Chain reaction keno

• US 9,600,975 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2013
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Brown, Bradford D., Holsclaw, Benjamin R., Humphrey, Thomas J., Lark, David R., Papson, Ronald P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Deodhar, Omkar
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoel, Matthew D.
• Application Number:
  US14/033,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20150087380A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,278 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/326 Game play aspects of gaming systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3286 Type of games
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards

Abstract

Gaming systems and methods for providing a keno game during which matches from a previous keno game are carried over to the keno game are described herein. A keno board is displayed having a set of available numbers and a first set of one or more matches identified between player selected numbers and drawn numbers from a previous keno game. A first set of drawn numbers from the set of available numbers is selected. The number of the first set of drawn numbers is modified by number of matches in the first set of matches. The payout to the player is calculated based on the first set of matches and a second set of matches between the first set of drawn numbers and the player selected numbers.

Claims

1. A method of operating a gaming system, the method comprising:

receiving, by an acceptor of the gaming system, a physical item associated with a monetary value;

establishing, by one or more processors, a credit balance based at least in part on the monetary value associated with the received physical item;

receiving an actuation of a wager button;

placing, by the one or more processors, a wager responsive to receipt of the actuation of the wager button, the credit balance decreasable by the wager;

displaying, by at least one display device, a keno board having a set of available numbers;

displaying, by the at least one display device and for each match of a first set of one or more matches identified between a first player selected sub-set of numbers and first set of drawn numbers from a previous keno game, an indication of that match;

receiving, by at least one input device, a player selection of a second player selected sub-set of numbers from the set of available numbers;

selecting, by the one or more processors, a second set of drawn numbers from the set of available numbers, a quantity of numbers in the second set of drawn numbers determined based on a quantity of matches in the first set of one or more matches;

displaying, by the at least one display device, indications of the second set of drawn numbers and the second player selected sub-set of numbers;

identifying, by the one or more processors, any second matches by comparing the second set of drawn numbers and the second player selected sub-set of numbers;

determining, by the one or more processors, any awards based on the first set of one or more matches and any second matches, the credit balance being increasable by any determined awards;

receiving an actuation of a cashout button; and

initiating, by the one or more processors, a payout responsive to receipt of the actuation of the cashout button.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, by the one or more processors, any awards includes adding the quantity of matches in the first set of one or more matches to a total quantity of second matches, wherein a paytable is used to determine the payout based on the result of adding the matches.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising

receiving, by the at least one input device, a player selection to play a second keno game play;

displaying, by the at least one display device, the keno board including indications of any second matches and not of any matches of the first set of one or more matches;

receiving, by the at least one input device, a player selection of a third player selected sub-set of numbers from the set of available numbers;

selecting, by the one or more processors, a third set of drawn numbers from the set of available numbers, a quantity of numbers in the third set of drawn numbers determined based on a total quantity of second matches;

displaying, by the at least one display device, indications of the third set of drawn numbers and the third player selected sub-set of numbers;

identifying, by the one or more processors, any third matches by comparing the third set of drawn numbers and the third player selected sub-set of numbers; and

determining, by the one or more processors, any awards based on the second matches and the third matches.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein when there are no third matches, no matches are carried over to a subsequent keno game after the second keno game.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a decay value associated with the previous keno game identifies a number of games to which the first set of one or more matches is carried over.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the decay value is more than two.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the first set of one or more matches includes one fewer match than a total quantity of matches in the previous keno game.

8. The method of claim 7, which includes randomly determining, by the one or more processors, which match from the previous keno game is not carried over to the subsequent keno game.

9. The method of claim 1, which includes determining, by the one or more processors, the quantity of numbers in the second set of drawn numbers by subtracting, by the one or more processors, the quantity of matches in the first set of one or more matches from a predetermined number.

10. A gaming system comprising:

a housing;

a display device supported by the housing;

a plurality of input devices supported by the housing and including an acceptor; and

a game controller having one or more data processors and one or more storage devices storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more data processors, cause the one or more data processors to operate with the display device and the plurality of input devices to;

establish a credit balance based at least in part on a monetary value associated with a physical item after the physical item is received by the acceptor;

place a wager following receipt of an actuation of a wager button, the credit balance being decreasable by the wager;

display a keno board having a set of available numbers;

display, for each match of a first set of one or more matches identified between a first player selected sub-set of numbers and a first set of drawn numbers from a previous keno game, an indication of that match;

select a second set of drawn numbers from the set of available numbers, a quantity of numbers in the second set of drawn numbers determined based on a quantity of matches in the first set of one or more matches;

display indications of the second set of drawn numbers and a second player selected sub-set of numbers;

identify any second matches by comparing the second set of drawn numbers and the second player selected sub-set of numbers;

determine any awards based on the first set of one or more matches and any second matches, the credit balance being increasable by any awards; and

initiate a payout associated with the credit balance following receipt of an actuation of a cashout button.

11. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more data processors, cause the one or more data processors to determine any awards by adding the quantity of matches in the first set of one or more matches to a total quantity of second matches, wherein a paytable is used to determine the payout based on the result of adding the matches.

12. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein when there are no third matches, no matches are carried over to a subsequent keno game after the second keno game.

13. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the decay value is more than two.

14. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the first set of matches includes one fewer match than a total quantity of matches in the previous keno game.

15. The gaming system of claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more data processors, cause the one or more data processors to randomly determine which match from the previous keno game is not carried over to the subsequent keno game.

16. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more data processors, cause the one or more data processors to operate with the at least one display device and the plurality of input devices to, after receiving a player selection to play a second keno game play:

display the keno board including indications of any second matches and not of any matches of the first set of one or more matches;

select a third set of drawn numbers from the set of available numbers, a quantity of numbers in the third set of drawn numbers determined based on a total quantity of second matches;

display indications of the third set of drawn numbers and a third player selected sub-set of numbers;

identify any third matches by comparing the third set of drawn numbers and the third player selected sub-set of numbers; and

determine any awards based on the second matches and any third matches.

17. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein a decay value associated with the previous keno game identifies a number of games to which the first set of one or more matches is carried over.

18. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more data processors, cause the one or more data processors to determine the quantity of numbers in the second set of drawn numbers by subtracting the quantity of matches in the first set of one or more matches from a predetermined number.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having machine instructions stored therein, the instructions being executable by a processor to cause the processor to:

establish a credit balance based at least in part on a monetary value associated with a physical item after the physical item is received by an acceptor;

place a wager following receipt of an actuation of a wager button, the credit balance being decreasable by the wager;

cause at least one display device to display a keno board having a set of available numbers;

cause the at least one display device to display, for each match of a first set of one or more matches identified between a first player selected sub-set of numbers and a first set of drawn numbers from a previous keno game, an indication of that match;

select a second set of drawn numbers from the set of available numbers, a quantity of numbers in the second set of drawn numbers determined based on a quantity of matches in the first set of one or more matches;

cause the at least one display device to display indications of the second set of drawn numbers and a second player selected sub-set of numbers;

identify any second matches by comparing the second set of drawn numbers and the second player selected sub-set of numbers;

determine any awards payout based on the first set of one or more matches and any second matches, the credit balance being increasable by any determined awards; and

initiate a payout associated with the credit balance following receipt of an actuation of a cashout button.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein a decay value associated with the previous keno game identifies a number of games to which the first set of one or more matches is carried over.