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System and method for operating a matching game in conjunction with a transaction on a gaming machine

  • US 8,727,854 B2
  • Filed: 07/18/2007
  • Issued: 05/20/2014
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2006
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method of operating a matching game for play by a plurality of players which is triggered while the plurality of players are performing a transaction, each player belonging to one of a first player classification and a second player classification, said method comprising the steps of:

  • storing, on a host computer, a plurality of player tracking accounts associated with each of the players, each player tracking account including a classification status indicative of whether the player belongs to the first player classification or the second player classification;

    randomly selecting a first set of symbols associated with each player tracking account, each symbol of the first set of symbols being selected from a predefined set of symbols;

    establishing a first accumulator and a second accumulator, the first player classification being associated with the first accumulator, the second player classification being associated with the second accumulator;

    establishing a matching rule for playing the matching game, the matching rule being defined to include a predefined quantity of matched symbols;

    establishing a first jackpot pool and a second jackpot pool for awarding prizes to the players, the first jackpot pool being associated with the first accumulator, the second jackpot pool being associated with the second accumulator;

    allowing the players to initiate a session by logging onto a gaming machine;

    identifying the players who have logged onto a gaming machine;

    adding a contribution amount to one of the first and second jackpot pools as a function of the classification status of each identified player, the contribution amount associated with the first classification being different from the contribution amount associated with the second classification;

    determining, by the host computer, the first set of symbols for each player based on the corresponding player tracking account;

    detecting, by the host computer, an occurrence of a predetermined trigger and responsively identifying a subset of players from the plurality of players in the current session;

    initiating, by the host computer, the matching game in response to the occurrence of the predetermined trigger;

    allowing each player of the subset of players to individually select a replacement symbol from the predefined set of symbols and to replace a symbol of the first set of symbols with the player selected replacement symbol to generate a second set of symbols associated with the corresponding player tracking account;

    randomly generating, by the host computer, a match set of symbols from the predefined set of symbols;

    comparing, by the host computer, the match set of symbols against the second set of symbols for each player in the subset of players and, for each player, determine a quantity of matched symbols included in the second set of symbols; and

    responsively awarding a prize, by the host computer, from the first or second jackpot pools to each player whose second set of symbols satisfies the matching rule including the predefined quantity of matched symbols, as a function of the respective classification status.

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