Slot machine and control method of game

• US 8,033,907 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2007
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• 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:
  US11/734,810
• Publication Number:
  US 20080096632A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,642 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 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A slot machine of the present invention comprises: a symbol display device capable of variably displaying a plurality of symbols; and a controller, the controller programmed to execute the processing of: (A) executing a game in which the plurality of symbols are variably displayed and then stop-displayed to the symbol display device after game media are BET in number equal to or less than a previously set maximum number of BETs, and game media are paid out in number according to the stop-displayed symbols or a combination thereof; (B) shifting a mode from a non-insurance mode to an insurance mode on condition that a predetermined number of game media is inserted; (C) counting the number of games played after shifting to the insurance mode, in the insurance mode; (D) conducting a payout of a predetermined number of game media which accompanies the number of games reaching a specific number, and also conducting payout of game media in number according to the stop-displayed symbols or a combination thereof, in a game in which the number of games counted in said processing (C) reaches said specific number.

Claims

1. A slot machine, comprising:

a symbol display device configured to variably display a plurality of symbols;

a controller configured to;

execute a game in which said plurality of symbols are variably displayed and then stop-displayed to said symbol display device after game media are bet in a value equal to or less than a previously set maximum value of bets, and game media are paid out in a value according to the stop-displayed symbols;

shift a mode from a non-insurance mode to an insurance mode on a condition that a first value of game media is inserted;

count, in said insurance mode, only a number of games in which game media are bet in value equal to said maximum value of bets after shifting to said insurance mode; and

conduct, when the number of games played in said insurance mode reaches a specified number, which is a predetermined number of games, a payout of a second predetermined value of game media resulting from the number of games played in said insurance mode reaching said specified number of games played, and a payout of game media in a value according to the stop-displayed symbols or a combination thereof; and

an output device configured to display;

an image representing the payout of the second predetermined value of game media resulting from the number of games played in said insurance mode reaching said specified number of games played, at a time of such a payout; and

an image representing the payout of game media resulting from a value according to the stop-displayed symbols, at a time of such a payout.

2. The slot machine according to claim 1, wherein said controller is further configured to shift the mode from said insurance mode to said non-insurance mode when an insurance canceling condition is established before the number of games played in said insurance mode reaches said specified number of games played.

3. The slot machine according to claim 2, wherein said controller is further configured to not conduct a payout of a predetermined value of game media resulting from the number of games played in said insurance mode reaching said specified number of games played when said insurance canceling condition is established in a game.

4. The slot machine according to claim 2 or 3, wherein said controller is further configured to set the number of games played in said insurance mode to zero when said predetermined insurance canceling condition is established before the number of games played in said insurance mode reaches said specified number of games played.

6. The slot machine according to claim 1, wherein when the number of games played in said insurance mode reaches a notice set value, and an image indicating that a current game mode is the insurance mode is displayed by the output device.

7. The slot machine according to claim 6, wherein after the number of games played in said insurance mode has reached the notice set value and until the number of games played in said insurance mode reaches the predetermined number, a remaining number of games until the predetermined number of games is reached is displayed with the image indicating that the current game mode is the insurance mode.

8. The slot machine according to claim 1, wherein the specified number of games played required to cause the payout of the second predetermined value of game media in said insurance mode is determined based on the first value of game media inserted to shift the mode from the non-insurance mode to the insurance mode.

9. The slot machine according to claim 8, wherein the specified number of games played required to cause the payout of the second predetermined value of game media in said insurance mode is decreased as the first value of game media inserted to shift the mode from the non-insurance mode to the insurance mode is increased.

10. The slot machine according to claim 1, wherein the specified number of games played required to cause the payout of the second predetermined value of game media in said insurance mode is set randomly when the mode is shifted to the insurance mode.

5. A game control method executed by a processor of a slot machine,

the processor executing steps including:

executing a game in which a plurality of symbols are variably displayed and then stop-displayed to a symbol display device capable of variably displaying a plurality of symbols after game media are bet in a value equal to or less than a previously set maximum value of bets, and game media are paid out in a value according to the stop-displayed symbols;

shifting a mode from a non-insurance mode to an insurance mode on a condition that a first value of game media is inserted;

counting, in said insurance mode, only a number of games in which game media are bet in value equal to said maximum value of bets after shifting to said insurance mode;

conducting, when the number of games played in said insurance mode reaches a specified number, which is a predetermined number of games, a payout of a second predetermined value of game media resulting from the number of games played in said insurance mode reaching said specified number of games played, and a payout of game media in a value according to the stop-displayed symbols; and

displaying an image representing the payout of the second predetermined value of game media resulting from the number of games played in said insurance mode reaching said specified number of games played, at the time of such a payout; and

displaying an image representing the payout of game media in a value according to the stop-displayed symbols, at the time of such a payout.