Wager gaming voting leaderboard

• US 8,727,857 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2011
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Davis, Dwayne A., Nelson, Dwayne R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coburn, Corbett B
• Application Number:
  US13/250,813
• Publication Number:
  US 20130084955A1
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16
• US Class Current: 463/16
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3272 Games involving multiple players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3288 Betting, e.g. on live events, bookmaking

Abstract

Techniques and equipment for providing a voting point leaderboard system are provided. Players playing wagering games may be awarded voting points for use in a poll with a plurality of candidates in exchange for game-play related activity. Players voting for the winning candidate in the poll may be given an award. Polls may include candidates which may be involved in a real-world contest. Players may be rewarded for voting for the candidate which wins the real-world contest.

Claims

1. A wager gaming method comprising:

causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to select a plurality of candidates for participation in a poll;

causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with at least one input device to receive, from each player in a plurality of players, input indicating a quantity of voting points to apply towards a candidate in the plurality of candidates, wherein at least some of the quantity of voting points is drawn from one or more voting points associated with the player in response to one or more trigger events occurring during wagering game play of the player;

causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to tally, for each candidate, a total number of voting points applied to the candidate by all of the players in the plurality of players;

causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine, based on the total number of voting points for each candidate, a first candidate of the plurality of candidates with a highest total number of voting points; and

causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with at least one display device to display candidate information and voting information based on voting point input received from one or more of the players in the plurality of players.

2. The wager gaming method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to associate at least some of the one or more voting points for the player in the plurality of players with the player in response to the one or more trigger events occurring during the player'"'"'s wagering game play.

3. The wager gaming method of claim 2, wherein a quantity of the one or more voting points associated with each player is not required to be the same for each player.

4. The wager gaming method of claim 2, wherein the one or more trigger events comprises exceeding a predetermined threshold amount of coin-in for the player during wagering game play.

5. The wager gaming method of claim 2, wherein the one or more of the trigger events comprises achieving a bonus during wagering game play.

6. The wager gaming method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of candidates is selected from the group consisting of a plurality of sports teams, a plurality of contestants in a reality show, a plurality of contestants in a talent show, a plurality of contestants in a beauty pageant, a plurality of race horses, a plurality of politicians, and a plurality of charities.

7. The wager gaming method of claim 1, wherein the candidate information comprises the first candidate and the voting information comprises the highest total number of voting points.

8. The wager gaming method of claim 1, wherein:

the candidate information comprises one or more candidates from the plurality of candidates, and

for each of the one or more candidates, the voting information comprises the total number of voting points applied towards the candidate.

9. The wager gaming method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to tally a total number of voting points applied to all of the candidates by all of the players in the plurality of players, wherein;

the candidate information comprises one or more candidates from the plurality of candidates, and,

for each of the one or more candidates, the voting information comprises a percentage of the total number of voting points applied to all of the candidates in the plurality of candidates that are applied to the candidate.

10. The wager gaming method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to communicate information associated with the quantity of voting points applied to a particular candidate in the plurality of candidates by the player to a reality show or a talent show, wherein;

the candidates in the plurality of candidates correspond to actual contestants in the reality show or the talent show,

the communicated information associated with the quantity of voting points applied to the particular candidate contributes to a score of a contestant in the reality show or the talent show, the contestant corresponding to the particular candidate, and

an outcome of the reality show or the talent show is at least partially dependent on the scores of the contestants.

11. The wager gaming method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to select first players from the plurality of players according to which candidate each player applied voting points;

causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to select a reward for the first players; and

distributing the reward to the first players.

12. The wager gaming method of claim 11, wherein the reward is selected from the group consisting of a first quantity of voting points, a first quantity of game credits, a consolation prize, and a marketing message.

13. A wager gaming system comprising:

one or more servers;

a plurality of player input stations; and

a display device, wherein the one or more servers are configured to;

select a plurality of candidates for participation in a poll;

receive, from a first input station in the plurality of input stations, input indicating a quantity of voting points associated with a player in a plurality of players to apply towards a candidate in the plurality of candidates, wherein at least some of the quantity of voting points is drawn from one or more voting points associated with the player in response to one or more trigger events occurring during wagering game play of the player;

tally, for each candidate, a total number of voting points applied to the candidate by all of the players in the plurality of players;

determine, based on the total number of voting points for each candidate, a first candidate of the plurality of candidates with a highest total number of voting points; and

instruct the display device to display candidate information and voting information based on voting point input received from one or more of the players in the plurality of players.

