Gaming machine for providing an award for insurance and controlling method thereof

• US 8,435,112 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2008
• Issued: 05/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
• Original Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
• Inventors: Fujimoto, Jun, Inamura, Yukinori
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuff, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, Kevin Y
• Application Number:
  US12/024,571
• Publication Number:
  US 20080254875A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,922 Days
• Field of Search: 463/25, 463/27
• US Class Current: 463/27
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes

Abstract

In a gaming machine, when a slot game displayed on a screen of a lower liquid crystal display is executed with a maximum wager betted thereon by a player, the controller has the slot game counted by a counter for counting rescue-setting games. When the count value, by the counter, for rescue-setting games reaches a thousand games and no payout of sixty times or higher ever occurs by that time, the controller provides, as a rescue pay, a payout having been increased by increments each of which is equivalent to a part of a wager betted on each of the slot games that have been executed thus far. The controller provides the payout of the rescue pay by paying out medals to the medal tray.

Claims

1. A gaming machine comprising:

a bet switch capable of betting in a plurality of patterns with different amount of wagers;

a display adapted to display a game operable upon a wager made by a player;

a first counter in which a count value of the first counter is incremented by an execution of the game on which a player bets a maximum wager and the count value of the first counter is reset when a first reset condition is established;

a second counter in which a count value of the second counter is incremented by an occurrence of an award in the game and the count value of the second counter is reset when a second reset condition is established; and

a controller configured to;

(a) provide an award for insurance having an amount based on the count value of the second counter when the count value of the first counter reaches a predetermined value;

(b) reset the count value of the first counter when the award for insurance is provided, the provision of the award for insurance being identified with the establishment of the first reset condition; and

(c) reset the count value of the second counter when the award for insurance is provided, the provision of the award for insurance being identified with the establishment of the second reset condition.

2. The gaming machine according to claim 1, further comprising:

a credit display adapted to display a number of remaining restricted credits, the restricted credit being stored in the gaming machine and continuing to be usable as a wager until the restricted credit is converted into cash; and

a tray to which cashable credits are provided, the cashable credit being usable as a wager by being thrown into the gaming machine, wherein the controller is configured to discriminate between the cashable credit and the restricted credit;

provide an award corresponding to an outcome of the game by an increment of the number displayed on the credit display; and

provide the award for insurance by providing the cashable credit to the tray.

3. A gaming machine comprising:

a bet switch capable of betting in a plurality of patterns with different amount of wagers;

a display adapted to display a game operable upon a wager made by a player;

a first counter in which a count value of the first counter is incremented by an execution of the game on which a player bets a maximum wager and the count value of the first counter is reset when a first reset condition is established;

a second counter in which a count value of the second counter is incremented, for every execution of the game by an occurrence of an award in the game, by an amount equivalent to a part of the maximum wager betted on the executed game and the count value of the second counter is reset when a second reset condition is established; and

a controller configured to;

(a) provide an award for insurance having an amount based on the count value of the second counter when the count value of the first counter reaches a predetermined value;

(b) reset the count value of the first counter when the award for insurance is provided, the provision of the award for insurance being identified with the establishment of the first reset condition; and

(c) reset the count value of the second counter when the award for insurance is provided, the provision of the award for insurance being identified with the establishment of the second reset condition.

4. The gaming machine according to claim 3, further comprising:

a credit display adapted to display a number of remaining restricted credits, the restricted credit being stored in the gaming machine and continuing to be usable as a wager until the restricted credit is converted into cash; and

a tray to which cashable credits are provided, the cashable credit being usable as a wager by being thrown into the gaming machine, wherein the controller is configured to discriminate between the cashable credit and the restricted credit;

provide an award corresponding to an outcome of the game by an increment of the number displayed on the credit display; and

provide the award for insurance by providing the cashable credit to the tray.

5. A gaming machine comprising:

a bet switch capable of betting in a plurality of patterns with different amount of wagers;

a display adapted to display a game operable upon a wager made by a player;

a first counter in which a count value of the first counter is incremented by an execution of the game on which a player bets a maximum wager and by an occurrence of an award in the game and the count value of the first counter is reset when a first reset condition is established;

a second counter in which a count value of the second counter is incremented, for every execution of the game on which the player bets the maximum wager, by an amount equivalent to a part of the maximum wager betted on the executed game and the count value of the second counter is reset when a second reset condition is established; and

a controller configured to;

(a) provide an award for insurance having an amount based on the count value of the second counter when the count value of the first counter reaches a predetermined value;

(b) reset the count value of the first counter when the award for insurance is provided, the provision of the award for insurance being identified with the establishment of the first reset condition; and

(c) reset the count value of the second counter when the award for insurance is provided, the provision of the award for insurance being identified with the establishment of the second reset condition.

6. The gaming machine according to claim 5, further comprising:

a credit display adapted to display a number of remaining restricted credits, the restricted credit being stored in the gaming machine and continuing to be usable as a wager until the restricted credit is converted into cash; and

a tray to which cashable credits are provided, the cashable credit being usable as a wager by being thrown into the gaming machine, wherein the controller is configured to discriminate between the cashable credit and the restricted credit;

provide an award corresponding to an outcome of the game by an increment of the number displayed on the credit display; and

provide the award for insurance by providing the cashable credit to the tray.

