Gaming system for competing for prize of progressive bonus at plural terminals

• US 8,388,439 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2009
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
• Original Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
• Inventors: Kato, Yoichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Toledo, Fernando L
• Assistant Examiner(s): KUSUMAKAR, KAREN M
• Application Number:
  US12/403,811
• Publication Number:
  US 20090233708A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,453 Days
• Field of Search: 463/20, 463/27, 463/42
• US Class Current: 463/27
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament

Abstract

In a gaming system, a part of a bet is accumulated in a progressive bonus counter in a case of executing a slot game in each of slot machines. Then, in a case where an accumulated count value of the progressive bonus counter has reached a predetermined value, an event game which the plurality of slot machines participate in is executed, and a progressive bonus corresponding to a part or entirety of the accumulated count value is provided to a player who has won the event game. Moreover, in a case where the accumulated count value of the progressive bonus counter has reached the predetermined value when the slot game is being executed only in one slot machine, a mystery bonus is generated. Accordingly, a profit can be returned to players who execute the slot game.

Claims

1. A gaming system, comprising:

a plurality of gaming terminals;

a common display; and

a progressive bonus counter,

wherein each of the gaming terminals includes;

a terminal display that displays thereon an image regarding a progress of a game; and

a controller configured to;

execute the game by receiving a bet, and accumulate a part of the bet in the progressive bonus counter;

determine a number of the plurality of gaming terminals which the game is being executed in;

display an image on the common display and execute an event game which the plurality of gaming terminals participate in when the game is being executed in at least two of the plurality of gaming terminals and an accumulated count value of the progressive bonus counter has reached a predetermined value;

end the event game when a time duration of the event game reaches an event game execution time;

provide an award corresponding to a part or entirety of the accumulated count value to a specific gaming terminal that has won the event game; and

execute a bonus game different from the event game when the game is executed only one of the plurality of gaming terminals and the accumulated count value of the progressive bonus counter has reached the predetermined value, and provide an award corresponding to a part or entirety of the accumulated count value to the one of the plurality of gaming terminals in which the bonus game is executed.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the controller monitors a behavior of the gaming terminal, and determines that the game is being executed in the gaming terminal in a case of having detected an input operation by a player.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the controller changes a ratio of the bet to be accumulated in the progressive bonus counter.

15. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to display on the terminal display an image regarding ranks of each of the plurality of each of the plurality of gaming terminals on the event game.

16. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to end the event game when a total number of points of each of the plurality of gaming terminals on the event game exceeds a defined number of points.

4. A gaming system, comprising:

a plurality of gaming terminals;

a common display; and

a progressive bonus counter,

wherein each of the gaming terminals includes;

a terminal display that displays thereon an image regarding a progress of a game; and

a controller configured to execute;

processing for executing the game upon receiving a bet, and accumulating a part of the bet in the progressive bonus counter;

processing for determining a number of the plurality of gaming terminals which the game is being executed in;

processing for determining whether or not an accumulated count value of the progressive bonus counter has reached a predetermined value;

processing for displaying an image on the common display and deciding execution of an event game in which the plurality of gaming terminals participate in a case where it is determined that the game is being executed in at least two of the plurality of gaming terminals in the processing for determining a number of the plurality of gaming terminals which the game is being executed in, and it is determined that the accumulated count value of the progressive bonus counter has reached the predetermined value in the processing for determining whether or not an accumulated count value of the progressive bonus counter has reached a predetermined value;

processing for determining a number of continuation times for continuing the event game based on an external input;

processing for cumulatively adding up points in each of the gaming terminals in response to symbols rearranged in the event game, the points being set individually for the symbols;

processing for determining whether or not each of the gaming terminals wins the event game in accordance with the points individually added up in each of the gaming terminals;

processing for displaying an image on the common display and executing the event game which the plurality of gaming terminals participate in when the game is being executed in at least two of the plurality of gaming terminals and an accumulated count value of the progressive bonus counter has reached a predetermined value;

processing for ending the event game when a time duration of the event game reaches an event game execution time;

processing for providing an award corresponding to a part or entirety of the accumulated count value to a specific gaming terminal that has won the event game; and

processing for executing a bonus game different from the event game when the game is executed only one of the plurality of gaming terminals and the accumulated count value of the progressive bonus counter has reached the predetermined value, and providing an award corresponding to a part or entirety of the accumulated count value to the one of the plurality of gaming terminals in which the bonus game is executed.

