Discounted wagering game devices and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10083567-B2
Application number	US-26642708-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 6, 2008
Priority date	Nov 12, 2007
Publication date	Sep 25, 2018
Grant date	Sep 25, 2018

Abstract

Many implementations of the invention involve discounted wager gaming. Some such implementations involve discounted tickets, which may or may not be “guaranteed play” tickets valid for at least a predetermined number of plays of a wagering game. Some implementations associate a code, sometimes referred to as a Group ID code or the like, with one or more types of contracts for guaranteed play tickets. Other implementations of the invention involve determining a discounted ticket cost C and wagering game value V and determining a coin in amount for a wagering game according to a function of C and V. Still other implementations of the invention provide solutions to accounting challenges relating to discounted tickets.

First claim

We claim:

1. An electronic wagering gaming machine, comprising:
a housing including a door;
a security switch attached to the door of the housing and configured to detect an opening of the door;
a display device supported by the housing;
a ticket reader supported by the housing;
a wager button supported by the housing;
a cashout button supported by the housing;
at least one input device supported by the housing;
a processor; and
a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
receive, via the ticket reader, a ticket including a code;
read, via the ticket reader, the code of the ticket and determine a group identification code based on the read code;
determine whether the group identification code corresponds to an invisible game, wherein the invisible game is not presented in any menus on the display device for game play selection and wherein the invisible game is accessible via a discounted ticket that is obtained at a price below a value of the discounted ticket when used for wager gaming and that is obtained as part of a package that includes at least one non-wager gaming related item;
responsive to the group identification code corresponding to the invisible game, display, via the display device, a play of the invisible game including a randomly determined invisible game outcome;
responsive to the group identification code not corresponding to the invisible game:
determine any wagering games different from the invisible game that correspond to the group identification code and that can be enabled on the electronic wagering gaming machine, wherein a first set of one or more wagering games different from the invisible game correspond to a first group identification code and a second different set of one or more wagering games different from the invisible game correspond to a second different group identification code;
responsive to at least one wagering game different from the invisible game corresponding to the group identification code and being enabled on the electronic wagering gaming machine, display, via the display device, a menu indicating the at least one wagering game and not indicating the invisible game;
establish a credit balance based at least in part on the read code;
receive, via the at least one input device, a selection of one of the indicated at least one wagering game;
place a wager on a play of the selected wagering game following receipt of an actuation of the wager button, the credit balance being decreasable by the wager;
randomly determine and display, via the display device, an outcome of said play of the selected wagering game; and

determine and display, via the display device, any award associated with the determined outcome, the credit balance being increasable by any award; and
following an actuation of the cashout button when the credit balance is greater than zero, initiate a payout associated with the credit balance.

2. The electronic wagering gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
responsive to the group identification code not corresponding to the invisible game or any other wagering games being enabled on the electronic wagering gaming machine, cause the ticket reader to reject the ticket.

3. The electronic wagering gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to determine whether the ticket is a valid ticket.

4. The electronic wagering gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein the memory device stores a data structure thereon, the data structure indicating enabled wagering games and corresponding group identification codes, and wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to determine the any wagering games that can be enabled on the electronic wagering gaming machine corresponding to the group identification code by utilizing data stored in the data structure.

5. The electronic wagering gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein the code corresponds to the price of the ticket.

6. The electronic wagering gaming machine of claim 1 , further comprising a network interface system comprising at least one network interface, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to operate with the network interface system to obtain software for a wagering game corresponding to the group identification code of the ticket.

7. The electronic wagering gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least one wagering game and the invisible game provides a guaranteed play session involving a predetermined number of plays.

8. The electronic wagering gaming machine of claim 1 , further comprising a player loyalty device reader supported by the housing, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
receive, via the player loyalty device reader, player loyalty account information;
determine wagering game preferences associated with the player loyalty account information; and
determine whether there is a match between at least one of any wagering games corresponding to the group identification code and the wagering game preferences.

9. The electronic wagering gaming machine of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to operate with the display device to, when there is a match between at least one of any wagering games corresponding to the group identification code and the wagering game preferences, display an indication of at least one matching wagering game.

10. The electronic wagering gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein the at least one non-wager gaming related item includes a meal, a ticket to a performance, or a hotel room.

11. A method of operating an electronic wagering gaming machine, said method comprising:
receiving, at a ticket reader of the electronic wagering gaming machine, a ticket including a code;
reading, by the ticket reader, the code and causing a processor to determine, based on the read code, a group identification code;
causing the processor to determine whether the group identification code corresponds to an invisible game, wherein the invisible game is not presented in any menus for game play selection and wherein the invisible game is accessible via a discounted ticket that is obtained at a price below a value of the discounted ticket when used for wager gaming and that is obtained as part of a package that includes at least one non-wager gaming related item;
responsive to the group identification code corresponding to the invisible game, causing the processor to operate with a display device of the electronic wagering gaming machine to display a play of the invisible game including a randomly determined invisible game outcome;
responsive to the group identification code not corresponding to the invisible game:
causing the processor to determine any wagering games different from the invisible game that correspond to the group identification code and that can be enabled on the electronic wagering gaming machine, wherein a first set of one or more wagering games different from the invisible game correspond to a first group identification code and a second different set of one or more wagering games different from the invisible game correspond to a second different group identification code;
responsive to at least one wagering game different from the invisible game corresponding to the group identification code and being enabled on the electronic wagering gaming machine, causing the processor to operate wi

Assignees

• Hollibaugh Larry R
• Papson Ronald P
• Igt Reno Nev

Inventors

• Hollibaugh Larry R
• Papson Ronald P

Classifications

• G07F17/3248

  involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value · CPC title

• G07F17/3255

  Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements · CPC title

• G07F17/32 Primary

  for games, toys, sports, or amusements · CPC title