7. A gaming machine comprising:

a bet switch capable of betting in a plurality of patterns with different amount of wagers;

a display adapted to display a game operable upon a wager made by a player;

a first counter in which a count value of the first counter is incremented by an execution of the game on which a player bets a maximum wager and the count value of the first counter is reset when a first reset condition is established;

a second counter in which a count value of the second counter is incremented, for every occurrence of an award corresponding to an outcome of the game, by an amount equivalent to a part of the occurred award and the count value of the second counter is reset when a second reset condition is established; and

a controller configured to;

(a) provide an award for insurance having an amount based on the count value of the second counter when the count value of the first counter reaches a predetermined value;

(b) reset the count value of the first counter when the award for insurance is provided, the provision of the award for insurance being identified with the establishment of the first reset condition; and

(c) reset the count value of the second counter when the award for insurance is provided, the provision of the award for insurance being identified with the establishment of the second reset condition.

8. The gaming machine according to claim 7, further comprising:

a credit display adapted to display a number of remaining restricted credits, the restricted credit being stored in the gaming machine and continuing to be usable as a wager until the restricted credit is converted into cash; and

a tray to which cashable credits are provided, the cashable credit being usable as a wager by being thrown into the gaming machine, wherein the controller is configured to discriminate between the cashable credit and the restricted credit;

provide an award corresponding to an outcome of the game by an increment of the number displayed on the credit display; and

provide the award for insurance by providing the cashable credit to the tray.

9. A method of controlling a gaming machine having a processor, the method comprising the steps of:

accepting, via the processor, a betting of a wager made by a player;

executing, via the processor, a game in response to the betting of the wager made by the player;

incrementing, via the processor, a count value of a first counter with the execution of the game on which the player bets a maximum wager;

incrementing, via the processor, a count value of a second counter with an occurrence of an award in the game;

providing, via the processor, an award for insurance having an amount based on the count value of the second counter when the count value of the first counter reaches a predetermined value;

resetting, via the processor, the count value of the first counter when the award for insurance is provided; and

resetting, via the processor, the count value of the second counter when the award for insurance is provided.

10. The method of controlling a gaming machine according to claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

displaying, via the processor, a number of remaining restricted credits on a credit display, the restricted credit being stored in the gaming machine and continuing to be usable as a wager until the restricted credit is converted into cash; and

providing, via the processor, an award corresponding to an outcome of the game by an increment of the number displayed on the credit display,

wherein the step of providing an award for insurance is executed by providing cashable credits to a tray, the cashable credit being usable as a wager by being thrown into the gaming machine.

11. A method of controlling a gaming machine having a processor, the method comprising the steps of:

accepting, via the processor, a betting of a wager made by a player;

executing, via the processor, a game in response to the betting of the wager made by the player;

incrementing, via the processor, a count value of a first counter with the execution of the game on which the player bets a maximum wager;

incrementing, via the processor, a count value of a second counter, for every execution of the game by an occurrence of an award in the game, by an amount equivalent to a part of the maximum wager betted on the executed game;

providing, via the processor, an award for insurance having an amount based on the count value of the second counter when the count value of the first counter reaches a predetermined value;

resetting, via the processor, the count value of the first counter when the award for insurance is provided; and

resetting, via the processor, the count value of the second counter when the award for insurance is provided.

12. The method of controlling a gaming machine according to claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

displaying, via the processor, a number of remaining restricted credits on a credit display, the restricted credit being stored in the gaming machine and continuing to be usable as a wager until the restricted credit is converted into cash; and

providing, via the processor, an award corresponding to an outcome of the game by an increment of the number displayed on the credit display,

wherein the step of providing an award for insurance is executed by providing cashable credits to a tray, the cashable credit being usable as a wager by being thrown into the gaming machine.

13. A method of controlling a gaming machine having a processor, the method comprising the steps of:

accepting, via the processor, a betting of a wager made by a player;

executing, via the processor, a game in response to the betting of the wager made by the player;

incrementing, via the processor, a count value of a first counter with the execution of the game on which the player bets a maximum wager;

incrementing, via the processor, a count value of a second counter, for every execution of the game on which the player bets the maximum wager and by an occurrence of an award in the game, by an amount equivalent to a part of the maximum wager;

providing, via the processor, an award for insurance having an amount based on the count value of the second counter when the count value of the first counter reaches a predetermined value;

resetting, via the processor, the count value of the first counter when the award for insurance is provided; and

resetting, via the processor, the count value of the second counter when the award for insurance is provided.

14. The method of controlling a gaming machine according to claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

displaying, via the processor, a number of remaining restricted credits on a credit display, the restricted credit being stored in the gaming machine and continuing to be usable as a wager until the restricted credit is converted into cash; and

providing, via the processor, an award corresponding to an outcome of the game by an increment of the number displayed on the credit display,

wherein the step of providing an award for insurance is executed by providing cashable credits to a tray, the cashable credit being usable as a wager by being thrown into the gaming machine.

15. A method of controlling a gaming machine having a processor, the method comprising the steps of:

accepting, via the processor, a betting of a wager made by a player;

executing, via the processor, a game in response to the betting of the wager made by the player;

incrementing, via the processor, a count value of a first counter with the execution of the game on which the player bets a maximum wager;

incrementing, via the processor, a count value of a second counter, for every occurrence of an award corresponding to an outcome of the game, by an amount equivalent to a part of the occurred award;

providing, via the processor, an award for insurance having an amount based on the count value of the second counter when the count value of the first counter reaches a predetermined value;

resetting, via the processor, the count value of the first counter when the award for insurance is provided; and

resetting, via the processor, the count value of the second counter when the award for insurance is provided.

16. The method of controlling a gaming machine according to claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

displaying, via the processor, a number of remaining restricted credits on a credit display, the restricted credit being stored in the gaming machine and continuing to be usable as a wager until the restricted credit is converted into cash; and

providing, via the processor, an award corresponding to the outcome of the game by an increment of the number displayed on the credit display,

wherein the step of providing an award for insurance is executed by providing cashable credits to a tray, the cashable credit being usable as a wager by being thrown into the gaming machine.