Gaming system and method providing a group bonus event for linked gaming devices

• US 9,619,970 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2015
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Zielinski, John H.
• Primary Examiner(s): CUFF, MICHAEL A
• Application Number:
  US14/858,744
• Publication Number:
  US 20160012684A1
• Time in Patent Office: 571 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 20, 463 27
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3267 Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament

Abstract

A gaming system and method provides a competitive group bonus event for a plurality of players playing at linked gaming devices. Upon activation of the group bonus event, a first one of the players playing at one of the gaming devices can challenge one or more other players to participate in the group bonus event. Players who accept the challenge agree to compete for one or more awards associated with the group bonus event. The players play the primary games of their respective gaming devices independently of the group bonus event. The first player to trigger a bonus game on his or her gaming device wins the group bonus event and is provided with an award. The winner of the group bonus event additionally has the opportunity to play the triggered bonus game.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a controller; and

a plurality of gaming devices each configured to communicate with the controller, each of the gaming devices including;

(i) an acceptor configured to receive a physical item associated with a monetary value to facilitate establishing a credit balance based on the monetary value;

(ii) a wager button;

(iii) at least one primary game operable upon placement of a first wager by a player via actuation of the wager button, the first wager deductible from the credit balance;

(iv) at least one secondary game operable upon a secondary game triggering event;

(v) at least one display device configured to display said at least one primary game and said at least one secondary game; and

(vi) a cashout button actuatable to initiate a payout associated with the credit balance,

wherein the controller and the gaming devices are configured to;

(a) enable a first player playing at one of the gaming devices to challenge at least one other player playing at another one of the gaming devices to participate in a group competition in which the first player and any of the challenged players who accept the first player'"'"'s challenge compete to obtain one of the secondary game triggering events,

(b) determine if any of the challenged players accept the first player'"'"'s challenge to participate in the group competition, and

(c) if any of the challenged players accept the first player'"'"'s challenge;

(i) for each of the gaming devices at which the players who accept the first player'"'"'s challenge are playing and the gaming device at which the first player is playing, cause said gaming device to enable the player playing at said gaming device to place;

(A) the first wager to play the primary game, the first wager being deductible from the credit balance of said player, and

(B) a second wager in addition to the first wager using the credit balance, the second wager being associated with the group competition and deductible from the credit balance of said player,

(ii) allocate a portion of an amount of each placed second wager to an accumulated value pool associated with the group competition,

(iii) cause a display of any amounts allocated to the accumulated value pool in a group competition meter,

(iv) repeat (c)(i) to (c)(iii) until one of the secondary game triggering events occurs on one of the gaming devices participating in the group competition, and

(v) after said secondary game triggering event occurs on said gaming device;

(A) identify the player playing at said gaming device as a winner of the group competition,

(B) cause the credit balance of said winner of the group competition to be increased by the amount displayed in the group competition meter, and

(C) enable said winner of the group competition to play the secondary game associated with said secondary game triggering event.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the group competition is activated upon a group competition activating event.

3. The gaming system of claim 2, wherein the controller and the gaming devices are configured to, upon an occurrence of the group competition activating event, identify one of the plurality of gaming devices as an activating gaming device and enable the player playing at said activating gaming device to challenge at least one other player playing at another one of the gaming devices to participate in the group competition.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein, for each player participating in the group competition, if said player does not place the second wager in addition to the first wager, the controller is configured to discontinue the group competition with respect to said player.

5. The method of claim 1, which includes, for each player participating in the group competition, if said player does not place the second wager in addition to the first wager, causing the controller to discontinue the group competition with respect to said player.

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

(a) enabling a first player playing at one of a plurality of gaming devices to challenge at least one other player playing at another one of the gaming devices to participate in a group competition in which the first player and any of the challenged players who accept the first player'"'"'s challenge compete to obtain one of the secondary game triggering events, each gaming device including;

(i) an acceptor configured to receive a physical item associated with a monetary value to facilitate establishing a credit balance based on the monetary value;

(ii) a wager button;

(iii) at least one primary game operable upon placement of a first wager by a player via actuation of the wager button, the first wager deductible from the credit balance;

(iv) at least one secondary game operable upon a secondary game triggering event;

(v) at least one display device configured to display said at least one primary game and said at least one secondary game; and

(vi) a cashout button actuatable to initiate a payout associated with the credit balance;

(b) causing a controller to determine if any of the challenged players accept the first player'"'"'s challenge to participate in the group competition, and

(c) if any of the challenged players accept the first player'"'"'s challenge;

(i) causing the controller to, for each of the gaming devices at which the players who accept the first player'"'"'s challenge are playing and the gaming device at which the first player is playing, cause said gaming device to enable the player playing at said gaming device to place;

(A) the first wager to play the primary game, the first wager being deductible from the credit balance of said player, and

