Gaming system and method providing an interactive game with automatic wagers

• US 7,931,531 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2006
• Issued: 04/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Oberberger, Michael M.
• Primary Examiner(s): McClellan; James S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chan; Allen
• Application Number:
  US11/557,872
• Publication Number:
  US 20080108425A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,630 Days
• Field of Search: 463/25, 463/6, 463/7, 463/59, 463/60
• US Class Current: 463/25
• 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 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3295 Games involving skill, e.g. dexterity, memory, thinking

Abstract

A gaming system including a plurality of gaming machines or devices. The gaming machines include an interactive game and a wager triggering event. Upon the occurrence of the wager triggering event during play of the interactive game, the gaming machine causes the placement of a wager component and randomly determines a wagering outcome. Upon completion of the interactive game, the gaming machine provides the player with an interactive game outcome and provides the player with any awards based on any determined wagering outcomes. The players are ranked in the interactive game. Upon a triggering event, the gaming system provides one or more ranked players of the interactive game an award from funds derived from a marketing or advertising account.

Claims

1. A gaming machine comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one display device; and

at least one input device;

wherein the at least one processor is programmed to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to;

(a) cause a display of a play of an interactive game;

(b) enable a player to make at least one input in the play of the interactive game;

(c) determine any occurrence of at least one wager triggering event during the play of the interactive game, wherein the at least one wager triggering event can occur multiple times during the play of the interactive game; and

(d) for each determined occurrence of the at least one wager triggering event during the play of the interactive game, during the play of the interactive game;

(i) automatically cause a wager of a predefined one of a plurality of wager components funded by the player;

(ii) randomly determine a wagering outcome for said wager component independently of the interactive game; and

(iii) provide the player with any determined wagering awards associated with said determined wagering outcome; and

(e) display the interactive game outcome for the play of the interactive game.

2. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the interactive game outcome is a number of points.

3. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the interactive game outcome is a rank.

4. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein upon an interactive game outcome triggering event, if the player obtains a predetermined interactive game outcome, the at least one processor is programmed to operate with the at least one display device to notify the player of an interactive game award.

5. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein if the player obtains a predetermined interactive game outcome, the at least one processor is programmed to operate with the at least one display device to notify the player of an interactive game award.

6. The gaming machine of claim 1, which is associated with a common display device.

7. The gaming machine of claim 6, wherein the common display device is configured to display a ranking of a predetermined number of players based on the interactive game outcomes.

8. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the at least one wager triggering event includes a plurality of different wager triggering events.

9. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the at least one wager triggering event is selected from the group consisting of:

a point accumulation, a length of time, a stage in the interactive game, a random determination, and an interactive game event.

10. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the interactive game is selected from the group consisting of:

a skill game, a partial skill game, and a pseudo skill game.

11. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to determine an amount of the wager components.

12. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to enable the player to determine an amount of the wager components.

13. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein any wagering outcomes are randomly determined.

14. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to operate with the at least one display device to terminate the play of the interactive game upon an amount in a fund being less than an amount of at least one of the wager components.

15. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to pause the play of the interactive game upon an amount in a fund being less than an amount of at least one wager component and to enable the player to increase the amount of the fund.

16. A gaming system comprising:

a controller; and

a plurality of gaming machines, each gaming machine including;

(i) at least one display device; and

(ii) at least one input device;

wherein the gaming machines are programmed to operate with the controller to;

(a) initiate and cause a play of an interactive game for a plurality of players, wherein the play of the interactive game can include multiple occurrences of one or more of a plurality of wager triggering events;

(b) determine any occurrence of the wager triggering events during the play of the interactive game;

(c) for each determined occurrence of the wager triggering events during the play of the interactive game, during the play of the interactive game;

(i) automatically wager a predefined one of a plurality of wager components funded by one of the players; and

(ii) determine a wagering outcome for said wager component;

(d) display the interactive game outcome; and

(e) provide any awards based on any determined wagering outcomes.

17. The gaming system of claim 16, wherein the interactive game outcome is an interactive game rank.

18. The gaming system of claim 16, wherein the interactive game outcome is a number of points.

19. The gaming system of claim 16, wherein upon an interactive outcome triggering event, if one of the players obtains a predetermined interactive game outcome, the gaming machines are programmed to operate with the controller to provide the player with an interactive game award.

20. The gaming system of claim 16, wherein if one of the players obtains a predetermined interactive game outcome, the gaming machines are programmed to operate with the controller to provide the player with an interactive game award.

21. The gaming system of claim 16, which includes a common display device.

22. The gaming system of claim 21, wherein the gaming machines are programmed to operate with the controller to determine a number of interactive game outcomes to be displayed on the common display device.

23. The gaming system of claim 22, wherein upon an occurrence of an interactive game triggering event, the gaming machines are programmed to operate with the controller to determine an award to provide to at least one of the players based on the interactive game outcomes displayed on the common display device.

24. The gaming system of claim 16, wherein the interactive game is associated with at least one interactive game triggering event.

25. The gaming system of claim 16, wherein at least one of the wager triggering events are selected from the group consisting of:

a point accumulation, a length of time, a stage in the interactive game, a random determination, and an interactive game event.

26. The gaming system of claim 16, wherein the interactive game is selected from the group consisting of:

a skill game, a partial skill game, and a pseudo skill game.

