Gaming systems and methods for use in providing random rewards associated with play-for-fun applications
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method for use in providing random rewards associated with a play-for-fun application, said method implemented by:
- a gaming machine including a display device, an accepting device configured to accept a physical item associated with a monetary value, the monetary value associated with a player tracking account, said method comprising;
crediting, at a gaming server communicatively coupled to the gaming machine as part of a computing network and associated with a gaming establishment, gaming activity directed to the play-for-fun application by a player to the player tracking account, wherein the play-for-fun application does not provide the opportunity to wager or win money within the play-for-fun application, and wherein the gaming activity occurs outside of the gaming establishment;
assigning at least one divisible coupon to the player tracking account, the at least one divisible coupon divided by the player into a plurality of coupon portions and associated with a random reward based on at least the gaming activity, wherein the player tracking account is configured to track redemption of the plurality of coupon portions, wherein each player of a group of players including the player can redeem at least one of the plurality of coupon portions, wherein the at least one divisible coupon is issued to the player, and wherein the random reward is associated with one or more of a payout and a secondary game application;
based on a trigger condition satisfied at the gaming machine at the gaming establishment, applying, by the gaming server, at the gaming machine, the at least one divisible coupon, wherein the trigger condition includes redemption, via the accepting device, of a predefined subset of the plurality of coupon portions;
electronically activating the random reward, wherein awarding the random reward when the at least one divisible coupon is redeemed under the trigger condition includes awarding the random reward when the at least one divisible coupon is redeemed after a predetermined number of coupons have been redeemed; and
causing the gaming machine to display, on the display device, the random reward, including displaying one or more of the payout and the secondary game application.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods for use in providing a random reward associated with at least one play-for-fun application are disclosed. One exemplary method includes crediting, at the gaming server, gaming activity directed to a play-for-fun application by a player to a player tracking account, issuing at least one coupon associated with a random reward based on at least the gaming activity credited to the player tracking account, tracking, at the gaming server, redemption of the at least one coupon, and awarding the random reward when the coupon is redeemed at a gaming machine in accordance with at least one trigger condition.
-
Citations
29 Claims
-
1. A computer-implemented method for use in providing random rewards associated with a play-for-fun application, said method implemented by:
-
a gaming machine including a display device, an accepting device configured to accept a physical item associated with a monetary value, the monetary value associated with a player tracking account, said method comprising; crediting, at a gaming server communicatively coupled to the gaming machine as part of a computing network and associated with a gaming establishment, gaming activity directed to the play-for-fun application by a player to the player tracking account, wherein the play-for-fun application does not provide the opportunity to wager or win money within the play-for-fun application, and wherein the gaming activity occurs outside of the gaming establishment; assigning at least one divisible coupon to the player tracking account, the at least one divisible coupon divided by the player into a plurality of coupon portions and associated with a random reward based on at least the gaming activity, wherein the player tracking account is configured to track redemption of the plurality of coupon portions, wherein each player of a group of players including the player can redeem at least one of the plurality of coupon portions, wherein the at least one divisible coupon is issued to the player, and wherein the random reward is associated with one or more of a payout and a secondary game application; based on a trigger condition satisfied at the gaming machine at the gaming establishment, applying, by the gaming server, at the gaming machine, the at least one divisible coupon, wherein the trigger condition includes redemption, via the accepting device, of a predefined subset of the plurality of coupon portions; electronically activating the random reward, wherein awarding the random reward when the at least one divisible coupon is redeemed under the trigger condition includes awarding the random reward when the at least one divisible coupon is redeemed after a predetermined number of coupons have been redeemed; and causing the gaming machine to display, on the display device, the random reward, including displaying one or more of the payout and the secondary game application. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A gaming system for use in providing random rewards associated with a play-for-fun application, said gaming system comprising:
-
