Systems, methods, and devices for providing instances of a secondary game

• US 8,721,431 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2008
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Kisenwether, Joseph, Mincey, Jeff, Nelson, Loren
• Primary Examiner(s): Hall, Arthur O
• Assistant Examiner(s): YOO, JASSON H
• Application Number:
  US12/112,740
• Publication Number:
  US 20090275393A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,204 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 20, 463/25, 463/29
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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

Abstract

A gaming machine is configured to selectively provide instances of a primary game and instances of a secondary game. Instances of the secondary game may be provided based at least on outcomes of primary games. The gaming machine may provide instances of the secondary game based at least on a number of secondary game credits. The number of secondary game credits may be associated with a player of the gaming machine. The number of secondary game credits may be awarded to a player of the gaming machine based at least on an outcome of the primary game and/or an outcome of the secondary game. The gaming machine may provide instances of the secondary game based at least on a number of available secondary game credits. The number of available secondary game credits may be based at least on a number of secondary game credits and/or a number of other credits.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for enhancing gaming at a gaming machine configured to provide instances of gameplay of a primary game and selectively provide instances of gameplay of a secondary game, comprising:

for each of a plurality of times, determining whether to provide a secondary game buy-in option based on a comparison of a current number of available credits to a secondary game threshold, by at least one processor;

based on the comparison of the current number of available credits to the secondary game threshold, providing the secondary game buy-in option for a first respective instance of the secondary game;

selectively providing, by the at least one processor, the first respective instance of the secondary game based at least on player-input indicative of acceptance of the secondary game buy-in option;

debiting, by the at least one processor, a respective first number of credits from the current number of available credits based at least on the player-input indicative of acceptance of the secondary game buy-in option, wherein the secondary game threshold is not the same as the respective first number of credits;

selectively providing, by the at least one processor, a respective instance of the primary game based at least on the current number of available credits;

debiting, by the at least one processor, a respective second number of credits from the current number of available credits based at least on the selectively providing the respective instance of the primary game;

for each of a number of times that the secondary game buy-in option is not provided based on the comparison of the current number of available credits to the second game threshold, determining whether to provide the secondary game buy-in option responsive to at least one outcome of the primary game, by the at least one processor; and

from time-to-time, providing, by the at least one processor, the secondary game buy-in option to a second respective instance of the secondary game based at least on at least one respective outcome of at least one instance of the primary game.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an item-of-value;

determining an amount of monetary value based at least on the received item of value;

determining the current number of available credits based at least on the determined amount of monetary value.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the secondary game buy-in option to a second respective instance of the secondary game based at least on respective outcomes of at least one instance of the primary game includes:

accruing a number of credits from respective outcomes of at least two instances of the primary game;

determining the current number of available credits based at least on the number of accrued credits; and

triggering the secondary game buy-in option to the second respective instance of the secondary game based at least on the current number of available credits.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

disabling the secondary game buy-in option to a third respective instance of the secondary game.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a ticket having a number of credits associated therewith;

reading information from the ticket; and

determining the current number of available credits based at least on the information read from the ticket.

6. A gaming system to selectively provide an instance of a primary game or a secondary game, comprising:

a player interface configured to receive input from a player;

a processor in communication with the player interface that executes instructions; and

a memory in communication with the processor and having instructions stored therein that cause the processor to;

for each of a plurality of times, determine whether to provide a secondary game buy-in option based on a comparison of a current number of available credits to a secondary game threshold;

based on the comparison of the current number of available credits to the secondary game threshold, provide the secondary game buy-in option for a first respective instance of the secondary game;

selectively provide the first respective instance of the secondary game based at least on player-input indicative of acceptance of the secondary game buy-in option;

debit a respective first number of credits from the current number of available credits based at least on the player-input indicative of acceptance of the secondary game buy-in option, wherein the secondary game threshold is not the same as the respective first number of credits;

selectively provide a respective instance of the primary game based at least on the current number of available credits;

debit a respective second number of credits from the current number of available credits based at least on the provisioning a player with the respective instance of the primary game; and

for each of a number of times that the secondary game buy-in option is not provided based on the comparison of the current number of available credits to the second game threshold, determine whether to provide the secondary game buy-in option responsive to at least one outcome of the primary game;

from time-to-time, provide the secondary game buy-in option to a second respective instance of the secondary game based at least on at least one respective outcome of at least one instance of the primary game.

7. The gaming system of claim 6 wherein the instruction that causes the processor to provide the secondary game buy-in option to a second respective instance of the secondary game based at least on respective outcomes of at least one instance of the primary game includes further instructions that cause the processor to:

accrue a number of credits from respective outcomes of at least two instances of the primary game;

determine the current number of available credits based at least on the number of accrued credits; and

trigger the secondary game buy-in option to the second respective instance of the secondary game based at least on the current number of available credits.

8. The gaming system of claim 6 wherein the memory stores further instructions that cause the processor to:

disable the secondary game buy-in option to a third respective instance of the secondary game.

9. A computer-implemented method for enhancing gaming at a gaming machine configured to provide instances of gameplay of a primary game and selectively provide instances of gameplay of a secondary game, comprising:

determining, by at least one processor, whether to provide a respective instance of a secondary game, the providing being able to be triggered based at least on a respective current amount of available secondary game credits, by comparing the current number of available secondary game credits to a secondary game threshold, the current number of available secondary game credits being distinct from a current number of available primary game credits;

if the determining whether to provide a respective instance of a secondary game results in a determination to provide the respective instance of the secondary game, then;

enabling, by the at least one processor, a secondary game buy-in option,

collecting a respective first wager, wherein the secondary game threshold is not the same as the respective first wager, and

selectively providing, by the at least one processor, a first instance of the secondary game; and

if the determining whether to provide a respective instance of a secondary game results in a determination to not provide the respective instance of the secondary game, then;

collecting, by the at least one processor, a respective second wager,

providing, by the at least one processor, a first instance of the primary game,

determining, by the at least one processor, an outcome of the first instance of the primary game, and

determining, by the at least one processor, whether to provide another respective instance of the secondary game based at least on the outcome of the first instance of the primary game.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

receiving player input indicative of one of acceptance or rejection of the secondary game buy-in option in response to the determination to provide the respective instance of the secondary game, wherein the respective instance of the secondary game is provided only if the player input is indicative of acceptance of the secondary game buy-in option.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

providing a respective instance of the secondary game in response to determining whether to provide a respective instance of the secondary game based at least on the outcome of the first instance of the primary game.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

updating the respective current amount of available secondary game credits based at least on one of an outcome of the first instance of the primary game or an outcome of the first instance of the secondary game.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

after selectively providing the first instance of the secondary game, determining whether to provide a second instance of the secondary game based at least on an outcome of the first instance of the secondary game.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein determining whether to provide a respective instance of the secondary game that is triggerable based at least on the respective current amount of available secondary game credits includes:

determining to provide the respective instance of the secondary game if, based on the comparison, the respective current amount of available secondary credits exceeds the secondary game threshold.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving an item-of-value;

determining a monetary amount based at least on the item-of-value; and

determining a number of secondary game credits based at least on the monetary amount.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a ticket having a number of secondary game credits associated therewith;

reading information from the ticket; and

determining a number of secondary game credits based at least on the information read from the ticket.

17. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining a respective current amount of available primary game credits; and

determining the respective current amount of available secondary game credits based at least on the respective current amount of available primary game credits.