Method of leasing a gaming machine for a percentage of a total coin-in amount

• US 7,908,169 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2005
• Issued: 03/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Hettinger, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Merchant; Shahid R
• Assistant Examiner(s): AMELUNXEN, BARBARA J
• Application Number:
  US11/042,388
• Publication Number:
  US 20060167707A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,240 Days
• Field of Search: 194/346, 463/12, 463/16, 463/25, 463/27, 463/28, 705/1, 705/14, 705/16, 705/35
• US Class Current: 705/14.12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0209 Incentive being awarded or redeemed in connection with the playing of a video game
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0645 Rental transactions; Leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/34 Betting or bookmaking, e.g. Internet betting
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3234 about the performance of a gaming system, e.g. revenue, diagnosis of the gaming system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes

Abstract

A method of leasing a gaming machine is provided that includes determining a monetary average machine net win in monetary units per gaming machine per unit of time for a group of existing gaming machines, receiving the leased gaming machine, and determining a monetary payment amount for the leased gaming machine for a second time period based on the average machine net win, the monetary payment amount equaling a percentage of a total coin-in amount wagered at a new leased gaming machine.

Claims

1. A method of operating a gaming system including a plurality of instructions stored by a memory device of at least one network computer, said plurality of instructions executable by the at least one network computer, said method comprising:

causing the at least one network computer to execute the plurality of instructions to receive information relating to a monetary average machine net win in monetary units per casino gaming machine per unit of time for a group of existing casino gaming machines located on a gaming floor of a casino, said monetary average machine net win being calculated by dividing a total net win amount for a first time period at all of said existing casino gaming machines in said group by a total number of said existing casino gaming machines in said group of casino gaming machines, said total net win amount equaling a total coin-in amount for all of said existing casino gaming machines in said group minus a total paid out amount for all of said existing casino gaming machines in said group and minus any amounts escrowed for any future jackpot or award and each of said existing casino gaming machines being associated with at least one game having gaming content, at least one denomination, and a payout table including a plurality of outcomes and a plurality of value payouts associated with the outcomes;

causing the at least one network computer to execute the plurality of instructions to receive information relating to a lease percentage for a second time period, said second time period being subsequent to the first time period, said lease percentage based, at least in part, on the monetary average machine net win calculated based on the total net win amount for the first time period, said lease percentage being less than 10% and greater than 0.1%;

for a leased gaming device leased to said casino by a supplier for the second time period, causing the at least one network computer to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a monetary payment amount for said second time period, said leased gaming device being associated with at least one game having gaming content, at least one denomination and a payout table including a plurality of outcomes and a plurality of value payouts associated with the outcomes, said monetary payment amount being equal to the lease percentage of a total coin-in amount for said leased casino gaming machine for said second time period and said monetary payment being determined;

(i) regardless of any differences between the gaming content of any game of any of the existing casino gaming machines and the gaming content of the at least one game of the leased gaming device, (ii) regardless of any differences between the at least one denomination of any of the existing casino gaming machines and the at least one denomination of the leased gaming device, and (iii) regardless of any differences between the payout table of any of the existing casino gaming machines and the payout table of the leased gaming device; and

causing the at least one network computer to execute the plurality of instructions to transmit information about said determined monetary payment amount for said second time period for said leased casino gaming machine to facilitate payment of said determined monetary payment amount from the casino to the supplier.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, comprising the step of causing the at least one network computer to execute the plurality of instructions to adjust said monetary payment amount if a leased machine net win amount is determined to be less than said average machine net win, said leased machine net win amount equaling said total coin-in amount at said leased gaming machine for said second time period minus a total amount paid out to all players playing at said leased gaming machine over said second time period and minus any amounts escrowed for a future jackpot or award for the second time period.

3. A method as defined in claim 2, comprising causing the at least one network computer to execute the plurality of instructions to decrease said lease percentage when said leased machine net win amount is less than said average machine net win.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising causing the at least one network computer to execute the plurality of instructions to subtract an additional monetary amount from said total coin-in amount at said leased gaming machine for said second time period in determining said monetary payment amount.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said lease percentage is a variable percentage.

6. A method as defined claim 1, comprising causing the at least one network computer to execute the plurality of instructions to identify said group of existing gaming machines based on one of the following common characteristics:

the denomination, a title, a theme, a math model, a common system connection, a common jackpot.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, comprising causing the at least one network computer to execute the plurality of instructions to identify said group of existing gaming machines based a geographic characteristic.

8. A method as defined in claim 7, comprising causing the at least one network computer to execute the plurality of instructions to identify said group of existing gaming machines based on one of the following geographic characteristics:

at least one of a bank of casino gaming machines, at least one section of floor space, or an entire casino.

9. A method as defined in claim 1, comprising causing the at least one network computer to execute the plurality of instructions to determine that said same monetary payment amount is to be paid from said casino to said supplier, if a modification of the gaming content is provided to said leased casino gaming machine.