, wherein the pre-condition comprises at least one of the input of an additional wager into the wagering game system or the input of an additional wager into the wagering game system for each group in which the player wants to be a part.

16. A wagering game system according to claim 1, wherein the gaming control system is configured to permit a player in the group of players, at a player'"'"'s gaming terminal, to unilaterally alter a membership of another player of said group of players.

17. A wagering game system according to claim 16, wherein the gaming control system is further configured to display on the gaming terminal display selectable elements corresponding to players or gaming terminals eligible to participate in the group-wagering game.

18. A wagering game system according to claim 17, wherein the gaming control system is further configured to display on the gaming terminal display information corresponding to selectable elements, the information comprising game play statistics.

19. A method of conducting a group-wagering game involving a plurality of gaming terminals, each gaming terminal connected to a service and being controlled by a gaming control system, comprising the acts of:

defining at least one group of players from a plurality of players placing wagers on the group-wagering game on respective ones of said plurality of gaming terminals;

and

permitting at least one player in said at least one group of players to utilize a player input device of the players'"'"' gaming terminal to unilaterally alter a membership of said at least one group of players by adding at least one other player to said at least one group of players or removing at least one other player from said at least one group of players,

wherein the gaming control system is configured to, upon a removal of another player from the group, automatically place said another player into another group for continued and substantially uninterrupted play of the group-wagering game.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising the act of:

permitting said at least one player to unilaterally alter a membership of said at least one group of players during a group-wagering game comprising at least one of a basic wagering game and a supplemental wagering game, wherein the supplemental game comprises at least one of a bonus game, a secondary game, or a progressive game.

21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising the act of:

disclosing alteration of a membership of said at least one group of players to a removed player.

22. The method according to claim 21, further comprising the step of:

withholding disclosure of alteration of a membership of said at least one group of players to a removed player.

23. A method of conducting a group-wagering game involving a plurality of gaming terminals according to claim 19, wherein the act of defining at least one group of players from a plurality of players placing wagers on the group-wagering game is performed at a gaming terminal.

24. A method of conducting a group-wagering game involving a plurality of gaming terminals according to claim 19, wherein the act of permitting at least one player in said at least one group of players to unilaterally alter a membership of said at least one group of players by adding at least one other player to said at least one group of players or removing at least one other player from said at least one group of players is performed at a gaming terminal.

25. A method of operating a gaming terminal, comprising:

receiving a wagering input from a player to play a group-wagering game;

displaying on a display a separate indicia for each player in a group of players who will be participating in a group-wagering game with said player;

conducting a group-wagering game on said gaming terminal, wherein each player in said group of players inclusive of said player provides a separate input to the group-wagering game;

using the inputs by each player in said group of players to determine at least one of an outcome and an award of the group-wagering game;

displaying an outcome of the group-wagering game on a display of said gaming terminal, and

permitting said player to unilaterally alter a membership of said group of players prior to said conducting of a group-wagering game or subsequent to said displaying of an outcome of the group-wagering game by adding at least one other player to said group of players or removing at least one other player from said group of players,

wherein at least one player in the group of players from which the removed player was removed still influences, via a respective player input, an outcome or an award of the group-wagering game for said another group until such time as said removed player opts to unilaterally alter a membership of said another group to remove said at least one player from said another group.