Methods and apparatus for auctioning an item via a gaming device

• US 8,632,394 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2012
• Issued: 01/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Muir, David H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOSSER, ROBERT E
• Application Number:
  US13/435,491
• Publication Number:
  US 20120190435A1
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/9, 463/16, 463/25, 463/29, 463/47, 705/37
• US Class Current: 463/25
• 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

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for auctioning an item via a gaming device are disclosed. The methods and apparatus enable a gaming device player (e.g., a slot machine player) to select one or more auction items the player is interested in bidding on. As the player plays the gaming device, a portion of each bet and/or a portion of each win is allocated to an accumulating bid on the selected auction item(s). In one embodiment, other players, connected via a network, also bid on the auction item(s) in a similar fashion. At the end of an auction, the highest bidder is awarded with the auction item. In one embodiment, the auction item is a physical auction item physically displayed at the gaming device.

Claims

1. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

(a) causing at least one processor to operate with at least one display device and at least one input device to;

(i) display at least one auction item,

(ii) display to a first player a first plurality of plays of at least one wagering game,

(iii) allocate to a first bid a first predetermined portion of at least one of;

a wager amount from at least one of the first plurality of plays of the at least one wagering game, and a winning outcome amount from at least one of the first plurality of plays of the at least one wagering game, and

(iv) determine if the first bid is a winning bid, wherein said winning bid is selected from a plurality of competing bids including the first bid; and

(b) causing the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to provide the at least one auction item to the first player if the first bid is the winning bid.

2. The method of claim 1, which includes causing the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to allocate to the first bid the first predetermined portion of at least one of:

the wager amount from each of the first plurality of plays of the at least one wagering game, and a winning outcome amount from each of the first plurality of plays of the at least one wagering game.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the wager amount includes a monetary wager amount.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one wagering game includes at least one monetary wagering game.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the winning outcome amount includes a winning outcome monetary amount.

6. The method of claim 1, which includes causing the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to:

(a) display to a second player a second plurality of plays of at least one second wagering game;

(b) allocated to a second bid a second predetermined portion of at least one of;

a wager amount from at least one of the second plurality of plays of the at least one second wagering game and a winning outcome amount from at least one of the second plurality of plays of the at least one second wagering game;

(c) determine if the second bid is a winning bid; and

(d) if the second bid is the winning bid, provide the at least one auction item to the second player.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first bid is associated with a first auction item and the second bid is associated with a second auction item.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the first bid is associated with a first auction item and the second bid is associated with the first auction item.

9. The method of claim 6, which includes causing the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to allocate the first bid portion and the second bid portion to a plurality of auction items in series.

10. The method of claim 6, which includes causing the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to allocate the first bid portion and the second bid portion to a plurality of auction items in parallel.

11. The method of claim 6, which includes causing the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to return at least a portion of the first bid and the second bid to at least one of the first player and the second player if at least one of the first bid and the second bid is a losing bid.

12. The method of claim 6, which includes causing the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to cause a forfeiture of at least a portion of the first bid and the second bid to a gaming establishment if at least one of the first bid and the second bid is a losing bid.

13. The method of claim 6, which includes enabling at least one of the first player and the second player to supplement at least one of the first bid and the second bid with at least one of:

(a) at least one game credit, (b) an amount of cash, (c) at least one token and (d) at least one point associated with a player tracking system.

14. The method of claim 6, which includes causing the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to:

(i) determine a player status of the first player associated with a player tracking system and a player status of the second player associated with the player tracking system, and

(ii) display a first auction item to at least one of the first player and the second player based on the determined player statuses.

15. The method of claim 6, which includes causing the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to determine if a plurality of the first bid and the second bid are the winning bids for the auction item.

16. The method of claim 6, which includes causing the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to display a first auction item to the first player and a second auction item to the second player.

17. The method of claim 1, which includes enabling the first player to supplement the first bid with at least one of:

(a) at least one game credit, (b) an amount of cash, (c) at least one token and (d) at least one point associated with a player tracking system.

18. The method of claim 1, which includes causing the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to display at least one of:

(a) a first bid amount, (b) a second bid amount, (c) a rank, (d) an accumulation of wager amounts, (e) a quantity of bids, (f) a time remaining to bid on the auction item, (g) a maximum bid amount associated with the auction item, (h) a minimum bid amount associated with the auction item, (i) an acceptable bid amount associated with the auction item, and (j) a quantity of games played.

19. The method of claim 1, which includes enabling a switch from bidding on one auction item to bidding on another auction item.

20. The method of claim 1, which is provided through a data network.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the data network is the internet.