MANAGING VIRTUAL CURRENCIES IN A GAMING ENVIRONMENT

• US 20160379444A1
• Filed: 09/08/2016
• Published: 12/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: LeMay, Steve G., Nelson, Dwayne R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,799,165 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3218 wherein at least part of the system is portable
• 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 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3251 involving media of variable value, e.g. programmable cards, programmable tokens

Abstract

A method for converting a game award earned during play of a first wager-based game into a game award in a second wager-based game includes, but is not limited to any of combination of: receiving, over a network, a request to convert a first award earned by a player in the first wager-based game into at least one award in the second wager-based game; converting, by one or more processors, the first award earned during play of the first wager-based game to at least one award associated with the second wager-based game based on award conversation data; and storing, by the one or more processors, data associated with result of the conversion of the first award into the at least award of the second wager-based game in a data storage system.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

at least one display device;

at least one input device;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to;

(a) receive a wager on a play of a game,

(b) for the wagered on play of the game;

(i) determine a game outcome,

(ii) display the determined game outcome,

(iii) determine an award associated with the determined game outcome, and

(iv) display the determined award associated with the determined game outcome,

(c) enable a player to convert the determined award associated with the determined game outcome to a first amount of virtual currency, and

(d) if the player converts the determined award associated with the determined game outcome to the first amount of virtual currency, thereafter enable the player to redeem a second amount of the virtual currency in association with an avatar associated with the player.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the first amount of virtual currency is equal to the second amount of virtual currency.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the second amount of virtual currency includes a third amount of virtual currency distinct from the first amount of virtual currency.

4. The gaming system of claim 3, wherein the third amount of virtual currency includes at least one of:

a purchased amount of virtual currency, an amount of virtual currency associated with another outcome of a previous play of the game, and an amount of virtual currency converted from another award associated with another outcome of a previous play of the game.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the second amount of the virtual currency is redeemed in association with at least one of:

a creation of the avatar associated with the player and a customization of the avatar associated with the player.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the avatar is associated with another game displayed on a mobile device.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the conversion of the determined award associated with the determined game outcome to the first amount of virtual currency is based, at least in part, on a paytable of the game.

8. The gaming system of claim 1, which includes a plurality of input devices including an acceptor, and a cashout device, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the plurality of input devices to:

if a physical item is received via the acceptor, establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item, and if a cashout input is received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance.

9. A gaming system server comprising:

at least one processor; and

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

(a) receive data associated with a wager placed on a play of a game,

(b) for the wagered on play of the game;

(i) determine a game outcome,

(ii) cause at least one display device to display the determined game outcome,

(iii) determine an award associated with the determined game outcome, and

(iv) cause the at least one display device to display the determined award associated with the determined game outcome,

(c) receive data associated with a conversion of the determined award associated with the determined game outcome to a first amount of virtual currency, and

(d) if the conversion of the determined award associated with the determined game outcome to the first amount of virtual currency occurs, thereafter receive data associated with a redemption of a second amount of the virtual currency in association with an avatar associated with a player.

10. The gaming system server of claim 9, wherein the first amount of virtual currency is equal to the second amount of virtual currency.

11. The gaming system server of claim 9, wherein the second amount of virtual currency includes a third amount of virtual currency distinct from the first amount of virtual currency.

12. The gaming system server of claim 11, wherein the third amount of virtual currency includes at least one of:

a purchased amount of virtual currency, an amount of virtual currency associated with another outcome of a previous play of the game, and an amount of virtual currency converted from another award associated with another outcome of a previous play of the game.

13. The gaming system server of claim 9, wherein the second amount of the virtual currency is redeemed in association with at least one of:

a creation of the avatar associated with the player and a customization of the avatar associated with the player.

14. The gaming system server of claim 9, wherein the avatar is associated with another game displayed on a mobile device.

15. The gaming system server of claim 9, wherein the conversion of the determined award associated with the determined game outcome to the first amount of virtual currency is based, at least in part, on a paytable of the game.

16. The gaming system server of claim 9, wherein a credit balance is increasable based on the determined award associated with the determined game outcome, said credit balance being increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and said credit balance being decreasable via a cashout device.

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

(a) receiving a wager on a play of a game,

(b) for the wagered on play of the game;

(i) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to determine a game outcome,

(ii) causing at least one display device to display the determined game outcome,

(iii) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine an award associated with the determined game outcome, and

(iv) causing the at least one display device to display the determined award associated with the determined game outcome,

(c) enabling a player to convert the determined award associated with the determined game outcome to a first amount of virtual currency, and

(d) if the player converts the determined award associated with the determined game outcome to the first amount of virtual currency, thereafter enabling the player to redeem a second amount of the virtual currency in association with an avatar associated with the player.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first amount of virtual currency is equal to the second amount of virtual currency.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the second amount of virtual currency includes a third amount of virtual currency distinct from the first amount of virtual currency.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the third amount of virtual currency includes at least one of:

a purchased amount of virtual currency, an amount of virtual currency associated with another outcome of a previous play of the game, and an amount of virtual currency converted from another award associated with another outcome of a previous play of the game.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the second amount of the virtual currency is redeemed in association with at least one of:

a creation of the avatar associated with the player and a customization of the avatar associated with the player.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the avatar is associated with another game displayed on a mobile device.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the conversion of the determined award associated with the determined game outcome to the first amount of virtual currency is based, at least in part, on a paytable of the game.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein a credit balance is increasable based on the determined award associated with the determined game outcome, said credit balance being increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and said credit balance being decreasable via a cashout device.