Gaming device having a second separate bonusing event

• US 8,500,554 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2012
• Issued: 08/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: MGT Gaming Incorporated (MGT Capital Investments Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: MGT Gaming Incorporated (MGT Capital Investments Incorporated)
• Inventors: Brandstetter, Steve, Devlin, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Hylinski, Steven J
• Application Number:
  US13/569,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20120302316A1
• Time in Patent Office: 363 Days
• Field of Search: 463/20, 463/31
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3204 Player-machine interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• 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 17/3262 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3267 Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3272 Games involving multiple players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3279 wherein the competition is one-to-one, e.g. match
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3281 wherein game attributes are transferred between players, e.g. points, weapons, avatars

Abstract

A gaming system wherein a second game is triggered once a specific event occurs in a first game.

Claims

1. A gaming machine system comprising:

a plurality of electronic gaming machines, each being (i) configured to display play of a first game by a player and (ii) configured to be linked to a shared sign, the sign configured to display interactive game play between a player and at least one from the group including;

another player, a dealer, and a computer player; and

a device connected to the plurality of gaming machines and configured to enable play of a second game displayed on the sign after triggering of a bonusing event by one of the plurality of gaming machines during play of the first game.

2. The gaming machine system of claim 1, wherein the device is configured to play the second game on the sign on behalf of a bonusing event triggering player.

3. The gaming machine system of claim 1, wherein the device is configured to facilitate the play of the second game by a bonusing event triggering player.

4. The gaming machine system of claim 1, further comprising a bonus machine (i) linked to the sign and (ii) configured to facilitate play of the second game on the sign.

5. The gaming machine system of claim 4, wherein upon triggering the bonusing event, the player of the one gaming machine can access the bonus machine for playing the second game on the sign.

6. The gaming machine system of claim 1, further comprising a mechanism for alerting the player of the first game to play the second game on the sign.

7. The gaming machine system of claim 1, wherein the bonusing event is triggered based upon symbols appearing on the one gaming machine.

8. The gaming machine system of claim 1, wherein the bonusing event is triggered based upon an amount of money played on the one gaming machine.

9. The gaming machine system of claim 1, wherein a bonus award won during play of the second game is supplemental to an original award won during play of the first game.

10. The gaming machine system of claim 9, wherein the bonus award is generated from a percentage of money played on the plurality of gaming machines.

11. The gaming machine system of claim 1, wherein the second game includes a depiction of a wheel segmented into monetary denominations.

12. The gaming machine system of claim 1, wherein the second game includes a depiction of a wheel for unloading coins.

13. The gaming machine system of claim 1, wherein the sign is spaced apart from the plurality of gaming machines.

14. The gaming machine system of claim 1, wherein the second game includes a digital Monopoly game.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the sign includes a video display.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the video display is a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD).

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising a video capture device to capture video images of a player of one of the plurality of gaming machines during play of the second game,

wherein the sign is configured to display the captured video images.

18. A system comprising:

first and second electronic gaming machines configured to be linked to a shared sign, the sign configured to display interactive gameplay between a player and at least one from the group including;

another player, a dealer, and a computer player, each machine being configured to display play of a respective first game by a player; and

a device connected to the first and second gaming machines and configured to enable play of a bonus game displayed on the sign after triggering of a bonusing event during play of the first games.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the first gaming machine includes an interface configured to provide the player of the first gaming machine control during play of the second game.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein each of the first games is played independent of the other first games.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein each of the first games is an individual iteration of a same game.

22. A first electronic gaming machine configured for linking with a shared sign, the sign configured to display interactive game play, the first gaming machine comprising:

an interface configured to enable linking between the first gaming machine and one or more other gaming machines, the other gaming machines being linkable to the sign;

wherein the first gaming machine is configured to (i) display play of a first game by a first player and (ii) enable play of a second game displayed on the sign, the second game played between the first player and at least one from the group including another player, a dealer, and a computer player; and

wherein the second game occurs after triggering of a bonusing event during play of the first game.

23. A shared sign configured to enable interactive game play, comprising:

an interface configured to enable linking between the sign and at least two electronic gaming machines;

wherein a first of the gaming machines is configured to display play of a first game by a first player, and enable play of a second game displayed on the sign, the second game played between the first player and at least one from the group including;

another player, a dealer, and a computer player.

24. The sign of claim 23, wherein the second game occurs after triggering of a bonusing event during play of the first game;

and

wherein, during the second game, the first player competes against at least one from the group including (i) a computer controlling the sign and (ii) another player playing the second game via a second of the gaming machines.