Method for sharing game play on an electronic gaming device

• US 9,530,283 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2012
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acres Technology
• Original Assignee: Patent Investment & Licensing Company
• Inventors: Acres, John F.
• Primary Examiner(s): MYHR, JUSTIN L
• Application Number:
  US13/466,314
• Publication Number:
  US 20130303249A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,694 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 20, 463 25- 27, 463 40- 42
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3213 Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3216 Construction aspects of a gaming system, e.g. housing, seats, ergonomic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• 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 17/3272 Games involving multiple players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

Embodiments of the present concept provide an electronic gaming device that facilitates wagering by multiple players on a single gaming device. Also provided is a method of sharing game play on such a gaming device, where the method includes receiving a wager from a first player at a first gaming station, receiving a wager from a second player at a second gaming station, initiating a gaming event that is displayed at the first and second gaming stations, and awarding prizes associated with gaming outcomes displayed at the first and second gaming stations.

Claims

1. A method of sharing game play on an electronic gaming device having at least one processor, the method comprising:

receiving a first game credit via the gaming device from a first player at a first gaming station of the gaming device;

receiving a second game credit via the gaming device from a second player at a second gaming station of the gaming device;

receiving an input from each player at the electronic gaming device to allocate at least a portion of their respective game credits to a player-selectable wager amount for each outcome in the group consisting of an outcome of a first game, an outcome of a second game, and the better of the first and second game outcomes;

initiating responsive to an input received from the first player at the electronic gaming device, via a processor, the first game on the gaming device, the first game being displayed at least at the first gaming station and generating the first game outcome;

initiating responsive to an input received from the second player at the electronic gaming device, via a processor, the second game separate from the first game on the gaming device, the second game being displayed at least at the second gaming station and generating the second game outcome;

substantially synchronizing display of the outcomes of the first and second games;

displaying the outcome of the first game on a first display;

displaying the outcome of the second game on a second display portion adjacent the first display; and

awarding prizes to each player based on the outcomes.