Wagering game with time-based bonus
View Patent ↗A gaming system for playing a wagering game includes a display and a controller. The display displays a base game of the wagering game in response to receiving a wager input from a player. The controller is coupled to the display and, in response to receiving the wager input, is programmed to increment eligibility time to a counter of bonus-time eligibility. The counter is decremented as real time progresses. If the counter is greater than zero when a bonus game of the wagering game is triggered, the player is allowed to play the bonus game.
1. A gaming system for playing a wagering game, comprising:
a wager input device for receiving a wager input for playing a single base game of said wagering game;
a display for displaying said base game of said wagering game in response to receiving said wager input; and
a controller coupled to said display and programmed to
in response to receiving said wager input, increment eligibility time to a counter of bonus-time eligibility, playing time of said base game being unaffected by said bonus-time eligibility,
decrement said counter as real time progresses, and
if said counter is greater than zero when a bonus game of said wagering game is triggered, allow said player to play said bonus game.
2. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein said controller is further programmed to:
provide a bonus multiplier associated with said eligibility time, and
award said bonus multiplier if said player wins an award during said bonus game.
3. A gaming system for playing a wagering game, comprising:
a wager input device for receiving a wager input for playing a single base game of said wagering game;
a display for displaying said base game of said wagering game in response to receiving said wager input; and
a controller coupled to said display and programmed to
in response to receiving said wager input, increment eligibility time to a counter of bonus-time eligibility, playing time of said base game being unaffected by said bonus-time eligibility,
decrement said counter as real time progresses,
if said counter is greater than zero when a bonus game of said wagering game is triggered, allow said player to play said bonus game, and
in response to filling an initial level of a plurality of levels of said counter, increment eligibility time into a subsequently higher level of said plurality of levels, said subsequently higher level being associated with an incrementally higher bonus multiplier than a bonus multiplier associated with said initial level.
4. A gaming system for playing a wagering game, comprising:
a wager input device for receiving a wager input for playing a single base game of said wagering game;
a display for displaying said base game of said wagering game in response to receiving said wager input; and
a controller coupled to said display and programmed to
in response to receiving said wager input, increment eligibility time to a counter of bonus-time eligibility, playing time of said base game being unaffected by said bonus-time eligibility,
decrement said counter as real time progresses,
if said counter is greater than zero when a bonus game of said wagering game is triggered, allow said player to play said bonus game,
add time to a first level of said counter, said first level having a corresponding first bonus multiplier,
if said first level is full, add time to a second level of said counter, said second level having a corresponding second bonus multiplier, said second bonus multiplier being larger than said first bonus multiplier.
5. The gaming system of claim 4 , wherein said controller is further programmed to multiply a bonus award with said second bonus multiplier to increase said bonus award, said bonus award being awarded during said second level of said counter, said second level being used before said first level.
6. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein said display further includes an indicator for said counter of bonus-time eligibility.
7. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein said eligibility time includes time units that are incremented and decremented linearly proportionate to real time.
8. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein said display and said controller is included in a standalone gaming terminal.
9. The gaming system of claim 8 , further comprising a plurality of networked gaming terminals having a master gaming terminal, each of said gaming terminals including a display and a controller, said master gaming terminal randomly determining if said bonus game is triggered.
10. The gaming system of claim 8 , further comprising a plurality of networked gaming terminals having a bonus server, each of said gaming terminals including said display and said controller, said bonus server determining the occurrence of said bonus game.
11. A method of conducting a wagering game on a gaming machine, the method comprising:
using a wager input device for receiving at least one wager input from a player for playing a base game of said wagering game;
displaying on a display said base game;
in response to receiving said wager input, using one or more controllers for incrementing eligibility time to a counter of bonus-time eligibility, playing time of said base game being unaffected by said bonus-time eligibility;
using at least one of said controllers for determining, on a periodic basis, if a bonus game of said wagering game has been randomly triggered; and
in response to said counter being greater than zero when said bonus game is triggered, allowing said player to play said bonus game.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
providing a bonus multiplier associated with said eligibility time; and
awarding said bonus multiplier if said player wins an award during said bonus game.
13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising, in response to filling an initial level of a plurality of levels of said counter, incrementing eligibility time into a subsequently higher level of said plurality of levels, said subsequently higher level being associated with an incrementally higher bonus multiplier than a bonus multiplier associated with said initial level.
14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
adding time to a first level of said counter, said first level having a corresponding first bonus multiplier;
if said first level is full, adding time to a second level of said counter, said second level having a corresponding second bonus multiplier, said second bonus multiplier being larger than said first bonus multiplier.
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising multiplying a bonus award with said second bonus multiplier to increase said bonus award, said bonus award being awarded during said second level of said counter, said second level being used before said first level.
16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising indicating said counter of bonus-time eligibility on a display of said gaming machine.
17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising incrementing and decrementing time units of said eligibility time linearly proportionate to real time.
18. A computer readable storage medium encoded with instructions for directing a gaming device to perform the method of claim 11 .
19. A method of conducting a wagering game on a gaming system having a plurality of gaming terminals for playing a common special event associated with said wagering game, the method comprising:
receiving at least one first wager input via a first wager input device on a first one of said plurality of gaming terminals for playing a base game of said wagering game;
displaying on a display said base game;
in response to receiving said first wager input, using one or more controllers for incrementing eligibility time to a first counter of bonus-time eligibility associated with said first one of said plurality of gaming terminals, playing time of said base game being unaffected by said bonus-time eligibility;
receiving at least one second wager input via a second wager input device on a second one of said plurality of gaming terminals for playing another base game of said wagering game;
in response to receiving said second wager input, incrementing eligibility time to a second counter of bonus-time eligibility associated with said second one of said plurality of gaming terminals, playing time of said another base game being unaffected by said bonus-time eligibility;
if any of said first counter and second counter is greater than zero when said common bonus game is triggered, allowing a player of a corresponding one of said plurality of gaming terminals to play said common bonus game.
20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising triggering said common bonus game using a gaming device selected from a group consisting of a master terminal and a bonus server.
21. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
providing a first bonus multiplier associated with said first counter and a second bonus multiplier associated with said second counter; and
awarding one or more of said first bonus multiplier and said second bonus multiplier if said player of said corresponding one of said plurality of gaming terminals wins an award during said bonus game.
22. A method of initiating a special event for a wagering game, comprising:
using a wager input device for receiving a wager input from a player for playing said wagering game;
displaying on a display said base game;
in response to receiving said wager input, using one or more controllers for providing said player with one or more bonus-time eligibility increments from a plurality of time increments during which said player is eligible to participate in said special event, playing time of said wagering game being unaffected by said bonus-time eligibility increments;
for at least one of said plurality of time increments, triggering said special event; and
if said at least one of said plurality of time increments is a time increment for which said player has been provided a bonus-time eligibility increment, allowing said player to play said special event.
23. The method of claim 22 , wherein time increments of said plurality of time increments are consecutive time increments.
24. The method of claim 22 , further comprising removing bonus-time eligibility increments for said one or more bonus-time eligibility increments as real time progresses.