Method and apparatus for placement of a product or service in a gaming system
View Patent ↗There is described herein methods and apparatuses for the placement of offerings in gaming systems. According to an embodiment of a method, a game on a gaming system is operated by at least one processor, where the game includes one or more generic elements. A branded element is dynamically substituted for a selected one of the generic elements of the game during operation of the gaming system, where the branded element serves to advertise a product or service of a third party. Systems for establishing and tracking and controlling placements are also described.
1. A computer-implemented method of operating a wagering game on a gaming system, the wagering game including a first plurality of symbols that includes one or more generic symbols, the method comprising:
receiving, via at least one of one or more input devices, an input indicative of a wager initiating the wagering game;
dynamically substituting, by at least one of one or more processors and during operation of the gaming system, a branded symbol for a selected one of the one or more generic symbols of the first plurality of symbols to form a second plurality of symbols, the branded symbol advertising a product or service of a third party;
randomly selecting, via at least one processor of the one or more processors, a game outcome of the wagering game; and
displaying to a player, via at least one of one or more display devices, one or more symbols of the second plurality of symbols that represent the randomly selected game outcome.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising compensating, by at least one of the one or more processors, a provider of the game or the gaming system for the substituting.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the third party provides the compensation.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising rewarding, by at least one of the one or more processors, the player with a reward for viewing the branded symbol one or more times during play of the game.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the rewarding occurs in response to the player viewing the branded symbol a minimum number of times during play of the game.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the branded symbol is at least one of the one or more displayed symbols that represent the randomly selected game outcome.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the branded symbol is of the same type as the generic symbol.
8. A gaming system configured to operate a wagering game, the wagering game including a first plurality of symbols that includes one or more generic symbols, the gaming system comprising:
one or more input devices;
one or more display devices;
one or more processors; and
one or more memory devices storing instructions which, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause the gaming system to:
receive, via at least one of the one or more input devices, an input indicative of a wager initiating a wagering game;
dynamically substitute a branded symbol for a selected one of the one or more generic symbols of the first plurality of symbols to form a second plurality of symbols, the branded symbol advertising a product or service of a third party;
randomly select a game outcome; and
display to a player, via at least one of the one or more display devices, one or more symbols of the second plurality of symbols that represent the randomly selected game outcome.
9. The gaming system of claim 8 , wherein the instructions further cause the gaming system to compensate a provider of the game or the gaming system for the substituting.
10. The gaming system of claim 9 , wherein the third party provides the compensation.
11. The gaming system of claim 8 , wherein the instructions further cause the gaming system to reward a player of the game for viewing the branded symbol one or more times during play of the game.
12. The gaming system of claim 11 , wherein the reward is subsidized by the third party.
13. The gaming system of claim 11 , wherein the rewarding occurs in response to the player viewing the branded symbol a number of times during play of the game.
14. The gaming system of claim 8 , wherein the branded symbol is of the same type as the generic element.
15. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed by one or more processors, cause a gaming system to perform a method comprising:
receiving, via at least one of one or more input devices, an input indicative of a wager initiating a wagering game including a first plurality of symbols that includes one or more generic symbols;
dynamically substitute, during operation of the gaming system, a branded symbol for a selected one of the one or more generic symbols of the first plurality of symbols to form a second plurality of symbols, the branded symbol advertising a product or service of a third party;
randomly select a game outcome of the wagering game; and
display, via at least one of one or more display devices, one or more symbols of the second plurality of symbols that represent the randomly selected game outcome.
16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions cause the gaming system to compensate a provider of the game or the gaming system for the substituting.
17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the third party provides the compensation.
18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions cause the machine to reward a player of the game for viewing the branded symbol one or more times during play of the game.
19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the branded element is at least one of one or more displayed symbols representing a game outcome.
20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the rewarding occurs in response to the player viewing the branded symbol a number of times during play of the game.