Systems, methods and devices for configuring wagering game systems and devices

• US 9,311,777 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2013
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Anderson, Peter R., Adiraju, Srinivyasa M., Hamlin, Vernon W., Palermo, James V., Sylla, Craig J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hylinski, Steven J
• Application Number:
  US13/776,992
• Publication Number:
  US 20140051500A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3234 about the performance of a gaming system, e.g. revenue, diagnosis of the gaming system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes

Abstract

Gaming devices, gaming systems, methods of configuring gaming devices, and computer programs for configuring gaming devices are featured. A gaming system for playing a wagering game is disclosed which includes a processor(s), an input device(s), a gaming device(s), and a memory device(s) storing instructions that, when executed by at least one of the processors, cause the gaming system to: receive, via at least one of the input devices, a desired value for a player-performance variable and/or a game-configuration variable for at least one of the gaming devices; based on the desired value, output a recommended value for a configuration parameter for the gaming device(s); and, responsive to a confirmation input received via at least one of the input devices, configure the gaming device(s) in accordance with at least the recommended value for the first configuration parameter.

Claims

1. A gaming system for playing a wagering game, the gaming system comprising:

one or more processors;

a non-optimal gaming device;

a plurality of other gaming devices; and

one or more memory devices storing instructions that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause the gaming system to;

receive, via an input device, a desired value for a performance target for the non-optimal gaming device derived from aggregated data gathered from the plurality of other gaming devices;

in response to receiving the desired value, determine, by an automated configuration analysis component, a plurality of recommended configuration parameters for the non-optimal gaming device based on the desired value, wherein the performance target is not one of the recommended configuration parameters;

in response to receiving a confirmation input via at least one of one or more input devices, configure the non-optimal gaming device with a device configuration determined in accordance with the plurality of recommended configuration parameters;

detect, via a value input device of the non-optimal gaming device, a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance; and

in response to an input indicative of a wager covered by the credit balance, initiate the wagering game on the non-optimal gaming device configured with the device configuration, display an outcome for the wagering game at the non-optimal gaming device, and adjust the credit balance in accordance with the outcome.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the device configuration changes a mathematical configuration of the wagering game.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the automated configuration analysis component uses additional information specific to the non-optimal device to determine the plurality of recommended configuration parameters.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the desired value is based, at least in part, on a statistical analysis of player wagering behavior of a population of plays across the plurality of other gaming devices.

5. The gaming system of claim 4, wherein the desired value is an average wager per play of one or more wagering games over a sample period of time across the plurality of other gaming devices.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the stored instructions further cause the gaming system, in response to receiving a rejection input including a modification to the plurality of recommended configuration parameters, configure the non-optimal gaming device with the device configuration determined in accordance with a modified plurality of configuration parameters.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the confirmation input is input by an authorized operator.

8. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the stored instructions further cause the gaming system to receive, via at least one of the one or more input devices, a selection of one of a plurality of available wagering games for the non-optimal gaming device, wherein one or more of the recommended configuration parameters are further based on the selected one of the wagering games.

9. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the stored instructions further cause the gaming system to poll the plurality of other gaming devices to gather the aggregated data.

10. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of recommended configuration parameters includes at least one of a line count, an available payline count, a maximum available bet, a minimum available bet, and a button panel wagering configuration.

11. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the aggregated data includes player-performance data based on a statistical analysis of player wagering behavior across the plurality of other gaming devices.

12. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the aggregated data includes machine-performance data based on a statistical analysis of one or more metrics relevant to the performance of the plurality of other gaming devices.

13. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the desired value is determined by one or more processors of the plurality of other gaming devices, by one or more processors of a central gaming system networked with the plurality of other gaming devices, by an operator, or a by combination thereof.

14. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors, the one or more input devices, and the one or more memory devices, individually or in any combination, are resident in the non-optimal gaming device.

15. A computer-implemented method of configuring a non-optimal gaming device in a gaming system, the gaming system having one or more processors and a plurality of other gaming devices, the method comprising:

receiving, via an input device, a desired value for a performance target for the non-optimal gaming device derived from aggregated data gathered from the plurality of other gaming devices;

in response to receiving the desired value, determining, by at least one of the one or more processors initiating an automated configuration analysis component, a plurality of recommended configuration parameters for the non-optimal gaming device based on the desired value, wherein the performance target is not one of the recommended configuration parameters;

in response to receiving a confirmation input via at least one of one or more input devices, at least one of the one or more processors configuring the non-optimal gaming device with a device configuration determined in accordance with the plurality of recommended configuration parameters;

detecting, via a value input device of the non-optimal gaming device, a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance; and

