Gaming system and method providing a multiple-player bonus redemption game
First Claim
1. A gaming system comprising:
- a plurality of gaming devices, each gaming device including;
at least one input device;
at least one display device;
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, causes the at least one processor to operate with the at least one input device and the at least one display device to enable a player to place at least one wager on at least one play of at least one primary game;
at least one controller configured to communicate with each of the gaming devices, said at least one controller programmed to;
(a) upon each occurrence of a first triggering event, accumulate at least one collector for at least one of the players; and
(b) upon an occurrence of a second triggering event;
(i) enable a first one of the players to redeem a quantity of collectors accumulated for said first one of the players,(ii) enable the first one of the players to invite at least a second one of the players to redeem any collectors accumulated for said second one of the players in a bonus event, wherein if the second one of the players redeems any collectors, the first one of the players has a higher bonus event average expected award than if the first one of the players were redeeming collectors alone, and(iii) thereafter, if the first one of the players redeems any of the quantity of collectors accumulated for said first one of the players;
(A) randomly associate at least one bonus event award with at least one redeemed collector accumulated for said first one of the players,(B) display the bonus event awards randomly associated with the redeemed collectors, and(C) provide the first one of the players any bonus event awards randomly associated with the redeemed collectors.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A gaming system and method including a plurality of gaming devices that may participate in a shared secondary or bonus game and a controller operable to communicate with said plurality of gaming devices. At least one of the plurality of gaming devices is programmed to generate and accumulate collectors upon an occurrence of a first triggering event. Upon an occurrence of a second triggering event at one of the gaming devices, the controller enables a player of said gaming device to redeem a quantity of accumulated collectors in a bonus event. The controller also enables the player to invite other gaming devices from the plurality of gaming devices to redeem accumulated collectors and participate in said bonus event. The odds of each player earning a higher-valued total award in the bonus event increases with the total number of accumulated collectors redeemed in the bonus event.
402 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A gaming system comprising:
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a plurality of gaming devices, each gaming device including; at least one input device; at least one display device; 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, causes the at least one processor to operate with the at least one input device and the at least one display device to enable a player to place at least one wager on at least one play of at least one primary game; at least one controller configured to communicate with each of the gaming devices, said at least one controller programmed to; (a) upon each occurrence of a first triggering event, accumulate at least one collector for at least one of the players; and (b) upon an occurrence of a second triggering event; (i) enable a first one of the players to redeem a quantity of collectors accumulated for said first one of the players, (ii) enable the first one of the players to invite at least a second one of the players to redeem any collectors accumulated for said second one of the players in a bonus event, wherein if the second one of the players redeems any collectors, the first one of the players has a higher bonus event average expected award than if the first one of the players were redeeming collectors alone, and (iii) thereafter, if the first one of the players redeems any of the quantity of collectors accumulated for said first one of the players; (A) randomly associate at least one bonus event award with at least one redeemed collector accumulated for said first one of the players, (B) display the bonus event awards randomly associated with the redeemed collectors, and (C) provide the first one of the players any bonus event awards randomly associated with the redeemed collectors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A gaming system comprising:
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a plurality of gaming devices, each gaming device including; at least one input device; at least one display device; 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, causes the at least one processor to operate with the at least one input device and the at least one display device to enable a player to place at least one wager on at least one play of at least one primary game; at least one controller configured to communicate with each of the gaming devices, said at least one controller programmed to; (a) upon each occurrence of a first triggering event, accumulate at least one collector for the player; and (b) upon an occurrence of a second triggering event; (i) enable the player to redeem a quantity of collectors accumulated for said player, (ii) enable the player to invite at least one virtual player to redeem any collectors accumulated for said virtual player in a bonus event, wherein if the virtual player redeems any collectors, the player has a higher bonus event average expected award than if the player were redeeming collectors alone, and (iii) thereafter, if the player redeems any of the quantity of collectors accumulated for said player; (A) randomly associate at least one bonus event award with at least one redeemed collector accumulated for said player, (B) display the bonus event awards randomly associated with the redeemed collectors, and (C) provide the player any bonus event awards randomly associated with the redeemed collectors. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. A gaming system comprising:
