Gaming system and method for providing virtual drawings

• US 8,282,472 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2011
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Baerlocher, Anthony J., Bullard, Bryan, Dewaal, Daniel, Little, William, Reddicks, Christopher D., Vasquez, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Peter DungBa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chan, Allen
• Application Number:
  US13/109,453
• Publication Number:
  US 20110218032A1
• Time in Patent Office: 511 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/17, 463/25
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A gaming system and method of providing a virtual drawing or drawing promotion including a central server, one or more location servers, and a plurality of gaming devices. A player is provided with a drawing account voucher, which is associated with a drawing account. Based on game play, the drawing account is credited with drawing entries or virtual tickets for a drawing promotion. In one embodiment, the gaming system provides a number of drawing entries when a wager placed by a player meets at least a wager threshold amount, wherein the number of drawing entries provided is based on a ticket award amount. The gaming system, upon expiration of a drawing period, selects a winner of the drawing promotion by selecting a drawing entry. In one embodiment, the gaming system progressively increases the drawing prize based on the number of drawing entries provided or wagers placed by the players.

Claims

1. A gaming system for providing a drawing promotion comprising:

a plurality of gaming devices, each of the gaming devices including a primary game operable upon a wager placed by a player; and

a central controller configured to;

(a) maintain a drawing promotion, the drawing promotion including a drawing prize and a plurality of drawing accounts, each of the drawing accounts configured to include a number of drawing entries;

(b) during a drawing period for the drawing promotion, for each of a plurality of players;

(i) cause said player to be provided with a drawing account voucher associated with one of the drawing accounts,

(ii) thereafter, operate with at least one input device of one of the gaming devices to receive said drawing account voucher from said player to activate game play at said gaming device for drawing entry accrual for the drawing promotion,

(iii) thereafter, operate with said at least one input device of said gaming device to;

(A) receive a wager from said player,

(B) determine whether said received wager meets at least a wager threshold amount, and

(C) if said received wager meets at least the wager threshold amount, provide said drawing account associated with said drawing account voucher received from said player with a quantity of drawing entries, said quantity of drawing entries being at least one, wherein the drawing entries are separate from the drawing account voucher and are to be used for the drawing promotion, and

(c) upon expiration of the drawing period;

(i) select one of the drawing entries from one of the drawing accounts, and

(ii) cause the drawing prize to be provided to the player associated with the drawing account including said selected drawing entry.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the central controller is configured to, during the drawing period for the drawing promotion, adjust the wager threshold amount based on a quantity of the gaming devices that are being played.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the central controller is configured to, during the drawing period for the drawing promotion:

(a) set the wager threshold amount to a first wager threshold amount when a quantity of the gaming devices that are being played is less than a designated quantity of the gaming devices, and

(b) set the wager threshold amount to a second wager threshold amount when the quantity of the gaming devices that are being played is greater than the designated quantity of the gaming devices, the second wager threshold amount being greater than the first wager threshold amount.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the central controller is configured to, during the drawing period for the drawing promotion, adjust the wager threshold amount based on at least one of:

a time of day and a day of the week.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the drawing period for the drawing promotion is determined based on at least one of:

a time of day and a day of the week.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the central controller is configured to, during the drawing period for the drawing promotion, for each of the players, adjust the wager threshold amount based on information stored in a player tracking account associated with said player.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the central controller is configured to, during the drawing period for the drawing promotion, for each of the players, decrease the wager threshold amount each time said player places a wager meeting at least the wager threshold amount during a predetermined time period.

8. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein the central controller is configured to, during the drawing period for the drawing promotion, for each of the players, stop decreasing the wager threshold amount when the wager threshold amount reaches a wager threshold floor.

9. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the central controller is configured to, during the drawing period for the drawing promotion, for each of the players, increase the wager threshold amount each time said player places a wager meeting at least the wager threshold amount during a predetermined time period.

10. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein the central controller is configured to, during the drawing period for the drawing promotion, for each of the players, stop increasing the wager threshold amount when the wager threshold amount reaches a wager threshold ceiling.

11. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the central controller is configured to, during the drawing period for the drawing promotion, for each of the players, adjust the wager threshold amount based on the wagers placed by said player.

12. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the central controller is configured to, during the drawing period for the drawing promotion, adjust the wager threshold amount based on game play.

13. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the central controller is configured to, during the drawing period for the drawing promotion, adjust the wager threshold amount based on casino traffic.

