System and method for rewarding players based on personal interests or attributes

• US 8,328,635 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2006
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Oosthoek, Jeroen
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): GRAY, BRANDON RAMON
• Application Number:
  US11/520,452
• Publication Number:
  US 20080064492A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,281 Days
• Field of Search: 463/28, 463/25, 463/20, 463/42, 463/26, 463/27, 463/30, 463/40
• US Class Current: 463/26
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3232 wherein the operator is informed
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots

Abstract

A system and method for rewarding players of wagering game with a bonus is disclosed. A database is provided for collecting and storing personal interest information from two or more players. The database comprises data fields each representing a category of personal interest information. A player tracking server is utilized to monitor the player'"'"'s gaming activity. A bonus server operates in conjunction with the gaming server to determine when a bonus is to be awarded to one or more players. A player qualifies for a share of the bonus based on the common personal interest information as compared to the player that triggered the bonus award. The bonus may be shared equally or unequally by players who qualify to receive the bonus.

Claims

1. A system for rewarding members of a player group with a shared award in response to play by an award winner during play of a wagering game, the system comprising:

a database configured to store personal interest information regarding a plurality of players, wherein the personal interest information places each of the plurality of players into one or more player groups;

an identification element, having identification data associated therewith, the identification element used to identify each of the plurality of players when participating in gaming activity;

one or more computer servers configured to;

determine the identity of at least one player who is an award winner by randomly selecting the at least one player from the plurality of players;

determine at least one player group to which the award winner belongs by;

determine a winning player group by randomly selecting the winning player group from the at least one player group to which the award winner belongs;

determine at least one other player to share the award by randomly selecting the at least one other player from the winning player group;

distribute at least a portion of the award to the award winner; and

distribute at least a portion of the award to the at least one other player.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the database comprises a plurality of data fields, and wherein each data field represents a category of personal interest information and identification data for players with the personal interest information defined by the data field.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more player groups include a private group of players.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the award is triggered in response to a particular game outcome.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the award is shared among only active players.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein only certain player groups are eligible to share in the award.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the grant of award occurs at a random time.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the award is shared amongst only player group members who are playing at the time that the award is awarded.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the award is distributed in unequal amounts to members of the player group.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein a greater portion of the award is distributed to the award winner.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the award is a progressive jackpot.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the award is a mystery jackpot.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the award is a fixed sum of money.

14. A computerized method of rewarding two or more players of a wagering game with an award, the method comprising:

causing a processor to collect and store personal interest information regarding two or more players in a database;

establishing an award fund to be awarded to an award winner;

randomly selecting one of the two more players to be the award winner;

randomly selecting at least one category of personal interest information associated with the award winner from among a plurality of categories of personal interest information associated with the award winner;

randomly selecting one or more other players to share the award fund from the at least one category of personal interest information; and

sharing the award fund among the randomly selected one or more players also associated with the at least one category of personal interest information.

15. The computerized method of claim 14, wherein the database comprises a plurality of data fields, and wherein each data field represents a category of personal interest information and player identifier.

16. The computerized method of claim 15, wherein the player purposefully creates a data field in the database that includes other specifically chosen players.

17. The computerized method of claim 14, wherein the award of the award occurs randomly and the award is shared with players with common personal interest information.

18. The computerized method of claim 14, wherein the award to the one or more players occurs at a random time.

19. The computerized method of claim 14, wherein the award is shared among only players who are playing at the time that the award is made.

20. The computerized method of claim 14, wherein the award is shared equally among players within the qualifying data field.

21. The computerized method of claim 14, wherein a greater portion of the award is distributed to the player who triggers the award.

22. The computerized method of claim 14, wherein the award is a progressive jackpot.

23. The computerized method of claim 22, wherein the award is a mystery jackpot.

24. A system for rewarding members of a player group with a shared award in response to play by an award winner during play of a wagering game, the system comprising:

a database configured to store personal interest information regarding a plurality of players, wherein the personal interest information places each of the plurality of players into one or more player groups;

an identification element, having identification data associated therewith, the identification element used to identify each of the plurality of players when participating in gaming activity;

one or more computer servers configured to;

determine the identity of at least one player who is an award winner by randomly selecting the at least one player from the plurality of players, a plurality of categories of personal interest information associated with the award winner;

determine at least one player group to which the award winner belongs by randomly selecting at least one category of personal interest information associated with the award winner, the one player group having the randomly selected category of personal interest information in common;

determine a winning player group by randomly selecting the winning player group from the at least one player group to which the award winner belongs;

determine at least one other player to share the award by randomly selecting the at least one other player from the winning player group;

distribute at least a portion of the award to the award winner; and

distribute at least a portion of the award to the at least one other player.