Gaming systems and methods for providing random rewards based on gaming activities

• US 9,418,515 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2012
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Video Gaming Technologies Incorporated (Aristocrat Leisure Limited)
• Original Assignee: Video Gaming Technologies Incorporated (Aristocrat Leisure Limited)
• Inventors: Thacker, Christopher John, Milligan, Daniel William
• Primary Examiner(s): YEN, JASON TAHAI
• Application Number:
  US13/493,709
• Publication Number:
  US 20130331174A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,527 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/20, 463/25, 463/29
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3206 Player sensing means, e.g. presence detection, biometrics
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3218 wherein at least part of the system is portable
• 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 17/3246 involving coins and/or banknotes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3251 involving media of variable value, e.g. programmable cards, programmable tokens
• 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

Systems and methods for use in providing a random reward associated with at least one game are disclosed. One exemplary method includes receiving, by a gaming server, data representative of gaming activity of a player of the at least one game, providing, by the gaming server, a code associated with the random reward, wherein the code is representative of an entry to win the random reward, receiving, by the gaming server, data representative of a text message including the code, determining whether the player won the random reward based on the received code, and providing a notification indicating whether the player won the random reward.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for use in providing a random reward associated with at least one game that is operable on a gaming machine, said method comprising:

receiving, by a gaming server, data representative of gaming activity of a player of the at least one game, the gaming activity determined by an interaction of a player through an input interface of the gaming machine, the input interface including at least one of a button, a touch-sensitive screen, a bill acceptor, and a printer;

sending, from the gaming server, through a messaging server, to a portable computing device of the player based on the gaming activity, a code associated with the random reward, wherein the code is representative of an entry to win the random reward;

receiving, by the gaming server from the portable computing device, through the messaging server, data representative of a text message including the code, wherein the text message is received by the gaming server from the portable computing device via one of the following;

a short message service (SMS), an enhanced messaging service (EMS), and a multimedia messaging service (MMS);

determining whether the player won the random reward based on the received code at the time of receipt of the text message; and

providing a notification indicating whether the player won the random reward at the time of the determining.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the data representative of the gaming activity from a gaming machine and transmitting the code to the gaming machine based on the gaming activity.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable computing device is one of the following:

a cellular phone, or a tablet computing device of the player.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing at least one advertisement with the notification of whether the player won the random reward.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising transmitting the at least one advertisement and the notification to one of a cellular phone and a tablet computing device of the player.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the code if at least one predetermined condition is met.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising determining that the at least one predetermined condition is met if at least one of an amount wagered by the player exceeds a predetermined threshold, the player plays the at least one game within a predetermined time window, an amount of time the player has played the at least one game exceeds a predetermined threshold, and the player plays the at least one game with a predetermined number of other players satisfying a predetermined relationship.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the notification that the player won the random reward if at least one predetermined condition is met, wherein the at least one predetermined condition includes at least one of the code within the text message is received within a predetermined time window, an amount wagered by the player exceeds a predetermined threshold, the player plays the at least one game with a predetermined number of other players satisfying a predetermined relationship, the code within the text message matches a predetermined winning code, and the code within the text message is received after a predetermined number of other codes have been received within a predetermined time window.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing the code to expire after a predetermined time elapses.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the code is provided for entry towards a first random reward, said method further comprising enabling the player to store the code and enter the stored code towards a second random reward instead of the first random reward.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a plurality of codes to the player for the random reward, and receiving the plurality of codes within data representative of at least one text message initiated by the player.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising weighting odds of winning the random reward based on at least one factor, wherein the at least one factor includes one or more of the following:

an amount wagered during the at least one game, an amount of time the player played the at least one game, a number of codes received from the player, a number of codes received from other players satisfying a predetermined relationship with the player, and a player status.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a payment credit from the player and providing at least one additional code to the player based on the payment credit.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the random reward is a secondary game hosted by the gaming server, and wherein the player is determined to win the random reward based on one or more of the following:

the received code enables a threshold number of received codes to be exceeded;

the code is received during a predefined time period;

the received code enables a threshold number of received codes to be reached.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the code is received based on predetermined condition that is satisfied by the gaming activity, wherein the predetermined condition is the player playing the at least one game with a predetermined number of other players that have a predetermined relationship with the player, wherein the predetermined relationship is one or more of the following:

the player has a player tracking account that is associated with the other players;

the player is associated with the other players on a social media web site;

the player and each of the other players have selected to be a part of a defined group of players.

16. A gaming server for use in providing a random reward associated with at least one game operable on a gaming machine, said gaming server comprising:

a computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions; and

a processor coupled to said computer-readable storage medium for executing the computer-executable instructions, wherein, when said processor executes the computer-executable instructions, said processor is programmed to;

receive data representative of gaming activity of a player of the at least one game, the gaming activity determined by an interaction of a player through an input interface of the gaming machine, the input interface including at least one of a button, a touch-sensitive screen, a bill acceptor, and a printer;

send a code associated with the random reward, through a messaging server, to a portable computing device of the player based on the gaming activity, wherein the code is representative of an entry to win the random reward;

receive, from the portable computing device, through a messaging server, data representative of a text message including the code, wherein the text message is received by one of the following;

a short message service (SMS), an enhanced messaging service (EMS), and a multimedia messaging service (MMS);

determine whether the player won the random reward based on the received code at the time of receipt of the text message; and

provide a notification indicating whether the player won the random reward at the time of the determining.