27. The gaming system of claim 16, wherein the gaming machines are programmed with the controller to determine an amount of the wager components.

28. The gaming system of claim 16, wherein the gaming machines are programmed with the controller to enable each of the players to determine an amount of the wager components.

29. The gaming system of claim 16, wherein any wagering outcomes are randomly determined.

30. The gaming system of claim 16, wherein the gaming machines are programmed with the controller to terminate the play of the interactive game upon an amount in a fund being less than an amount of at least one of the wager components.

31. The gaming system of claim 16, wherein the gaming machines are programmed with the controller to pause the play of the interactive game upon an amount in a fund being less than an amount of at least one wager component and to enable the player to increase the amount of the fund.

32. A gaming machine comprising:

at least one input device;

at least one display device;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device, wherein the at least one memory device stores instructions executable by the at least one processor to;

(a) cause at least one display device to display a play of an interactive game;

(b) enable a player to make at least one input using the at least one input device in the play of the interactive game;

(c) determine any occurrence of at least one wager triggering event during the play of the interactive game, wherein the at least one wager triggering event can occur multiple times during the play of the interactive game;

(d) for each determined occurrence of the at least one wager triggering event during the play of the interactive game, during the play of the interactive game;

(i) automatically cause a wager of a predefined one of a plurality of wager components funded by the player; and

(ii) randomly determine a wagering outcome for said wager component independently of the interactive game;

(e) provide the player any awards associated with any determined wagering outcomes; and

(f) cause the at least one display device to display the interactive game outcome for the play of the interactive game.

33. The gaming machine of claim 32, wherein the interactive game outcome is a number of points.

34. The gaming machine of claim 32, wherein the interactive game outcome is a rank.

35. The gaming machine of claim 32, wherein the at least one memory device stores instructions executable by the at least one processor to notify the player of an interactive game award upon an interactive game outcome triggering event if the player obtains a predetermined interactive game outcome.

36. The gaming machine of claim 32, wherein the at least one memory device stores instructions executable by the at least one processor to notify the player of an interactive game award if the player obtains a predetermined interactive game outcome.

37. The gaming machine of claim 32, wherein the at least one wagering triggering event includes a plurality of different wager triggering events.

38. The gaming machine of claim 32, wherein the at least one wager triggering event is selected from the group consisting of:

a point accumulation, a length of time, a stage in the interactive game, a random determination, and an interactive game event.

39. The gaming machine of claim 32, wherein the interactive game is selected from the group consisting of:

a skill game, a partial skill game, and a pseudo skill game.

40. The gaming machine of claim 32, wherein any wagering outcomes are randomly determined.

41. The gaming machine of claim 32, wherein the at least one memory device stores instructions executable by the at least one processor to terminate the play of the interactive game upon an amount in a fund being less than an amount of the at least one of the wager components.

42. The gaming machine of claim 32, wherein the at least one memory device stores instructions executable by the at least one processor to pause the play of the interactive game upon an amount in a fund being less than an amount of at least one wager component and to enable the player to increase the amount of the fund.

43. A method of operating a gaming machine, said method comprising:

(a) causing a display of a play of an interactive game;

(b) enabling a player to make at least one input in the play of the interactive game;

(c) determining any occurrence of at least one wager triggering event configured to occur multiple times during the play of the interactive game;

(d) for each determined occurrence of the at least one wager triggering event during the play of the interactive game, during the play of the interactive game;

(i) automatically wagering a predefined one of a plurality of wager components funded by the player; and

(ii) randomly determining a wagering outcome for said wager component independently of the interactive game;

(e) providing the player with any determined wagering awards associated with any determined wagering outcomes; and

(f) displaying the interactive game outcome for the play of the interactive game.

44. The method of claim 43, which includes repeating (c) to (d) at least once.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein the interactive game outcome is a number of points.

46. The method of claim 43, wherein the interactive game outcome is a rank.

47. The method of claim 43, which includes providing the player with an interactive game award upon an interactive game outcome triggering event if the player obtains a predetermined interactive game outcome.

48. The method of claim 43, which includes providing the player with an interactive game award if the player obtains a predetermined interactive game outcome.

49. The method of claim 43, which includes displaying a ranking of a predetermined number of players based on a plurality of interactive game outcomes.

50. The method of claim 43, wherein the at least one wager triggering event includes a plurality of different wager triggering events.

51. The method of claim 43, wherein the at least one wager triggering event is selected from the group consisting of:

a point accumulation, a length of time, a stage in the interactive game, a random determination, and an interactive game event.

52. The method of claim 43, wherein the interactive game is selected from the group consisting of:

a skill game, a partial skill game, and a pseudo skill game.

53. The method of claim 43, which includes determining an amount of the wager components.

54. The method of claim 43, which includes enabling the player to determine an amount of the wager components.

55. The method of claim 43, wherein any wagering outcomes are randomly determined.

56. The method of claim 43, which includes terminating the play of the interactive game upon an amount in a fund being less than an amount of at least one of the wager components.

57. The method of claim 43, which includes pausing the play of the interactive game upon an amount in a fund being less than an amount of at least one wager component and to enable the player to increase the amount of the fund.

58. The method of claim 43, which is provided through a data network.

59. The method of claim 58, wherein the data network is the internet.