Wagering game system with networked gaming devices

• US 8,435,107 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2012
• Issued: 05/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Englman, Allon G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed, Masud
• Application Number:
  US13/365,058
• Publication Number:
  US 20120129593A1
• Time in Patent Office: 460 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/25, 463 40- 42, 700/92
• US Class Current: 463/16
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament

Abstract

A method of operating a plurality of wagering game tournaments on a plurality of gaming machines includes receiving a wager from a player to play a wagering game on a gaming machine of the plurality of gaming machines. The method further includes providing an option, at the gaming machine, to enter the plurality of wagering game tournaments. The method also includes entering at least one of the plurality of wagering game tournaments and playing in any entered tournament when the tournament begins.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

at least one input device;

at least one display device configured to display a menu of a plurality of wagering games and a plurality of progressive games;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the gaming system to;

receive, via the input device, a selection of a wagering game from the plurality of wagering games in the menu,

receive, via the input device, a selection of a progressive game from the plurality of progressive games in the menu, the progressive game selection being independent of the wagering game selection and being associated with a progressive jackpot,

conduct the selected wagering game,

in response to a triggering event during the selected wagering game, display on the display device a plurality of selectable elements for the progressive game, the plurality of selectable elements being associated with respective awards, a first number of the awards including the progressive jackpot, wherein the first number is dependent upon an odds of occurrence of the triggering event and an odds of triggering the progressive jackpot,

receive a selection of at least one of the plurality of selectable elements, and

award the award associated with the selected element.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the triggering event is obtaining a number of progressive symbols during the selected wagering game.

3. The gaming system of claim 2, wherein the triggering event is independent of a wager amount received for playing the wagering game.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein a second number of the awards includes top awards.

5. The gaming system of claim 4, wherein the number of the plurality of selectable elements is a total number of the first number of the awards and the second number of the awards.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the first number of the awards is further dependent on a player wager, a maximum wager, and a total number of the plurality of selectable elements displayed on the display device.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the first number of the awards is X, a player wager is Y, a maximum wager is MAX BET, the odds of occurrence of the triggering event is GAME ODDS, the odds of occurrence of triggering the progressive jackpot is WAP ODDS, the first number of the awards being determined in accordance with a formula in which X=(Y/MAX BET)*(GAME ODDS/WAP ODDS)*N.

8. A computer-implemented method in a gaming system, comprising:

receiving a wager in response to an input via at least one input device;

displaying on at least one display device a menu of a plurality of wagering games and a plurality of progressive games;

receiving, via the input device, a selection of a wagering game from the plurality of wagering games in the menu;

receiving, via the input device, a selection of a progressive game from the plurality of progressive games in the menu, the progressive game selection being independent of the wagering game selection and being associated with a progressive jackpot;

executing, by at least one of one or more processors, the selected wagering game;

in response to a triggering event during the selected wagering game, displaying, by at least one of the one or more processors, on the display device a plurality of selectable elements for the progressive game, the plurality of selectable elements being associated with respective awards, a first number of the awards including the progressive jackpot, wherein the first number is dependent upon an odds of occurrence of the triggering event and an odds of triggering the progressive jackpot;

receiving, by at least one of the one or more processors, a selection of at least one of the plurality of selectable elements; and

awarding, by at least one of the one or more processors, the award associated with the selected element.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising obtaining, by at least one of the one or more processors, a number of progressive symbols during the selected wagering game to achieve the triggering event.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the triggering event is independent of a wager amount received for playing the wagering game.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein a second number of the awards includes top awards.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the number of the plurality of selectable elements is a total number of the first number of the awards and the second number of the awards.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the first number of the awards is further dependent on a player wager, a maximum wager, and a total number of the plurality of selectable elements displayed on the display device.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the first number of the awards is X, a player wager is Y, a maximum wager is MAX BET, the odds of occurrence of the triggering event is GAME ODDS, the odds of occurrence of triggering the progressive jackpot is WAP ODDS, the first number of the awards being determined, by at least one of the one or more processors, in accordance with a formula in which X=(Y/MAX BET)*(GAME ODDS/WAP ODDS)*N.

15. One or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving, via an input device, a selection of a wagering game from a plurality of wagering games displayed in a menu on at least one display device;

receiving, via the input device, a selection of a progressive game from a plurality of progressive games in the menu, the progressive game selection being independent of the wagering game selection and being associated with a progressive jackpot;

conducting the selected wagering game;

in response to a triggering event during the selected wagering game, displaying on the display device a plurality of selectable elements for the progressive game, the plurality of selectable elements being associated with respective awards, a first number of the awards including the progressive jackpot, wherein the first number is dependent upon an odds of occurrence of the triggering event and an odds of triggering the progressive jackpot;

receiving a selection of at least one of the plurality of selectable elements; and

awarding the award associated with the selected element.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable storage media of claim 15, the operations further comprising obtaining, by at least one of the one or more processors, a number of progressive symbols during the selected wagering game to achieve the triggering event.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable storage media of claim 15, wherein a second number of the awards includes top awards.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage media of claim 17, wherein the number of the plurality of selectable elements is a total number of the first number of the awards and the second number of the awards.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage media of claim 15, wherein the first number of the awards is further dependent on a player wager, a maximum wager, and a total number of the plurality of selectable elements displayed on the display device.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage media of claim 15, wherein the first number of the awards is X, a player wager is Y, a maximum wager is MAX BET, the odds of occurrence of the triggering event is GAME ODDS, the odds of occurrence of triggering the progressive jackpot is WAP ODDS, the first number of the awards being determined in accordance with a formula in which X=(Y/MAX BET)*(GAME ODDS/WAP ODDS)*N.