Enhanced game play awards and use in gaming environments

• US 9,082,259 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2013
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Luciano, Robert A. Jr., Crowder, Robert W. Jr., Marsden, Russ F.
• Primary Examiner(s): YOO, JASSON H
• Application Number:
  US13/913,296
• Publication Number:
  US 20130337892A1
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 20, 463/25, 463/29
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• 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

Abstract

A method is shown for enhancing game play on a gaming machine. In one embodiment, the gaming machine may include a processor, a memory, and program logic stored in the memory that may be executable to play a game in exchange for a wager. The method includes receiving a Newprom award that is not issued by the gaming machine. The method may include altering, using the processor, the game to an enhanced game state in response to the Newprom award. The Newprom award may be configured to add one or more game play enhancements available to a player only by way of the Newprom award to the game. This may alter the game to the enhanced game state so that the game is played with the one or more game play enhancements.

Claims

1. A gaming machine-enabled method for enhancing game play, the gaming machine-enabled method comprising:

providing one or more game servers that are connected to a physical game network;

providing a plurality of gaming machines that are connected to the one or more game servers via the physical game network, each gaming machine having a processor, a memory, and program logic stored in the memory executable to play a specific game in exchange for a wager, each gaming machine including a voucher writer and a voucher reader;

receiving, by one gaming machine of the plurality of gaming machines, a Newprom award issued and printed by the voucher writer of another gaming machine of the plurality of gaming machines;

reading, by the voucher reader of the one gaming machine of the plurality of gaming machines, a Newprom award issued and printed by the voucher writer of another gaming machine of the plurality of gaming machines;

executing, using the processor of the one gaming machine, the specific game of the one gaming machine; and

altering, using the processor of the one gaming machine, the specific game to an enhanced game state in response to the processor processing the received Newprom award, wherein the Newprom award is configured to add one or more game play enhancements available to a player only by way of the Newprom award to the specific game, thereby altering, using the processor of the one gaming machine, the specific game to the enhanced game state so that the specific game is played with the one or more game play enhancements,

wherein the game play enhancements comprise a change in a game play, game format, game style or game type of the specific game, additional pay lines to the at specific game, additional winning indicia for the specific game, or any combination thereof,

wherein at least one of the one or more game servers verifies Newprom award voucher information against records in a database.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the Newprom award includes time restriction data having a predetermined, fixed expiration date for the Newprom award.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the Newprom award includes location restriction data that restricts use of the Newprom award to a predetermined location or a predetermined set of locations.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the Newprom award includes gaming device restriction data that restricts use of the Newprom award to a particular game, a set of related games, a family of games, or a predetermined subset of games.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein altering the specific game further comprises providing a new pay table for the game in response to the Newprom award.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein altering the specific game further comprises applying a multiplier to any winning outcomes of the game.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising issuing a Newprom award to the player during a gaming session.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising issuing a Newprom award to the player at the conclusion of a gaming session.

9. A gaming machine-enabled method for enhancing game play, the gaming machine-enabled method comprising:

providing one or more game servers that are connected to a physical game network;

providing a plurality of gaming machines that are connected to the one or more game servers via the physical game network, each gaming machine having a processor, a memory, and program logic stored in the memory executable to play a specific game in exchange for a wager, each gaming machine including a voucher writer and a voucher reader;

receiving, by one gaming machine of the plurality of gaming machines, a Newprom award obtained from and printed by the voucher writer of another gaming machine of the plurality of gaming machines;

reading, by the voucher reader of the one gaming machine of the plurality of gaming machines, a Newprom award issued and printed by the voucher writer of another gaming machine of the plurality of gaming machines;

executing, using the processor of the one gaming machine, the specific game of the one gaming machine; and

altering, using the processor of the one gaming machine, the specific game to an enhanced game state in response to the processor processing the received Newprom award, wherein the Newprom award is configured to add one or more game play enhancements available to a player only by way of the Newprom award to the specific game, thereby altering, using the processor of the one gaming machine, the specific game to the enhanced game state so that the specific game is played with the one or more game play enhancements,

wherein the game play enhancements comprise a change in a game play, game format, game style or game type of the specific game, additional pay lines to the specific game, additional winning indicia for the specific game, or any combination thereof,

wherein at least one of the one or more game servers verifies Newprom award voucher information against records in a database.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving player input further comprises:

accepting player identification; and

retrieving a Newprom award that is associated with the player identification.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the Newprom award includes time restriction data having a predetermined, fixed expiration date for the Newprom award.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the Newprom award includes location restriction data that restricts use of the Newprom award to a predetermined location or a predetermined set of locations.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the Newprom award includes gaming device restriction data that restricts use of the Newprom award to a particular game, a set of related games, a family of games, or a predetermined subset of games.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein altering the specific game further comprises providing a new pay table for the specific game in response to the Newprom award.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein altering the specific game further comprises applying a multiplier to any winning outcomes of the game.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising issuing a Newprom award to the player during a gaming session.

17. The method of claim 9, further comprising issuing a Newprom award to the player at the conclusion of a gaming session.

18. A gaming machine-enabled method for enhancing game play, the gaming machine-enabled method comprising:

providing one or more game servers that are connected to a physical game network;

providing a plurality of gaming machines that are connected to the one or more game servers via the physical game network, each gaming machine having a processor, a memory, and program logic stored in the memory executable to play specific game in exchange for a wager, each gaming machine including a voucher writer and a voucher reader;

receiving, by one gaming machine of the plurality of gaming machines, a Newprom award issued and printed by the voucher writer of another gaming machine of the plurality of gaming machines;

reading, by the voucher reader of the one gaming machine of the plurality of gaming machines, a Newprom award issued and printed by the voucher writer of another gaming machine of the plurality of gaming machines;

executing, using the processor of the one gaming machine, the specific game of the one gaming machine; and

altering, using the processor of the one gaming machine, the specific game to an enhanced game state in response to the processor processing the received Newprom award, wherein the Newprom award is configured to add one or more game play enhancements available to a player only by way of the Newprom award to the specific game, thereby altering, using the processor of the one gaming machine, the specific game to the enhanced game state so that the specific game is played with the one or more game play enhancements,

wherein the one or more game play enhancements invoke one or more unique states in the play of the at specific game that are not available without the one or more game play enhancements,

wherein at least one of the one or more game servers verifies Newprom award voucher information against records in a database.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising issuing a Newprom award to the player during a gaming session.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising issuing a Newprom award to the player at the conclusion of a gaming session.