14. A gaming system for providing a drawing promotion comprising:

a plurality of gaming devices, each of the gaming devices including a primary game operable upon a wager placed by a player; and

a central controller configured to;

(a) maintain a drawing promotion, the drawing promotion including a drawing prize and a plurality of drawing accounts, each of the drawing accounts configured to include a number of drawing entries;

(b) during a drawing period for the drawing promotion, for each of a plurality of players;

(i) cause said player to be provided with a drawing account voucher associated with one of the drawing accounts,

(ii) thereafter, operate with at least one input device of one of the gaming devices to receive said drawing account voucher from said player to activate game play at said gaming device for drawing entry accrual for the drawing promotion, and

(iii) thereafter, determine whether to provide said player with any drawing entries, wherein the drawing entries are separate from the drawing account voucher and are to be used for the drawing promotion,

(iv) if said player is to be provided with any drawing entries, determine a quantity of drawing entries to provide to said player and provide said drawing account associated with said drawing account voucher received from said player with said quantity of drawing entries, and

(c) upon expiration of the drawing period;

(i) select one of the drawing entries from one of the drawing accounts, and

(ii) cause the drawing prize to be provided to the player associated with the drawing account including said selected drawing entry.

15. The gaming system of claim 14, wherein the central controller is configured to, during the drawing period for the drawing promotion, for each of the players, determine the quantity of drawing entries to provide to said player based on the amount wagered by said player.

16. The gaming system of claim 14, wherein the central controller is configured to, during the drawing period for the drawing promotion, for each of the players, determine the quantity of drawing entries to provide to said player by:

(a) summing each wager placed by said player;

(b) when said sum meets at least a wager threshold amount, determining the quantity of wagers comprising said sum; and

(c) determining the quantity of drawing entries based on the quantity of wagers comprising said sum.

17. The gaming system of claim 14, wherein the central controller is configured to, during the drawing period for the drawing promotion, determine the quantity of drawing entries to provide to said player based on casino traffic.

18. The gaming system of claim 14, wherein the central controller is configured to, during the drawing period for the drawing promotion, determine the quantity of drawing entries to provide to said player based on at least one of:

a time of day and a day of the week.

19. The gaming system of claim 14, wherein the drawing period for the drawing promotion is determined based on at least one of:

a time of day and a day of the week.

20. The gaming system of claim 14, wherein the central controller is configured to, during the drawing period for the drawing promotion, for each of the players, increase the quantity of drawing entries to provide to said player each time said player places a wager meeting at least a wager threshold amount during a predetermined time period.

21. The gaming system of claim 20, wherein the central controller is configured to, during the drawing period for the drawing promotion, for each of the players, stop increasing the quantity of drawing entries to provide to said player when the quantity of drawing entries meets a predetermined number.

22. The gaming system of claim 14, wherein the central controller is configured to, during the drawing period for the drawing promotion, for each of the players, decrease the quantity of drawing entries to provide to said player each time said player places a wager meeting at least a wager threshold amount during a predetermined time period.

23. The gaming system of claim 22, wherein the central controller is configured to, during the drawing period for the drawing promotion, for each of the players, stop decreasing the quantity of drawing entries to provide to said player when the quantity of drawing entries meets a predetermined number.

24. A method of operating a gaming system for providing a drawing promotion, said gaming system including a plurality of gaming devices, each of the gaming devices including a primary game operable upon a wager placed by a player, and a central controller configured to maintain the drawing promotion, said method comprising:

(a) maintaining the drawing promotion, the drawing promotion including a drawing prize, a drawing period, and a plurality of drawing accounts, each of the drawing accounts configured to include a number of drawing entries;

(b) for each of a plurality of players;

(i) providing said player with a drawing account voucher associated with one of the drawing accounts,

(ii) thereafter, receiving said drawing account voucher from said player to activate game play at said gaming device for drawing entry accrual for the drawing promotion,

(iii) thereafter, receiving a wager from said player,

(iv) determining whether said received wager meets at least a wager threshold amount, and

(v) if said received wager meets at least the wager threshold amount, providing said drawing account associated with said drawing account voucher received from said player with a quantity of drawing entries, said quantity of drawing entries being at least one, wherein the drawing entries are separate from the drawing account voucher and are to be used for the drawing promotion, and

(c) upon expiration of the drawing period;

(i) selecting one of the drawing entries from one of the drawing accounts, and

(ii) causing the drawing prize to be provided to the player associated with the drawing account including said selected drawing entry.

