Network gaming system

• US 8,414,400 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2011
• Issued: 04/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Kelly, Matthew F., Kelly, Bryan M., Petermeier, Norman B., Kroeckel, John G., Link, John E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOSSER, ROBERT E
• Application Number:
  US13/287,061
• Publication Number:
  US 20120064965A1
• Time in Patent Office: 525 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/25, 463/29, 463/42
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/081 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3253 involving articles, e.g. paying in bottles, paying out toys
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3272 Games involving multiple players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament

Abstract

A method and article of manufacture for implementing a user profile-driven gaming and prize redeeming system is disclosed. The user profile-driven gaming and prize redemption system allows for the tailoring of a user'"'"'s experience of playing a computer implemented game on a network gaming system by first receiving an identifier selected from a group of identifiers including a user identifier relating to the user (i.e., player) of the network gaming system, a game identifier relating to a particular game played by the user of the network gaming system, and a site identifier relating to the location (i.e., web site) from which the game is being played. The network gaming system then alters the computer-implemented game played by the user in a manner based upon the selected identifier. The foregoing technique may also be applied to a prize redemption system.

Claims

1. A pay to play gaming system that provides an opportunity to win a prize in response to game play of tournament games, each game being played in exchange for monetary input, the gaming system comprising:

a game server; and

a gaming web site operated by a casino and accessible by a player via one or more access portal sites, wherein the server reconfigures the web site in response to an access portal site from which the player enters;

a plurality of game units connected to the game server over a network;

wherein the game system obtains user verification information for verifying a user attempting to play a game;

wherein the gaming system utilizes websites or web pages to provide a redemption of prize credits or merchandise prizes earned in a tournament game selected from a plurality of tournament games.

2. A pay to play gaming system that provides an opportunity to win a prize in response to game play of tournament games, each game being played in exchange for monetary input, the gaming system comprising:

a game server; and

a plurality of game units connected to the game server over a network;

wherein the game system obtains user verification information for verifying a user attempting to play a game;

wherein the gaming system utilizes websites or web pages to provide a redemption of prize credits or merchandise prizes earned in a tournament game selected from a plurality of tournament games, and wherein the gaming system enables real-time pay to play game play on the game units via the network connection to the game server, and wherein the gaming system enables time-based progressive game play in which a progressive prize value grows with respect to time periods rather than wager amounts.

3. A pay to play gaming system that provides an opportunity to win a prize in response to game play of tournament games, each game being played in exchange for monetary input, the gaming system comprising:

a game server; and

a plurality of game units connected to the game server over a network;

wherein the gaming system obtains user verification information for verifying a user attempting to play a game;

wherein the gaming system utilizes websites or web pages to provide a redemption of prize credits or merchandise prizes earned in a tournament game selected from a plurality of tournament games, and wherein business rules vary based upon a web portal site through which the game was accessed.

4. The gaming system of claim 3, wherein the server stores the casino game play data, and wherein the gaming system enables a player to be notified via e-mail of the game play data.

5. The gaming system of claim 3, wherein the game play data includes tournament game play data.

6. The gaming system of claim 3, wherein the game server modifies prize credits that can be won on a game unit based on business rules.

7. The gaming system of claim 6, wherein the business rules include a current total number of specific prize credits a current player has been rewarded in the past.

8. The gaming system of claim 6, wherein the business rules include a desired payout percentage.

9. The gaming system of claim 6, wherein the business rules include a current average number of game credits that the current player spends per game.

10. The gaming system of claim 6, wherein the business rules include a current total number of specific prize credits available.

11. The gaming system of claim 6, wherein the business rules include a value of game credit.

12. The gaming system of claim 6, wherein the business rules vary based upon a player profile.

13. The gaming system of claim 3, further comprising a gaming web site operated by a casino and accessible by a player, wherein the server reconfigures the web site in response to a registered player profile.

14. The gaming system of claim 3, wherein the gaming system enables game related data to be communicated between the server and the game unit over a Secure Socket Layer.

15. The gaming system of claim 14, wherein the gaming system includes vendor sponsored progressive prizes.

16. The gaming system of claim 3, wherein the gaming system enables player profile data to be communicated between the server and the game unit over a Secure Socket Layer.

17. The gaming system of claim 16, wherein the gaming system includes vendor sponsored progressive prizes.

18. The gaming system of claim 3, wherein the gaming system enables profile driven network gaming in which game units are reconfigured in response to player profile information.

19. The gaming system of claim 3, wherein the game server and each game unit include a Uniform Resource Locator, and wherein calls executed by an application program interface include URL-based calls.

20. The gaming system of claim 3, wherein a percentage of game credit revenue is paid to a developer of the game.

21. The gaming system of claim 3, further comprising a partner web site that provides access to at least one game in communication with the prize database server, wherein a percentage of game credit revenue is paid to the partner web site.

22. A pay to play gaming system that provides an opportunity to win a prize in response to game play of tournament games each game being played in exchange for monetary input, the gaming system comprising:

a game server; and

a plurality of game units connected to the game server over a network,

wherein the gaming system obtains user verification information for verifying a user attempting to play a game;

wherein the gaming system utilizes websites or web pages to provide a redemption of prize credits or merchandise prizes earned in a tournament game selected from a plurality of tournament games, and wherein the gaming system enables messages to be sent, containing key codes and a Universal Resource Locator, that act as electronic promotional coupons to provide a predetermined amount of game credits.