Server based gaming system having system triggered loyalty award sequences

• US 8,221,226 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2007
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Baerlocher, Anthony J., Schneider, Richard J., Iddings, Cara L.
• Primary Examiner(s): DEODHAR, OMKAR A
• Application Number:
  US11/830,083
• Publication Number:
  US 20080076496A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,814 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/20, 463/25, 463/29
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements

Abstract

A gaming system including a central server linked to a plurality of gaming machines. In one embodiment, the gaming system provides players with one or more loyalty incentives, such as one or more loyalty awards, utilizing one or more loyalty incentive award sequences. In one embodiment, the gaming system determines a loyalty award to provide to a player and then determines an appropriate loyalty award sequence to utilize to provide the player the determined loyalty award, wherein the loyalty award sequence is determined based on the individual gaming device that the player is currently playing.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

at least one display device;

at least one input device;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device which stores 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 display device and the at least one input device to;

(a) receive from a controller data associated with a loyalty award sequence associated with an identified player, said loyalty award sequence including a determined number of free plays of a game, wherein;

(i) said determined number of free plays of the game is based, at least in part, on a controller determined loyalty award value associated with the identified player and an average expected payout value of each free play of the game,

(ii) if the controller determined loyalty award value is a first value, the loyalty award sequence includes a first number of free plays of the game and if the controller determined loyalty award value is a second, different value, the loyalty award sequence includes a second, different number of free plays of the game, and

(iii) said controller is remote from said at least one processor; and

(b) for each of the determined number of free plays of the game of the received data associated with the loyalty award sequence;

(i) generate and display a plurality of symbols,

(ii) determine if any of said generated symbols form any of a plurality of winning symbol combinations, and

(iii) if any of said generated symbols form any of said winning symbol combinations, provide the player a value associated with said generated winning symbol combination.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the values for the determined number of free plays of the game form a total value different than the controller determined loyalty award value.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the controller determined loyalty award value is based on information received from a player tracking system.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the controller determined loyalty award value is based on an amount of wagers placed.

5. A gaming system comprising:

at least one display device;

at least one input device;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device which stores 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 display device and the at least one input device to;

(a) receive from a controller data associated with a loyalty award sequence associated with an identified player, said loyalty award sequence including a number of plays of a game and a multiplier to apply to each of said determined number of plays of the game, wherein;

(i) said determined number of plays of the game and the determined multiplier are based, at least in part, on a controller determined loyalty award value associated with the identified player and an average expected payback percentage of each play of the game,

(ii) if the controller determined loyalty award value is a first value, the loyalty award sequence includes a first number of plays of the game and if the controller determined loyalty award value is a second, different value, the loyalty award sequence includes a second, different number of plays of the game, and

(iii) the controller is remote from said at least one processor; and

(b) for each of the determined number of plays of the game;

(i) enable the player to place a wager to initiate said play of the game,

(ii) generate and display a plurality of symbols,

(iii) determine if any of said generated symbols form any of a plurality of winning symbol combinations,

(iv) if any of said generated symbols form any of said winning symbol combinations, modify a value associated with said generated winning symbol combination by the determined multiplier, and

(v) provide the modified value to the player.

6. The gaming system of claim 5, wherein the modified values for the determined number of plays of the game form a total value different than the controller determined loyalty award value.

7. The gaming system of claim 5, wherein prior to (b), the at least one processor is programmed to determine if enough wagers are deposited to fund each of the determined number of plays of the game.

8. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein if not enough wagers are deposited to fund each of the determined number of plays of the game, the at least one processor is programmed to communicate an error message to the controller and not execute (b).

9. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein if not enough wagers are deposited to fund each of the determined number of plays of the game, the at least one processor is programmed to modify at least one of the determined number of plays of the game and the determined multiplier.

10. The gaming system of claim 5, wherein the controller determined loyalty award value is based on information received from a player tracking system.

11. The gaming system of claim 5, wherein the controller determined loyalty award value is based on the amount of wagers placed.

12. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

(a) receiving from a controller data associated with a loyalty award sequence associated with an identified player, said loyalty award sequence including a determined number of free plays of a game, wherein;

(i) said determined number of free plays of the game is based, at least in part, on a controller determined loyalty award value associated with the identified player and an average expected payout value of each free play of the game, and

(ii) when the controller determined loyalty award value is a first value, the loyalty award sequence includes a first number of free plays of the game and when the controller determined loyalty award value is a second, different value, the loyalty award sequence includes a second, different number of free plays of the game; and

(b) for each of the determined number of free plays of the game of the received data associated with the loyalty award sequence;

(i) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to generate a plurality of symbols, and

(ii) causing at least one display device to display the plurality of symbols,

(iii) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine when any of said generated symbols form any of a plurality of winning symbol combinations, and

(iv) when any of said generated symbols form any of said winning symbol combinations, providing the player a value associated with said generated winning symbol combination.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the values for the determined number of free plays of the game form a total value different than the controller determined loyalty award value.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the controller determined loyalty award value is based on information received from a player tracking system.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the controller determined loyalty award value is based on an amount of wagers placed.

16. The method of claim 12, which is provided through a data network.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the data network is an internet.

18. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

(a) receiving from a controller data associated with a loyalty award sequence associated with an identified player, said loyalty award sequence including a number of plays of a game and a multiplier to apply to each of said determined number of plays of the game, wherein;

(i) said determined number of plays of the game and the determined multiplier are based, at least in part, on a controller determined loyalty award value associated with the identified player and an average expected payback percentage of each play of the game, and

(ii) when the controller determined loyalty award value is a first value, the loyalty award sequence includes a first number of plays of the game and when the controller determined loyalty award value is a second, different value, the loyalty award sequence includes a second, different number of plays of the game; and

(b) for each of the determined number of plays of the game;

(i) enabling the player to place a wager to initiate said play of the game,

(ii) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to generate a plurality of symbols,

(iii) causing at least one display device to display the plurality of symbols,

(iv) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine when any of said generated symbols form any of a plurality of winning symbol combinations,

(v) when any of said generated symbols form any of said winning symbol combinations, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to modify a value associated with said generated winning symbol combination by the determined multiplier, and

(vi) providing the modified value to the player.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the modified values for the determined number of plays of the game form a total value different than the controller determined loyalty award value.

20. The method of claim 18, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine when enough wagers are deposited to fund each of the determined number of plays of the game prior to executing (b).

21. The method of claim 20, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to communicate an error message to the controller and not executing (b) when not enough wagers are deposited to fund each of the determined number of plays of the game.

22. The method of claim 20, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to modify at least one of the determined number of plays of the game and the determined multiplier when not enough wagers are deposited to fund each of the determined number of plays of the game.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the controller determined loyalty award value is based on information received from a player tracking system.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the controller determined loyalty award value is based on the amount of wagers placed.

25. The method of claim 18, which is provided through a data network.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the data network is an internet.