(B) a second wager in addition to the first wager using the credit balance, the second wager being associated with the group competition and deductible from the credit balance of said player,

(ii) causing the controller to allocate a portion of an amount of each placed second wager to an accumulated value pool associated with the group competition,

(iii) causing the controller to cause a display of any amounts allocated to the accumulated value pool in a group competition meter,

(iv) repeating (c)(i) to (c)(iii) until one of the secondary game triggering events occurs on one of the gaming devices participating in the group competition, and

(v) after said secondary game triggering event occurs on said gaming device;

(A) causing the controller to identify the player playing at said gaming device as a winner of the group competition,

(B) causing the controller to cause the credit balance of said winner of the group competition to be increased by the amount displayed in the group competition meter, and

(C) enabling said winner of the group competition to play the secondary game associated with said secondary game triggering event.

7. The method of claim 6, which includes causing the processor to activate the group competition upon a group competition activating event.

8. The method of claim 7, which includes, upon an occurrence of the group competition activating event, causing the controller to identify one of the plurality of gaming devices as an activating gaming device and enable the player playing at said activating gaming device to challenge at least one other player playing at another one of the gaming devices to participate in the group competition.

9. The method of claim 6, which is provided through a data network.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the data network is an internet.

11. A gaming system comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device that stores a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

(a) receive, from a first one of a plurality of gaming devices, a request from a first player of said first gaming device to challenge at least one player of at least one other one of the gaming devices to participate in a group competition;

(b) for each challenged player, cause the gaming device of said challenged player to present the first player'"'"'s challenge to said challenged player and to enable said challenged player to accept or decline the first player'"'"'s challenge;

(c) for each challenged player, determine whether said challenged player accepts the first player'"'"'s challenge; and

(d) if any of the at least one challenged player accepts the first player'"'"'s challenge;

(i) initiate the group competition, wherein the first player and any challenged player who accepted the first player'"'"'s challenge can play a primary wagering game during the group competition following establishment of a credit balance for said player responsive to receipt, by an acceptor, of a physical item associated with a monetary value, the credit balance decreasable responsive to an actuation of a cashout button;

(ii) for each of one or more plays of the primary wagering game during the group competition, increase an accumulated value pool associated with the group competition; and

(iii) when a secondary game triggering event occurs in association with one of the gaming devices participating in the group competition;

(A) indicate that the player of said gaming device is a winner of the group competition,

(B) cause the player of said gaming device to be provided with a group competition award based on the accumulated value pool, the credit balance of the player of said gaming device being increasable by said group competition award, and

(C) enable the player of said gaming device to play a secondary game associated with said secondary game triggering event.

12. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to determine a group of players from which the first player may select the at least one challenged player.

13. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to determine the group of players based on at least one selected from the group consisting of:

(a) a status of the first player in a player tracking system, (b) a wager level of the first player, and (c) a likelihood of the first player winning the group competition.

14. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to receive the request from the first player of the first gaming device after an occurrence of a group competition activation event.

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

(a) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to receive, from a first one of a plurality of gaming devices, a request from a first player of said first gaming device to challenge at least one player of at least one other one of the gaming devices to participate in a group competition;

(b) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to, for each challenged player, cause the gaming device of said challenged player to present the first player'"'"'s challenge to said challenged player and to enable said challenged player to accept or decline the first player'"'"'s challenge;

(c) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to, for each challenged player, determine whether said challenged player accepts the first player'"'"'s challenge; and

(d) if any of the at least one challenged player accepts the first player'"'"'s challenge, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to;

(i) initiate the group competition, wherein the first player and any challenged player who accepted the first player'"'"'s challenge can play a primary wagering game during the group competition following establishment of a credit balance for said player responsive to receipt, by an acceptor, of a physical item associated with a monetary value, the credit balance decreasable responsive to an actuation of a cashout button;

(ii) for each of one or more plays of the primary wagering game during the group competition, increase an accumulated value pool associated with the group competition; and

(iii) when a secondary game triggering event occurs in association with one of the gaming devices participating in the group competition;

(A) indicate that the player of said gaming device is a winner of the group competition,

(B) cause the player of said gaming device to be provided with a group competition award based on the accumulated value pool, the credit balance of the player of said gaming device being increasable by said group competition award, and

(C) enable the player of said gaming device to play a secondary game associated with said secondary game triggering event.

16. The method of claim 15, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a group of players from which the first player may select the at least one challenged player.

17. The method of claim 15, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to receive the request from the first player of the first gaming device after an occurrence of a group competition activation event.

18. The method of claim 17, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine the group of players based on at least one selected from the group consisting of:

(a) a status of the first player in a player tracking system, (b) a wager level of the first player, and (c) a likelihood of the first player winning the group competition.

19. The method of claim 15, which is provided through a data network.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the data network is an internet.