Community gaming system with varying eligibility criteria

• US 9,489,804 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2013
• Issued: 11/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Ward, Matthew J., Gagner, Mark B., Jaffe, Joel R.
• Primary Examiner(s): SKAARUP, JASON M
• Application Number:
  US13/783,584
• Publication Number:
  US 20140094276A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,345 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/20, 463/25, 463/26, 463/29, 463/42
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3272 Games involving multiple players

Abstract

A computer-implemented method includes displaying a community game on at least one display device. Dependent upon a first player playing an underlying wagering game via a first terminal, the first player is permitted to participate in the community game. The community game is distinct from the underlying wagering game. Not dependent upon a second player playing an underlying wagering game via a second terminal, the second player is permitted to participate in the community game.

Claims

1. A method of operating a gaming system, the gaming system including one or more controllers, a first gaming terminal associated with a first player, and a second gaming terminal associated with a second player, the first gaming terminal primarily used for playing an underlying casino wagering game, the underlying casino wagering game not being available for play on the second gaming terminal, the first and the second gaming terminals being configured to participate in a community game, the first gaming terminal including a display device and one or more electronic input devices, the method comprising:

detecting, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices of the first gaming terminal, a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance for the first gaming terminal;

initiating play of the underlying casino wagering game at the first gaming terminal in response to an input indicative of a wager covered by the credit balance;

triggering, by at least one of the one or more controllers of the gaming system, the community game during play of the underlying casino wagering game at the first gaming terminal, the community game being distinct from the underlying casino wagering game;

in response to a first eligibility criterion, associated with the first player, being satisfied prior to the triggering, (i) directing the display device of the first gaming terminal to display at least a portion of the community game and (ii) permitting, by at least one of the one or more controllers of the gaming system, the first player to participate in the community game via the first gaming terminal, the first eligibility criterion being dependent upon the initiating play of the underlying casino wagering game at the first gaming terminal;

in response to a second eligibility criterion, associated with the second player, being satisfied prior to the triggering, (i) directing a display device of the second gaming terminal to display at least a portion of the community game and (ii) permitting, by at least one of the one or more controllers of the gaming system, the second player to participate in the community game via the second gaming terminal, the second eligibility criterion being different than the first eligibility criterion and being independent of the second player initiating play of the underlying casino wagering game at the second gaming terminal; and

receiving, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices of the first gaming terminal, a cashout input that initiates a payout from the credit balance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first eligibility criterion is satisfied prior to the triggering when the gaming system receives a plurality of inputs indicative of wagers covered by the credit balance to play the underlying casino wagering game at the first gaming terminal at a predetermined rate of coin-in in a time period prior to the community game being triggered.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second eligibility criterion is satisfied prior to the triggering when the gaming system receives an input other than an input indicative of a wager to play the underlying casino wagering game.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the input received by the gaming system is indicative of a side wager to play the community game without playing the underlying casino wagering game at the second gaming terminal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first gaming terminal is a floorstanding gaming terminal, and wherein the second gaming terminal is a handheld gaming device that is not primarily used for playing casino wagering games thereon.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the community game includes a plurality of positions, each of the positions being associated with a community award, the method further comprising:

randomly selecting one of the positions as a winning position; and

awarding the community award associated with the winning position to the first player in response to permitting the first player to participate in the community game.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising awarding the community award associated with the winning position to the second player in response to permitting the second player to participate in the community game.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

capturing a two-dimensional scanable code using a camera of the second gaming terminal; and

in response to the capturing, directing the display device of the second gaming terminal to display a menu of wagering games, the menu including the community game.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first gaming terminal has game logic for determining an outcome of the underlying casino wagering game being played on the first gaming terminal and wherein the second gaming terminal lacks game logic for determining an outcome of the underlying casino wagering game.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first gaming terminal is a thick client including one or more random element generators, game logic, and game assets and the second gaming terminal is a thin client lacking a random element generator, game logic, and game assets.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the underlying casino wagering game is only available for play on the first gaming terminal.

12. A gaming system comprising:

a first gaming terminal, associated with a first player, primarily used for playing an underlying casino wagering game and being configured to participate in a community game, the first gaming terminal including a display device and one or more electronic input devices;

a second gaming terminal associated with a second player and configured to participate in the community game, the underlying casino wagering game not being available for play on the second gaming terminal; and

one or more controllers configured to;

detect, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices of the first gaming terminal, a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance for the first gaming terminal;

initiate play of the underlying casino wagering game at the first gaming terminal in response to an input indicative of a wager covered by the credit balance;

trigger the community game during play of the underlying casino wagering game at the first gaming terminal, the community game being distinct from the underlying casino wagering game;

in response to a first eligibility criterion, associated with the first player, being satisfied prior to the triggering, (i) direct the display device of the first gaming terminal to display at least a portion of the community game and (ii) permit the first player to participate in the community game via the first gaming terminal, the first eligibility criterion being dependent upon the first player playing the underlying casino wagering game at the first gaming terminal; and

in response to a second eligibility criterion, associated with the second player of the second gaming terminal, being satisfied prior to the triggering, (i) direct a display device of the second gaming terminal to display at least a portion of the community game and (ii) permit the second player to participate in the community game, the second eligibility criterion being different than the first eligibility criterion and being independent of the second player playing the underlying casino wagering game at the second gaming terminal; and

receive, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices of the first gaming terminal, a cashout input that initiates a payout from the credit balance.

13. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the first eligibility criterion is satisfied prior to the triggering when the first player plays the underlying casino wagering game at a predetermined rate of coin-in in a time period prior to the community game being triggered.

14. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the second eligibility criterion is satisfied prior to the triggering when an electronic input device of the second gaming terminal receives an input other than an input indicative of a wager to play the underlying casino wagering game.

15. The gaming system of claim 14, wherein the input received by the electronic input device of the second gaming terminal is indicative of a side wager to play the community game without playing the underlying casino wagering game at the second gaming terminal.

16. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the first gaming terminal is a floorstanding gaming terminal, and wherein the second gaming terminal is a handheld gaming device that is not primarily used for playing casino wagering games thereon.

17. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the first eligibility criterion is satisfied prior to the triggering when one or more special symbols are collected during play of the underlying casino wagering game via the first gaming terminal.

18. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the first gaming terminal has game logic for determining an outcome of the underlying casino wagering game being played on the first gaming terminal and wherein the second gaming terminal lacks game logic for determining an outcome of the underlying casino wagering game.

19. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the underlying casino wagering game is only available for play on the first gaming terminal.