a gaming machine comprising a display device, an accepting device configured to accept a physical item associated with a monetary value, the monetary value associated with a player tracking account; and a gaming server electronically coupled to the gaming machine and configured to; store a plurality of player tracking accounts; credit gaming activity directed to the play-for-fun application by a player to one of the plurality of player tracking accounts, wherein the play-for-fun application does not provide the opportunity to wager or win money within the play-for-fun application; assign at least one divisible coupon to the player tracking account, the at least one divisible coupon divided by the player into a plurality of coupon portions and associated with a random reward based on the gaming activity, wherein the player tracking account is configured to track redemption of the plurality of coupon portions, wherein each player of a group of players including the player can redeem at least one of the plurality of coupon portions, wherein the at least one divisible coupon is issued to the player, and wherein the random reward is associated with one or more of a payout and a secondary game application, and wherein the gaming activity occurs outside of a gaming establishment associated with the gaming server; and based on a trigger condition satisfied at the gaming machine at the gaming establishment, apply, by the gaming server, at the gaming machine, the at least one divisible coupon, wherein the trigger condition includes redemption, via the accepting device, of a predefined subset of the plurality of coupon portions; electronically activate the random reward, wherein awarding the random reward when the at least one divisible coupon is redeemed under the trigger condition includes awarding the random reward when the at least one divisible coupon is redeemed after a predetermined number of coupons have been redeemed; and cause the gaming machine to display, on the display device, the random reward, including displaying one or more of the payout and the secondary game application. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
-
21. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, the instructions executed by a gaming server including a processor and a database that is communicatively coupled to a gaming machine including a display device, an accepting device configured to accept an item associated with a monetary value, the monetary value associated with a player tracking account, wherein when executed by at least one processor, said computer-executable instructions cause the processor to:
-
credit gaming activity directed to a play-for-fun application by a player to a player tracking account, wherein the play-for-fun application does not provide the opportunity to wager or win money within the play-for-fun application, and wherein the gaming activity occurs outside of a gaming establishment; assign at least one divisible coupon to the player tracking account, the at least one divisible coupon divisible into a plurality of coupon portions and associated with a random reward based on at least the gaming activity credited to the player tracking account for the gaming activity directed to the play-for-fun application, wherein the player tracking account is configured to track redemption of the plurality of coupon portions, wherein each player of a group of players including the player can redeem at least one of the plurality of coupon portions, wherein the at least one divisible coupon is issued to the player, and wherein the random reward is associated with one or more of a payout and a secondary game application; based on a trigger condition satisfied at the gaming machine at the gaming establishment, apply, by the gaming server, at the gaming machine, the at least one divisible coupon, wherein the trigger condition includes redemption, via the accepting device, of a predefined subset of the plurality of coupon portions; electronically activate the random reward, wherein awarding the random reward when the at least one divisible coupon is redeemed under the trigger condition includes awarding the random reward when the at least one divisible coupon is redeemed after a predetermined number of coupons have been redeemed; and cause the gaming machine to display, on the display device, the random reward, including displaying one or more of the payout and the secondary game application. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
-
-
24. A gaming device for use in providing random rewards associated with a play-for-fun application, said gaming device in communication with a gaming machine comprising a display device, an accepting device configured to accept a physical item associated with a monetary value, said gaming device configured to:
-
credit gaming activity directed to the play-for-fun application by a player to the player tracking account, wherein the play-for-fun application does not provide the opportunity to wager or win money within the play-for-fun application; assign at least one divisible coupon to the player tracking account, the at least one divisible coupon divided by the player into a plurality of coupon portions and associated with a random reward based on at least the gaming activity credited to the player tracking account for the gaming activity directed to the play-for-fun application, wherein the player tracking account is configured to track redemption of the plurality of coupon portions, wherein each player of a group of players including the player can redeem at least one of the plurality of coupon portions, wherein the at least one divisible coupon is issued to the player, and wherein the random reward is associated with one or more of the payout and a secondary game application; apply, based on a trigger condition at the gaming machine, the at least one divisible coupon to the player tracking account, wherein the trigger condition includes redemption, via the accepting device, of a predefined subset of the plurality of coupon portions; and electronically activate the random reward, wherein awarding the random reward when the at least one divisible coupon is redeemed under the trigger condition includes awarding the random reward when the at least one divisible coupon is redeemed after a predetermined number of coupons have been redeemed; and cause the gaming machine to display, on the display device, the random reward, including displaying one or more of the payout and the secondary game application. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
-
Specification