Gaming system and method for providing plays of multiple games

• US 9,533,214 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2012
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Council, Shannon L., Heenan, Paul S., Hupp, Shawn A., Leiker, Gilbert F., Maya, Kimberley K., Parrilla Pereira, Alejandro, Rud, Adam C., Salgado, Oscar E., Stisser, Corey E., Strader, Shenea A., Yi, Jae M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Deodhar, Omkar
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thomas, Eric M
• Application Number:
  US13/626,360
• Publication Number:
  US 20140087841A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,561 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 20
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes

Abstract

In various embodiments, the gaming system and method disclosed herein enables a player to allocate portions of a selected predetermined wager amount amongst a plurality of linked games. In one such embodiment, the player selects allocation percentages such that the total of the allocated portions according to the allocation percentages equals the selected predetermined wager amount. For each of the plurality of linked games, the gaming system determines and displays a game outcome, and determines and displays an award associated with the determined game outcome. The gaming system further provides the determined award for each of the plurality of linked games to the player.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a housing;

at least one display device supported by the housing;

a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, said plurality of input devices including;

(i) an acceptor, and

(ii) a cashout 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, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the plurality of input devices to;

(a) if a physical item is received via the acceptor, establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item;

(b) receive an input of one of a plurality of different predetermined wager amounts for a plurality of linked plays of a plurality of games, each of the different predetermined wager amounts being less than a sum total of a maximum wager amount associated with each of the plurality of games;

(c) after receiving the input of one of the plurality of different predetermined wager amounts, receive an input of an allocation of a portion of the selected predetermined wager amount to each of the plurality of games, wherein a total of the allocated portions equals the selected predetermined wager amount;

(d) thereafter, for each of the linked plays of the plurality of games;

(i) determine a game outcome,

(ii) display the determined game outcome,

(iii) determine an award associated with the determined game outcome, and

(iv) display the determined award, wherein the credit balance is increasable based on the determined award; and

(e) if a cashout input is received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein at least two of the plurality of games are associated with different ranges of awards.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein at least two of the plurality of games are different games.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein at least two of the plurality of games have different average expected payouts.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein at least two of the plurality of games are associated with different paytables.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein receiving the input of the allocation of the portion of the selected predetermined wager amount to each of the plurality of games includes receiving the input of the allocation of the portion of the selected predetermined wager amount to each of the plurality of games with a wager allocation slider.

7. The gaming system of claim 6, wherein, when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to:

detect an adjustment of the wager allocation slider; and

modify at least one of the allocated portions based on the adjustment to the wager allocation slider such that the total of the allocated portions equals the selected predetermined wager amount.

8. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein each of the different predetermined wager amounts is greater than a sum total of a minimum wager amount associated with each of the plurality of games.

9. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein at least two of the linked plays of the plurality of games are selected from the group consisting of:

at least two simultaneous plays of the plurality of games, at least two overlapping plays of the plurality of games, and at least two sequential plays of the plurality of games.

10. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein, when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to receive the input of the allocation of the portion of the selected predetermined wager amount independently from receiving the input of one of the plurality of different predetermined wager amounts.

11. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

(a) if a physical item is received via an acceptor, establishing a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item;

(b) receiving an input of one of a plurality of different predetermined wager amounts for a plurality of linked plays of a plurality of games, each of the different predetermined wager amounts being less than a sum total of a maximum wager amount associated with each of the plurality of games;

(c) after receiving the input of one of the plurality of different predetermined wager amounts, receiving an input of an allocation of a portion of the selected predetermined wager amount to each of the plurality of games, wherein a total of the allocated portions equals the selected predetermined wager amount;

(d) thereafter, for each of the linked plays of the plurality of games;

(i) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to determine a game outcome,

(ii) causing at least one display device to display the determined game outcome,

(iii) causing the at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to determine an award associated with the determined game outcome, and

(iv) causing the at least one display device to display the determined award, wherein the credit balance is increasable based on the determined award; and

(e) if a cashout input is received via a cashout device, causing an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein at least two of the plurality of games are associated with different ranges of awards.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein at least two of the plurality of games are different games.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein at least two of the plurality of games have different average expected payouts.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein at least two of the plurality of games are associated with different paytables.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the input of the allocation of the portion of the selected predetermined wager amount to each of the plurality of games includes receiving the input of the allocation of the portion of the selected predetermined wager amount to each of the plurality of games with a wager allocation slider.

17. The method of claim 16, which includes:

causing the at least one processor to detect an adjustment of the wager allocation slider; and

causing the at least one processor to modify at least one of the allocated portions based on the adjustment to the wager allocation slider such that the total of the allocated portions equals the selected predetermined wager amount.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein each of the different predetermined wager amounts is greater than a sum total of a minimum wager amount associated with each of the plurality of games.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein at least two of the linked plays of the plurality of games are selected from the group consisting of:

at least two simultaneous plays of the plurality of games, at least two overlapping plays of the plurality of games, and at least two sequential plays of the plurality of games.

20. The method of claim 11, which includes receiving the input of the allocation of the portion of the selected predetermined wager amount independently from receiving the input of one of the plurality of different predetermined wager amounts.

21. A non-transitory computer readable medium including a plurality of instructions, which when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

(a) receive an input of one of a plurality of different predetermined wager amounts for a plurality of linked plays of a plurality of games, each of the different predetermined wager amounts being less than a sum total of a maximum wager amount associated with each of the plurality of games;

(b) after receiving the input of one of the plurality of different predetermined wager amounts, receive an input of an allocation of a portion of the selected predetermined wager amount to each of the plurality of games, wherein a total of the allocated portions equals the selected predetermined wager amount; and

(c) thereafter, for each of the linked plays of the plurality of games;

(i) determine a game outcome,

(ii) cause at least one display device to display the determined game outcome,

(iii) determine an award associated with the determined game outcome, and

(iv) cause the at least one display device to display the determined award, a credit balance is increasable based on the determined award, said credit balance being increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and said credit balance being decreasable via a cashout device.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein at least two of the plurality of games are associated with different ranges of awards.

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein at least two of the plurality of games are different games.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein at least two of the plurality of games have different average expected payouts.

25. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein at least two of the plurality of games are associated with different paytables.

26. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein receiving the input of the allocation of the portion of the selected predetermined wager amount to each of the plurality of games includes receiving the input of the allocation of the portion of the selected predetermined wager amount to each of the plurality of games with a wager allocation slider.

27. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 26, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to:

detect an adjustment of the wager allocation slider; and

modify at least one of the allocated portions based on the adjustment to the wager allocation slider such that the total of the allocated portions equals the selected predetermined wager amount.

28. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein each of the different predetermined wager amounts is greater than a sum total of a minimum wager amount associated with each of the plurality of games.

29. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein at least two of the linked plays of the plurality of games are selected from the group consisting of:

at least two simultaneous plays of the plurality of games, at least two overlapping plays of the plurality of games, and at least two sequential plays of the plurality of games.

30. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein, when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to receive the input of the allocation of the portion of the selected predetermined wager amount independently from receiving the input of one of the plurality of different predetermined wager amounts.