Server based gaming system having system triggered loyalty award sequences

• US 7,862,430 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2006
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Iddings, Cara L., Schneider, Richard J., Baerlocher, Anthony J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Peter DungBa
• Assistant Examiner(s): DEODHAR, OMKAR A
• Application Number:
  US11/535,815
• Publication Number:
  US 20080076531A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,560 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 22, 463 25- 28, 463 40- 42, 463/29
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements

Abstract

A gaming system including a central server linked to a plurality of gaming machines. In one embodiment, the gaming system provides players with one or more loyalty incentives, such as one or more loyalty awards, utilizing one or more loyalty incentive award sequences. In one embodiment, the gaming system determines a loyalty award to provide to a player and then determines an appropriate loyalty award sequence to utilize to provide the player the determined loyalty award, wherein the loyalty award sequence is determined based on the individual gaming device that the player is currently playing.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a first gaming device including;

at least one input device,

at least one display 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 display a primary game upon a wager, said primary game associated with a first paytable;

a second gaming device including;

at least one input device,

at least one display 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 display a primary game upon a wager, said primary game associated with a second, different paytable; and

a controller configured to communicate with the first gaming device and the second gaming device, wherein upon an occurrence of a triggering event, said controller is configured to;

(a) determine a loyalty award for a player, wherein said loyalty award is independent of the first paytable and independent of the second paytable;

(b) if the player is playing the first gaming device;

(i) determine a first loyalty award sequence for the first gaming device, wherein said first loyalty award sequence is based on the determined loyalty award and the first paytable of the first gaming device, and

(ii) communicate information based on the determined first loyalty award sequence to the first gaming device; and

(c) if the player is playing the second gaming device;

(i) determine a second loyalty award sequence for the second gaming device, wherein the second loyalty award sequence is based on the determined loyalty award and the second paytable of the second gaming device, and

(ii) communicate information based on the determined second loyalty award sequence to the second gaming device.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein upon the occurrence of the triggering event, if the player is playing the first gaming device, the plurality of instructions of the first gaming device cause the at least one processor of the first gaming device to:

(1) execute and display the determined first loyalty award sequence to the player;

(2) determine a first gaming device loyalty award, wherein said first gaming device determined loyalty award is based on the determined first loyalty award sequence and the first paytable; and

(3) provide the determined first gaming device loyalty award to the player.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein upon the occurrence of the triggering event, if the player is playing the second gaming device, the plurality of instructions of the second gaming device cause the at least one processor of the second gaming device to:

(1) display the determined second loyalty award sequence to the player;

(2) determine a second gaming device loyalty award, wherein said determined second gaming device loyalty award is based on the determined second loyalty award sequence and the second paytable; and

(3) provide the determined second gaming device loyalty award to the player.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein if the player is playing the first gaming device, the communicated information is the determined first loyalty award sequence.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein if the player is playing the first gaming device, the determined first loyalty sequence is stored by the at least one memory device of the first gaming device and the communicated information is instructions to execute the stored first loyalty award sequence.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein if the player is playing the second gaming device, the communicated information is the determined second loyalty award sequence.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein if the player is playing the second gaming device, the determined second loyalty sequence is stored by the at least one memory device of the second gaming device and the communicated information is instructions to execute the stored second loyalty award sequence.

8. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the controller determined loyalty award is funded by a gaming establishment loyalty program.

9. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the triggering event occurs based on information received from a player tracking system.

10. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein said loyalty award is based on at least one of said wagers.

11. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the determined loyalty award is based on information received from a player tracking system.

12. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the loyalty award sequences includes a game, a plurality of symbols which form a plurality of winning symbol combinations in the game, a plurality of values associated with said plurality of winning symbol combinations and an average expected value associated with each play of the game.

13. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the controller is programmed to determine a number of free plays of the game to provide to the player, wherein said number of free plays of the game is based, at least in part, on the determined loyalty award and the average expected value associated with each play of the game.

14. The gaming system of claim 13, wherein for each of the determined number of free plays of the game, the at least one processor of said gaming device the player is playing is programmed to generate a plurality of said symbols, determine if any of said generated symbols form any of said winning symbol combinations, and if any of said generated symbols form any of said winning symbol combinations, provide the player the value associated with said generated winning symbol combination.

15. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the controller is programmed to determine a number of plays of the game and a multiplier to apply to each of said determined number of plays of the game, wherein said determined number of plays of the game and the determined multiplier are based, at least in part, on the determined loyalty award and the average expected value associated with each play of the game.

16. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein for each of the determined number of plays of the game, the at least one processor of said gaming device the player is playing is programmed to enable the player to place the wager to initiate said play of the game, generate a plurality of said symbols, determine if any of said generated symbols form any of said winning symbol combinations, if any of said generated symbols form any of said winning symbol combinations, modify the value associated with said generated winning symbol combination by the determined multiplier and provide the modified value to the player.

