Gaming machine having incremental bonus awards
View Patent ↗A gaming machine for conducting a wagering game includes a display for displaying a plurality of symbols, the symbols indicating a randomly-selected outcome selected from a plurality of outcomes. The plurality of outcomes include at least one winning outcome wherein the winning outcome is associated with a bonus award. The gaming machine includes a controller operative to vary and display at least a portion of the plurality of symbols. If the symbols indicate the winning outcome, the controller is operative to award a payoff associated with the winning outcome and change the value of the bonus award for a future play of the gaming machine.
1. A gaming machine comprising:
a value input device for receiving a wager;
a display for displaying a plurality of symbols, the symbols indicating a randomly-selected outcome selected from a plurality of possible outcomes, the plurality of outcomes including at least two winning outcomes, wherein each of the at least two winning outcomes is individually associated with a different bonus award; and
a controller configured to: (i) vary the displayed plurality of symbols to display the randomly-selected outcome; and (ii) in the response to the plurality of symbols indicating one of the at least two winning outcomes, (a) award a payoff, which equals a credit amount associated with the indicated winning outcome mathematically combined with a current value of the bonus award associated with the indicated winning outcome, and (b) increase the current value of the bonus award associated with the indicated winning outcome for a future play of the gaming machine.
2. The gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein the bonus award associated with the indicated winning outcome is a multiplier.
3. The gaming machine of claim 2 , wherein the payoff is equal to a credit amount associated with the indicated winning outcome multiplied by the multiplier.
4. The gaming machine of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to change the value of the multiplier by incrementing the value of the multiplier.
5. The gaming machine of claim 4 , wherein the value of the multiplier is incremented by five.
6. The gaming machine of claim 4 , wherein an initial value of the multiplier is one.
7. The gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of symbols are located on a plurality of moveable mechanical or simulated reels.
8. The gaming machine of claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to vary the plurality of symbols by spinning and stopping the reels.
9. The gaming machine of claim 8 , wherein the controller is further configured to award a number of free spins, wherein the current value of the bonus award associated with the indicated winning outcome is increased if the indicated winning outcome is indicated again at a conclusion of one of the free spins.
10. The gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein the future play of the gaming machine is an immediately subsequent play.
11. The gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein the current value of the bonus award associated with the indicated winning outcome is displayed on the display.
12. A method of conducting a wagering game on a gaming machine, the gaming machine having a value input device, a display, and a controller, the method comprising:
receiving a wager via the value input device;
displaying, via the display, a plurality of symbols located on a plurality of moveable reels, the displayed symbols indicating a plurality of outcomes including a plurality of winning outcomes;
displaying, via the display, a plurality of bonus symbols wherein each bonus symbol shows a bonus award individually associated with a different winning outcome from the plurality of winning outcomes;
moving the reels, via the controller, to display a first randomly-selected outcome; and
if the first randomly-selected outcome is a first winning outcome, (i) awarding a payoff comprising a product of a credit amount associated with the first winning outcome and the bonus award associated with the first winning outcome, and (ii) incrementing the bonus award associated with the first winning outcome for a future play of the gaming machine.
13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
moving the reels, via the controller, to display a second randomly-selected outcome; and
if the second randomly-selected outcome is the same as the first winning outcome, (i) awarding a payoff comprising a product of the credit amount associated with the first winning outcome and the previously-incremented bonus award associated with the first winning outcome, and (ii) further incrementing the bonus award associated with the first winning outcome, for a future play of the gaming machine.
14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
moving the reels, via the controller, to display a second randomly-selected outcome; and
if the second randomly-selected outcome is a second winning outcome, (i) awarding a payoff comprising a product of a credit amount associated with the second winning outcome and the bonus award associated with the second winning outcome, and (ii) further incrementing the bonus award associated with the second winning outcome, for a future play of the gaming machine.
15. A method of conducting a wagering game on a gaming machine, the method comprising:
receiving a wager through a value input device;
displaying a plurality of moveable reels having a plurality of symbols located thereon, the symbols indicating a randomly-selected outcome selected from a plurality of possible outcomes, the plurality of outcomes including a plurality of winning outcomes, wherein each winning outcome is individually associated with a respective multiplier from a plurality of displayed multipliers;
awarding a group of free spins when a start bonus outcome is achieved;
initializing a value of the multiplier associated with each winning outcome to an initial value;
executing each free spin in the group by spinning and stopping the reels to display an outcome from the plurality of possible outcomes; and
for each winning outcome indicated, (i) awarding a payoff comprising a credit amount associated with the winning outcome multiplied by the multiplier associated with the winning outcome, and (ii) incrementing the value of the multiplier associated with the winning outcome for a future free spin.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the initial value is one.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the step of incrementing the value of the multiplier comprises incrementing the value of the multiplier by four if the value of the multiplier is the initial value, otherwise incrementing the value of the multiplier by five.
18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the future free spin is one of the group of free spins.
19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
if a free spin and a subsequent free spin both indicate the same winning outcome, for the subsequent free spin, awarding a payoff comprising the credit amount associated with the winning outcome multiplied by the value of the multiplier after being incremented as a result of the previous free spin.
20. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
if a free spin and a subsequent free spin indicate different winning outcomes, incrementing the bonus awards associated with each indicated winning outcome, following the respective free spin.