Method and apparatus for providing a bonus to a player

• US 8,277,302 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2007
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Walker, Jay S., Sammon, Russell P., Jorasch, James A., Friesen, Scott T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): McCulloch, Jr., William H
• Application Number:
  US11/743,353
• Publication Number:
  US 20080272541A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,980 Days
• Field of Search: 463/18, 463/17, 273/139
• US Class Current: 463/18
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3267 Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games

Abstract

A method, system, device and computer readable medium are described, in which a wagering game and a secondary game may be provided at a gaming device, wherein the secondary game comprises detecting an occurrence of a trigger; determining, responsive to the trigger, a player number based on a first criterion; determining, responsive to the trigger, a match number based on a second criterion; and determining if the match number meets a third criterion with respect to the player number.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one input device;

at least one display device; 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) enable a player to place a wager to play a wagering game;

(b) determine if a secondary game triggering event randomly occurs; and

(c) if the secondary game triggering event randomly occurs, display a play of a secondary game and for the play of the secondary game;

(i) randomly determine a player number based, at least in part, on a first criterion, said player number determined regardless of any amount of the wager placed to play the wagering game and the first criterion being associated with the player prior to the play of the secondary game,

(ii) determine a match number based on a second criterion, said match number determined regardless of any amount of the wager placed to play the wagering game, and said second criterion being different than the first criterion,

(iii) determine if the match number meets a different, third criterion with respect to the player number, and

(iv) provide a benefit if the match number meets the third criterion with respect to the player number.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the first criterion is at least one characteristic of the player.

3. The gaming system of claim 2, wherein the at least one characteristic includes biometric data associated with the player.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the first criterion includes data from a player account which is associated with the player.

5. The gaming system of claim 4, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to access the data in association with a player tracking card associated with the player account.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the first criterion is a personal number associated with the player.

7. The gaming system of claim 6, wherein the personal number is a social security number.

8. The gaming system of claim 6, wherein the personal number is a player account number.

9. The gaming system of claim 6, wherein the personal number is a credit card number.

10. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the first criterion includes a randomly generated number.

11. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to randomly generate the match number.

12. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the secondary game triggering event occurs if a winning outcome is generated in association with the play of the wagering game.

13. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the secondary game triggering event occurs if a losing outcome is generated in association with the play of the wagering game.

14. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the benefit is a monetary payout.

15. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the benefit is an addition of credits to a credit meter balance.

16. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the benefit is a non-cash prize.

17. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the benefit is a discount on a purchase of at least one of a good and a service.

18. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to determine that the match number meets the third criterion with respect to the player number if at least one digit of the match number corresponds to at least one digit of the player number.

19. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to determine that the match number meets the third criterion with respect to the player number if at least one digit of the match number is equal to a corresponding at least one digit of the player number.

20. The gaming system of claim 19, wherein the at least one digit of the match number is the last digit of the match number and the corresponding at least one digit of the player number is the last digit of the player number.

21. The gaming system of claim 19, wherein the at least one digit of the match number is the last two digits of the match number and the corresponding at least one digit of the player number is the last two digits of the player number.

22. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to determine that the match number meets the third criterion with respect to the player number if the match number is equal to the player number.

23. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to determine that the match number meets the third criterion with respect to the player number if the match number is within a predetermined range of the player number.

24. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to determine that the match number meets the third criterion with respect to the player number if the match number is greater than the player number.

25. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to determine that the match number meets the third criterion with respect to the player number if the match number is less than the player number.

26. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the third criterion which determines if the match number meets the third criterion with respect to the player number is selected from a database.

27. The gaming system of claim 26, wherein the database is located on an external device remote from the at least one processor.

28. The gaming system of claim 27, wherein the external device is a server.

29. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to provide the benefit to the player.

30. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to provide the benefit to a third party associated with the player.

31. The gaming system of claim 30, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to enable the player to select the third party.

32. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to:

(i) randomly generate the match number and (ii) provide the benefit to the player if the match number is equal to the player number.

33. A gaming system comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one input device;

at least one display device; 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, for each play of a wagering game;

(a) enable a player to place a wager amount to play said wagering game, said wager amount being from a credit meter balance associated with the player;

(b) determine if a triggering event occurs; and

(c) if the triggering event occurs, display a play of a secondary game and for the play of the secondary game;

(i) determine a current number of credits of the credit meter balance,

(ii) randomly determine a match number based on a first criterion,

(iii) determine if the match number meets a different, second criterion with respect to the determined number of credits of the credit meter balance, and

(iv) provide a benefit to the player if the match number meets the second criterion with respect to the determined number of credits of the credit meter balance.

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

(a) enabling a player to place a wager to play a wagering game;

(b) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to determine if a secondary game triggering event randomly occurs; and

(c) if the secondary game triggering event randomly occurs, causing at least one display device to display a play of a secondary game and for the play of the secondary game;

(i) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to randomly determine a player number based, at least in part, on a first criterion, said player number determined regardless of any amount of the wager placed to play the wagering game and the first criterion being associated with the player prior to the play of the secondary game,

(ii) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a match number based on a second criterion, said match number determined regardless of any amount of the wager placed to play the wagering game, and said second criterion being different than the first criterion,

(iii) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine if the match number meets a different, third criterion with respect to the player number, and

(iv) providing a benefit if the match number meets the third criterion with respect to the player number.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the first criterion is at least one selected from the group consisting of:

at least one characteristic of the player, a personal number associated with the player, and a randomly generated number.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the secondary game triggering event is at least one event selected from the group consisting of:

a generation of a winning outcome in association with the play of the wagering game, and a generation of a losing outcome in association with the play of the wagering game.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein the benefit is at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a monetary payout, an addition of credits to a credit meter balance associated with the player, a non-cash prize, and a discount on a purchase of at least one of a good and a service.

38. The method of claim 34, wherein the match number meets the third criterion with respect to the player number if a designated event occurs, said designated event selected from the group consisting of:

at least one digit of the match number corresponds to at least one digit of the player number, at least one digit of the match number is equal to a corresponding at least one digit of the player number, the match number is equal to the player number, the match number is within a predetermined range of the player number, the match number is greater than the player number, and the match number is less than the player number.

39. The method of claim 34, which includes:

(i) randomly generating the match number and (ii) providing the benefit to the player if the match number is equal to the player number.

40. The method of claim 34, which is provided through a data network.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the data network is an internet.

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

(a) for each play of a wagering game, enabling a player to place a wager amount to play said wagering game, said wager amount being from a credit meter balance associated with the player;

(b) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to determine if a triggering event occurs; and

(c) if the triggering event occurs, causing at least one display device to display a play of a secondary game and for the play of the secondary game;

(i) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a current number of credits of the credit meter balance,

(ii) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to randomly determine a match number based on a first criterion,

(iii) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine if the match number meets a different, second criterion with respect to the determined number of credits of the credit meter balance, and

(iv) providing a benefit to the player if the match number meets the second criterion with respect to the determined number of credits of the credit meter balance.

43. The method of claim 42, which is provided through a data network.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the data network is an internet.