17. The gaming server of claim 16, wherein said processor is further programmed to receive the data representative of the gaming activity from a gaming machine and to transmit the code to the gaming machine based on the gaming activity.

18. The gaming server of claim 16, wherein said processor is further programmed to provide at least one advertisement with the notification of whether the player won the random reward.

19. The gaming server of claim 18, wherein said processor is further programmed to transmit the at least one advertisement and the notification to one of a cellular phone and a tablet computing device of the player.

20. The gaming server of claim 16, wherein said processor is further programmed to provide the code if at least one predetermined condition is met, wherein the at least one predetermined condition includes at least one of the player plays the at least one game within a predetermined time window, an amount wagered by the player exceeds a predetermined threshold, an amount of time the player has played the at least one game exceeds a predetermined threshold, and the player plays the at least one game with a predetermined number of other players satisfying a predetermined relationship.

21. The gaming server of claim 16, wherein said processor is further programmed to provide the notification that the player won the random reward if at least one predetermined condition is met, wherein the at least one predetermined condition includes at least one of the code within the text message is received within a predetermined time window, an amount wagered by the player exceeds a predetermined threshold, the player plays the at least one game with a predetermined number of other players satisfying a predetermined relationship, the code within the text message matches a predetermined winning code, and the code within the text message is received after a predetermined number of other codes have been received within a predetermined time window.

22. The gaming server of claim 16, wherein said processor is further programmed to cause the code to expire after a predetermined time elapses.

23. The gaming server of claim 16, wherein the code is provided for entry towards a first random reward, said processor is further configured to enable the player to store the code and enter the stored code towards a second random reward.

24. The gaming server of claim 16, wherein said processor is further configured to provide a plurality of codes to the player for the random reward, and to receive the plurality of codes within data representative of at least one text message initiated by the player.

25. The gaming server of claim 16, wherein said processor is further configured to weight odds of winning the random reward based on at least one factor, wherein the at least one factor includes at least one of an amount wagered during the at least one game, an amount of time the player played the at least one game, a number of codes received from the player, a number of codes received from other players satisfying a predetermined relationship with the player, and a player status.

26. The gaming server of claim 16, wherein said processor is further programmed to receive a payment credit from the player and to provide at least one additional code to the player based on the payment credit.

27. A gaming system for use in providing a random reward associated with at least one game, said gaming system comprising:

a gaming machine configured to present the at least one game to a player and to present at least one code associated with a random reward to the player, wherein the code is representative of an entry to win the random reward; and

a gaming server coupled to said gaming machine, said gaming server is programmed to;

receive data representative of gaming activity of the player from said gaming machine, the gaming activity determined by an interaction of a player through an input interface of the gaming machine, the input interface including at least one of a button, a touch-sensitive screen, a bill acceptor, and a printer;

transmit the code associated with the random reward to a device of the player based on the gaming activity;

receive, from the device of the player, data representative of a text message including the code, wherein the text message is received from the device of the player by one of the following;

a short message service (SMS), an enhanced messaging service (EMS), and a multimedia messaging service (MMS);

determine whether the player won the random reward based on the received code at the time of receipt of the text message; and

provide a notification indicating whether the player won the random reward at the time of the determining.

28. The gaming system of claim 27, wherein said gaming server is further programmed to provide at least one advertisement with the notification of whether the player won the random reward.

29. The gaming system of claim 28, wherein said gaming server is further programmed to transmit the at least one advertisement and the notification to one of a cellular phone and a tablet computing device of the player.

30. The gaming system of claim 27, wherein said gaming server is further programmed to transmit the code if at least one predetermined condition is met, wherein the at least one predetermined condition includes at least one of the player plays the at least one game within a predetermined time window, an amount wagered by the player exceeds a predetermined threshold, an amount of time the player has played the at least one game exceeds a predetermined threshold, and the player plays the at least one game with a predetermined number of other players satisfying a predetermined relationship.

31. The gaming system of claim 27, wherein said gaming server is further programmed to provide the notification that the player won the random reward if at least one predetermined condition is met, wherein the at least one predetermined condition includes at least one of the code within the text message is received within a predetermined time window, an amount wagered by the player exceeds a predetermined threshold, the player plays the at least one game with a predetermined number of other players satisfying a predetermined relationship, the code within the text message matches a predetermined winning code, and the code within the text message is received after a predetermined number of other codes have been received within a predetermined time window.

32. The gaming system of claim 27, wherein said gaming server is further configured to transmit a plurality of codes for the random reward to said gaming machine, and to receive the plurality of codes within data representative of at least one text message initiated by the player.