Granted Patent B2

US 9,767,652 · App. 12/513,994 · Granted Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

Claims (72)

1. A method of automatically generating a wagering game in response to a game selection via a wagering game machine primarily dedicated to use in conducting a casino wagering game, the wagering game machine including an electronic display device, a value input device, and one or more electronic input devices, the method comprising:

detecting, via the value input device, a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance;

receiving, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices, a wagering game selection including at least a selection of a first wagering game;

initiating the selected first wagering game in response to an input indicative of a wager covered by the credit balance; and

receiving, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices, a cashout input that initiates a payout from the credit balance,

wherein, in response to receiving the wagering game selection via the wagering game machine, the method further includes the acts of:

selecting, via one or more controllers operatively associated with the wagering game machine, a rule set associated with the wagering game selection, the selected rule set including criteria for building a second wagering game;

building, via the one or more controllers according to the criteria included in the selected rule set, the second wagering game comprising a plurality of possible second wagering game outcomes that are displayed as symbols on the electronic display device, the second wagering game outcomes being randomly determined by the one or more controllers, wherein at least one first outcome of the plurality enables a player to play the first wagering game on the wagering game machine;

initiating the second wagering game in response to an input from a player indicative of a wager; and

generating, via the one or more controllers and in accordance with the selected rule set, a probability of at least one second outcome of the plurality occurring during play of the second wagering game on the wagering game machine, wherein the generated probability is such that the second wagering game is compatible with the wagering game selection.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wagering game selection further includes a selection of a third wagering game and the selected rule set includes a first rule set associated with the first wagering game and a third rule set associated with the third wagering game.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wagering game selection further includes a selection of at least one of a wagering game volatility, a wagering game theme, or a wagering game setting.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first wagering game is a bonus game selected from a plurality of bonus games, and the second wagering game is a base wagering game that can initiate the first wagering game.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the probability is such that an expected value of the first wagering game, as well as a combined expected value of the first and second wagering game, remain constant.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first outcome and the second outcome are the same outcome.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one second wagering game outcome is displayed on a plurality of moveable reels via the electronic display device.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the probability comprises generating the symbols on at least one reel strip of at least one moveable reel displayed via the electronic display device of the wagering game machine.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the act of generating the probability via the one or more controllers comprises generating probabilities of two or more second wagering game outcomes of the plurality occurring during play of the second wagering game on the wagering game machine, wherein the generated probabilities are such that the second wagering game is compatible with the wagering game selection.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the act of generating the probability via the one or more controllers comprises generating symbols on a first reel strip on a first moveable reel, the first reel strip including a first symbol that occurs at a frequency within a first frequency range, and generating symbols on a second reel strip on a second moveable reel, the second reel strip including a second symbol that occurs at a frequency within a second frequency range.

11. A casino wagering game system comprising:

a wagering game machine primarily dedicated to playing at least one casino wagering game, the gaming machine including an electronic display device, a value input device, and one or more electronic input devices; and

one or more controllers configured to:

detect, via the value input device, a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance;

receive, from the wagering game machine, a wagering game selection including at least a selection of a first wagering game;

initiate the selected wagering game in response to an input indicative of a wager covered by the credit balance; and

receive, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices, a cashout input that initiates a payout from the credit balance,

wherein, in response to receiving the wagering game selection from the wagering game machine, the one or more controllers are further configured to:

select a rule set associated with the wagering game selection, the selected rule set including criteria for building a second wagering game;

build, according to the criteria included in the selected rule set, the second wagering game comprising a plurality of possible second wagering game outcomes randomly determined by the one or more controllers that are displayed as symbols, wherein at least one first outcome of the plurality enables a player to play the first wagering game on the wagering game machine;

initiate the second wagering game in response to an input indicative of a wager from a player; and

generate using the one or more controllers, in accordance with the selected rule set, a probability of at least one second outcome of the plurality occurring during play of the second wagering game on the wagering game machine, wherein the generated probability is such that the second wagering game is compatible with the wagering game selection.

12. The casino wagering game system of claim 11 , wherein the first wagering game is a bonus game selected from a plurality of bonus wagering games, and the second wagering game is a base wagering game that can initiate the first wagering game.

13. The casino wagering game system of claim 11 , wherein the probability is such that an expected value of the first wagering game, as well as a combined expected value of the first and second wagering games, remain constant.

14. The casino wagering game system of claim 11 , wherein the first outcome and the second outcome are the same outcome.

15. The casino wagering game system of claim 11 , further comprising a wagering game server on a communications network, wherein machine-executable instructions executed by the one or more controllers reside on a wagering game server non-transitory machine-readable medium.

16. The casino wagering game system of claim 11 , wherein the act of generating the probability using the one or more controllers comprises generating probabilities of two or more second wagering game outcomes of the plurality occurring during play of the second wagering game, wherein the generated probabilities are such that the second wagering game is compatible with the wagering game selection.