5. The gaming system of claim 4, wherein the controller monitors a behavior of the gaming terminal, and executes processing for determining that the game is being executed in the gaming terminal in a case of having detected an input operation by a player.

6. The gaming system of claim 4, wherein the controller executes processing for changing a ratio of the bet to be accumulated in the progressive bonus counter.

17. The gaming system of claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to display on the terminal display an image regarding ranks of each of the plurality of each of the plurality of gaming terminals on the event game.

18. The gaming system of claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to end the event game when a total number of points of each of the plurality of gaming terminals on the event game exceeds a defined number of points.

7. A gaming system, comprising:

a plurality of gaming terminals, each of which includes;

a controller that executes a game upon receiving a bet and then generates an award based on a result of the game; and

a terminal display that displays thereon an image regarding a progress of the game; and

a main controller that is connected to the controllers of the plurality of gaming terminals, and includes;

a progressive bonus counter; and

a set operating ratio storage unit that stores a set operating ratio, wherein the main controller executes;

processing for accumulating a part of the bet of each of the plurality of gaming terminals or a part of the award of each of the plurality of gaming terminals in the progressive bonus counter;

processing for determining whether or not an accumulated count value of the progressive bonus counter has reached a predetermined value;

processing for determining whether or not two or more of the gaming terminals exist, the gaming terminals being under operation, in which operating ratios are the set operating ratio or more, when it has been determined that the accumulated count value of the progressive bonus counter has reached the predetermined value;

processing, in a case where the two or more of gaming terminals exist, the gaming terminals being under operation, in which the operating ratios are the set operating ratio or more, for issuing an execution command of an event game for competing for a prize with the two or more of gaming terminals,

wherein the operating ratios are determined as a number of games executed on each of the plurality of gaming terminals during a set time period, or the operating ratios are determined as an operating time of each of the plurality of gaming terminals during the set time period;

processing for determining the number of the plurality of gaming terminals which the game is being executed in;

processing for displaying an image on the common display and executing the event game which the plurality of gaming terminals participate in when the game is being executed in at least two of the plurality of gaming terminals and an accumulated count value of the progressive bonus counter has reached a predetermined value;

processing for ending the event game when a time duration of the event game reaches an event game execution time;

processing for providing an award corresponding to a part or entirety of the accumulated count value to a specific game terminal that has won the event game; and

processing for executing a bonus game different from the event game when the game is executed only one of the plurality of gaming terminals and the accumulated count value of the progressive bonus counter has reached the predetermined value, and providing an award corresponding to a part or entirety of the accumulated count value to the one of the plurality of gaming terminals in which the bonus game is executed.

8. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein the operating ratio of each of the gaming terminals is a ratio of an operating time in the gaming terminal during a following period with respect to a preset set period until the accumulated count value reached a predetermined value.

9. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein the operating ratio of each of the gaming terminals is a number of games in the gaming terminal during a preset set period until the accumulated count value reached a predetermined value.

10. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein the operating ratio of each of the gaming terminals is a ratio of an operating time in the gaming terminal during a following counting period with respect to the counting period until the accumulated count value reached the predetermined value from zero.

11. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein the operating ratio of each of the gaming terminals is a number of games in the gaming terminal during a counting period until the accumulated count value reached the predetermined value from zero.

12. The gaming system of claim 7, further comprising:

a common display, wherein, during the event game, the main controller displays thereon the image regarding the ranks of the game in each of the gaming terminals which participate in the event game.

13. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein the main controller includes an input unit that receives an input to change the set operating ratio stored in the set operating ratio storage unit.

14. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein each of the gaming terminals includes:

a cabinet that houses the controller therein and is freely openable/closable by a door; and

an input unit that receives an input to change the set operating ratio stored in the set operating ratio storage unit, the input unit being provided in an inside of the cabinet.