Gaming system having a plurality of players and randomly incremented progressive prize

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8944909-B2
Application number	US-98213807-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2007
Priority date	Nov 14, 1996
Publication date	Feb 3, 2015
Grant date	Feb 3, 2015

Abstract

The invention provides a prize redemption system for use with one or more game apparatuses. A game is provided on a game apparatus for a player to play in exchange for monetary input, and prize credits are credited to the player based on the game outcome. A prize selection menu is then displayed by the game apparatus, the menu including one or more prizes, where the player may select a prize that has a prize cost within the player's prize credit amount. The player is dispensed a specific prize ticket that is redeemable for the selected prize. The game apparatus can also provide specific prizes and tournament games played for a tournament prize contributed to by multiple players. An operator can adjust prizes and payout percentages of the system to achieve a desired profitability for game apparatuses. Prize input is entered into a prize table describing multiple available prizes and also describing payout information that indicates a desired amount of payout that the operator wishes to provide back to players of the game apparatus in terms of the value of the prizes. Prize information, such as prize costs and specific prize win ratios, is automatically determined by the system for each of the prizes in view of the desired profitability of the game apparatus.
Additionally, the invention provides method and article of manufacture for implementing a user profile-driven gaming and prize redeeming system. The user profile-driven gaming and prize redemption system allows for the tailoring of a user's experience of playing a computer implemented game on a network gaming system by first receiving an identifier selected from a group of identifiers including a user identifier relating to the user (i.e., player) of the network gaming system, a game identifier relating to a particular game played by the user of the network gaming system, and a site identifier relating to the location (i.e. web site) from which the game is being played. The network gaming system then alters the computer-implemented game played by the user in a manner based upon the selected identifier. The foregoing technique may also be applied to a prize redemption system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gaming system that provides game play in exchange for monetary input per game played, the gaming system comprising:
a gaming network;
a plurality of game servers connected to each other via the network;
a plurality of game units connected to at least one game server via the network, wherein the plurality of game servers are separate from the plurality of game units, wherein each server enables periodic update signals to be sent to the remaining servers…

Assignees

• Kelly Bryan M
• Kelly Matthew F
• Kroeckel John G
• Link John E
• Petermeier Norman B
• Bally Gaming Inc

Inventors

• Kelly Bryan M
• Kelly Matthew F
• Kroeckel John G
• Link John E
• Petermeier Norman B

Classifications

• G07F17/32

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06Q20/04

  Physics · mapped topic

• G07F17/3244

  Physics · mapped topic

• A63F3/081 Primary

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• G07F17/3262

  Physics · mapped topic