Gaming device and method providing relatively large awards with variable player participation levels

• US 9,177,442 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2012
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Cannon, Lee E.
• Primary Examiner(s): RENWICK, REGINALD A
• Application Number:
  US13/361,655
• Publication Number:
  US 20120129588A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,373 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/17, 463/25, 463/26
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played

Abstract

A number matching game which includes a matching game with multiple number sets. A player can win standard Keno paytable awards in addition to relatively large awards. A player'"'"'s initial set has a minimum size requirement for the player to be eligible for the relatively large award. The gaming machine provides supplemental numbers to the player if the player does not select the minimum quantity of numbers. Any supplemental numbers created for the player cannot be used towards the Keno paytable awards. In one embodiment, odds of winning the relatively large awards are kept proportionate with the player'"'"'s wager level.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a housing;

a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, said plurality of input devices including;

(i) an acceptor,

(ii) a validator, and

(iii) a cashout device;

at least one display device supported by the housing;

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 plurality of input devices and the at least one display device to, for a play of a game;

(a) if a physical item is received via the acceptor;

(i) identify, via the validator, the received physical item, and

(ii) establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received and identified physical item,

(b) display, via the at least one display device, a plurality of game symbols;

(c) cause a selection of a plurality of said game symbols to form an initial symbol set;

(d) prior to drawing any of the game symbols, select at least one symbol from said game symbols to form a subset symbol set if the number of initially selected symbols is greater than a predetermined number of symbols, wherein the symbols in the subset symbol set form a total symbol set;

(e) after forming the total symbol set, draw, via the at least one processor, a plurality of symbols from said game symbols to form a first processor selected set;

(f) if a predetermined number of symbols in the total symbol set correspond to symbols in the first processor selected set;

(i) display, via the at least one display device, a designated award, and

(ii) cause, via the at least one processor, an increase of the credit balance, said increase being based on the displayed designated award; and

(g) if a cashout input is received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the initial symbol set is a player selected set.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the subset symbol set is a processor selected set.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the designated award is selected from the group consisting of:

a static award and a progressive award.

5. 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, via the at least one display device, one of a plurality of base awards if a predetermined number of matches are created between the initial symbol set and the first processor selected set if the designated award is not provided.

6. The gaming system of claim 5, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to determine the provided base award by a Keno paytable.

7. The gaming system of claim 5, wherein the provided base award is variable and when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to increase the base award as the number of matches increases.

8. A gaming system comprising:

a housing;

a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, said plurality of input devices including;

(i) an acceptor,

(ii) a validator, and

(iii) a cashout device;

at least one display device supported by the housing;

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 plurality of input devices and the at least one display device to;

(a) if a physical item is received via the acceptor;

(i) identify, via the validator, the received physical item, and

(ii) establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received and identified physical item,

(b) display, via the at least one display device, a plurality of game symbols;

(c) cause a selection of a plurality of said game symbols to form an initial symbol set;

(d) independent from which of said game symbols are selected to form the initial symbol set, select at least one symbol from said game symbols to form a second symbol set, wherein the quantity of symbols in the second symbol set is predetermined;

(e) draw, via the at least one processor, a plurality of symbols from said game symbols to form a first processor selected set;

(f) independent from which of said game symbols are drawn to form the first processor selected set, draw, via the at least one processor, a plurality of symbols from said game symbols to form a second processor selected set, wherein the quantity of symbols in the second processor selected set is proportionate to a wager amount;

(g) if;

(i) a predetermined number of symbols in the initial symbol set correspond to symbols in the first processor selected set, and

(ii) at least one symbol from the second symbol set corresponds to at least one symbol in the second processor selected set;

(A) display, via the at least one display device, a designated award, and

(B) cause, via the at least one processor, an increase of the credit balance, said increase being based on the displayed designated award; and

(h) if a cashout input is received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance.

9. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein the initial symbol set is a player selected set.

10. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein the second symbol set is a processor selected set.

11. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein the predetermined quantity of symbols in the second symbol set is one symbol.

12. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein the predetermined quantity of symbols in the second symbol set is at least two symbols.

13. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to determine the quantity of symbols in the second processor selected set by static odds for each draw.

14. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to determine the quantity of symbols in the second processor selected set by a static portion of the draw.

15. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to determine the quantity of symbols in the second processor selected set by a static portion of the selectable numbers.

16. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein the designated award is selected from the group consisting of:

a static award and a progressive award.

17. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to display, via the at least one display device, one of a plurality of base awards if a predetermined number of matches are created between the initial symbol set and the first processor selected set if the designated award is not provided.

18. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to determine the provided base award by a Keno paytable.

19. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein the provided base award is variable and when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to increase the provided base award the number of matches increases.

20. A gaming system comprising:

a housing;

a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, said plurality of input devices including;

(i) an acceptor,

(ii) a validator, and

(iii) a cashout device;

at least one display device supported by the housing;

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 plurality of input devices and the at least one display device to;

(a) if a physical item is received via the acceptor;

(i) identify, via the validator, the received physical item, and

(ii) establish a credit balance based at least in art on a monetary value associated with the received and identified physical item;

(b) display, via the at least one display device, a plurality of game symbols;

(c) cause a selection of a plurality of said game symbols to form an initial symbol set;

(d) independent from which of said game symbols are selected to form the initial symbol set, select at least one symbol from said game symbols to form a second symbol set, wherein the quantity of symbols in the second symbol set is proportionate to a wager amount;

(e) draw, via the at least one processor, a plurality of symbols from said game symbols to form a first processor selected set;

(f) independent from which of said game symbols are drawn to form the first processor selected set, draw, via the at least one processor, at least one symbol from said game symbols to form a second processor selected set, wherein the quantity of symbols in the second processor selected set is predetermined; and

(g) if;

(i) a predetermined number of symbols in the initial symbol set correspond to symbols in the first processor selected set, and

(ii) at least one symbol from the second symbol set corresponds to at least one symbol in the second processor selected set,

(A) display, via the at least one display device, a designated award, and

(B) cause, via the at least one processor, an increase of the credit balance, said increase being based on the displayed designated award; and

(h) if a cashout input is received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance.

21. The gaming system of claim 20, wherein the initial symbol set is a player selected set.

22. The gaming system of claim 20, wherein the second symbol set is a processor selected set.

23. The gaming system of claim 20, wherein the predetermined quantity of symbols in the second processor selected set is one symbol.

24. The gaming system of claim 20, wherein the predetermined quantity of symbols in the second processor selected set is at least two symbols.

25. The gaming system of claim 20, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to select the wager proportionate quantity of symbols in the second symbol set from the initial symbol set.

26. The gaming system of claim 25, wherein the quantity of symbols in the second symbol set is equal to the wager and when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to consecutively select the symbols in the second symbol set from the initial symbol set starting from the first selected symbol in the initial symbol set.

27. The gaming system of claim 20, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to consecutively select the wager proportionate quantity of symbols in the second symbol set in reverse from the initial symbol set starting from the last selected symbol in the initial symbol set.

28. The gaming system of claim 20, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to randomly select the wager proportionate quantity of symbols in the second symbol set before or after the start of the game.

29. The gaming system of claim 20, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to select the wager proportionate quantity of symbols in the second symbol set based on a randomly selected cluster, group or pattern of numbers.

30. The gaming system of claim 29, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to select the wager proportionate quantity of symbols in the second symbol set based on an interactive selection game where the cluster, group or pattern avoids the player'"'"'s number selections.

31. The gaming system of claim 20, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to select the wager proportionate quantity of symbols in the second symbol set from a predetermined set of numbers.

32. The gaming system of claim 20, wherein the designated award is selected from the group consisting of:

a static award and a progressive award.

33. The gaming system of claim 20, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to display, via the at least one display device, one of a plurality of base awards if a predetermined number of matches are created between the initial symbol set and the first processor selected set if the designated award is not provided.

34. The gaming system of claim 33, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to determine the provided base award by a Keno paytable.

35. The gaming system of claim 33, wherein the provided base award is variable and when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to increase the provided base award as the number of matches increases.