Gaming System and Method

• US 20120214600A1
• Filed: 03/20/2012
• Published: 08/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Epic Tech LLC
• Original Assignee: Gateway Gaming, LLC
• Inventors: Jungmann, Troy, Mosley, Bob
• Granted Patent: US 8,545,315 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played

Abstract

“A player accesses a game terminal, which is networked to other game terminals configured to play standard games and game-in-games. The player initiates a standard game (e.g., lottery slot) on the game terminal. The game terminal receives a game initiation request for the standard game and starts a timer. Prior to expiration of the timer, the player may perform a predefined action (e.g., pressing a spin button) indicating that the player wishes to play a game-in-game (e.g., a “community prize” game). If the timer expires without the player performing the predefined action, (s)he is deemed ineligible to win an award associated with the game-in-game. However, in response to player performing the predefined action prior to the timer'"'"'s expiration, the player is deemed eligible to win an award associated with the game-in-game, and the player participates in both the game and the game-in-game.”

Claims

1. A method, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of gaming terminals linked together via a network, the plurality of gaming terminals comprising at least a first gaming terminal;

receiving a first initiation request, the first initiation request being received from a first player for a first game from the first gaming terminal, wherein the first initiation request qualifies the first player to be eligible to win an award associated with the first game;

in response to receiving the first initiation request;

presenting an option to the first player to play a first game-in-game on the first gaming terminal so that the first player can play the first game and the first game-in-game concurrently; and

receiving a second initiation request within a predetermined time limit, the second initiation request being received from the first player for the first game-in-game from the first gaming terminal; and

in response to receiving the second initiation request, allowing the first player to play the first game-in-game while the first player plays the first game;

during at least a portion of the standard game being played on the first game terminal and in response to the first player submitting the second initiation request, initiating a communities winnings round that generates a winner notification for any players who are eligible to win in the community winnings round.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining that the first player is not eligible to win an award associated with the first game-in-game after the predetermined time limit has expired.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the first initiation request comprises receiving a predetermined action from the first player, wherein the predetermined action relates to the first player initiating play or playing a first game.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the predefined action comprises the first player activating a spin button presented on the screen of the first gaming terminal.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the receiving the second initiation request comprises receiving a predetermined action from the first player after the starting of a timer, wherein the predetermined action relates to the first player initiating play or playing the first game.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the predetermined action comprises the first player activating the spin button presented on the screen of the first gaming terminal.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising logging in the first player to the first game terminal.

8. A method comprising:

providing a first player of a plurality of players with access to a first game terminal, wherein the first game terminal is networked to other game terminals configured to play games and game-in-games;

receiving a first game initiation request for a first game to be played on the first game terminal;

presenting a timer to the first player and starting said timer in response to the receiving a first game initiation request;

prior to the timer timing out, and in response to the receiving a first game initiation request, determining if the first player performs a predefined action indicating that the first player wishes to play a first game-in-game;

in response to the timer timing out;

determining that the first player is not eligible to win an award associated with the first game-in-game; and

allowing the first player to play the first game; and

in response to first player performing the predefined action prior to the timer timing out;

determining that the first player is eligible to win an award associated with the first game-in-game; and

allowing the first player to play both the first game and the first game-in-game.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising

submitting a first participation credit for the first game in response to submitting the first initiation game request such that the first participation credit is debited from an account of the player, and

wherein the predefined action comprises initiating a first game-in-game prior to the timer timing out such that a second participation credit is debited from the account of the player.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the submitting the first initiation game request comprises activating a spin button on the first gaming terminal to initiate the first game, and wherein the predefined action comprises activating the spin button after the timer is initiated.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising initiating the first game-in-game at the same time the first game is being played or initiated.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising

allowing a second player to access a second game terminal, wherein the second game terminal is networked to the first game terminal;

receiving a second game initiation request for a second game to be played on the second game terminal;

presenting a second timer to the second player and starting said second timer in response to the receiving a second game initiation request;

prior to the second timer timing out and in response to the receiving a second game initiation request, determining if the second player performs a second predefined action indicating that the second player wishes to play a second game-in-game;

in response to the timer timing out;

determining that the second player is not eligible to win an award associated with the second game-in-game; and

allowing the second player to play the second game; and

in response to second player performing the second predefined action prior to the second timer timing out;

determining that the second player is eligible to win an award associated with the second game-in-game; and

allowing the second player to play both the second game and the second game-in-game.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the first initiation request comprises the first player activating the spin button presented on the screen of the first gaming terminal.

