Wagering game with unilateral player selection for developing a group

• US 8,403,758 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2010
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hornik, Jeremy M., Ward, Matthew J., Flemming, Peter W., Casey, Michael P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEICHLITER, CHASE E
• Application Number:
  US12/945,638
• Publication Number:
  US 20110124393A1
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/20, 463/25, 463/42
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3206 Player sensing means, e.g. presence detection, biometrics
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament

Abstract

A wagering game system includes a service for conducting a group-wagering game for a group of players under the control of a gaming control system and a plurality of gaming terminals, each gaming terminal connected to the service and being configured to conduct a group-wagering game in combination with the service. The gaming control system is configured to permit a player in the group of players to unilaterally alter a membership of the group of players.

Claims

1. A wagering game system, comprising:

a service for conducting a wagering game under the control of a gaming control system; and

a plurality of gaming terminals, each gaming terminal connected to said service,

wherein the gaming control system is configured to permit a first player of the wagering game to define a group of players at respective ones of the plurality of gaming terminals that will influence at least one aspect of the first player'"'"'s wagering game, the gaming control system being further configured to permit the first player to unilaterally alter a membership of the first player'"'"'s defined group of players by removing a selected player from said group of players, and

wherein the group of players does not receive any award arising from the first player'"'"'s wagering game.

2. The wagering game system according to claim 1, wherein the gaming control system is configured to automatically place the selected player removed from said group of players into another group of players.

3. The wagering game system according to claim 2, wherein the gaming control system is configured not to disclose to the selected player removed from said group of players that they have been removed from said group of players.

4. The wagering game system according to claim 1, wherein the wagering game comprises a basic wagering game.

5. The wagering game system according to claim 1, wherein the wagering game comprises a supplemental game.

6. The wagering game system according to claim 5, wherein the supplemental game comprises a bonus game, a secondary game, or a progressive game.

7. The wagering game system according to claim 1, wherein the gaming control system is configured to insulate the group of players from knowledge that they have been selected to influence at least one aspect of the first player'"'"'s wagering game play or wagering game award.

8. A wagering game system for conducting a wagering game, the wagering game system comprising a plurality of gaming terminals, the gaming control system comprising instructions borne on at least one physical memory and configured so that execution of said instructions by said one or more controllers cause acts comprising:

defining, via one or more player inputs using a player input device of a wagering game terminal corresponding to a first player, a first group of players of the wagering game on the wagering game system;

using aspects of wagering game play from members of the first group of players to influence at least one aspect of wagering game play of the first player;

enabling the first player to unilaterally alter a membership of the first group of players by removing one or more selected players from the first group of players via one or more player inputs using the player input device of the wagering game terminal corresponding to the first player; and

enabling the first player to add one or more new players to the membership of the first group of players via one or more player inputs using the player input device of the wagering game terminal corresponding to the first player,

wherein the first group does not receive any portion of any award awarded to the first player arising from any influence of the first group on the at least one aspect of wagering game play of the first player.

9. The wagering game system according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of gaming terminals comprise slot machines.

10. The wagering game system according to claim 8, wherein the outcome of the wagering game is randomly determined by the one or more controllers.

11. A wagering game system according to claim 9, wherein wherein the members of the first group are not informed by the wagering game system that they are members of the first group.

12. A wagering game system according to claim 8, wherein the gaming control system is further configured to display, on a display device of the first player'"'"'s gaming terminal, selectable elements corresponding to players or gaming terminals eligible for selection as members of the first group.

13. A wagering game system according to claim 12, wherein the gaming control system is further configured to display on the first player'"'"'s gaming terminal display device information corresponding to said selectable elements, the information comprising game play statistics.

14. A wagering game system for a plurality of slot machines, comprising:

a plurality of slot machines;

a network interface unit for connecting said slot machines to a network in which a wagering game is conducted; and

a wagering game controller configured, responsive to one or more inputs by a first player into a player input device of the first player'"'"'s slot machine, to form a first group of players to influence a wagering game of the first player and the wagering game controller being further configured, responsive to one or more inputs by the first player into the player input device of the first player'"'"'s slot machine, to alter a membership of a first group of players participating in said wagering game,

wherein the first group does not benefit from any award awarded to the first player arising from the first group'"'"'s influence on the wagering game of the first player.

15. The wagering game system according to claim 14, wherein the influence of the first group on the wagering game of the first player comprises an influence on at least one of an outcome in a base wagering game or a bonus game.

16. A method of conducting a wagering game at a plurality of slot machines connected to a service, comprising:

receiving wager inputs at one or more of said plurality of slot machines;

defining, responsive to one or more inputs by a first player, a first group of players from a plurality of eligible players of said plurality of slot machines;

using aspects of wagering game play from members of the first group to influence at least one aspect of a wagering game of the first player; and

permitting the first player to unilaterally alter a membership of the first group by adding or removing any player or players in the first group to redefine the first group,

wherein the first group does not benefit from any award awarded to the first player arising from the first group'"'"'s influence on the wagering game of the first player.

17. The method according to claim 16,

wherein the unilateral altering of the membership of the first group of players comprises removing a second player from the first group.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein, responsive of the removal of the second player by the first player, the second player is placed in a second group having a same membership as the first group, and wherein the first group does not include the second player.

19. The method according to claim 16,

wherein the at least one aspect of the wagering game of the first player comprises any one or more of a base wagering game outcome, a base wagering game award, a base game probability, a bonus game outcome, a bonus game award, or a base game probability.