Gaming device having odds of winning which increase as a player's wager increases

• US 7,976,378 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2008
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Baerlocher, Anthony J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coburn; Corbett B
• Application Number:
  US12/101,695
• Publication Number:
  US 20080194316A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,187 Days
• Field of Search: 463/20
• US Class Current: 463/20
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots

Abstract

A gaming device having a game which requires the same average investment from a player to win an award, including a jackpot award, regardless of the amount that the player bets at any one time. The award can be unchanging, e.g., $10,000, each time a player plays the gaming device. The award can also vary such as with a progressive jackpot, i.e., the jackpot builds unfit a player “hits” the jackpot. The game enables the average investment necessary to win the jackpot to be uniform by varying the odds of winning the jackpot as the player'"'"'s bet varies. That is, a player betting less money needs to play the game more times, on average, to win the jackpot. Likewise, a player betting more money needs to play the game less times, on average, to win the jackpot. The average overall bet or investment thus remains constant despite the player'"'"'s betting habits or betting ability.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

at least one input device;

at least one display device;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device storing a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one input device and the at least one display device, for a play of a game, to;

(i) accept an input of a wager on a number of a plurality of paylines;

(ii) after input of the wager, display one of a plurality of different combinations of symbols at a plurality of symbol positions associated with a plurality of reels, wherein the plurality of paylines are each associated with a plurality of the reels;

(iii) determine if a designated one of the combinations of symbols has been displayed along one of the paylines, wherein for each payline, odds of generating said designated combination of symbols on that payline vary based on the wager per payline; and

(iv) if said designated combination of symbols has been displayed along a wagered on one of the paylines, initiate a bonus game having a plurality of levels and associated with a bonus award, wherein;

(a) a first one of the levels has odds contributing to a generation of the bonus award that vary based on the number of paylines wagered on and do not vary based on the wager per payline, and

(b) a second one of the levels has odds contributing to the generation of the bonus award that vary based on the wager per payline and do not vary based on the number of paylines wagered on.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second levels of the bonus game includes an odds constant for the bonus award in addition to the varying odds based on the number of paylines wagered on.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the bonus game includes a third level having constant odds of generating the bonus award.

4. A method of operating a gaming system including at least one input device, at least one display device and at least one processor, the method comprising for a play of a game:

(i) accepting an input of a wager on a number of a plurality of paylines via the at least one input device;

(ii) after accepting the input of the wager, the at least one display device displaying one of a plurality of different combinations of symbols at a plurality of symbol positions associated with a plurality of reels, wherein the plurality of paylines are each associated with a plurality of the reels;

(iii) the at least one processor determining if a designated one of the combinations of symbols has been displayed along one of the paylines, wherein for each payline, odds of generating said designated combination of symbols on said payline vary based on the wager per payline; and

(iv) if said designated combination of symbols has been displayed along a wagered on one of the paylines, the at least one processor initiating a bonus game having a plurality of levels and associated with a bonus award, wherein;

(a) a first one of the levels has odds contributing to a generation of the bonus award that vary based on the number of paylines wagered on and do not vary based on the wager per payline, and

(b) a second one of the levels has odds contributing to the generation of the bonus award that vary based on the wager per payline and do not vary based on the number of paylines wagered on.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein at least one of the first and second levels of the bonus game includes an odds constant for the bonus award in addition to the varying odds based on the number of paylines wagered on.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the bonus game includes a third level having constant odds of generating the bonus award.

7. The method of claim 4, which is provided through a data network.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the data network is an internet.