Systems and methods for conducting a sweepstakes in a gaming environment
First Claim
1. In a gaming system having one or more gaming devices, each of said one or more gaming devices facilitating a play of a game of chance, and a central computer coupled to said one or more gaming devices, a sweepstakes method that awards promotional awards, said sweepstakes method comprising:
- configuring, at said central computer, a sweepstakes eligibility criterion defining a grouping of players eligible for a promotional award and a sweepstakes entry criterion defining play activity of said game of chance to achieve an entry in the form of a ticket;
determining whether said sweepstakes entry criterion has been met by a player at one gaming device based on a monitored play activity related to play of said game of chance;
determining whether said sweepstakes eligibility criterion has been met by said player of said one gaming device;
issuing a virtual sweepstakes ticket with respect to said player of said one gaming device if said sweepstakes eligibility criterion has been met by said player at said one gaming device and said sweepstakes entry criterion has been met by said player at said one gaming device, said issuing adding a said virtual sweepstakes ticket to a pool of tickets;
closing said pool of tickets to prevent adding of any additional virtual sweepstakes ticket to said pool;
randomly selecting at least one virtual sweepstakes ticket from said pool of tickets, the selected ticket serving as a winning ticket; and
awarding at least one of said promotion awards in response to said winning ticket.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Certain embodiments provide systems and methods for sweepstakes awards in a gaming environment. Certain embodiments provide a method including accumulating sweepstakes entries for a player based on at least one sweepstakes entry criterion and randomly selecting a winner from the pool of sweepstakes entries. The sweepstakes entries are associated with the player and incorporated in a pool of sweepstakes entries. In certain embodiments, the at least one sweepstakes entry criterion comprises at least one of one entry per player, accumulating points based on play, accumulating points based on machine outcome, and coin in. In certain embodiments, the method further includes determining eligibility of a player for the sweepstakes. In certain embodiments, eligibility is determined based on at least one of a player group, a machine group, a machine denomination, a machine type, a machine manufacturer, a game manufacturer, a game theme and a game title, for example.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. In a gaming system having one or more gaming devices, each of said one or more gaming devices facilitating a play of a game of chance, and a central computer coupled to said one or more gaming devices, a sweepstakes method that awards promotional awards, said sweepstakes method comprising:
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configuring, at said central computer, a sweepstakes eligibility criterion defining a grouping of players eligible for a promotional award and a sweepstakes entry criterion defining play activity of said game of chance to achieve an entry in the form of a ticket; determining whether said sweepstakes entry criterion has been met by a player at one gaming device based on a monitored play activity related to play of said game of chance; determining whether said sweepstakes eligibility criterion has been met by said player of said one gaming device; issuing a virtual sweepstakes ticket with respect to said player of said one gaming device if said sweepstakes eligibility criterion has been met by said player at said one gaming device and said sweepstakes entry criterion has been met by said player at said one gaming device, said issuing adding a said virtual sweepstakes ticket to a pool of tickets; closing said pool of tickets to prevent adding of any additional virtual sweepstakes ticket to said pool; randomly selecting at least one virtual sweepstakes ticket from said pool of tickets, the selected ticket serving as a winning ticket; and awarding at least one of said promotion awards in response to said winning ticket. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A gaming system in communication with one or more gaming devices for play by players for providing sweepstakes awards, said system comprising:
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a central authority including a computer processor and a data structure; a network in communication with said gaming devices and said central authority; a configuration manager in communication with said network that configures sweepstakes eligibility criterion defining a grouping of players eligible for a promotional award and sweepstakes entry criterion defining play activity of said game of chance to achieve an entry in the form of a ticket to award a sweepstakes award to a player; said central authority configured to monitor activity related to play of said game of chance by a player in order to determine satisfaction of a sweepstakes entry criterion, determine whether said sweepstakes eligibility criterion has been met by said player of said gaming device, generate a virtual sweepstakes ticket with respect to said player of said gaming device if said sweepstakes eligibility criterion has been met by said player at said one gaming device and said sweepstakes entry criterion has been met by said player at said one gaming device, add said virtual sweepstakes ticket in a pool of virtual sweepstakes tickets at said data structure, randomly select from said pool at least one virtual sweepstakes ticket, the selected virtual sweepstakes ticket serving as a winning ticket and issue an award based upon said winning ticket. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification