Randomly awarded progressive jackpots
View Patent ↗The invention is a method and a device for adding a bonus prize component to wagering games such as those played in gambling casinos. A player obtaining a predetermined combination in the underlying game wins the bonus prize. This might be a predetermined combination of playing cards in a card game or a predetermined combination on the reels of a slot machine. The bonus prize may require a separate side wager to qualify. The bonus prize is randomly chosen from a group of bonus prizes that includes an incrementing jackpot. The device for practicing the method includes a prize wheel that is spun to randomly choose the bonus prize, and an incrementing device with attached jackpot display for generating and showing the current amount of the incrementing jackpot. Upon winning the incrementing jackpot, the incrementing stops and the player wins the current amount shown on the display. The incrementing jackpot is subsequently reset and the incrementing resumed.
1. A gaming device comprising:
(A) a primary game of chance apparatus configured to allow at least one player to place a wager and present a game of chance having a primary game outcome, the primary game outcome comprising awarding at least one prize including at least one fixed jackpot, the primary game outcome further comprising at least one bonus qualifying event;
(B) a bonus game of chance apparatus adapted to present the at least one player with a bonus game if the primary game outcome comprises the bonus qualifying event, the bonus game of chance apparatus having a randomly determined bonus game outcome, the bonus game outcome comprising awarding a plurality of bonus prizes, at least one bonus prize comprising an incrementing jackpot;
(C) a game controller in communication with the primary game of chance and the bonus game of chance, the game controller comprising game outcome odds comprising odds for awarding the at least one prize in the primary game, odds for obtaining the at least one bonus qualifying event, odds for awarding the plurality of bonus prizes in the bonus game, and odds for winning the incrementing jackpot, wherein the game outcome odds are interrelated,
wherein the game controller determines whether the at least one player has obtained the bonus game qualifying event during the at least one round of the primary wagering game and the game controller determines, based on a random determination, the at least one gaming prize for the at least one player, the random determination being based at least in part on the odds of winning the plurality of bonus prizes,
wherein the plurality of gaming prizes includes the incrementing jackpot and the at least one fixed prize jackpot.
2. The gaming device of claim 1 , wherein the game controller is programmable to set a minimum and a maximum value for the incrementing jackpot.
3. The gaming device of claim 1 , wherein the incrementing of the jackpot is progressive based on increasing a predetermined percentage of a total amount of wagers placed.
4. The gaming device of claim 1 , wherein the incrementing of the jackpot is time-based and increments the incrementing jackpot at predetermined time intervals.
5. The gaming device of claim 1 , wherein the game controller is configured to automatically stop incrementing the incrementing jackpot when the bonus game outcome comprises the incrementing jackpot.
6. The gaming device of claim 1 , further comprising an input device connected to the game controller, the input device being hand-operable to manually stop the incrementing of the incrementing jackpot after the bonus game outcome comprises the incrementing jackpot.
7. The gaming device of claim 1 , the bonus game of chance apparatus comprising a rotatable, segmented prize wheel.
8. The gaming device of claim 1 , the bonus game of chance apparatus comprising a rotatable, segmented prize wheel, a jackpot button, and a motor operatively connected to the segmented prize wheel, the jackpot button being handoperable to cause the segmented prize wheel to spin by means of the motor, wherein the segmented prize wheel may stop on one of a plurality of segments of the segmented prize wheel to indicate the bonus game outcome.
9. The gaming device of claim 1 , further comprising a jackpot display operatively coupled to the game controller for displaying the value of the incrementing jackpot.
10. The gaming device of claim 9 , wherein the game controller is adapted to be in communication with a plurality of game devices such that the incrementing of the jackpot display stops when a bonus game outcome of any of the plurality of game devices comprises the incrementing jackpot.
11. The gaming device of claim 1 , wherein the primary game of chance apparatus comprises a gaming table for playing card games.
12. The gaming device of claim 11 , the bonus game of chance apparatus comprising a display comprising a wheel built into the gaming table.
13. The gaming device of claim 1 wherein the primary game of chance apparatus comprises a slot machine.
14. The gaming device of claim 12 wherein the slot machine comprises an electro-mechanical slot machine having generally cylindrical rotatable reels.
15. The gaming device of claim 12 wherein the slot machine comprises a video gaming device having a plurality of virtual reels shown on a video screen.