14. A system comprising:

a computer hardware processor of a first gaming terminal, wherein the first game terminal is connected to a plurality of game terminals over a network, and wherein the plurality of game terminals are played by a plurality of players, the processor configured to perform a method using computer instructions from a non-transitory computer readable medium, the method comprising;

allowing a first player of the plurality of players to access a first game terminal;

receiving a first game initiation request for a first game to be played on the first game terminal;

presenting a timer to the first player and starting said timer in response to the receiving a first game initiation request;

prior to the timer timing out and in response to the receiving a first game initiation request, determining if the first player performs a predefined action indicating that the first player wishes to play a first game-in-game;

in response to the timer timing out;

determining that the first player is not eligible to win an award associated with the first game-in-game; and

allowing the first player to play the first game; and

in response to first player performing the predefined action prior to the timer timing out;

determining that the first player is eligible to win an award associated with the first game-in-game; and

allowing the first player to play both the first game and the first game-in-game.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

submitting a first initiation request for the first game in response to submitting the first initiation game request such that the first participation credit is debited from an account of the player, and

wherein the predefined action comprises initiating a first game-in-game prior to the timer timing out such that a second participation credit is debited from the account of the player.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a computer hardware processor of a second gaming terminal of the plurality of game terminals, the computer hardware processor of the second gaming terminal configured to perform a second method comprising;

allowing a second player to access a second game terminal, wherein the second game terminal is connected to the first game terminal over the network;

receiving, using a computing device, a second game initiation request for a second game to be played on the second game terminal;

presenting and starting a second timer to the second player in response to the receiving a second game initiation request;

prior to the second timer timing out and in response to the receiving a second game initiation request, determining if the second player performs a second predefined action indicating that the second player wishes to play a second game-in-game;

in response to the timer timing out;

determining that the second player is not eligible to win an award associated with the second game-in-game; and

allowing the second player to play the second game; and

in response to second player performing the second predefined action prior to the second timer timing out;

determining that the second player is eligible to win an award associated with the second game-in-game; and

allowing the second player to play both the second game and the second game-in-game.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the second method further comprises:

submitting a third participation credit, the third participation credit being submitted for the second game in response to submitting the second initiation game request such that the second participation credit is debited from an account of the player, and

wherein the predefined action comprises initiating a second game-in-game prior to the timer timing out such that a third participation credit is debited from the account of the player.

18. A method comprising:

allowing a first player to access a first game terminal, wherein the first terminal is networked to other game terminals;

receiving a first game initiation request for a first game to be played on the first game terminal;

determining if the first player performs a predefined action indicating that the first player wishes to play a first game-in-game;

in response to determining the first player does not perform the predefined action;

determining that the first player is not eligible to play the first game-in-game; and

allowing the first player to play the first game;

in response to first player performing the predefined action;

determining that the first player is eligible to play the first game-in-game; and

allowing the first player to play both the first game and the first game-in-game.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising determining if the first player performs a predetermined action indicating that the first player wishes to play the first game.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 wherein the method further comprising presenting and starting a timer to the first player in response to the receiving a first game initiation request,

wherein in response to the timer timing out:

determining that the first player is not eligible to win an award associated with the first game-in-game; and

allowing the first player to play the first game, and

wherein in response to the first player performing the predefined action prior to the timer timing out;

determining that the first player is eligible to win an award associated with the first game-in-game; and

allowing the first player to play both the first game and the first game-in-game.

21. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

receiving a second game initiation request for the first game-in-game to be played on the first game terminal in response to receiving the first game initiation request;

wherein the first game initiation request results from activation of a spin button from the first player, and the second game initiation request results from activation of the spin button from the first player within a predetermined time.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein the receiving a first game initiation request for a first game to be played on the first game terminal comprises receiving activation of a spin button from the first player, and the predetermined action occurs at the same time as the predefined action so that the first game and the first game-in-game are initiated simultaneously.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the predetermined action and the predefined action comprises selecting a spin button that allows the first player to play both the first game and first game-in-game.

24. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

collecting a first fee for the first game from the first player;

collecting a second fee from the first player for the first game-in-game if the first player plays the first game-in-game; and

associating a portion of the second fee for a community prize winnings round to be distributed to all eligible players that win during the community prize winnings round, wherein players can only play the community prize winnings round if the players are eligible and playing the game-in-game.

25. The method of claim 18 further comprising

receiving a third game initiation request for a standard game to be played by a second player on a second game terminal, wherein the plurality of game terminals comprises the second game terminal;

determining if the second player performs a second predefined action within a predetermined time limit indicating that the second player wishes to play a second game-in-game;

in response to second player performing the predefined action within the predetermined time limit;

determining that the second player is eligible to play the second game-in-game such that the second player is eligible to for a community prize winnings round that will generate a winner between the first player and the second player; and

allowing the second player to play both the standard game and the second game-in-game.