14. The wager gaming system of claim 13, wherein the one or more servers are further configured to:

associate at least some of the one or more voting points for the player in the plurality of players with the player in response to the one or more trigger events occurring during the player'"'"'s wagering game play.

15. The wager gaming system of claim 14, wherein a quantity of the one or more voting points associated with each player is not required to be the same for each player.

16. The wager gaming system of claim 14, wherein the one or more trigger events comprises exceeding a predetermined threshold amount of coin-in for the player during wagering game play.

17. The wager gaming system of claim 14, wherein the one or more of the trigger events comprises achieving a bonus during wagering game play.

18. The wager gaming system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of candidates is selected from the group consisting of a plurality of sports teams, a plurality of contestants in a reality show, a plurality of contestants in a talent show, a plurality of contestants in a beauty pageant, a plurality of race horses, a plurality of politicians, and a plurality of charities.

19. The wager gaming system of claim 13, wherein the candidate information comprises the first candidate and the voting information comprises the highest total number of voting points.

20. The wager gaming system of claim 13, wherein:

the candidate information comprises one or more candidates from the plurality of candidates, and

for each of the one or more candidates, the voting information comprises the total number of voting points applied towards the candidate.

21. The wager gaming system of claim 13, wherein the one or more servers are further configured to:

tally a total number of voting points applied to all of the candidates by all of the players in the plurality of players, wherein;

the candidate information comprises one or more candidates from the plurality of candidates, and,

for each of the one or more candidates, the voting information comprises a percentage of the total number of voting points applied to all of the candidates in the plurality of candidates that are applied to the candidate.

22. The wager gaming system of claim 13, wherein the one or more servers are further configured to:

communicate information associated with the quantity of voting points applied to a particular candidate in the plurality of candidates by the player to a reality show or a talent show, wherein;

the candidates in the plurality of candidates correspond to actual contestants in the reality show or the talent show,

the communicated information associated with the quantity of voting points applied to the particular candidate contributes to a score of a contestant in the reality show or the talent show, the contestant corresponding to the particular candidate, and

an outcome of the reality show or the talent show is at least partially dependent on the scores of the contestants.

23. The wager gaming system of claim 13, wherein the one or more servers are further configured to:

select first players from the plurality of players according to which candidate each player applied voting points;

select a reward for the first players; and

distribute the reward to the first players.

24. The wager gaming system of claim 23, wherein the reward is selected from the group consisting of a first quantity of voting points, a first quantity of game credits, a consolation prize, and a marketing message.

25. A wager gaming machine comprising:

a display device;

an input device;

a communications interface; and

a logic device configured to;

cause a plurality of candidates in a poll to be displayed via the display device;

receive, from the input device, input indicating a quantity of voting points associated with a player to apply towards a candidate in the plurality of candidates, wherein at least some of the quantity of voting points is drawn from one or more voting points associated with the player in response to one or more trigger events occurring during wagering game play of the player; and

transmit, to a server via the communications interface, the quantity of voting points to apply towards the candidate.

26. The wager gaming machine of claim 25, wherein the logic device is further configured to:

associate at least some of the one or more voting points for the player with the player in response to the one or more trigger events occurring during the player'"'"'s wagering game play.

27. The wager gaming machine of claim 26, wherein the one or more trigger events comprises exceeding a predetermined threshold amount of coin-in for the player during wagering game play.

28. The wager gaming machine of claim 26, wherein the one or more trigger events comprises achieving a bonus during wagering game play.

29. The wager gaming machine of claim 25, wherein the plurality of candidates is selected from the group consisting of a plurality of sports teams, a plurality of contestants in a reality show, a plurality of contestants in a talent show, a plurality of contestants in a beauty pageant, a plurality of race horses, a plurality of politicians, and a plurality of charities.

30. The wager gaming machine of claim 25, wherein the logic device is further configured to:

communicate information associated with the quantity of voting points applied to the candidate by the player to a reality show or a talent show, wherein;

the candidates in the plurality of candidates correspond to actual contestants in the reality show or the talent show,

the communicated information associated with the quantity of voting points applied to the candidate contributes to a score of a contestant in the reality show or the talent show, the contestant corresponding to the candidate, and

an outcome of the reality show or the talent show is at least partially dependent on the scores of the contestants.