25. The method of claim 24, which includes adjusting the wager threshold amount based on a quantity of the gaming devices that are being played.

26. The method of claim 24, which includes:

(a) setting the wager threshold amount to a first wager threshold amount when a quantity of the gaming devices that are being played is less than a designated quantity of the gaming devices, and

(b) setting the wager threshold amount to a second wager threshold amount when the quantity of the gaming devices that are being played is greater than the designated quantity of the gaming devices.

27. The method of claim 24, which includes adjusting the wager threshold amount based on at least one of:

a time of day and a day of the week.

28. The method of claim 24, which includes, for each of the players, adjusting the wager threshold amount based on information stored in a player tracking account associated with said player.

29. The method of claim 24, which includes, for each of the players, decreasing the wager threshold amount each time said player places a wager meeting at least the wager threshold amount during a predetermined time period.

30. The method of claim 29, which includes, for each of the players, ceasing to decrease the wager threshold amount when the wager threshold amount reaches a wager threshold floor.

31. The method of claim 24, which includes, for each of the players, increasing the wager threshold amount each time said player places a wager meeting at least the wager threshold amount during a predetermined time period.

32. The method of claim 31, which includes, for each of the players, ceasing to increase the wager threshold amount when the wager threshold amount reaches a wager threshold ceiling.

33. The method of claim 24, which includes, for each of the players, adjusting the wager threshold amount based on the wagers placed by said player.

34. The method of claim 24, which includes adjusting the wager threshold amount based on game play.

35. The method of claim 26, which includes adjusting the wager threshold amount based on casino traffic.

36. The method of claim 24, which is provided through a data network.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the data network is the internet.

38. A method of operating a gaming system for providing a drawing promotion, said gaming system including a plurality of gaming devices, each of the gaming devices including a primary game operable upon a wager placed by a player, and a central controller configured to maintain the drawing promotion, said method comprising:

(a) maintaining the drawing promotion, the drawing promotion including a drawing prize, a drawing period, and a plurality of drawing accounts, each of the drawing accounts configured to include a number of drawing entries;

(b) for each of a plurality of players;

(i) providing said player with a drawing account voucher associated with one of the drawing accounts,

(ii) thereafter, receiving said drawing account voucher from said player to activate game play at said gaming device for drawing entry accrual for the drawing promotion,

(iii) thereafter, determining whether to provide said player with any drawing entries, wherein the drawing entries are separate from the drawing account voucher and are to be used for the drawing promotion, and

(iv) if said player is to be provided with any drawing entries, determining a quantity of drawing entries to provide to said player and provide said drawing account associated with said drawing account voucher received from said player with said quantity of drawing entries, and

(c) upon expiration of the drawing period;

(i) selecting one of the drawing entries from one of the drawing accounts, and

(ii) causing the drawing prize to be provided to the player associated with the drawing account including said selected drawing entry.

39. The method of claim 38, which includes, for each of the players, determining the quantity of drawing entries to provide to said player based on the amount wagered by said player.

40. The method of claim 38, which includes, for each of the players, determining the quantity of drawing entries to provide to said player by:

(a) summing each wager placed by said player;

(b) when said sum meets at least a wager threshold amount, determining the quantity of wagers comprising said sum; and

(c) determining the quantity of drawing entries based on the quantity of wagers comprising said sum.

41. The method of claim 38, which includes determining the quantity of drawing entries to provide to said player based on casino traffic.

42. The method of claim 38, which includes determining the quantity of drawing entries to provide to said player based on at least one of:

a time of day and a day of the week.

43. The method of claim 38, which includes, for each of the players, increasing the quantity of drawing entries to provide to said player each time said player places a wager meeting at least a wager threshold amount during a predetermined time period.

44. The method of claim 43, which includes, for each of the players, ceasing to increase the quantity of drawing entries to provide to said player when the quantity of drawing entries meets a predetermined number.

45. The method of claim 38, which includes, for each of the players, decreasing the quantity of drawing entries to provide to said player each time said player places a wager meeting at least a wager threshold amount during a predetermined time period.

46. The method of claim 45, which includes, for each of the players, ceasing to decrease the quantity of drawing entries to provide to said player when the quantity of drawing entries meets a predetermined number.

47. The method of claim 38, which is provided through a data network.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the data network is the internet.