Gaming system and method providing one or more incentives to delay expected termination of a gaming session

• US 8,834,261 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2012
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• 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:
  US13/403,664
• Publication Number:
  US 20130225262A1
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 463/20, 463/25, 463/26, 463/30
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• 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 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

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) collect and store gaming session data associated with a player'"'"'s gaming activity during a gaming session, the gaming session data including gaming session termination data associated with a termination of the gaming session;

(b) determine one or more termination causation events for the player based on the stored gaming session termination data, wherein each of the termination causation events is predicted to cause the player to terminate a subsequent gaming session of the player if that termination causation event occurs in association with the subsequent gaming session; and

(c) for the subsequent gaming session;

(i) determine whether one of the termination causation events occurs; and

(ii) if one of the termination causation events occurs, determine an incentive, provide the determined incentive, and cause at least one display device to display the determined incentive.

2. 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 determine the one or more termination causation events based on one or more of:

(a) gaming session termination data collected from one or more prior gaming sessions of the player, (b) gaming session termination data collected from one or more gaming sessions of one or more other players, and (c) player demographic and identification information of the player.

3. The gaming system of claim 2, wherein the player demographic and identification information of the player includes one or more of:

(a) the player'"'"'s age, (b) the player'"'"'s gender, (c) the player'"'"'s annual income, and (d) the player'"'"'s marital status.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the gaming session termination data represents one or more of:

(a) a frequency of play of one or more wagering games during an incentive period provided during a prior gaming session of the player, (b) a length of the gaming session, (c) a quantity of credits lost during the gaming session, (d) a quantity of credits won during the gaming session, and (e) a frequency of play of one or more wagering games during the gaming session.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the termination causation events is a designated event.

6. The gaming system of claim 5, wherein the designated event occurs when:

(a) the player is provided a jackpot award, (b) a designated time of day occurs, (c) a winning streak of a designated quantity of plays of a wagering game occurs, (d) a losing streak of a designated quantity of plays of the wagering game occurs, or (e) a length of the gaming session reaches a designated length.

7. 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 provide the determined incentive during an incentive period, wherein the incentive period is one of:

(a) a predetermined period of time, and (b) a predetermined quantity of plays of one or more games.

8. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to extend the incentive period upon the occurrence of a triggering event.

9. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein the triggering event is associated with the player'"'"'s gaming activity during the incentive period.

10. 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 determine the incentive based on one or more of:

(a) gaming session data collected from one or more prior gaming sessions of the player, (b) gaming session data collected from one or more gaming sessions of one or more other players, and (c) player demographic and identification information of the player.

11. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the determined incentive is an award, and the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to provide the award:

(a) instantaneously, (b) after a designated quantity of plays of one or more wagering games, (c) after the player wagers a designated quantity of credits, (d) after the player wins a designated quantity of credits, or (e) after the player loses a designated quantity of credits.

12. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein the award is selected from the group consisting of:

(a) one or more credits, (b) a multiplier, (c) currency, (d) one or more free spins, (e) one or more plays of one or more bonus games, (f) a lottery based award, and (g) a non-monetary award.

13. 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 cause the at least one display device to display the termination causation events during the subsequent gaming session.

14. 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 determine whether the provided incentive is effective at causing the player to delay termination of the subsequent gaming session and, if the provided incentive is not effective at causing the player to delay termination of the subsequent gaming session, modify the provided incentive for a second subsequent gaming session.

15. 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 collect and store gaming session data associated with a player'"'"'s gaming activity during a gaming session, the gaming session data including gaming session termination data associated with a termination of the gaming session;

(b) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine one or more termination causation events for the player based on the stored gaming session termination data, wherein each of the termination causation events is predicted to cause the player to terminate a subsequent gaming session of the player if that termination causation event occurs in association with the subsequent gaming session; and

(c) for the subsequent gaming session;

(i) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine whether one of the termination causation events occurs; and

(ii) if one of the termination causation events occurs;

(A) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine an incentive and cause at least one display device to display the determined incentive, and

(B) providing the determined incentive.

16. The method of claim 15, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine the one or more termination causation events based on one or more of:

(a) gaming session termination data collected from one or more prior gaming sessions of the player, (b) gaming session termination data collected from one or more gaming sessions of one or more other players, and (c) player demographic and identification information of the player.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the player demographic and identification information of the player includes one or more of:

(a) the player'"'"'s age, (b) the player'"'"'s gender, (c) the player'"'"'s annual income, and (d) the player'"'"'s marital status.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the gaming session termination data represents one or more of:

(a) a frequency of play of one or more wagering games during an incentive period provided during a prior gaming session of the player, (b) a length of the gaming session, (c) a quantity of credits lost during the gaming session, (d) a quantity of credits won during the gaming session, and (e) a frequency of play of one or more wagering games during the gaming session.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one of the termination causation events is a designated event.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the designated event occurs when:

(a) the player is provided a jackpot award, (b) a designated time of day occurs, (c) a winning streak of a designated quantity of plays of a wagering game occurs, (d) a losing streak of a designated quantity of plays of the wagering game occurs, or (e) a length of the gaming session reaches a designated length.

