Gaming system and method for normalizing average expected payouts to players

• US 8,900,052 B2
• Filed: 12/24/2013
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Cohen, Alexander Casey Naglestad, Wolf, Bryan D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elisca, Pierre E
• Application Number:
  US14/140,278
• Publication Number:
  US 20140106867A1
• Time in Patent Office: 343 Days
• Field of Search: 463/25, 463/20, 463/21
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes

Abstract

The gaming system disclosed herein accounts for game play over a gaming session in determining a bonus game attribute for a triggered bonus game. The gaming system maintains a plurality of different bonus game attributes. Each different bonus game attribute is associated with a different bonus game attribute modification event and an initial probability of that bonus game attribute being selected for a play of a bonus game. For each bonus game attribute modification event that occurs, the gaming system modifies the probability that the associated bonus game attribute will be selected for a play of a bonus game. Upon an occurrence of a bonus game triggering event, the gaming system randomly selects one of the maintained bonus game attributes. The gaming system then displays a bonus game and determines a bonus game award utilizing the selected bonus game attribute.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one input device;

at least one display device; 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) receive a first input of a selected quantity of paylines to wager on in association with a play of a base game,

(b) receive a second input of a selected amount to wager on each of the selected quantity of paylines, wherein a wager configuration of the selected quantity of paylines to wager on and the selected amount to wager on each of the selected quantity of paylines is associated with a bonus game having an average expected payout and a probability of being selected and different wager configurations are associated with different average expected payouts and different probabilities of being selected,

(c) modify a probability of being selected of the bonus game associated with the wager configuration of the selected quantity of paylines to wager on and the selected amount to wager on each of the selected quantity of paylines,

(d) determine if a bonus game triggering event occurs,

(e) if the bonus game triggering event does not occur, repeat (a) to (e) until the bonus game triggering event occurs, and

(f) if the bonus game triggering event occurs at a designated point in time;

(i) randomly select one of the bonus games, said random selection based on the probabilities associated with each of the bonus games at the designated point in time,

(ii) randomly determine a bonus game award in association with a play of the selected bonus game, and

(iii) display to a player the determined bonus game award.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one, processor upon receipt of the first input of the selected quantity of paylines to wager on in association with the play of the base game and the second input of the selected amount to wager on each of the selected quantity of paylines, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to modify the probability of being selected associated with at least one of the bonus games not associated with the wager configuration of the selected quantity of paylines to wager on and the selected amount to wager on each of the selected quantity of paylines.

3. The gaming system of claim 2, wherein which probability associated with at least one of the bonus games not associated with the wager configuration of the selected quantity of paylines to wager on and the selected amount to wager on each of the selected quantity of paylines is modified is based on a total wager amount placed in association with the play of the base game.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein each wager configuration is associated with a bonus game modification event.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the determination that the bonus game triggering event will occur is independent of any displayed event in any play of any base game.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor after displaying to the player the determined bonus game award, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to reset any modified probabilities associated with the bonus games to a designated probability.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the determined bonus game award includes at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a quantity of monetary credits, a quantity of non-monetary credits, a quantity of promotional credits, and a quantity of player tracking points.

8. A gaming system server comprising:

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;

(a) receive a first input of a selected quantity of paylines to wager on in association with a play of a base game,

(b) receive a second input of a selected amount to wager on each of the selected quantity of paylines, wherein a wager configuration of the selected quantity of paylines to wager on and the selected amount to wager on each of the selected quantity of paylines is associated with a bonus game having an average expected payout and a probability of being selected and different wager configurations are associated with different average expected payouts and different probabilities of being selected,

(c) modify a probability of being selected of the bonus game associated with the wager configuration of the selected quantity of paylines to wager on and the selected amount to wager on each of the selected quantity of paylines,

(d) determine if a bonus game triggering event occurs,

(e) if the bonus game triggering event does not occur, repeat (a) to (e) until the bonus game triggering event occurs, and

(f) if the bonus game triggering event occurs at a designated point in time;

(i) randomly select one of the bonus games, said random selection based on the probabilities associated with each of the bonus games at the designated point in time,

(ii) randomly determine a bonus game award in association with a play of the selected bonus game, and

(iii) cause at least one display device to display to a player the determined bonus game award.

9. The gaming system server of claim 8, wherein when executed by the at least one processor upon receipt of the first input of the selected quantity of paylines to wager on in association with the play of the base game and the second input of the selected amount to wager on each of the selected quantity of paylines, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to modify the probability of being selected associated with at least one of the bonus games not associated with the wager configuration of the selected quantity of paylines to wager on and the selected amount to wager on each of the selected quantity of paylines.

10. The gaming system server of claim 9, wherein which probability associated with at least one of the bonus games not associated with the wager configuration of the selected quantity of paylines to wager on and the selected amount to wager on each of the selected quantity of paylines is modified is based on a total wager amount placed in association with the play of the base game.

11. The gaming system server of claim 8, wherein each wager configuration is associated with a bonus game modification event.

12. The gaming system server of claim 8, wherein the determination that the bonus game triggering event will occur is independent of any displayed event in any play of any base game.

13. The gaming system server of claim 8, wherein when executed by the at least one processor after displaying to the player the determined bonus game award, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to reset any modified probabilities associated with the bonus games to a designated probability.

14. The gaming system server of claim 8, wherein the determined bonus game award includes at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a quantity of monetary credits, a quantity of non-monetary credits, a quantity of promotional credits, and a quantity of player tracking points.

15. The gaming system server of claim 8, which transmits and receives data over a data network.

16. The gaming system server of claim 15, wherein the data network is an internet.