17. A casino wagering game system comprising:

a wagering game machine primarily dedicated to playing at least one casino wagering game, the wagering game machine including an electronic display device, a value input device, and one or more electronic input devices;

one or more controllers; and

at least one physical, non-transient machine-readable memory device bearing instructions which, when executed by the one or more controllers, cause the one or more controllers to operate with the electronic display device, the value input device, and the one or more input devices to detect, via the value input device, a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance, receive a wagering game selection including at least a selection of a first wagering game and, in response to receiving the wagering game selection, to cause the one or more controllers to:

initiate the wagering game in response to an input indicative of a wager covered by the credit balance;

select a rule set associated with the wagering game selection, the selected rule set including criteria for building a second wagering game;

build, according to the criteria included in the selected rule set, the second wagering game comprising a plurality of possible second wagering game outcomes that are displayed as symbols, the second wagering game outcomes being randomly determined by the one or more controllers, wherein at least one first outcome of the plurality enables play of the first wagering game on the wagering game machine;

initiate the second wagering game in response to an input indicative of a wager covered by the credit balance; and

generate, in accordance with the selected rule set, a probability of at least one second outcome of the plurality occurring during play of the second wagering game on the wagering game machine, wherein the generated probability is such that the second wagering game is compatible with the wagering game selection.

18. The casino wagering game system of claim 17 , wherein the player makes the game selection using one of the one or more electronic input devices of the wagering game machine.

19. The casino wagering game system of claim 17 , wherein the game selection further includes a selection of a third wagering game and the selected rule set includes a first rule set associated with the first wagering game and a third rule set associated with the third wagering game.

20. The casino wagering game system of claim 17 , wherein the rule set for the second wagering game is selected from a plurality of rule sets stored on a wagering game server non-transitory machine-readable medium.

21. The casino wagering game system of claim 17 , wherein the first wagering game is a bonus wagering game selected from a plurality of bonus wagering games, and the second wagering game is a base wagering game that can initiate the first wagering game.

22. The casino wagering game system of claim 17 , wherein the first outcome and the second outcome are the same outcome.

23. The casino wagering game system of claim 17 , wherein the act of generating the probability using the one or more controllers includes generating symbols on at least one reel strip on at least one moveable reel.

24. The casino wagering game system of claim 17 , wherein the act of generating the probability using the one or more controllers comprises generating probabilities of two or more second wagering game outcomes of the plurality occurring during play of the second wagering game on the wagering game machine, wherein the generated probabilities are such that the second wagering game is compatible with the wagering game selection.

25. A wagering game system comprising:

a communications network across which the wagering game system operates to extemporaneously generate a wagering game in response to a wagering game selection;

a wagering game server having one or more non-transitory machine-readable server memory devices;

at least one wagering game machine primarily dedicated to playing at least one casino wagering game communicatively connected to the communications network via a communication device, the wagering game machine including an electronic display device, a value input device, and one or more electronic input devices;

one or more controllers operating with the wagering game server and the at least one wagering game machine to:

detect, via the value input device, a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance;

receive, from the wagering game machine, a wagering game selection including at least a selection of a first wagering game;

initiate a selected wagering game in response to an input indicative of a wager covered by the credit balance; and

receive, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices, a cashout input that initiates a payout from the credit balance,

wherein, in response to receiving the wagering game selection, the one or more controllers operating with the wagering game server and the at least one wagering game machine are further configured to:

select a rule set associated with the wagering game selection, the selected rule set including criteria for building a second wagering game;

build, according to the criteria included in the selected rule set, the second wagering game comprising a plurality of possible second wagering game outcomes that are displayed as symbols, the second wagering game outcomes being randomly determined by the one or more controllers, wherein at least one first outcome of the plurality enables a player to play the first wagering game;

initiate the selected wagering game in response to an input indicative of a wager from a player; and

generate, in accordance with the selected rule set, a probability of at least one second outcome of the plurality occurring during play of the second wagering game, wherein the generated probability is such that the second wagering game is compatible with the wagering game selection.

26. The wagering game system of claim 25 , wherein the wagering game server, the wagering game machine, and the one or more controllers are connected for communication via the communications network and wherein the wagering game server is spaced apart from the one or more controllers and the wagering game machine.

27. The wagering game system of claim 25 , wherein the wagering game selection is made by the player via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices.

28. The wagering game system of claim 25 , wherein the rule set for the second wagering game is selected from a plurality of rule sets stored on the one or more server memory devices.

29. The wagering game system of claim 25 , wherein the first wagering game is a bonus wagering game selected from a plurality of bonus wagering games, and the second wagering game is a base wagering game that can initiate the first wagering game.

30. The wagering game system of claim 25 , wherein the first outcome and the second outcome are the same outcome.

31. The casino wagering game system of claim 25 , wherein the act of generating the probability using the one or more controllers comprises generating symbols on a first reel strip on a first moveable reel, the first reel strip including a first symbol that occurs at a frequency within first frequency range, and generating symbols on a second reel strip on a second moveable reel, the second reel strip including a second symbol that occurs at a frequency within a second frequency range.

Assignments (10)