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a plurality of gaming devices, each gaming device including; at least one input device; at least one display device; 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, causes the at least one processor to operate with the at least one input device and the at least one display device to enable a player to place at least one wager on at least one play of at least one primary game; at least one controller configured to communicate with each of the gaming devices, said at least one controller programmed to; (a) upon an occurrence of a triggering event; (i) trigger a play of a secondary game, (ii) enable a first one of the players to invite at least a second one of the players to participate in the triggered play of the secondary game, (iii) if the second one of the players rejects the invitation to participate in the triggered play of the secondary game, display the triggered play of the secondary game to the first one of the players, and (iv) if the second one of the players accepts the invitation to participate in the triggered play of the secondary game, display the triggered play of the secondary game to the first one of the players and the second one of the players, wherein if the second one of the players accepts the invitation to participate in the triggered play of the secondary game, the triggered play of the secondary game has a higher average expected award for each of the players participating in the triggered play of the secondary game than if the first one of the players were participating in the triggered play of the secondary game alone. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A gaming system server comprising:
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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, causes the at least one processor to; (a) for each of a plurality of players, receive data representing a wager placed in association with a play of a primary game, and (b) upon an occurrence of a triggering event; (i) trigger a play of a secondary game, (ii) receive data representing at least one input by the first one of the players to invite at least a second one of the players to participate in the triggered play of the secondary game, (iii) if the second one of the players rejects the invitation to participate in the triggered play of the secondary game, cause at least one display device to display the triggered play of the secondary game to the first one of the players, and (iv) if the second one of the players accepts the invitation to participate in the triggered play of the secondary game, cause the at least one display device to display the triggered play of the secondary game to the first one of the players and the second one of the players, wherein if the second one of the players accepts the invitation to participate in the triggered play of the secondary game, the triggered play of the secondary game has a higher average expected award for each of the players participating in the triggered play of the secondary game than if the first one of the players were participating in the triggered play of the secondary game alone. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A gaming system comprising:
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a plurality of gaming devices, each gaming device including; at least one input device; at least one display device; 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, causes the at least one processor to operate with the at least one input device and the at least one display device to enable a player to place at least one wager on at least one play of at least one primary game; at least one controller configured to communicate with each of the gaming devices, said at least one controller programmed to; (a) upon an occurrence of a triggering event; (i) trigger a play of a secondary game, (ii) enable a first one of the players to invite at least a second one of the players to participate in the triggered play of the secondary game, (iii) enable the first one of the players to cancel the triggered play of the secondary game once the second one of the players has accepted or rejected the invitation to participate in the triggered play of the secondary game, (iv) if the second one of the players rejects the invitation to participate in the triggered play of the secondary game and the first one of the players has not cancelled the triggered play of the secondary game, display the triggered play of the secondary game to the first one of the players, and (v) if the second one of the players accepts the invitation to participate in the triggered play of the secondary game and the first one of the players has not cancelled the triggered play of the secondary game, display the triggered play of the secondary game to the first one of the players and the second one of the players, wherein if the second one of the players accepts the invitation to participate in the triggered play of the secondary game, the triggered play of the secondary game has a higher average expected award than if the first one of the players were participating in the triggered play of the secondary game alone. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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27. A gaming system server comprising:
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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, causes the at least one processor to; (a) for each of a plurality of players, receive data representing a wager placed in association with a play of a primary game, and (b) upon an occurrence of a triggering event; (i) trigger a play of a secondary game, (ii) receive data representing at least one input by the first one of the players to invite at least a second one of the players to participate in the triggered play of the secondary game, (iii) receive data representing at least one input by the first one of the players to cancel the triggered play of the secondary game once the second one of the players has accepted or rejected the invitation to participate in the triggered play of the secondary game, (iv) if the second one of the players rejects the invitation to participate in the triggered play of the secondary game and the first one of the players has not cancelled the triggered play of the secondary game, cause at least one display device to display the triggered play of the secondary game to the first one of the players, and (v) if the second one of the players accepts the invitation to participate in the triggered play of the secondary game and the first one of the players has not cancelled the triggered play of the secondary game, cause the at least one display device to display the triggered play of the secondary game to the first one of the players and the second one of the players, wherein if the second one of the players accepts the invitation to participate in the triggered play of the secondary game, the triggered play of the secondary game has a higher average expected award than if the first one of the players were participating in the triggered play of the secondary game alone. - View Dependent Claims (28)
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Specification