Systems, methods, and devices for playing wagering games with symbol-driven expected value enhancements and eliminations

• US 9,472,058 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2015
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Hornik, Jeremy M., Dixon, Patrick M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hylinski, Steven J
• Application Number:
  US14/728,617
• Publication Number:
  US 20150262454A1
• Time in Patent Office: 504 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3267 Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

Gaming devices, gaming systems, methods of conducting wagering games, and computer programs for executing wagering games are disclosed. A gaming system for conducting a wagering game includes an input device, a display device, a processor, and a memory device. The memory device stores instructions which cause the processor to operate with the display device to: randomly determine an outcome of the wagering game; display symbols indicative of the wagering-game outcome; determine if the displayed symbols include to an expected-value (EV) enhancement symbol combination or an EV-elimination symbol combination, the EV-enhancement and EV-elimination symbol combinations both including a common symbol arranged in a common manner; activate, responsive to the displayed symbols including the EV-enhancement symbol combination, an EV-increasing opportunity that modifies a wagering-game parameter thereby increasing the EV of the wagering game; and deactivate, responsive to the displayed symbol-combination corresponding to the EV-elimination symbol combination, one or more EV-increasing opportunities.

Claims

1. A gaming system, comprising:

an electronic gaming machine primarily dedicated to playing a casino wagering game, the electronic gaming machine including a gaming cabinet, an electronic display device, and an electronic input device, the gaming cabinet being constructed to house components associated with the casino wagering game, the electronic display device and the electronic input device being coupled to the gaming cabinet, the electronic input device being configured to receive a physical input from a player to initiate the casino wagering game and transform the physical input into an electronic data signal;

a random element generator configured to generate one or more random elements associated with play of the casino wagering game; and

game-logic circuitry configured to;

initiate the casino wagering game in response to the electronic data signal generated by the electronic input device responsive to the physical input from the player;

determine an outcome of the casino wagering game based, at least in part, on the one or more random elements generated by the random element generator;

direct the electronic display device to display in a symbol array a combination of symbols indicative of the outcome of the casino wagering game;

determine if the displayed combination of symbols includes both a first expected value (EV) adjusting symbol and an activation symbol arranged in the array;

determine if the displayed combination of symbols includes both a second EV-adjusting symbol and the activation symbol arranged in the array; and

responsive to the displayed combination of symbols including both the first EV-adjusting symbol and the activation symbol arranged in the array, modify a mathematical expected value of the casino wagering game for at least one subsequent play of the casino wagering game based on the first EV-adjusting symbol, or responsive to the displayed combination of symbols including both the second EV-adjusting symbol and the activation symbol arranged in the array, modify the mathematical expected value of the casino wagering game for at least one subsequent play of the casino wagering game based on the second EV-adjusting symbol,

wherein the first EV-adjusting symbol provides an EV-increasing opportunity that operates, when activated, to thereby increase the mathematical expected value of the casino wagering game, and wherein the second EV-adjusting symbol provides an EV-decreasing opportunity that operates, when activated, to eliminate the EV-increasing opportunity to thereby decrease the mathematical expected value of the casino wagering game.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein first EV-adjusting symbol provides an EV-increasing opportunity that operates, when activated, to increase the mathematical expected value of the casino wagering game for the at least one subsequent play thereof.

3. The gaming system of claim 2, wherein the EV-increasing opportunity, when activated, modifies a first parameter of the casino wagering game to increase the mathematical expected value of the casino wagering game for the at least one subsequent play thereof.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the modifying the mathematical expected value of the casino wagering game is further responsive to the displayed combination of symbols including the first EV-adjusting symbol arranged in a first predefined symbol location in the array and the activation symbol arranged in a second predefined symbol location in the array.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the second EV-adjusting symbol provides an EV-decreasing opportunity that operates, when activated, to decrease the mathematical expected value of the casino wagering game for at least one subsequent play thereof.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the modifying the mathematical expected value of the casino wagering game is further responsive to the displayed combination of symbols including both:

(1) the first EV-adjusting symbol or the second EV-adjusting symbol arranged in a first predefined symbol location in the array, and (2) the activation symbol arranged in a second predefined symbol location in the array distinct from the first predefined symbol location.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the game-logic circuitry is further configured to:

determine if the displayed combination of symbols includes at least one of a plurality of EV-increasing symbols and the activation symbol arranged in the array; and

responsive to the displayed combination of symbols including at least one of the EV-increasing symbols and the activation symbol arranged in the array, increase the mathematical expected value of the casino wagering game for at least one subsequent play of the casino wagering game based on the third EV-adjusting symbol.

8. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein the game-logic circuitry is further configured to increase the mathematical expected value of the casino wagering game multiple times in response to multiple displayed combinations of symbols including at least one of the EV-increasing symbols and the activation symbol arranged in the array.

