Gaming system having a plurality of gaming machines linked by network and control method thereof

1. A gaming system comprising:

a plurality of gaming machines each including a controller;

a control device including a processor; and

a network enabling communication between said plurality of gaming machines and said control device,

wherein

said controller is programmed to execute processing of

(a) accepting a bet of a game medium, and

(b) transmitting number-of-game-media information indicative of a number of betted game media as the bet accepted in said processing (a) to said control device,

said processor is programmed to execute processing of

(A) cumulatively counting a part of the number of betted game media as a cumulative value based on said number-of-game-media information received from said gaming machine,

(B) counting a number of said gaming machines joining a game among all of said gaming machines connected by said network, when said cumulative value has reached a predetermined value,

(C) executing a common game to be played concurrently in said gaming machines joining the game among all of said gaming machines connected by said network, when the number of said gaming machines counted in said processing (B) is equal to or more than a specific number,

(D) identifying said gaming machine as a transmission source of said number-of-game-media information, when the number of said gaming machines counted in said processing (B) is less than the specific number, said number-of-game-media information being a basis of counting of said game media in the counting when said cumulative value has reached the predetermined value in said processing (A), and

(E) paying out a fixed number of game media to said gaming machine identified in said processing (D), and

wherein

said control device comprises

a storage device capable of storing data,

said processing (b) is processing of

transmitting said number-of-game-media information indicative of the number of betted game media as the bet accepted in said processing (a) and gaming-machine identification information indicative of identification information of said gaming machine to said control device,

said processor is further programmed to execute processing of

(F) storing in said storage device said gaming-machine identification information received from said gaming machine, after deleting said gaming machine identification information previously stored in said storage device, when receiving said gaming machine identification information from said gaming machine, and

said processing (D) is processing of

identifying said gaming machine corresponding to said gaming-machine identification information, based on said gaming-machine identification information stored in said storage device when said cumulative value has reached the predetermined value, when the number of said gaming machines counted in said processing (B) is less than said specific value.

2. A gaming system comprising:

a plurality of gaming machines each including a controller;

a control device including a processor;

a network enabling communication between said plurality of gaming machines and said control device;

a reach portion indicative of a target position to reach; and

a coupling illuminated line provided for each of said gaming machines and including a plurality of illuminants arranged from said reach portion to said gaming machine,

wherein

said controller is programmed to execute processing of

(a) accepting a bet of a game medium, and

(b) transmitting number-of-game-media information indicative of a number of betted game media as the bet accepted in said processing (a) to said control device,

said processor is programmed to execute processing of

(A) cumulatively counting a part of the number of betted game media as a cumulative value based on said number-of-game-media information received from said gaming machine,

(B) counting a number of said gaming machines joining a game among all of said gaming machines connected by said network, when said cumulative value has reached a predetermined value,

(C) transmitting a common-game execution signal at least to said gaming machines joining the game among all of said gaming machines connected by said network, when the number of said gaming machines counted in said processing (B) is equal to or more than a specific number,

(D) identifying said gaming machine as a transmission source of said number-of-game-media information, when the number of said gaming machines counted in said processing (B) is less than the specific number, said number-of-game-media information being a basis of counting of said game media in the counting when said cumulative value has reached the predetermined value in said processing (A),

(E) paying out a fixed number of game media to said gaming machine identified in said processing (D),

said controller is further programmed to execute processing of

(c) executing a common game after receiving said common-game execution signal transmitted from said control device, and

(d) transmitting common-game result information determined based on a result of the common game executed in said processing (c) to said control device, and said processor is further programmed to execute processing of

(F) lighting said plurality of illuminants included in said coupling illuminated line provided for the gaming machine as a transmission source of the common-game result information, based on the common-game result information transmitted in said processing (d), in an order starting from said illuminant provided at a position closest to the gaming machine,

(G) determining whether or not the coupling illuminated line with all of said illuminants having been lighted in said processing (F) is present, and

(H) paying out a predetermined number of game media, when determining that the coupling illuminated line with all of said illuminants having been lighted is present in said processing (G), to said gaming machine provided with the coupling illuminated line.

3. The gaming system according to claim 2 ,

wherein

said reach portion is a common display controlled by said control device, and

said processor is further programmed to execute processing of

(I) counting the number of said gaming machines joining the game among all of said gaming machines connected by said network, and

(J) displaying said cumulative value counted in said processing (A) to said common display, when the number of said gaming machines counted in said processing (I) is equal to or more than said specific number.

4. A game control method comprising steps of:

(a) accepting a bet of a game medium in a gaming machine;

(b) transmitting number-of-game-media information indicative of a number of betted game media as the bet accepted in said step (a) to a control device from said gaming machine;

(A) cumulatively counting in said control device a part of the number of betted game media as a cumulative value based on said number-of-game-media information received from said gaming machine;

(B) counting in said control device a number of said gaming machines joining a game among all of said gaming machines connected by a network enabling communication between a plurality of said gaming machines and said control device, when said cumulative value has reached a predetermined value;

(C) transmitting from said control device a common-game execution signal at least to said gaming machines joining the game among all of said gaming machines connected by said network, when the number of said gaming machines counted in said step (B) is equal to or more than a specific number;

(D) identifying said gaming machine as a transmission source of said number-of-game-media information by using said control device, when the number of said gaming machines counted in said step (B) is less than the specific number, said number-of-game-media information being a basis of counting of said game media in the counting when said cumulative value has reached the predetermined value in said step (A);

(E) paying out a fixed number of game media from said control device to said gaming machine identified in said step (D);

(c) executing a common game in said gaming machine after receiving said common-game execution signal from said control device;

(d) transmitting common-game result information determined based on a result of the common game executed in said step (c) to said control device from said gaming machine;

(F) lighting by using said control device a plurality of illuminants included in a coupling illuminated line provided for the gaming machine as a transmission source of the common-game result information, based on the common-game result information transmitted in said step (d), in an order starting from said illuminant provided at a position closest to the gaming machine, said coupling illuminated line being provided for each of said gaming machines and including said plurality of illuminants arranged from a reach portion indicative of a target position to reach to said gaming machine;

(G) determining in said control device whether or not the coupling illuminated line with all of said illuminants having been lighted in said step (F) is present; and

(H) paying out a predetermined number of game media, when determining that the coupling illuminated line with all of said illuminants having been lighted is present in said step (G), from said control device to said gaming machine provided with the coupling illuminated line.