Means for controlling payback percentage of gaming device
View Patent ↗Embodiments of the present concept provide means to control the payback percentage of games being played on gaming devices. In one example, a gaming device includes a processor configured to initiate a payback-controlling event and determine a game outcome to display on the game display in response to a gaming event being initiated. Here, the determined game outcome is a payback-controlling outcome when the payback-controlling event satisfies the payback-controlling criterion, and the determined game outcome is a game outcome determined from the base-game paytable when the payback-controlling event does not satisfy the payback-controlling criterion.
1. A method of determining an outcome of a play of a game played on an electronic gaming device, the method comprising:
receiving credits from the player at the electronic gaming device via at least one of a coin acceptor and a bill acceptor associated with the electronic gaming device;
receiving an input from the player via a button associated with the electronic gaming device to wager at least one of the received credits on an outcome of the game played on the electronic gaming device;
receiving an input that initiates the play;
determining via a processor controlled by program code stored in a memory, if a payback-lowering event has taken place, and if so, under control of the processor:
initiating a first process that generates either a first result or a second result, including:
randomly selecting a value within a predetermined range;
comparing the selected value with a predefined criterion;
indicating the first result when the selected value satisfies the predefined criterion; and
indicating the second result when the selected value does not satisfy the predefined criterion;
selecting a losing game-play outcome when the first process generates the first result;
initiating a second process that randomly selects one of a plurality of winning and losing game-play outcomes using a base game paytable that includes the plurality of winning and losing game-play outcomes when the first process generates the second result;
displaying the selected game-play outcome; and
distributing any awards associated with the selected game-play outcome via a ticket printed by a ticket printer;
if a payback-lowering event has not taken place, determining via the processor controlled by the program code stored in the memory, if a payback-raising event has taken place, and if so, under control of the processor:
initiating a third process that generates either a third result or a fourth result, including:
randomly selecting a value within a predetermined range;
comparing the selected value with a predefined criterion;
indicating the third result when the selected value satisfies the predefined criterion; and
indicating the fourth result when the selected value does not satisfy the predefined criterion;
awarding at least one of a free game and a bonus when the second process generates the third result;
initiating a fourth process that randomly selects one of a plurality of winning and losing game-play outcomes using a base game paytable that includes the plurality of winning and losing game-play outcomes when the second process generates the third and fourth result;
displaying the selected game-play outcome;
using the same base game paytable without altering the weights or payback percentage of the base game paytable;
distributing any awards associated with the selected game-play outcome via a ticket printed by a ticket printer.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting a losing game-play outcome when the first process generates the first result includes:
randomly selecting a game-play outcome;
determining if the selected game-play outcome is a losing outcome; and
repeating the random selection and determination processes when a losing game-play outcome is not selected.
3. The method of claim 2 further comprising performing the method for each play of the game.
4. The method of claim 1 further including:
initiating the first process a plurality of times;
generating a corresponding plurality of results; and
generating the first result for a predetermined percentage of the plurality of results.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising performing the method for each play of the game.
6. The method of claim 1 where the plurality of winning and losing game-play outcomes each comprise a predefined number of symbols regardless of the value of the predefined criterion in the payback-lowering event.
7. The method of claim 1 where the plurality of winning and losing game-play outcomes each comprise a predefined number of symbols regardless of the value of the predefined criterion in the payback-raising event.
8. The method of claim 7 where the plurality of winning and losing game-play outcomes each comprise a predefined number of symbols regardless of the value of the predefined criterion in the payback-lowering event.