Gaming apparatus
A gaming apparatus includes a player terminal operable by a player to simulate a slots game, and a random event generator for generating a random event upon which an outcome of the slots game is based. The slots game has a plurality of successful outcomes, each associated with a corresponding prize. A wagering facility enables the player to place a wager on the occurrence of any specific successful outcome of the slots game, or to make a plurality of different wagers, each corresponding to a different specific one of the successful outcomes of the slots game. The different specific successful outcomes include a favorable outcome and a number of intermediate outcomes. The prize corresponding to the favorable outcome is a jackpot prize. The prize corresponding to an intermediate outcome is repayment of the player's wager at fixed odds inversely proportional to the probability of that intermediate outcome occurring.
1. A gaming apparatus, comprising:
a player terminal operable by a player to simulate a multi-reel slots game, the multi-reel slots game having a set of possible outcomes corresponding to the possible combinations of indicia displayable on the simulated reels, the set of possible outcomes including a plurality of independently selectable outcomes;
a wagering facility operable to display, for each independently selectable outcome on which the player has placed a wager for a turn of the game, (i) an activatable icon that enables the player to adjust the wager on the independently selectable outcome, (ii) the size of the wager on the independently selectable outcome, (iii) odds for the independently selectable outcome, and (iv) a payout for the wager on the independently selectable outcome, wherein the player wins the payout if the independently selectable outcome occurs during the turn of the game and loses the wager if the independently selectable outcome does not occur during the turn of the game, wherein the wagering facility is further operable to display in one screen all of the independently selectable outcomes and their respective activatable icons, wagers, odds, and payouts; and
wherein the player terminal is operable to display to the player an outcome of the turn of the slots game from the set of possible outcomes, wherein the outcome is randomly determined.
2. The gaming apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of independently selectable outcomes includes a favorable outcome and a number of intermediate outcomes, and wherein the favorable outcome is associated with a fixed jackpot prize or a progressive jackpot prize.
3. The gaming apparatus of claim 2 , wherein an intermediate outcome is associated with a prize corresponding to repayment of the player's wager at fixed odds inversely proportional to the probability of that intermediate outcome occurring.
4. The gaming apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the multi-reel slots game is a three-reel slots game having a pay table with about ten independently selectable outcomes, including a plurality of intermediate outcomes with fixed odds between 5:1 and 250:1.
5. A method of operating a gaming apparatus, the method comprising:
a player terminal simulating a multi-reel slots game and presenting the simulation to a player of the game, the multi-reel slots game having a set of possible outcomes corresponding to the possible combinations of indicia displayable on the simulated reels, the set of possible outcomes including a plurality of independently selectable outcomes;
a wagering facility displaying, for each independently selectable outcome on which the player has placed a wager for a turn of the game, (i) an activatable icon that enables the player to adjust the wager on the independently selectable outcome, (ii) the size of the wager on the independently selectable outcome, (iii) odds for the independently selectable outcome, and (iv) a payout for the wager on the independently selectable outcome, wherein the player wins the payout if the independently selectable outcome occurs during the turn of the game and loses the wager if the independently selectable outcome does not occur during the turn of the game;
the wagering facility displaying in one screen all of the independently selectable outcomes and their respective activatable icons, wagers, odds, and payouts; and
the player terminal displaying to the player an outcome of the turn of the slots game from the set of possible outcomes, wherein the outcome is randomly determined.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of independently selectable outcomes includes a favorable outcome and a number of intermediate outcomes and a jackpot prize is associated with the favorable outcome.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein a prize corresponding to the occurrence of an intermediate outcome is repayment of the player's wager at fixed odds inversely proportional to the probability of that intermediate outcome occurring.