Gaming machine

• US 8,021,225 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2007
• Issued: 09/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
• Original Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
• Inventors: Okada, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol; Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hsu; Ryan
• Application Number:
  US11/734,993
• Publication Number:
  US 20080064475A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,621 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/20, 463/25, 463/29, 463/42, 2731381- 2, 273/143.R
• US Class Current: 463/20
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements

Abstract

When a predetermined amount of credits has been inserted into a slot machine, the game mode is switched from a non-insurance mode to an insurance mode according to the player'"'"'s input operation via a touch panel. In the insurance mode, the number of games is counted. When the counted game number has reached a predetermined number, a predetermined amount of credits is paid out. In a case where the amount of credits paid out according to the rearranged symbols is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount, the counted number of games is reset. On the other hand, the predetermined amount is changed based on the change in the maximum bet amount according to the input operation via a setting change switch, which allows the set value of the maximum bet amount to be changed.

Claims

1. A slot machine comprising:

a display that displays an image;

a symbol display device that is capable of displaying a plurality of symbols;

a first input device that allows a player to input an instruction to advance a game;

a second input device that allows the player to change a maximum bet amount; and

a controller programmed to;

(a) execute a game by rearranging the plurality of symbols via the symbol display device after an amount of credits equal to or fewer than a predetermined maximum bet amount has been bet, and paying out a predetermined amount of credits according to the rearranged symbols;

(b) switch a game mode from a non-insurance mode to an insurance mode according to an input operation performed by the player via the first input device to input a predetermined amount of credits;

(c) count a number of games after the game mode has been switched to the insurance mode, in a case where the game mode is in the insurance mode;

(d) pay out a predetermined amount of insurance credits, when the number of games counted in counting the number of games in (c) has reached a predetermined number of games;

(e) reset the number of games counted in counting the number of games in (c), when an amount of credits paid out according to the plurality of symbols rearranged is equal to or more than a predetermined limit; and

(f) change the predetermined limit based on a change in the maximum bet amount according to an input operation performed by the player via the second input device.

2. A slot machine according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further programmed to:

(g) display an image indicating a mode selected from the insurance mode and the non-insurance mode on the display.

3. A slot machine according to claim 2, wherein, in the displaying an image in (g), after a difference between the predetermined number of games and the counted number of games has reached a predetermined number in the insurance mode, a rendered image is displayed every time the number of games is counted.

4. A slot machine according to claim 3, wherein

the symbol display device is a mechanical reel device including a plurality of reels, each of which has an outer face bearing the plurality of symbols;

the display comprises

a first display provided in front of the mechanical reel device, and having a function of displaying a screen image while allowing the player to visually observe the plurality of symbols displayed on the plurality of reels, and

a second display provided above the first display; and

the controller causes the first display to display the rendered image, and the second display to display an image indicating that a current state of the game is in the insurance mode, in the displaying an image in (g).

5. A method for a slot machine comprising:

(a) executing a game by rearranging a plurality of symbols via a symbol display device that is capable of displaying the plurality of symbols after an amount of credits equal to or fewer than a predetermined maximum bet amount has been bet, and paying out a predetermined amount of credits according to the rearranged symbols, said executing being performed with a programmed CPU;

(b) switching a game mode from a non-insurance mode to an insurance mode according to an input operation performed by a player via a first input device to input a predetermined amount of credits;

(c) counting a number of games after the game mode has been switched to the insurance mode, in a case where the game mode is in the insurance mode;

(d) paying out a predetermined amount of insurance credits, when the number of games counted in the counting step (c) has reached a predetermined number of games;

(e) resetting the number of games counted in the counting step (c), in a case where an amount of credits paid out according to the rearranged symbols is equal to or more than a predetermined limit; and

(f) changing the predetermined limit based on a change in the maximum bet amount according to an input operation performed by the player via the second input device.