Gaming system and method for providing virtual drawings

• US 7,967,677 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2006
• Issued: 06/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Dewaal, Daniel, Reddicks, Christopher D., Baerlocher, Anthony J., Vasquez, James A., Bullard, Bryan, Little, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Peter DungBa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chan; Allen
• Application Number:
  US11/557,854
• Publication Number:
  US 20080108424A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,693 Days
• Field of Search: 463/25, 463/17, 463/16
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A gaming system and method of providing a virtual drawing or drawing promotion including a central server, one or more location servers, and a plurality of gaming devices. A player is provided with a drawing account voucher, which is associated with a drawing account. Based on game play, the drawing account is credited with drawing entries or virtual tickets for a drawing promotion. In one embodiment, the gaming system provides a number of drawing entries when a wager placed by a player meets at least a wager threshold amount, wherein the number of drawing entries provided is based on a ticket award amount. The gaming system, upon expiration of a drawing period, selects a winner of the drawing promotion by selecting a drawing entry. In one embodiment, the gaming system progressively increases the drawing prize based on the number of drawing entries provided or wagers placed by the players.

Claims

1. A gaming system for providing a drawing promotion comprising:

at least one location controller;

a plurality of gaming devices, each gaming device operable to communicate with the location controller and including a primary game operable upon a wager placed by a player; and

a central controller configured to communicate with the location controller and programmed to maintain a drawing promotion, wherein the drawing promotion includes a drawing prize and a plurality of drawing accounts, each drawing account configured to include a number of drawing entries;

said location controller programmed to;

(a) during a drawing period for the drawing promotion;

(i) cause at least one of a plurality of players to be provided with a drawing account voucher associated with one of the drawing accounts;

(ii) thereafter, receive player submission of the drawing account voucher to activate game play for drawing entry accrual for the drawing promotion; and

(iii) thereafter, provide at least one of the drawing accounts a quantity of drawing entries which are separate from the drawing account voucher and are to be used for the drawing promotion, wherein the quantity of drawing entries is greater than zero;

(b) transmit data regarding the drawing entries to the central controller;

said central controller is further programmed to;

upon expiration of the drawing period;

(a) select one of the drawing entries from one of the drawing accounts; and

(b) cause the drawing prize to be provided to one of the players associated with the selected drawing entry for the drawing prize.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the gaming devices is programmed to prompt the player of said gaming device if the player wishes to participate in the drawing promotion.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, which includes a player interface configured to prompt the player to select a desired drawing promotion to apply the drawing entries to and to enable the player to select said desired drawing promotion as the drawing promotion.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, which includes a plurality of location controllers.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the central controller is programmed to:

(a) determine if a total number of drawing entries exceeds a set number; and

(b) if the total number of drawing entries exceeds the set number, increase the drawing prize.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the central controller is programmed to increase the drawing prize based on an unclaimed drawing prize.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the central controller is programmed to increase the drawing prize based on wagers placed by one or more players.

8. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the location controller is programmed to provide the player a designated quantity of drawing entries if the wager placed by the player meets at least a wager threshold amount, wherein the designated quantity of drawing entries is greater than zero.

9. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the location controller is configured to cause the drawing account voucher to be provided through a delivery mechanism, wherein the delivery mechanism is selected from the group consisting of:

a gaming device, a kiosk, the Internet, and postal mail.

10. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the quantity of provided drawing entries is based on a variable, wherein the variable is selected from the group consisting of:

casino traffic, player status in a player tracking system, and wagers placed by one or more players.

11. A gaming system for providing a drawing promotion, said gaming system comprising:

at least one location controller;

a plurality of gaming devices, each gaming device operable to communicate with the location controller and including a primary game operable upon a wager placed by a player; and

a central controller configured to communicate with the location controller and programmed to maintain a drawing promotion, wherein the drawing promotion includes a drawing prize and a plurality of drawing accounts, each drawing account configured to include a number of drawing entries;

said location controller programmed to transmit data regarding player wagers to the central controller;

said central controller programmed to;

(a) cause at least one of the players to be provided with a drawing account voucher associated with one of the drawing accounts;

(b) thereafter, receive player submission of the drawing account voucher to activate game play for drawing entry accrual;

(c) thereafter, provide at least one of the drawing accounts a quantity of drawing entries which are separate from the drawing account voucher and are to be used for the drawing promotion, wherein the quantity of drawing entries is greater than zero; and

(d) upon expiration of the drawing period;

(i) select one of the drawing entries from one of the drawing accounts;

an

(ii) cause the drawing prize to be provided to the player associated with the selected drawing entry for the drawing prize.

12. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the gaming devices is programmed to prompt the player of said gaming device if the player wishes to participate in the drawing promotion.

13. The gaming system of claim 11, which includes a player interface configured to prompt one of the players to select a desired drawing promotion to apply the drawing entries to and to enable the player to select said desired drawing promotion as the drawing promotion.

14. The gaming system of claim 11, which includes a plurality of location controllers.

15. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein the central controller is programmed to:

(a) determine if a total number of drawing entries exceeds a set number; and

(b) if the total number of drawing entries exceeds the set number, increase the drawing prize.

16. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein the central controller is programmed to increase the drawing prize based on an unclaimed drawing prize.

17. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein the central controller is programmed to increase the drawing prize based on wagers placed by one or more of the players.

18. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein the central controller is programmed to provide at least one of the players a quantity of drawing entries if the wager placed by the player meets at least a wager threshold amount, wherein the number of drawing entries is greater than zero.

19. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein the central controller is configured to cause the drawing account voucher to be provided through a delivery mechanism, wherein the delivery mechanism is selected from the group consisting of:

a gaming device, a kiosk, the Internet, and postal mail.

20. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein the number of provided drawing entries is based on a variable, wherein the variable is selected from the group consisting of:

casino traffic, player status in a player tracking system, and wagers placed by one or more of the players.

21. A method of operating a gaming system to provide a drawing promotion, said gaming system including at least one location controller, a plurality of gaming devices, each gaming device configured to communicate with the location controller and including a primary game operable upon a wager placed by a player, and a central controller configured to communicate with the location controller to maintain the drawing promotion, said method comprising:

(a) maintaining the drawing promotion, wherein the drawing promotion includes a drawing prize, a drawing period, and a plurality of drawing accounts, each drawing account configured to include a number of drawing entries;

(b) providing to at least one of a plurality of players a drawing account voucher associated with one of the drawing accounts;

(c) thereafter, receiving player submission of the drawing account voucher;

(d) thereafter, during the drawing period, providing at least one of the players a quantity of drawing entries based on game play, wherein the drawing entries are separate from the drawing account voucher and are to be used for the drawing promotion, and wherein the quantity of drawing entries is greater than zero; and

(e) upon expiration of the drawing period;

(i) selecting one of the drawing entries from one of the drawing accounts; and

(ii) providing to the player associated with the selected drawing entry the drawing prize.

22. The method of claim 21, which includes prompting the player which of a plurality of different drawing promotions to apply the drawing entries to.

23. The method of claim 21, which includes determining if a total number of drawing entries exceeds a set number, and, if the total number of drawing entries exceeds the set number, increasing the drawing prize.

24. The method of claim 21, which includes increasing the drawing prize based on an unclaimed drawing prize.

25. The method of claim 21, which includes increasing the drawing prize based on wagers placed by one or more players.

26. The method of claim 21, which includes prompting the player if the player wishes to participate in the drawing promotion.

27. The method of claim 21, which includes providing at least one of the players a designated quantity of drawing entries if the wager placed by the player meets at least a wager threshold amount, wherein the designated quantity of provided drawing entries is greater than zero.

28. The method of claim 21, which includes providing the drawing account voucher through a delivery mechanism, wherein the delivery mechanism is selected from the group consisting of:

a gaming device, a kiosk, the Internet, and postal mail.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein the quantity of provided drawing entries is based on a variable, wherein the variable is selected from the group consisting of:

casino traffic, player status in a player tracking system, and wagers placed by one or more players.