9. A casino gaming machine primarily dedicated to conducting at least one casino wagering game, the gaming machine comprising:

a gaming cabinet configured to house electronic components;

an electronic display device coupled to the gaming cabinet and configured to display aspects of the casino wagering game;

an electronic input device coupled to the gaming cabinet, configured to receive a physical input from a player to initiate the casino wagering game, and further configured to transform the physical input into an electronic data signal; and

game-logic circuitry disposed within the gaming cabinet, the game-logic circuitry including a random element generator configured to generate one or more random elements associated with play of the casino wagering game, the game-logic circuitry being configured to;

initiate the casino wagering game in response to the electronic data signal generated by the electronic input device responsive to the physical input from the player;

determine an outcome of the casino wagering game based, at least in part, on the one or more random elements generated by the random element generator;

direct the electronic display device to display in a symbol array a combination of symbols indicative of the outcome of the casino wagering game;

determine if the displayed combination of symbols includes both a first expected value (EV) adjusting symbol and an activation symbol arranged in the array;

determine if the displayed combination of symbols includes both a second EV-adjusting symbol and the activation symbol arranged in the array; and

responsive to the displayed combination of symbols including both the first EV-adjusting symbol and the activation symbol arranged in the array, modify a mathematical expected value of the casino wagering game for at least one subsequent play of the casino wagering game based on the first EV-adjusting symbol and, responsive to the displayed combination of symbols including both the second EV-adjusting symbol and the activation symbol arranged in the array, modify the mathematical expected value of the casino wagering game for at least one subsequent play of the casino wagering game based on the second EV adjusting symbol,

wherein the second EV-adjusting symbol provides an EV-decreasing opportunity that operates, when activated, to modify a second parameter of the casino wagering game and thereby decrease the mathematical expected value of the casino wagering game for the at least one subsequent play thereof.

10. The casino gaming machine of claim 9, wherein the first EV-adjusting symbol provides an EV-increasing opportunity that operates, when activated, to modify a first parameter of the casino wagering game and thereby increase the mathematical expected value of the casino wagering game for the at least one subsequent play thereof.

11. The casino gaming machine of claim 9, wherein the modifying the mathematical expected value of the casino wagering game is further responsive to the displayed combination of symbols including the first EV-adjusting symbol arranged in a first predefined symbol location in the array and the activation symbol arranged in a second predefined symbol location in the array.

12. The casino gaming machine of claim 9, wherein the modifying the mathematical expected value of the casino wagering game is further responsive to the displayed combination of symbols including both:

(1) the first EV-adjusting symbol or the second EV-adjusting symbol arranged in a first predefined symbol location in the array, and (2) the activation symbol arranged in a second predefined symbol location in the array distinct from the first predefined symbol location.

13. The casino gaming machine of claim 9, wherein the first EV-adjusting symbol provides an EV-increasing opportunity that operates, when activated, to thereby increase the mathematical expected value of the casino wagering game, and wherein the second EV-adjusting symbol provides an EV-decreasing opportunity that operates, when activated, to eliminate the EV-increasing opportunity to thereby decrease the mathematical expected value of the casino wagering game.

14. A method of operating a gaming system primarily dedicated to playing at least one regulated casino wagering game, the gaming system including a random element generator, game-logic circuitry, and an electronic gaming machine, the electronic gaming machine including a gaming cabinet, an electronic display device mounted on the gaming cabinet, and an electronic input device mounted on the gaming cabinet, the method comprising:

receiving, from the electronic input device of the electronic gaming machine, an electronic data signal indicating receipt of a physical input from a player as an indication of a wager to initiate the casino wagering game;

generating, in response to the electronic data signal, one or more random elements with the electronic random element generator;

determining, by the game-logic circuitry, an outcome of the casino wagering game based, at least in part, on the one or more random elements;

displaying, in a symbol array on the electronic display device, a combination of symbols indicative of the outcome of the casino wagering game;

determining if the displayed combination of symbols includes both a first expected value (EV) adjusting symbol in a first predefined symbol location in the array and an activation symbol arranged in a second predefined symbol location in the array;

determining if the displayed combination of symbols includes both a second expected value (EV) adjusting symbol in the first predefined symbol location in the array and the activation symbol arranged in the second predefined symbol location in the array; and

responsive to the displayed combination of symbols including both the first EV-adjusting symbol in the first predefined symbol location and the activation symbol in the second predefined symbol location, modifying a mathematical expected value of the casino wagering game for at least one subsequent play of the casino wagering game based on the first EV-adjusting symbol and, responsive to the displayed combination of symbols including both the second EV-adjusting symbol in the first predefined symbol location and the activation symbol in the second predefined symbol location, modifying a mathematical expected value of the casino wagering game for at least one subsequent play of the casino wagering game based on the second EV-adjusting symbol;

wherein the second EV-adjusting symbol provides an EV-decreasing opportunity that operates, when activated, to decrease the mathematical expected value of the casino wagering game for at least one subsequent play thereof.