Gaming system and method providing optimized incentives to delay expected termination of a gaming session

• US 8,784,190 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2012
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Thompson, Adam J., Bond, Eugene T., Powell, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): D'Agostino, Paul A
• Assistant Examiner(s): GRAY, BRANDON RAMON
• Application Number:
  US13/403,667
• Publication Number:
  US 20130225263A1
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: 463/19, 463/20, 463/25, 463/30
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• 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

Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a gaming system and method providing one or more incentives to delay termination of a gaming session. In general, for a player, the gaming system utilizes gaming session data collected from the player'"'"'s previous gaming sessions to determine one or more termination causation events for the player. When a designated number of the termination causation events occur during a current gaming session of the player, the gaming system provides an incentive to the player, wherein the incentive is configured to cause the player to delay expected termination of the player'"'"'s current gaming session. In certain embodiments, the gaming system optimizes an incentive available to be provided to a player based on the effectiveness of prior incentives provided to the player.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

(a) enable a player to play one or more wagering games during a gaming session;

(b) determine whether a termination causation event predicted to cause termination of the gaming session occurs during the gaming session; and

(c) if the termination causation event occurs;

(i) provide an incentive to the player and cause at least one display device to display the provided incentive;

(ii) determine whether the provided incentive is effective at causing the player to delay termination of the gaming session; and

(iii) if the provided incentive is not effective at causing the player to delay termination of the gaming session, modify at least one aspect of the provided incentive for a subsequent gaming session of the player such that the modified incentive is provided if the termination causation event occurs during the subsequent gaming session.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the provided incentive is effective at causing the player to delay termination of the gaming session if the gaming session continues for one of:

(a) at least a predetermined period of time after the incentive is provided, and (b) at least a predetermined quantity of plays of the wagering games after the incentive is provided.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the provided incentive is ineffective at causing the player to delay termination of the gaming session if the gaming session continues for one of:

(a) less than a predetermined period of time after the incentive is provided, and (b) fewer than a predetermined quantity of plays of the wagering games after the incentive is provided.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the provided incentive includes an incentive type and a value, and the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to modify at least on aspect of the provided incentive by one of:

(a) modifying the incentive type of the provided incentive, (b) modifying the value of the provided incentive, and (c) modifying the incentive type and the value of the provided incentive.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to modify at least one aspect of the provided incentive based on one or more of:

(a) the effectiveness of one or more other incentives previously provided to the player, and (b) the effectiveness of one or more other incentives previously provided to one or more other players.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to, if the provided incentive is effective at causing the player to delay termination of the gaming session, modify an incentive type of the provided incentive for the subsequent gaming session of the player.

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

(a) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions stored in at least one memory device to enable a player to play one or more wagering games during a gaming session;

(b) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine whether a termination causation event predicted to cause termination of the gaming session occurs during the gaming session; and

(c) if the termination causation event occurs;

(i) providing an, incentive to the player and causing the at least one processor to, execute the plurality of instructions to cause at least one display device to display the provided incentive;

(ii) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine whether the provided incentive is effective at causing the player to delay termination of the gaming session; and

(iii) if the provided incentive is not effective at causing the player to delay termination of the gaming session, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to modify at least one aspect of the provided incentive for a subsequent gaming session of the player such that the modified incentive is provided if the termination causation event occurs during the subsequent gaming session.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the provided incentive is effective at causing the player to delay termination of the gaming session if the gaming session continues for one of:

(a) at least a predetermined period of time after the incentive is provided, and (b) at least a predetermined quantity of plays of the wagering games after the incentive is provided.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the provided incentive is ineffective at causing the player to delay termination of the gaming session if the gaming session continues for one of:

(a) less than a predetermined period of time after the incentive is provided, and (b) fewer than a predetermined quantity of plays of the wagering games after the incentive is provided.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the provided incentive includes an incentive type and a value, and which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to modify at least on aspect of the provided incentive by one of:

(a) modifying the incentive type of the provided incentive, (b) modifying the value of the provided incentive, and (c) modifying the incentive type and the value of the provided incentive.

11. The method of claim 7, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to modify at least one aspect of the provided incentive based on one or more of:

(a) the effectiveness of one or more other incentives previously provided to the player, and (b) the effectiveness of one or more other incentives previously provided to one or more other players.

12. The method of claim 7, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to, if the provided incentive is effective at causing the player to delay termination of the gaming session, modify an incentive type of the provided incentive for the subsequent gaming session of the player.

13. The method of claim 7, which is provided through a data network.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the data network is an internet.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium including a plurality of instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

(a) enable a player to play one or more wagering games during a gaming session;

(b) determine whether a termination causation event predicted to cause termination of the gaming session occurs during the gaming session; and

(c) if the termination causation event occurs;

(i) provide an incentive to the player and cause at least one display device to display the provided incentive;

(ii) determine whether the provided incentive is effective at causing the player to delay termination of the gaming session; and

(iii) if the provided incentive is not effective at causing the player to delay termination of the gaming session, modify at least one aspect of the provided incentive for a subsequent gaming session of the player such that the modified incentive is provided if the termination causation event occurs during the subsequent gaming session.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the provided incentive is effective at causing the player to delay termination of the gaming session if the gaming session continues for one of:

(a) at least a predetermined period of time after the incentive is provided, and (b) at least a predetermined quantity of plays of the wagering games after the incentive is provided.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the provided incentive is ineffective at causing the player to delay termination of the gaming session if the gaming session continues for one of:

(a) less than a predetermined period of time after the incentive is provided, and (b) fewer than a predetermined quantity of plays of the wagering games after the incentive is provided.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the provided incentive includes an incentive type and a value, and the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to modify at least on aspect of the provided incentive by one of:

(a) modifying the incentive type of the provided incentive, (b) modifying the value of the provided incentive, and (c) modifying the incentive type and the value of the provided incentive.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to modify at least one aspect of the provided incentive based on one or more of:

(a) the effectiveness of one or more other incentives previously provided to the player, and (b) the effectiveness of one or more other incentives previously provided to one or more other players.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to, if the provided incentive is effective at causing the player to delay termination of the gaming session, modify an incentive type of the provided incentive for the subsequent gaming session of the player.