Wagering game with asset trading

• US 8,425,323 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2005
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Fiden, Daniel P., Helfer, Lisa M., Ward, Matthew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bumgarner, Melba
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, ANH-VO V
• Application Number:
  US11/988,853
• Publication Number:
  US 20100130276A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,854 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/42
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/34 Betting or bookmaking, e.g. Internet betting
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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 17/3281 wherein game attributes are transferred between players, e.g. points, weapons, avatars

Abstract

Method and system are disclosed for operating a wagering game terminal where players are allowed to transfer game assets that they may have accumulated to other players. The game assets may be transferred as part of an on-line auction won by one of the other players, as a gift to a preselected player, or as part of a trade with a preselected player. Neither the transferring player nor the receiving player is required to be present at a wagering game terminal at the time of the transfer. The transfer may be an anonymous transfer or it may be an identity-based transfer. For identity-based transfers, a predefined list of selected players may be used to facilitate the transfers.

Claims

1. A wagering game terminal with game asset transfer capability, comprising:

a display configured to display a randomly selected outcome from a wagering game, said randomly selected outcome being selected from a plurality of outcomes in response to receiving a wager input, said plurality of outcomes including at least one special event outcome; and

a network interface unit for connecting said wagering game terminal to a network of wagering game terminals;

wherein, in response to said randomly selected outcome being said at least one special event outcome, said wagering game terminal allowing a player to select to play a bonus game resulting from said at least one special event outcome, store said bonus game for later restoration by said player in a later gaming session on a different wagering game terminal connected to said network of wagering game terminals, or transfer said bonus game to another wagering game terminal associated with another player and connected to said network of wagering game terminals;

wherein said transfer of said bonus game includes an auction of said bonus game in which players at several wagering game terminals connected to said network of wagering game terminals may participate;

wherein said wagering game terminal further allows said player to both specify a minimum monetary amount for said auction of said bonus game and select which players may participate in said auction from a predefined list of players;

wherein said wagering game terminal allows said player to pause play of said bonus game in response to said wagering game terminal receiving a second bonus game, won via an auction and transferred to said wagering game terminal, and said wagering game terminal allows said player to resume said play of said bonus game in response to play of said second bonus game being concluded.

2. The wagering game terminal according to claim 1, wherein said auction is only open for a predetermined amount of time.

3. The wagering game terminal according to claim 1, wherein said wagering game terminal is further configured to restore said bonus game stored by said player in a previous gaming session.

4. A method of operating a wagering game terminal having a game-asset transfer capability, said wagering game terminal connected to a network of wagering game terminals, comprising:

displaying a randomly selected outcome from a wagering game on said wagering game terminal, said randomly selected outcome being selected from a plurality of outcomes in response to receiving a wager input, said plurality of outcomes including at least one special event outcome;

in response to said randomly selected outcome being said at least one special event outcome, allowing a player to select to play a bonus game resulting from said at least one special event outcome, store said bonus game for later restoration by said player in a later gaming session on a different wagering game terminal connected to said network of wagering game terminals, or transfer said bonus game to another wagering game terminal associated with another player and connected to said network of wagering game terminals, said step of allowing said player to transfer said bonus game includes allowing said player to auction said bonus game to players at several wagering game terminals connected to said network of wagering game terminals;

allowing said player to both specify a minimum monetary amount for said auction of said bonus game and select which players may participate in said auction from a predefined list of players;

conducting a second bonus game on said wagering game terminal in response to another randomly selected outcome being the at least one special event outcome;

while conducting said second bonus game, receiving a third bonus game, won via an auction, from another wagering game terminal connected to said network;

pausing said conducting of said second bonus game on said wagering game terminal;

while pausing said second bonus game, conducting said third bonus game on said wagering game terminal; and

after concluding said third bonus game, resuming said conducting of said second bonus game on said wagering game terminal.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising limiting an amount of time said auction is open.

6. The method according to claim 4, further comprising restoring said bonus game stored by said player in a previous gaming session.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising identifying said player using a biometric identification device configured to obtain biometric information from said player.

8. The wagering game terminal according to claim 7, wherein said biometric identification device is a voice recognition system.

9. A system for reallocating game assets between wagering game terminals, comprising:

a first wagering game terminal having a first bonus game available to be transferred via an auction,

wherein said first wagering game terminal further allows a first player to specify a minimum monetary amount for said auction of said first bonus game; and

a second wagering game terminal connected to said first wagering game terminal over a network, wherein said second wagering game terminal participating in said auction;

wherein said first wagering game terminal is configured to transfer said first bonus game to said second terminal upon occurrence of said second wagering game terminal winning said auction, said auction includes said first wagering game terminal and said second wagering game terminal being played concurrently;

wherein said second wagering game terminal is configured to pause a second bonus game being conducted on said second wagering game terminal to allow a second player to play said first bonus game on said second wagering game terminal and then resume said second bonus game after said first bonus game is concluded.

10. The system according to claim 9, further comprising a server connected to said first wagering game terminal and to said second wagering game terminal, said server configured to control communication between said first wagering game terminal and said second wagering game terminal.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein said first bonus game available to be transferred on said first wagering game terminal was restored to said first wagering game terminal from a previous game session.