Gaming system and method for providing an offer and acceptance game

• US 8,784,174 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2012
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Basallo, Leandro, Caputo, Scott A., Saunders, Brian F.
• Primary Examiner(s): DEODHAR, OMKAR A
• Application Number:
  US13/626,312
• Publication Number:
  US 20140087860A1
• Time in Patent Office: 665 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/20, 463/25, 463/29, 463/31
• US Class Current: 463/16
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A gaming system including an offer and acceptance game including a series of offer component accumulations. One or more accumulated offer components are associated with one or more award values which form different offers for acceptance or rejection. One or more of such offer component accumulations are also associated with an elimination of one or more of any previously accumulated offer components. Such a configuration provides that when deciding whether to accept an offer (including the currently accumulated, non-eliminated offer components) or reject the offer and accumulate additional offer components, a player weighs the risks of eliminating one or more previously accumulated offer components.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

at least one input device;

at least one display device;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to;

(a) display a plurality of offer component position sets, each offer component position set including a plurality of offer component positions,

(b) randomly assign at least one offer component to at least one of the offer component position sets, wherein each randomly assigned offer component is associated with one of a plurality of different award values and occupies one of the offer component positions of one of the offer component position sets,

(c) display the assigned offer components occupying the offer component positions of the offer component position sets,

(d) repeat (b) until a designated quantity of the offer component positions of at least one of the offer component position sets are occupied with offer components,

(e) enable a player to accept or reject a displayed first offer based on the award values associated with the offer components occupying the offer component positions of the offer component position sets,

(f) if the player accepts the first offer, provide the player the accepted first offer, and

(g) if the player rejects the first offer;

(i) for each of at least one offer component,

(A) randomly select one of the offer component position sets,

(B) if the selected offer component position set includes at least one unoccupied offer component position, assign said offer component to the selected offer component position set, and

(C) if each of the offer component positions of the selected offer component position set are occupied with offer components, eliminate said selected offer component position set, and

(ii) enable the player to accept or reject a displayed second offer based on the award values associated with the offer components occupying the offer component positions of the non-eliminated offer component position sets.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to randomly assign a plurality of offer components to at least one of the offer component position sets.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to randomly assign a plurality of offer components to the plurality of offer component position sets.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor if the player rejects the first offer, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to, for each of a plurality of offer components, randomly select one of the offer component position sets.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor if the player accepts the second offer, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to provide the player the accepted second offer.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor if the player rejects the second offer, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to:

(i) for each of at least one offer component,

(A) randomly select one of the offer component position sets,

(B) if the selected offer component position set includes at least one unoccupied offer component position, assign said offer component to the selected offer component position set, and

(C) if each of the offer component positions of the selected offer component position set are occupied with offer components, eliminate said selected offer component position set,

(ii) if each of the offer component position sets are eliminated, cause an offer and acceptance game termination event to occur, and

(iii) if at least one of the offer component position sets remains non-eliminated, enable the player to accept or reject a displayed third offer based on the award values associated with the offer components occupying the offer component positions of the non-eliminated offer component position sets.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the offer components is associated with an offer component set eliminator.

8. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein when executed by the at least one processor if the at least one offer component associated with the offer component set eliminator is assigned to one of the offer component position sets, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to eliminate said offer component position set independent of if each of the offer component positions of said offer component position set are occupied with offer components.

9. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the offer components is associated with an offer component set modifier.

10. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein when executed by the at least one processor if the at least one offer component associated with the offer component set modifier is assigned to one of the offer component position sets, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to modify a quantity of the plurality of offer component positions of said offer component position set.

11. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to display at least one of the offer components to the player prior to any assignment of said offer component to any of the offer component positions of any of the offer component position sets.

12. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of different award values are selected from the group consisting of:

a quantity of monetary credits, a quantity of non-monetary credits, a quantity of promotional credits, a quantity of player tracking points, a progressive award, a modifier, a quantity of free plays of at least one wagering game, a quantity of plays of at least one non-wagering game, a multiplier of a quantity of free plays of a game, at least one lottery based award, a wager match for at least one play of at least one game, an increase in an average expected payback percentage of at least one wagering game, at least one comp, a quantity of credits usable for an online play of an online game, a quantity of virtual goods and an access code usable to unlock content on an internet.

13. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the designated quantity of the offer component positions includes each of the offer component positions of said offer component position set.

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

(a) causing at least one display device to display a plurality of offer component position sets, each offer component position set including a plurality of offer component positions,

(b) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to randomly assign at least one offer component to at least one of the offer component position sets, wherein each randomly assigned offer component is associated with one of a plurality of different award values and occupies one of the offer component positions of one of the offer component position sets,

(c) causing the at least one display device to display the assigned offer components occupying the offer component positions of the offer component position sets,

(d) repeating (b) until a designated quantity of the offer component positions of at least one of the offer component position sets are occupied with offer components,

(e) enabling a player to accept or reject a displayed first offer based on the award values associated with the offer components occupying the offer component positions of the offer component position sets,

(f) if the player accepts the first offer, providing the player the accepted first offer, and

(g) if the player rejects the first offer;

(i) for each of at least one offer component,

(A) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to randomly select one of the offer component position sets,

(B) if the selected offer component position set includes at least one unoccupied offer component position, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to assign said offer component to the selected offer component position set, and

(C) if each of the offer component positions of the selected offer component position set are occupied with offer components, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to eliminate said selected offer component position set, and

(ii) enabling the player to accept or reject a displayed second offer based on the award values associated with the offer components occupying the offer component positions of the non-eliminated offer component position sets.

15. The method of claim 14, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to randomly assign a plurality of offer components to at least one of the offer component position sets.

16. The method of claim 14, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to randomly assign a plurality of offer components to the plurality of offer component position sets.

17. The method of claim 14, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to, for each of a plurality of offer components, randomly select one of the offer component position sets, if the player rejects the first offer.

18. The method of claim 14, which includes providing the player the accepted second offer if the player accepts the second offer.

19. The method of claim 14, which includes, if the player rejects the second offer:

(i) for each of at least one offer component,

(A) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to randomly select one of the offer component position sets,

(B) if the selected offer component position set includes at least one unoccupied offer component position, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to assign said offer component to the selected offer component position set, and

(C) if each of the offer component positions of the selected offer component position set are occupied with offer components, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to eliminate said selected offer component position set,

(ii) if each of the offer component position sets are eliminated, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to cause an offer and acceptance game termination event to occur, and

(iii) if at least one of the offer component position sets remains non-eliminated, enabling the player to accept or reject a displayed third offer based on the award values associated with the offer components occupying the offer component positions of the non-eliminated offer component position sets.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein at least one of the offer components is associated with an offer component set eliminator.

21. The method of claim 20, which includes, if the at least one offer component associated with the offer component set eliminator is assigned to one of the offer component position sets, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to eliminate said offer component position set independent of if each of the offer component positions of said offer component position set are occupied with offer components.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein at least one of the offer components is associated with an offer component set modifier.

23. The method of claim 22, which includes, if the at least one offer component associated with the offer component set modifier is assigned to one of the offer component position sets, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to modify a quantity of the plurality of offer component positions of said offer component position set.

24. The method of claim 14, which includes causing the at least one display device to display at least one of the offer components to the player prior to any assignment of said offer component to any of the offer component positions of any of the offer component position sets.

25. The method of claim 14, wherein the plurality of different award values are selected from the group consisting of:

a quantity of monetary credits, a quantity of non-monetary credits, a quantity of promotional credits, a quantity of player tracking points, a progressive award, a modifier, a quantity of free plays of at least one wagering game, a quantity of plays of at least one non-wagering game, a multiplier of a quantity of free plays of a game, at least one lottery based award, a wager match for at least one play of at least one game, an increase in an average expected payback percentage of at least one wagering game, at least one comp, a quantity of credits usable for an online play of an online game, a quantity of virtual goods and an access code usable to unlock content on an internet.

26. The method of claim 14, wherein the designated quantity of the offer component positions includes each of the offer component positions of said offer component position set.

27. The method of claim 14, which is provided through a data network.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the data network is the internet.