SYNCHRONOUS BETTING IN WAGERING GAME SYSTEMS

• US 20150206387A1
• Filed: 01/20/2015
• Published: 07/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Ward, Matthew J., Anderson, Peter R., Sharpe, Joseph A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,223,865 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3213 Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes

Abstract

A method for presenting wagering games on a wagering game machine is described herein. The method can include detecting, by an add-on gaming system of the wagering game machine, a message indicating occurrence of a first wagering game on the wager game machine. The method can further include initiating, by the add-on gaming system, a second wagering game in parallel with the first wagering game on a display device native to the wagering game machine, where the presenting is in response to the detecting the message.

Claims

1. A method for presenting wagering games on a wagering game machine, the game machine including a native game controller and an add-on gaming system distinct from the native game controller, the method comprising:

detecting, by the add-on gaming system, a message indicating initiation of a first wagering game; and

in response to the detecting, initiating, by the add-on gaming system, a second wagering game in parallel with the first wagering game on a display device native to the wagering game machine.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the message is responsive to player input on a button native to the wagering game machine, and wherein the initiating the second wagering game occurs without any additional player input.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the message originates from the native game controller.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a result for the first wagering game is determined by the native game controller, and wherein a result for the second wagering game is determined by components associated with the add-on gaming system.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transferring funds from a first credit meter native to the wagering game machine to a second credit meter controlled by the add-on gaming system; and

presenting the first and second credit meters on the display device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

in response to the initiating, debiting the second credit meter to fund a wager for the second wagering game.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is an accounting message further indicating one or more wagers placed on the first wagering game.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the message is formatted according to the Slot Accounting System protocol.

9. A method for presenting wagering games in parallel on a wagering game machine, the method comprising:

transferring funds from a first credit meter native to the wagering game machine to a second credit meter of a secondary gaming system that has been added to the wagering game machine;

detecting, by the secondary gaming system, a message indicating initiation of a first wagering game associated with the first credit meter;

in response to the detecting, initiating, by the secondary gaming system, a second wagering game associated with the second credit meter; and

controlling parallel presentation of the first and second wagering games on a display device native to the wagering game machine.

10. The method claim 9, wherein the message indicating initiation of the first wagering game arises from input from a button native to the wagering game machine.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the initiating the second wagering game causes deduction of funds from the second credit meter to fund the second wagering game.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the message indicating initiation of the first wagering game is an accounting message from a component native to the wagering game machine.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the first wagering game is initiated by player input to a button native to the wagering game machine, and wherein the initiating the second wagering game occurs without further player input.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving, in the secondary gaming system, a first game result from a component native to the wagering game machine, wherein the first game result is for the first wagering game; and

receiving, in the secondary gaming system, a second game result from a server remote from the wagering game machine, wherein the second game result is for the second wagering game.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the component native to the wagering game machine was installed in the wagering game machine by a manufacturer at a time when the wagering game machine was manufactured, and wherein the secondary gaming system comprises components installed after the time when the wagering game machine was manufactured.

16. One or more computer readable storage devices including instructions, which when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

detecting, by an add-on gaming system, at least one message from a game controller native to a wagering game machine, the at least one message indicating initiation of a first wagering game by the game controller; and

in response to the detecting, initiating, by the add-on gaming system, a second wagering game in parallel with the first wagering game on a display device native to the wagering game machine.

17. The one or more computer readable storage devices of claim 16, wherein the at least one message is responsive to player input on a button native to the wagering game machine, and wherein the initiating the second wagering game occurs without any additional player input.

18. The one or more computer readable storage devices of claim 16, wherein a result for the first wagering game is determined by the game controller native to the wagering game machine, and wherein a result for the second wagering game is determined by components associated with the add-on gaming system.

19. The one or more computer readable storage devices of claim 16, wherein the game controller was installed by a manufacturer of the wagering game machine at a time when the wagering game machine was manufactured, and wherein the add-on gaming system was installed after the time when the wagering game machine was manufactured.

20. The one or more machine readable storage devices of claim 16, the operations further comprising:

transferring funds from a first credit meter native to the wagering game machine to a second credit meter controlled by the add-on gaming system; and

presenting the first and second credit meters on the display device.

21. The one or more machine readable storage devices of claim 16, wherein the at least one message includes an accounting message further indicating one or more wagers placed on the first wagering game.