Wager equalized bonus trigger allocation and redemption

• US 8,641,520 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2011
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Vann, Jamie W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Kevin Y
• Application Number:
  US13/281,333
• Publication Number:
  US 20120108325A1
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• Field of Search: 463/27
• US Class Current: 463/27
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3267 Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games

Abstract

A method of conducting a wagering game includes awarding one or more bonus triggers in a randomly selected outcome of a base wagering game. The player is allowed to play a progressive game having a first expected value and is eligible to receive a progressive award in the progressive game if an X number of bonus triggers is accumulated. If the number of bonus triggers accumulated is less than X, the player is allowed to play a bonus event, which is different than the progressive game and has a second expected value, if a selection is received to indicate player selection of the bonus event. The bonus event has a bonus award that is less than the progressive award. The second expected value is less than or equal to the first expected value.

Claims

1. A method of conducting a wagering game, comprising:

receiving a wager via a wager input device from a player;

displaying on a display a base wagering game in response to receiving the wager;

selecting, by at least one of one or more processors, an initial randomly selected outcome from a plurality of outcomes of the base wagering game;

awarding, by at least one of the one or more processors, one or more bonus triggers in the initial randomly selected outcome of the base wagering game;

selecting, by at least one of the one or more processors, a subsequent randomly selected outcome from the plurality of outcomes of the base wagering game;

awarding, by at least one of the one or more processors, at least one additional bonus trigger in the subsequent randomly selected outcome of the base wagering game;

accumulating, by at least one of the one or more processors, a number of bonus triggers based on the at least one additional bonus trigger and the one or more bonus triggers;

in response to accumulating the number of bonus triggers,

allowing the player to play a progressive game having a first expected value if an X number of bonus triggers is accumulated, the player being eligible to receive a progressive award in the progressive game, and

allowing the player to play a bonus event that is different than the progressive game, the bonus event having a second expected value and being played if

(i) less than the X number of bonus triggers is accumulated, and

(ii) a selection is received to indicate player selection of the bonus event, the bonus event having a bonus award that is less than the progressive award, wherein the second expected value is less than or equal to the first expected value.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically allowing the player to play the progressive game once the X number of bonus triggers is accumulated.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising indicating at least one of the initial randomly selected outcome and the subsequent randomly selected outcome via symbols arranged in a plurality of reels, at least one of the symbols being a bonus symbol indicative of at least one bonus trigger.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising awarding the number of bonus triggers as a function of the wager received from the player.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the number of bonus triggers is directly proportional to the wager received from the player.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the X number of bonus triggers is awarded in at least one of the initial randomly selected outcome and the subsequent randomly selected outcome if (a) at least one of the initial randomly selected outcome and the subsequent randomly selected outcome includes the bonus symbol and (b) the wager is a maximum wager.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the bonus award to be a percentage of a reset value of the progressive award as a function of the number of bonus triggers accumulated.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first expected value increases with respect to the second expected value until the progressive award is awarded.

9. A gaming system, comprising:

a wager input device for receiving a wager from a player;

a display for displaying a base wagering game in response to receiving the wager from the player; and

one or more processors communicatively coupled to the display, at least one of the processors being operative to

select at least an initial randomly selected outcome and a subsequent randomly selected outcome from a plurality of outcomes of the base wagering game;

award one or more bonus triggers in each of the initial randomly selected outcome and the subsequent randomly selected outcome of the base wagering game;

accumulate a number of bonus triggers based on the one or more bonus triggers awarded;

if an X number of bonus triggers is accumulated, allow the player to play a progressive game having a first expected value; and

if less than the X number of bonus triggers is accumulated and in response to receiving a player selection, allow the player to play a bonus event different than the progressive game, the bonus event having a second expected value that is less than or equal to the first expected value.

10. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein the at least one of the processors is further operative to automatically allow the player to play the progressive game once the X number of bonus triggers is accumulated.

11. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein a bonus symbol is displayed on a reel of a plurality of reels, the bonus symbol being indicative of at least one bonus trigger.

12. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein the at least one of the processors is further operative to award the number of bonus triggers as a function of the wager received from the player.

13. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the number of bonus triggers is directly proportional to the wager received from the player.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the X number of bonus triggers is awarded in at least one of the initial randomly selected outcome and the subsequent randomly selected outcome if (a) at least one of the initial randomly selected outcome and the subsequent randomly selected outcome includes the bonus symbol and (b) the wager is a maximum wager.

15. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein the at least one of the processors is further operative to award a progressive award in the progressive game.

16. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein the at least one of the processors is further operative to award a bonus award in the bonus event, the bonus award being less than the progressive award.

17. The gaming system of claim 16, wherein the at least one of the processors is further operative to determine the bonus award as a percentage of a reset value of the progressive award.

18. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein the at least one of the processors is further operative to determine the percentage of the progressive award as a function of the number of bonus triggers accumulated.

19. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein the first expected value increases with respect to the second expected value until the progressive award is awarded.

20. A method of conducting a wagering game for a human player, the wagering game including a game sequence in which the player provides an input and a wagering game outcome is determined, the method comprising the acts of:

using a user interface device to accept the player input, and transforming the player input to electronic data signals indicative of a wager to play the wagering game;

using one or more processors to interpret the wager from the data signals and to cause the recording of a digital representation of the wager in one or more storage devices;

using at least one of the processors to initiate the game sequence of the wagering game;

using at least one of the processors to cause at least one of the display devices to display a base wagering game;

using at least one of the processors to

select an initial randomly selected outcome from a plurality of outcomes of the base wagering game,

award one or more bonus triggers in the initial randomly selected outcome of the base wagering game,

select a subsequent randomly selected outcome from the plurality of outcomes of the base wagering game,

award at least one additional bonus trigger in the subsequent randomly selected outcome of the base wagering game,

accumulate a number of bonus triggers based on the at least one additional bonus trigger to the one or more bonus triggers,

if an X number of bonus triggers is accumulated, allow the player to play a progressive game having a first expected value, and

if less than the X number of bonus triggers is accumulated and in response to receiving a player selection, allow the player to play a bonus event different than the progressive game, the bonus event having a second expected value that is less than or equal to the first expected value; and

determining an outcome of the game sequence.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

indicating at least one of the initial randomly selected outcome and the subsequent randomly selected outcome via symbols arranged in a plurality of reels, at least one of the symbols being a bonus symbol indicative of at least one bonus trigger; and

awarding the number of bonus triggers as a function of the wager received from the player.

22. The method of 20, further comprising:

awarding a progressive award in the progressive game and a bonus award in the bonus event; and

determining the bonus award to be a percentage of the progressive award as a function of the number of bonus triggers accumulated.