IP Library Granted Patent US 8,342,927
Granted Patent B2
US 8,342,927 · App. 12/596,938 · Granted Jan 1, 2013

Community gaming system with hybrid community and individual outcomes and awards

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,342,927
App. No.
12/596,938
Granted
Jan 1, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for conducting a community wagering game on one or more gaming devices comprises receiving a first wager from a first player and determining a first modifier associated with the first player based upon play of a first base game. The method further comprises triggering and displaying a community gaming event comprising a competition and determining a finishing order of a plurality of participants in the competition, the plurality of participants including at least first and second participants. The method further comprises associating the first player with the first participant, determining a first prize value for the first participant, the first prize value based upon the finishing order, and awarding the first player a first award comprising the first prize value as modified by the first modifier.

Claims (60)

1. A method for conducting a community wagering game on a gaming system with one or more gaming devices, the method comprising:

receiving, via an input device, an indication of a first wager from a first player to play a first base game of a wagering game;

determining, via a controller, a first community-event-prize modifier associated with the first player based upon play of the first base game;

triggering and displaying, via a display device, a community gaming event comprising a competition;

determining a finishing order of a plurality of participants in the competition, the plurality of participants including at least first and second participants;

associating the first player with the first participant;

determining a first community-event prize value for the first participant, the first community-event prize value being based upon the finishing order; and

awarding the first player a first community-event award comprising the first community-event prize value as modified by the first community-event-prize modifier, the first community-event award being different from the first community-event prize value.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving an indication of a second wager from a second player to play a second base game;

determining a second community-event-prize modifier associated with the second player based upon play of the second base game;

associating the second player with the second participant;

determining a second community-event prize value for the second participant, the second community-event prize value being based upon the finishing order; and

awarding the second player a second community-event award comprising the second community-event prize value as modified by the second community-event-prize modifier.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first and second community-event-prize modifiers are multipliers.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the competition is selected from the group consisting of a race, a contest, and a sporting event.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first community-event-prize modifier is a multiplier of the first community-event prize value of the community gaming event.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the community gaming event is displayed on a community display.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first community-event-prize modifier is determined based upon one or more of a wager amount, a rate of wagering by the first player, and a rate of play of the first base game.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of participants is represented by a graphical icon associated with a theme of the community wagering game.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the finishing order of the community gaming event is randomly determined.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the finishing order of the community gaming event is predetermined and an outcome of the first base game is randomly determined.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first base game includes a plurality of symbols arranged in an array, and wherein the community gaming event does not include the plurality of symbols of the first base game.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of symbols are arranged on a plurality of reels.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication is of a plurality of wagers from the first player to play a plurality of successive plays of the first base game, and wherein determining the first community-event-prize modifier is based upon game play activity of the first player during the plurality of successive plays.

14. A computer program product comprising one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media encoded with instructions, the instructions being configured to cause, upon execution by one or more controllers, a gaming system to perform the acts of:

receiving an indication of a first wager from a first player to play a first base game of a wagering game;

determining a first community-event-prize modifier associated with the first player based upon play of the first base game;

triggering and directing a display device to display a community gaming event comprising a competition;

determining a finishing order of a plurality of participants in the competition, the plurality of participants including at least first and second participants;

associating the first player with the first participant;

determining a first community-event prize value for the first participant, the first community-event prize value being based upon the finishing order; and

awarding the first player a first community-event award comprising the first community-event prize value as modified by the first community-event-prize modifier, the first community-event award being different from the first community-event prize value.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the indication is of a plurality of wagers from the first player to play a plurality of successive plays of the first base game, and wherein determining the first community-event-prize modifier is based upon game play activity of the first player during the plurality of successive plays.

16. A community gaming system for playing a community wagering game, the community gaming system comprising:

a wager input device;

a plurality of gaming terminals including at least first and second gaming terminals each with a respective display for displaying a randomly selected outcome of a wagering game; and

a community controller operatively connected to the plurality of gaming terminals such that each of the plurality of gaming terminals can play the community wagering game, the community controller being operable to:

determine a first community-event-prize modifier associated with a first player based upon play of a first base game by the first player at the first gaming terminal;

in response to a triggering event, command a display to display a community gaming event comprising a competition with a plurality of participants, the plurality of participants including at least first and second participants;

determine a finishing order of the plurality of participants in the competition;

associate the first player with the first participant;

determine a first community-event prize value for the first participant, the first community-event prize value being based upon the finishing order; and

award the first player a first community-event award comprising the first community-event prize value modified by the first community-event-prize modifier, the first community-event award being different from the first community-event prize value.

17. The community gaming system of claim 16 , wherein the controller is further operable to:

determine a second community-event-prize modifier associated with a second player based upon play of a second base game by the second player at the second gaming terminal;

associate the second player with the second participant;

determine a second community-event prize value for the second participant, the second community-event prize value being based upon the finishing order; and

award the second player a second community-event award comprising the second community-event prize value as modified by the second community-event-prize modifier.

18. The community gaming system of claim 16 , wherein the controller is further operable to determine if the first player is eligible to participate in the community wagering game, and wherein the associating the first player with the first participant is in response to the controller determining the first player is eligible to participate in the community wagering game.

19. The community gaming system of claim 18 , wherein the eligibility of the first player to participate in the community wagering game decrements with time and replenishes with play of the wagering game.

20. The community gaming system of claim 16 , wherein the play of the first base game upon which the first community-event-prize modifier is determined includes at least one of an amount of a wager placed by the first player and a rate of play of the first player.

21. A method for conducting a community wagering game on a gaming system, the method comprising:

receiving, via one or more input devices, inputs indicative of a plurality of wagers from a first player to play a plurality of successive plays of a first base game;

determining, via one or more controllers, a first community-event-prize modifier associated with the first player based upon game play activity of the first player during the plurality of successive plays;

displaying, via one or more display devices, a community gaming event comprising a competition with a plurality of participants;

determining a finishing order of the plurality of participants in the competition;

associating the first player with a first one of the plurality of participants;

determining a first community-event prize value for the first participant, the first community-event prize value being based upon the finishing order; and

awarding the first player a first community-event award comprising the first community-event prize value increased by the first community-event-prize modifier.

Assignments (8)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 21, 2022
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
To: SCIENTIFIC GAMES INTERNATIONAL, INC.; WMS GAMING INC.; BALLY GAMING, INC.; DON BEST SPORTS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 059756/0397 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jan 20, 2020
From: BALLY GAMING, INC.
To: SG GAMING, INC.
Reel/Frame 051643/0528 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS (RELEASES REEL/FRAME 034530/0318) Recorded Nov 5, 2018
From: DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS
To: SCIENTIFIC GAMES INTERNATIONAL, INC.; BALLY GAMING, INC.; WMS GAMING INC.
Reel/Frame 047924/0701 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 11, 2018
From: SCIENTIFIC GAMES INTERNATIONAL, INC.; BALLY GAMING, INC.
To: DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 045909/0513 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 15, 2017
From: SCIENTIFIC GAMES INTERNATIONAL, INC.; BALLY GAMING, INC.
To: DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 044889/0662 →
MERGER Recorded Jul 29, 2015
From: WMS GAMING INC.
To: BALLY GAMING, INC.
Reel/Frame 036225/0464 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 4, 2014
From: BALLY GAMING, INC; SCIENTIFIC GAMES INTERNATIONAL, INC; WMS GAMING INC.
To: DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 034530/0318 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 18, 2013
From: SCIENTIFIC GAMES INTERNATIONAL, INC.; WMS GAMING INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 031847/0110 →