21. The method of claim 15, which includes providing the determined incentive during an incentive period, wherein the incentive period is one of:

(a) a predetermined period of time, and (b) a predetermined quantity of plays of one or more games.

22. The method of claim 21, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to extend the incentive period upon the occurrence of a triggering event.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the triggering event is associated with the player'"'"'s gaming activity during the incentive period.

24. The method of claim 15, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine the incentive based on one or more of:

(a) gaming session data collected from one or more prior gaming sessions of the player, (b) gaming session data collected from one or more gaming sessions of one or more other players, and (c) player demographic and identification information of the player.

25. The method of claim 15, wherein the determined incentive is an award, and which includes providing the award:

(a) instantaneously, (b) after a designated quantity of plays of one or more wagering games, (c) after the player wagers a designated quantity of credits, (d) after the player wins a designated quantity of credits, or (e) after the player loses a designated quantity of credits.

26. The method of claim 15, wherein the award is selected from the group consisting of:

(a) one or more credits, (b) a multiplier, (c) currency, (d) one or more free spins, (e) one or more plays of one or more bonus games, (f) a lottery based award, and (g) a non-monetary award.

27. The method of claim 15, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to cause the at least one display device to display the determined termination causation events during the subsequent gaming session.

28. The method of claim 15, which includes 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 subsequent gaming session and, if the provided incentive is not effective at causing the player to delay termination of the subsequent gaming session, modify the provided incentive for a second subsequent gaming session.

29. The method of claim 15, which is provided through a data network.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the data network is an internet.

31. 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) collect and store gaming session data associated with a player'"'"'s gaming activity during a gaming session, the gaming session data including gaming session termination data associated with a termination of the gaming session;

(b) determine one or more termination causation events for the player based on the stored gaming session termination data, wherein each of the termination causation events is predicted to cause the player to terminate a subsequent gaming session of the player if that termination causation event occurs in association with the subsequent gaming session; and

(c) for the subsequent gaming session;

(i) determine whether one of the termination causation events occurs; and

(ii) if one of the termination causation events occurs, determine an incentive, provide the determined incentive, and cause at least one display device to display the determined incentive.

32. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to determine the one or more termination causation events based on one or more of:

(a) gaming session termination data collected from one or more prior gaming sessions of the player, (b) gaming session termination data collected from one or more gaming sessions of one or more other players, and (c) player demographic and identification information of the player.

33. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 32, wherein the player demographic and identification information of the player includes one or more of:

(a) the player'"'"'s age, (b) the player'"'"'s gender, (c) the player'"'"'s annual income, and (d) the player'"'"'s marital status.

34. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein the gaming session termination data represents one or more of:

(a) a frequency of play of one or more wagering games during an incentive period provided during a prior gaming session of the player, (b) a length of the gaming session, (c) a quantity of credits lost during the gaming session, (d) a quantity of credits won during the gaming session, and (e) a frequency of play of one or more wagering games during the gaming session.

35. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein at least one of the termination causation events is a designated event.

36. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 35, wherein the designated event occurs when:

(a) the player is provided a jackpot award, (b) a designated time of day occurs, (c) a winning streak of a designated quantity of plays of a wagering game occurs, (d) a losing streak of a designated quantity of plays of the wagering game occurs, or (e) a length of the gaming session reaches a designated length.

37. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to provide the determined incentive during an incentive period, wherein the incentive period is one of:

(a) a predetermined period of time, and (b) a predetermined quantity of plays of one or more games.

38. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 37, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to extend the incentive period upon the occurrence of a triggering event.

39. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 38, wherein the triggering event is associated with the player'"'"'s gaming activity during the incentive period.

40. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to determine the incentive based on one or more of:

(a) gaming session data collected from one or more prior gaming sessions of the player, (b) gaming session data collected from one or more gaming sessions of one or more other players, and (c) player demographic and identification information of the player.

41. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein the determined incentive is an award, and the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to provide the award:

(a) instantaneously, (b) after a designated quantity of plays of one or more wagering games, (c) after the player wagers a designated quantity of credits, (d) after the player wins a designated quantity of credits, or (e) after the player loses a designated quantity of credits.

42. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein the award is selected from the group consisting of:

(a) one or more credits, (b) a multiplier, (c) currency, (d) one or more free spins, (e) one or more plays of one or more bonus games, (f) a lottery based award, and (g) a non-monetary award.

43. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to cause the at least one display device to display the determined termination causation events during the subsequent gaming session.

44. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to determine whether the provided incentive is effective at causing the player to delay termination of the subsequent gaming session and, if the provided incentive is not effective at causing the player to delay termination of the subsequent gaming session, modify the provided incentive for a second subsequent gaming session.