Multivendor progressive gaming system

• US 8,109,827 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2004
• Issued: 02/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Igt Canada Solutions Ulc (GTECH SpA)
• Original Assignee: GTECH Rhode Island Corporation (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Cahill, Tom, Clifford, Heather, Caldwell, Glenn, Hach, Deborah, Reddy, Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Peter DungBa
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIERCE, DAMON JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US10/935,933
• Publication Number:
  US 20060052159A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,709 Days
• Field of Search: 463/27, 463/26, 463/42
• US Class Current: 463/27
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots

Abstract

A method of facilitating the play of a progressive game and a system for facilitating the play of a progressive game are disclosed. The method may include accruing a portion of wagers to a multi-vendor progressive prize fund, tracking the total amount accrued to the multi-vendor progressive prize fund by the first set of game terminals in a first prize determination interval. The method may include receiving a second wager from a second player of a second game of chance, the second game of chance operating on a second game terminal in a second set of game terminals. The method may include determining that the second player has won a progressive. The method may also include determining the value of the progressive prize, the value of the progressive prize depending on the size of the multi-vendor progressive prize fund and on an amount of contributions accrued from the second set of game terminals to the multi-vendor progressive prize fund during a second prize determination interval.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of facilitating the play of a multi-vendor progressive game, comprising:

providing, with a processor, to a plurality of operators of a plurality of sets of game terminals a predetermined contribution range including a plurality of possible contribution amounts for a multi-vendor progressive prize fund;

receiving, at the processor, from a first operator of a first set of game terminals an electronic communication including information indicating a selection of a first contribution amount from the contribution range, the first contribution amount indicating an amount to contribute to the multi-vendor progressive prize fund from wagers received at each terminal in the first set of game terminals, wherein the first contribution amount is selected by the first operator prior to receiving contributions from the first set of game terminals and the first set of game terminals includes a plurality of game terminals;

receiving, at the processor, from a second operator of a second set of game terminals an electronic communication including information indicating a selection of a second contribution amount from the contribution range, of the second contribution amount indicating and amount to contribute to the multi-vendor progressive prize fund from wagers received at each terminal in the second set of game terminals, the second operator being different than the first operator and the first contribution amount being different than the second contribution amount, wherein the second contribution amount is selected by the second operator prior to receiving contributions from the second set of game terminals and the second set of game terminals includes a plurality of game terminals;

receiving a first wager from a first player of a first game of chance, the first game of chance operating on a first game terminal in a first set of game terminals;

accruing a portion of the first wager to the multi-vendor progressive prize fund, the amount accrued from the first wager depending on the first contribution amount;

tracking, with a processor, a total amount accrued to the multi-vendor progressive prize fund by the first set of game terminals in a first prize determination interval;

receiving a second wager from a second player of a second game of chance, the second game of chance operating on a second game terminal in a second set of game terminals;

accruing a portion of the second wager to the multi-vendor progressive prize fund, the amount accrued from the second wager depending on the second contribution amount;

determining that the second player has won a progressive prize; and

determining the value of the progressive prize with a processor, the value of the progressive prize being a portion of the multi-vendor progressive prize fund the value of the portion depending on both the size of the multi-vendor progressive prize fund and on an amount of contributions accrued from the second set of game terminals to the multi-vendor progressive prize fund during a second prize determination interval.

2. The progressive gaming system according to claim 1, wherein the first set of game terminals is a set of game terminals all providing the first game of chance.

3. The progressive gaming system according to claim 1, wherein the first set of game terminals is a set of game terminals all located at a single geographic location.

4. The progressive gaming system according to claim 1, wherein the first set of game terminals is a set of game terminals located at multiple geographic locations.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the first player has not won the progressive prize.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first game of chance is one of a first set of games of chance which operate on the first set of game terminals.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the odds of winning the progressive prize in a game play are independent of which game in the first set of games is played.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of terminals and the second set of terminals are located at different respective geographic locations.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the first set of game terminals are split among multiple geographic locations.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of game terminals and the second set of game terminals are provided by different game terminal vendors.

11. The method of claim 1, where the progressive prize determination interval is the same for each set of game terminals.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the progressive prize determination interval is the time since any player has last won the progressive prize.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the progressive prize determination interval is a predetermined interval of time.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the progressive prize interval is determined separately for different sets of game terminals.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first progressive prize determination interval is the time since any player using the first set of game terminals last won the progressive prize and the second progressive prize determination interval is the time since any player using the second set of terminals last won the progressive prize.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the first progressive prize determination interval is a first predetermined interval of time associated with the first set of game terminals and the second progressive prize determination interval is a second predetermined interval of time associated with the second set of game terminals.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein, for each set of game terminals having a separate operator, each game terminal in the respective set of game terminals contributes the same monetary amount to the progressive prize pool for each game play.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein, for each set of game terminals having a separate operator, each game terminal in the respective set of game terminals contributes the same percentage amount of a player'"'"'s wager to the multi-vendor progressive prize pool for each game play.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the contribution amount determined by the operator of the first set of game terminals is in a predetermined contribution range set by the operator of the progressive game.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein each game terminal in a set of game terminals contributes the same percentage amount of a player'"'"'s wager to the multi-vendor progressive prize pool for each game play, but game terminals in different sets of game terminals contribute different amounts.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein each terminal in the first set of game terminals contributes a percentage amount to the progressive prize pool determined by the operator of the first set of game terminals.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the contribution percentage determined by the operator of the first set of game terminals is in a predetermined contribution percentage range set by the operator of the progressive game.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

paying aggregate accrued contributions to the multi-vendor progressive prize pool from at least one of the first or second set of game terminals at a predetermined payment interval.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reporting aggregate accrued contribution to the multi-vendor progressive prize pool from at least one of the first or second set of game terminals at a predetermined reporting interval.

25. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reporting accrued contributions from at least one of the first or second set of game terminals to the multi-vendor progressive prize pool in real-time.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the winning of the progressive prize is determined by a progressive game server.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the winning of the progressive prize by the second player is determined by the second game machine.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the winning of the progressive prize by the second player is determined by a management server for the second set of game terminals.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the management server for the second set of game terminals is operated by the operator of the second set of game terminals.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the management server for the second set of game terminals is located in the same geographical location as the second set of game terminals.

31. The method of claim 1, wherein the odds of winning the progressive prize during a particular game play are the same for every game played at each game terminal in each set of game terminals.

32. The method of claim 1, where the odds of winning the progressive prize during a particular game play are set by a progressive game server.

33. The method of claim 1, where the odds of winning the progressive prize during a game play are different for the first game terminal and the second game terminal, but are the same for each game terminal in the first set of game terminals and for each game terminal in the second set of game terminals.

34. The method of claim 33, where the odds of winning the progressive prize during a game play at one of the first set of game terminals is set by the operator of the first set of game terminals.

35. The method of claim 34, where the odds of winning the progressive prize during a game play at one of the first set of game terminals that is set by the operator of the first set of game terminals lies in a predetermined odds range set by the operator of the progressive game.

36. The method of claim 23, where the odds of winning the progressive prize during a game play at one of the first set of game terminals varies with the total contributions made by the first set of game terminals to the progressive prize fund during the first prize determination interval.

37. The method of claim 1, wherein the progressive prize is a share of the multi-vendor progressive prize fund approximately proportional to the contributions accrued by the second set of game terminals to the multi-vendor progressive prize fund during the second prize determination interval.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the progressive prize is a share of the multi-vendor progressive prize fund equal to the contributions accrued by the second set of game terminals to the multi-vendor progressive prize fund during the second prize determination interval divided by the total contributions accrued by all sets of game terminals to the multi-vendor progressive prize fund during the second prize determination interval.

39. The method claim 1, wherein the progressive prize is a share of the multi-vendor progressive prize fund approximately inversely proportional to the total contributions accrued by all sets of game terminals to the multi-vendor progressive prize fund during the second prize determination interval.

40. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

subtracting the progressive prize from the multi-vendor progressive prize fund.

41. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

resetting the multi-vendor progressive prize fund so that the fund is at least as great as a predetermined minimum multi-vendor progressive prize fund floor.

42. The method of claim 1, wherein the progressive prize is paid to the second player by the operator of the second set of games.

43. The method of claim 1, wherein the progressive prize is paid to the second player by the progressive game operator.

44. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a notification that the progressive prize has been won.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the notification is sent to the second game terminal.

46. The method of claim 44, wherein the notification is sent to a notification device located at the same geographic location as the second game terminal.

47. The method claim 44, wherein the notification is sent to a management terminal at the same geographic location as the second game terminal.

49. The method of claim 1, wherein the contribution range consists of percentages of the amount wagered at each terminal in the sets of terminals.

50. The method of claim 1, wherein the contribution range consists of fixed amounts per play at each terminal in the sets of terminal.

51. The method of claim 1, wherein the first contribution amount is set by the first game operator and the second contribution amount is set by the second game operator.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein the indications of the first contribution amount and the second contribution amount are received at a progressive game server.

53. The method of claim 1, wherein wagers received at the first set of game terminals have the same amount as wagers received at the second set of game terminals.

48. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions configured to cause a processor executing the instructions to perform a method of facilitating the play of a multi-vendor progressive game, comprising:

providing, via a progressive server, to a plurality of operators of a plurality of sets of game terminals a predetermined contribution range including a plurality of possible contribution amounts for a multi-vendor progressive prize fund;

receiving, at the progressive server, from a first operator of a first set of game terminals an electronic communication including information indicating a selection of a first contribution amount from the contribution range, the first contribution amount indicating an amount to contribute to the multi-vendor progressive prize fund from wagers received at each terminal in the first set of game terminals, wherein the first contribution amount is selected by the first operator prior to receiving contributions from the first set of game terminals and the first set of game terminals includes a plurality of game terminals;

receiving, at the progressive server, from a second operator of a second set of game terminals an electronic communication including information indicating a selection of a second contribution amount from the contribution range, of the second contribution amount indicating and amount to contribute to the multi-vendor progressive prize fund from wagers received at each terminal in the second set of game terminals, the second operator being different than the first operator and the first contribution amount being different than the second contribution amount, wherein the second contribution amount is selected by the second operator prior to receiving contributions from the second set of game terminals and the second set of game terminals includes a plurality of game terminals;

receiving a first wager from a first player of a first game of chance, the first game of chance operating on a first game terminal in a first set of game terminals;

accruing a portion of the first wager to the multi-vendor progressive prize fund, the amount accrued from the first wager depending on the first contribution amount;

tracking a total amount accrued to the multi-vendor progressive prize fund by the first set of game terminals in a first prize determination interval;

receiving a second wager from a second player of a second game of chance, the second game of chance operating on a second game terminal in a second set of game terminals;

accruing a portion of the second wager to the multi-vendor progressive prize fund, the amount accrued from the second wager depending on the second contribution amount;

determining that the second player has won a progressive prize; and

determining the value of the progressive prize, the value of the progressive prize being a portion of the multi-vendor progressive prize fund the value of the portion depending on both the size of the multi-vendor progressive prize fund and on an amount of contributions accrued from the second set of game terminals to the multi-vendor progressive prize fund during a second prize determination interval.