Free game bonus round for gaming machines
A system of linked gaming machines is disclosed herein. Upon a certain triggering event occurring, eligible gaming machines simultaneously receive a signal for initiating a free game bonus round. The player awarded the most credits or points from the play of the free games is awarded a special jackpot. The possibility of the free game bonus round occurring at any time provides incentive for players to keep playing the linked gaming machines. A free game pot, used to fund the free games, is accumulated from a percentage of wagers, where the percentage is dynamically changed based on the level of the free game pot.
1. A method performed by a first gaming system, the first gaming system comprising a first gaming machine, the method comprising:
receiving wagers, by the first gaming machine, from a player playing paid games on the first gaming machine;
detecting, by at least one processor, a free game bonus round initiation signal;
enabling, by the at least one processor, the player to play N free games, where N is greater than or equal to 1;
accumulating winning units from a winning outcome of each free game played;
granting an award to the player, by the first gaming machine, based on accumulated winning units from winning outcomes of free game played;
allocating a fixed percentage of wagers, by the at least one processor, from the paid games to accumulate in a combination of at least a free game pot and a progressive jackpot;
accumulating an amount in the free game pot, by the at least one processor, based at least partially on a dynamically adjusted percentage of wagers from the paid games, such that even as the percentage of wagers allocated to the free game pot is dynamically adjusted, a fixed percentage of wagers from the paid games is still allocated to the combination of at least the free game pot and the progressive jackpot, the free game pot for funding the free game bonus round;
deducting amounts from the free game pot to fund the free games being played; and
dynamically adjusting the percentage of wagers from the paid games to the free game pot, by the at least one processor, depending on a level of the free game pot, such that when the percentage of wagers allocated to the free game pot goes down, the percentage of wagers allocated to the progressive jackpot goes up, and such that when the percentage of wagers allocated to the free game pot goes up, the percentage of wagers allocated to the progressive jackpot goes down,
wherein a percentage of wagers from the paid games when funding the free game pot is less than 100%, and
wherein the free game bonus round initiation signal is only issued, by the at least one processor, once it has been determined that the free game pot is at the level determined to be necessary to ensure full funding of all free games played during the free game bonus round.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein dynamically adjusting comprises:
setting the percentage at a first percentage when the level of the free game pot is below a certain level; and
setting the percentage at a second percentage, different from the first percentage, when the level of the free game pot is above the certain level.
3. A method performed by a first gaming system, the first gaming system comprising a first gaming machine, the method comprising:
receiving wagers, by the first gaming machine, from a player playing paid games on the first gaming machine;
detecting, by at least one processor, a free game bonus round initiation signal;
enabling, by the at least one processor, the player to play N free games, where N is greater than or equal to 1;
accumulating winning units from winning outcomes from each free game played;
granting, by the first gaming machine, an award to the player based on accumulated winning units from winning outcomes of free game played;
filling, by the at least one processor, with a fixed percentage of the wagers for the paid games, a plurality of pots used for the free game bonus round, the plurality of pots including a progressive jackpot and a free game pot, the free game pot being used to fund the free game bonus round; and
dynamically allocating, by the at least one processor, a percentage of the wagers for the paid games to the progressive jackpot and the free game pot depending on the level of the free game pot, such that even as the percentage of wagers allocated to the free game pot is dynamically adjusted, a fixed percentage of wagers from the paid games is still allocated to a combination of the plurality of pots, wherein when the percentage of wagers allocated to the free game pot goes down, the percentage of wagers allocated to the progressive jackpot goes up, and when the percentage of wagers allocated to the free game pot goes up, the percentage of wagers allocated to the progressive jackpot goes down,
wherein a percentage of wagers from the paid games when funding the free game pot is less than 100%, and
wherein the free game bonus round initiation signal is only issued, by the at least one processor, once it has been determined that the free game pot is at the level determined to be necessary to ensure full funding of all free games played during the free game bonus round.
4. A gaming method for use by one or more gaming machines comprising:
conducting paid games by the one or more gaming machines;
conducting a bonus round, by the one or more gaming machines, the bonus round being initiated by a triggering event;
allocating funds to a plurality of pots, by at least one processor, including a funding pot for funding the bonus round, wherein allocating funds comprises allocating a fixed percentage of wagers for playing the paid games to the plurality of pots; and
dynamically adjusting, by the at least one processor, the percentages of wagers to individual ones of the pots depending on a level of the funding pot, such that even as the percentage of wagers allocated to the funding pot is dynamically adjusted, a fixed percentage of wagers from the paid games is still allocated to the plurality of pots, wherein when the percentage of wagers allocated to the funding pot goes down, the percentage of wagers allocated to other than the funding pot goes up, and when the percentage of wagers allocated to the funding pot goes up, the percentage of wagers allocated to other than the funding pot goes down,
wherein a percentage of wagers from the paid games when funding the funding pot is less than 100%, and
wherein the triggering event only occurs once it has been determined, by the at least one processor, that the funding pot is at the level determined to be necessary to ensure full funding of all games played during the bonus round.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein dynamically adjusting the percentages of wagers to the plurality of pots comprises:
setting the percentage allocated to the funding pot at a first percentage when the level of the funding pot is below a certain level; and
setting the percentage allocated to the funding pot at a second percentage, different from the first percentage, when the level of the funding pot is above a certain level.
6. The method of claim 4 further comprising determining when the level of the funding pot is at least sufficient to fully fund the bonus round, and wherein setting the percentage allocated to the funding pot at a second percentage when the level of the funding pot is above a certain level comprises setting the percentage allocated to the funding pot at the second percentage when it is determined that the funding pot is at least sufficient to fully fund the bonus round.
7. The method of claim 4 wherein the plurality of pots further comprises a jackpot.
8. The method of claim 4 wherein the paid games comprise spinning reels having symbols, where awards are based on combinations of symbols obtained after the reels stop spinning.