in response to an input indicative of a wager covered by the credit balance, at least one of the one or more processors initiating the wagering game on the non-optimal device configured with the device configuration, displaying an outcome for the wagering game at the non-optimal gaming device, and adjusting the credit balance in accordance with the outcome.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the device configuration changes a mathematical configuration of the wagering game, and the desired value is based, at least in part, on a statistical analysis of player wagering behavior across the plurality of other gaming devices.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the desired value is an average wager per play of one or more wagering games over a sample period of time across the plurality of other gaming devices.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising in response to receiving a rejection input including a modification to the plurality of recommended configuration parameters via at least one of the one or more input devices, at least one of the one or more processors configuring the non-optimal gaming device with the device configuration determined in accordance with a modified plurality of configuration parameters.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising receiving the confirmation input by an authorized operator.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising receiving, via at least one of one or more input devices, a selection of one of a plurality of available wagering games for the non-optimal gaming device, wherein one or more of the recommended configuration parameters are further based on the selected one of the wagering games.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising at least one of the one or more processors polling the plurality of other gaming devices to gather the aggregated data.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the aggregated data includes player-performance data based on a statistical analysis of player wagering behavior across the plurality of other gaming devices or machine-performance data based on a statistical analysis of one or more metrics relevant to the performance of the plurality of other gaming devices.

23. A gaming terminal for conducting a wagering game, the gaming terminal comprising:

at least one display device configured to display randomly determined outcomes of the wagering game;

at least one input device configured to receive inputs from a person;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device storing instructions that, when executed by the at least processor, causes the gaming terminal to;

receive from an operator, via the at least one input device, a respective desired value for each of a first performance target and a second performance target for the gaming terminal, wherein the desired value of the first performance target defines player-performance data derived from a statistical analysis of player wagering behavior across a plurality of other gaming devices and the desired value of the second performance target defines game-configuration data specifying a payback percentage of the wagering game;

initiate, via the at least one processor, an automated configuration analysis component to determine and display a respective recommended value for each of a plurality of recommended configuration parameters of the gaming terminal based on the desired values, wherein the first and second performance target are not one of the recommended configuration parameters;

display, via the at least one display device, operator-selectable options to confirm, reject, or modify the recommended values for the plurality of recommended configuration parameters;

in response to receiving a confirmation input, configure the gaming terminal, via the at least one processor, with a device configuration determined in accordance with at least the recommended values for the plurality of recommended configuration parameters;

detect, via a value input device of the gaming terminal, a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance; and

in response to an input from a player indicative of a wager covered by the credit balance, via the at least one processor, initiate the wagering game on the gaming terminal configured with the device configuration, display an outcome for the wagering game at the gaming terminal, and adjust the credit balance in accordance with the outcome.

24. A computer-implemented method of configuring a non-optimal gaming device of a wagering game system that includes one or more processors and one or more input devices, the method comprising:

receiving, via at least one of the one or more input devices, a desired value for an average wager per play for the non-optimal gaming device, the desired value derived from aggregated data gathered from a plurality of other gaming devices;

in response to receiving the desired value, determine, by an automated configuration component a recommended value for each of a plurality of recommended configuration parameters for the non-optimal gaming device based at least upon the desired value, wherein the average wager per play is not one of the recommended configuration parameters;

configure the non-optimal gaming device, via the one or more processors, with a device configuration determined in accordance with at least the recommended value for each of the plurality of recommended configuration parameters;

detect, via a value input device of the non-optimal gaming device, a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance; and

in response to an input indicative of a wager covered by the credit balance, via one or more processors, initiate the wagering game on the non-optimal device configured with the device configuration, display an outcome for the wagering game at the non-optimal gaming device, and adjust the credit balance in accordance with the outcome.

25. A computer-implemented method of configuring a non-optimal gaming device of a wagering game system that includes one or more processors and one or more input devices, the method comprising:

receiving, via at least one of the one or more input devices, a desired value for an average wager per play for the non-optimal gaming device derived from aggregated data gathered from a plurality of other gaming devices;

in response to receiving the desired value, determine, by an automated configuration analysis component a recommended wager range available to a player during play of a wagering game on the non-optimal gaming device based at least upon the desired value, the available wagering range being determined to prevent the player from wagering at the highest or lowest value of the wagering game as currently configured;

configure the non-optimal gaming device, via at least one of the one or more processors, in accordance with the available wager range;

detect, via a value input device of the non-optimal gaming device, a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance; and

in response to an input indicative of a wager covered by the credit balance, via one or more processors, initiate the wagering game on the non-optimal gaming device configured with the available wager range, display an outcome for the wagering game at the target gaming device, and adjust the credit balance in accordance with the outcome.