17. A gaming system comprising

a controller;

and

at least one gaming device including;

a display device; and

a gaming device processor programmed to operate with said controller and said display device to display a game associated with a paytable;

wherein said controller is programmed to;

(a) determine to trigger a loyalty award sequence;

(b) determine a theoretical value associated with the triggered loyalty award sequence, wherein said theoretical value is based on information received from a player tracking system;

(c) determine at least one parameter of the triggered loyalty award sequence, wherein each determined parameter is based on the determined theoretical value and the paytable of said gaming device; and

(d) communicate information based on the determined parameter of the loyalty award sequence to the gaming device;

wherein said gaming device processor is programmed to;

(i) execute and display the determined loyalty award sequence to a player;

(ii) randomly determine an actual value associated with the executed loyalty award sequence, wherein said determined actual value is based on the determined parameter of the loyalty award sequence and the paytable of said gaming device; and

(iii) provide the determined actual value to the player.

18. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein the theoretical value and actual value are different.

19. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein the theoretical value and actual value are the same.

20. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein the theoretical value is independent of the paytable associated with the game.

21. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein the theoretical value is based on an amount of wagers placed.

22. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein the communicated information is the determined loyalty award sequence.

23. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein the communicated information is instructions to execute the loyalty award sequence.

24. The gaming system of claim 23, wherein the loyalty award sequence is stored on a memory device of said gaming device.

25. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein the determined loyalty award sequence includes a plurality of symbols which form a plurality of winning symbol combinations in the game, and a plurality of values associated with said plurality of winning symbol combinations.

26. The gaming system of claim 25, wherein the at least one determined parameter of the loyalty award sequence is a number of free plays of the game.

27. The gaming system of claim 26, wherein the gaming device processor determines the actual value associated with the executed loyalty award sequence by generating a plurality of said symbols for each of the determined number of free plays of the game, determining if any of said generated symbols form any of said winning symbol combinations, and if any of said generated symbols form any of said winning symbol combinations, providing the player the value associated with said generated winning symbol combination.

28. The gaming system of claim 25, wherein the at least one determined parameter of the loyalty award sequence is a number of plays of the game and a multiplier to apply to each of said determined number of plays of the game.

29. The gaming system of claim 28, wherein the gaming device processor determines the actual value associated with the executed loyalty award sequence by, for each of the determined number of plays of the game, enabling the player to place the wager to initiate said play of the game, generating a plurality of said symbols, determining if any of said generated symbols form any of said winning symbol combinations, if any of said generated symbols form any of said winning symbol combinations, modifying the value associated with said generated winning symbol combination by the determined multiplier and providing the modified value to the player.

30. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein the controller is programmed to store at least part of the determined loyalty award sequence.

31. A gaming device operable under control of at least one processor, said gaming device comprising:

an input device; and

a display device;

wherein said processor is in communication with a controller and programmed to operate with the input device and the display device to;

(a) receive information based on a loyalty award sequence from the controller, said loyalty award sequence associated with at least one parameter based on a controller determined theoretical value and a paytable associated with a game, wherein the theoretical value is independent of the paytable associated with the game;

(b) execute and display the received loyalty award sequence to a player;

(c) randomly determine an actual value associated with the executed loyalty award sequence, wherein said determined actual value is based on the parameter of the loyalty award sequence and the paytable associated with the game; and

(d) provide the determined actual value to the player.

32. The gaming device of claim 31, wherein the theoretical value and actual value are different.

33. The gaming device of claim 31, wherein the theoretical value and actual value are the same.

34. The gaming device of claim 31, wherein the theoretical value is based on information received from a player tracking system.

35. The gaming device of claim 31, wherein the theoretical value is based on an amount of wagers placed.

36. The gaming device of claim 31, wherein the received information is the determined loyalty award sequence.

37. The gaming device of claim 31, wherein the received information is instructions to execute the determined loyalty award sequence.

38. The gaming device of claim 37, which includes a memory device, wherein the loyalty award sequence is stored on the memory device.

39. The gaming device of claim 31, wherein the loyalty award sequence include a plurality of symbols which form a plurality of winning symbol combinations in the game, and a plurality of values associated with said plurality of winning symbol combinations.

40. The gaming device of claim 39, wherein the at least one determined parameter of the loyalty award sequence is a number of free plays of the game.

41. The gaming device of claim 40, wherein the processor determines the actual value associated with the executed loyalty award sequence by generating a plurality of said symbols for each of the determined number of free plays of the game, determining if any of said generated symbols form any of said winning symbol combinations, and if any of said generated symbols form any of said winning symbol combinations, providing the player the value associated with said generated winning symbol combination.

42. The gaming device of claim 39, wherein the at least one determined parameter of the loyalty award sequence is a number of plays of the game and a multiplier to apply to each of said determined number of plays of the game.

43. The gaming device of claim 42, wherein the processor determines the actual value associated with the executed loyalty award sequence by, for each of the determined number of plays of the game, enabling the player to place the wager to initiate said play of the game, generating a plurality of said symbols, determining if any of said generated symbols form any of said winning symbol combinations, if any of said generated symbols form any of said winning symbol combinations, modifying the value associated with said generated winning symbol combination by the determined multiplier and providing the modified value to the player.

44. The gaming device of claim 31, wherein the processor is programmed to enable the player to accept or reject the loyalty award sequence.

45. The gaming device of claim 44, wherein if the player rejects the loyalty award sequence, the loyalty award sequence is stored in a memory device.