Wagering Game with Win-Deferral Feature for Payoffs

• US 20070265060A1
• Filed: 06/22/2005
• Published: 11/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Hornik, Jeremy, Anderson, Peter, Mastropietro, Michael, Englman, Allon
• Granted Patent: US 7,758,421 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/20
• 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 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A gaming terminal having a wagering game. The wagering game includes a plurality of symbols that indicate a randomly selected outcome of the wagering game. In response to the randomly selected outcome being a win-deferral outcome, the wagering game provides a player with a selection of immediately obtaining a first award or obtaining a second award under a specified condition.

Claims

1. A gaming terminal comprising:

a wagering game having a plurality of symbols that indicate a randomly selected outcome of the wagering game;

wherein, in response to the randomly selected outcome being a win-deferral outcome, the wagering game provides a player with a selection of immediately obtaining a first award or obtaining a second award under a specified condition.

3. The gaming terminal of claim 1, wherein the first award and the second award are monetary awards.

4. The gaming terminal of claim 1, wherein the first award and the second award are non-monetary awards.

5. The gaming terminal of claim 4, wherein the non-monetary awards are chosen from the group consisting of free spins, multipliers and an entry to an advanced game.

6. The gaming terminal of claim 5, wherein the entry to an advanced game is one of entry to a bonus game or entry to a progressive game.

7. The gaming terminal of claim 1, wherein one of the first award and the second award is a monetary award and the other of the first award and the second award is a non-monetary award.

8. The gaming terminal of claim 1, wherein the randomly selected outcome of the wagering game includes at least one winning outcome and at least one non-winning outcome.

2. (canceled)

9. (canceled)

10. A method of playing a wagering game, the wagering game having a basic game, the method comprising:

conducting the basic game at a gaming terminal;

achieving a win-deferral award at the gaming terminal;

displaying a first award and a second award at the gaming terminal;

determining a specified condition that a player is required to meet to obtain the second award;

selecting, via player inputs, one of the first award or the second award;

in response to the selection of the first award, awarding the player the first award; and

in response to the selection of the second award, awarding the player the second award if the specified condition is met.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the specified condition includes designating a time for the retrieval of the second award.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein designating a time includes a designating specific time frame for the retrieval of the second award, the time frame being chosen from one of a year, month, week, day, or span of hours.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the specified condition includes determining a specific location for the retrieval of the second award.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein determining the specific location includes designating the player to go to a bank of gaming terminals or a particular type of gaming terminal for the retrieval of the second award.

12. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

17. (canceled)

18. A method of playing a wagering game comprising:

conducting the wagering game at a gaming terminal;

displaying a first player-selectable element and a second player-selectable element at the gaming terminal in response to achieving a predetermined outcome, the first player-selectable elements comprising an associated award, and the second player-selectable element including a specified condition to be achieved prior to achieving an associated award;

selecting, via player inputs, one of the first and second player-selectable elements;

in response to the selection of the first player-selectable element, awarding the player the associated award; and

in response to the selection of the second player-selectable element, awarding the player the associated award if the specified condition is achieved.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first and second player-selectable elements include monetary awards.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the first and second player-selectable elements include non-monetary awards.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the non-monetary awards are chosen from the group consisting of free spins, multipliers, and entries into an advanced game.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the entry into an advanced game include one of an entry into a bonus game or an entry into a progressive game.

23. A gaming system comprising:

at least one display;

at least one gaming terminal for playing a wagering game, the wagering game having a win-deferred outcome; and

a controller coupled to the at least one gaming terminal and the at least one display, the controller operative to

(i) in response to the win-deferred outcome being achieved, cause the display to display a first award option and a second award option;

(ii) presenting a specified condition to be met in conjunction with awarding the second award; and

(iii) determining whether the specified condition has been met prior to awarding the second award.

24. The gaming system of claim 23, wherein the controller is further operative to receive inputs from the player as to a selection of the first award option and the second award option.

25. The gaming system of claim 23, wherein the controller is further operative to determine the specified condition to be applied.

26. The gaming system of claim 25, wherein the controller is further operative to determine the specified condition utilizing a self-learning technique.

27. The gaming system of claim 25, wherein the controller is further operative to receive the specified condition to be presented from an outside source.

28-29. -29. (canceled)