IP Library Granted Patent US 9,251,668
Granted Patent B2
US 9,251,668 · App. 13/803,297 · Granted Feb 2, 2016

Wagering game with multiple overlying reel strips for triggering events or outcomes

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,251,668
App. No.
13/803,297
Granted
Feb 2, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method is provided for enabling a portal game on a wagering game device, the method including the acts of using a processor operatively associated with the wagering game device to conduct a wagering game on the wagering game device in accord with a first math model and using a portal game controller, which may be the processor operatively associated with the wagering game device or a separate controller operatively associated with both the portal game and the wagering game device, to overlay a portal game over the wagering game, the portal game having a second math model that is mathematically independent from the first math model of the wagering game.

Claims (35)

1. A method for enabling a portal game on a wagering game device including an electronic display device and one or more electronic input devices, the method comprising the acts of:

detecting, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices, a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance;

initiating the casino wagering game in response to an input indicative of a wager covered by the credit balance, the casino wagering game being conducted

in accord with a first math model via a processor operatively associated with the wagering game device; and

using a portal game controller, which may be the processor operatively associated with the wagering game device or a separate controller operatively associated with both the portal game and the wagering game device, overlaying a portal game over the wagering game, the portal game comprising a second math model that is mathematically independent from the first math model of the wagering game,

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

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the portal game comprises generating and displaying at least one symbol, sub-symbol, watermark, light or backlight, in accord with the second math model, in visual association with at least one symbol in the wagering game.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least one portal-game symbol, sub-symbol, or watermark is displayed over or under the corresponding at least one wagering-game symbol to which such at least one portal-game symbol, sub-symbol, or watermark is associated.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least one portal-game symbol, sub-symbol, or watermark is displayed adjacent the corresponding at least one wagering-game symbol to which such at least one portal-game symbol, sub-symbol, or watermark is associated.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least one portal-game symbol, sub-symbol, watermark, light or backlight, is utilized to indicate a portal-game trigger condition has been satisfied on the wagering-game device.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least one portal-game symbol, sub-symbol, watermark, light or backlight, is utilized to indicate a randomly selected portal-game winning outcome has been achieved on the wagering-game device.

7. A portal game enabled gaming system comprising:

a wagering game device including an electronic display device and one or more electronic input devices configured to conduct a wagering game and to display the wagering game on the electronic display device; and

a processor operatively associated with the wagering game device, the processor being configured to detect, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices, a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance and to initiate the wagering game on the wagering game device, in accord with a first math model, in response to an input indicative of a wager covered by the credit balance; and

a portal game controller, which may be the processor operatively associated with the wagering game device or a separate controller operatively associated with both the portal game and the wagering game device, configured to overlay a portal game over the wagering game, the portal game comprising a second math model that is mathematically independent from the first math model of the wagering game.

8. The portal game enabled gaming system according to claim 7 , wherein the wagering game comprises a reel-based wagering game displaying on the wagering game display device wagering game outcomes in a 3×5 array or a 4×5 array.

9. The portal game enabled gaming system according to claim 7 , wherein the wagering game comprises a reel-based wagering game displaying on the wagering game display device wagering outcomes in an array having an equal number of displayed elements in a wagering game outcome.

10. The portal game enabled gaming system according to claim 7 , wherein the portal game generates and displays on the wagering game display device at least one symbol, sub-symbol, watermark, light or backlight, in accord with the second math model, in visual association with a symbol in the wagering game.

11. The portal game enabled gaming system according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one portal-game symbols, sub-symbols, or watermarks are displayed on the wagering game display device over or under the corresponding wagering-game symbols to which such portal-game symbols, sub-symbols, or watermarks are associated.

12. The portal game enabled gaming system according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one portal-game symbols, sub-symbols, or watermarks are displayed on the wagering game display device adjacent the corresponding wagering-game symbols to which such portal-game symbols, sub-symbols, or watermarks are associated.

13. The portal game enabled gaming system according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one portal-game symbol, sub-symbol, watermark, light or backlight, is utilized to indicate a portal-game trigger condition has been satisfied on the wagering-game device.

14. The portal game enabled gaming system according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one portal-game symbol, sub-symbol, watermark, light or backlight, is utilized to indicate a randomly selected portal-game winning outcome has been achieved on the wagering-game device.

15. One or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors operatively associated with a wagering game device including an electronic display device and one or more electronic input devices, the one or more processors comprising a portal game controller, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

detecting, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices, a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance and initiating the casino wagering game in response to an input indicative of a wager covered by the credit balance, the wagering game being conducted in accord with a first math model; and

using the portal game controller to overlay a portal game over the wagering game, the portal game comprising a second math model that is mathematically independent from the first math model of the wagering game.

16. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media according to claim 15 , further including instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

generating and displaying on the electronic display device of the wagering game device, in association with the portal game, at least one symbol, sub-symbol, watermark, light or backlight, in accord with the second math model, in visual association with at least one symbol in the wagering game.

17. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media according to claim 16 , further including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

generating and displaying on the electronic display device of the wagering game, in association with the portal game, at least one portal-game symbol, sub-symbol, or watermark over or under the corresponding the at least one wagering-game symbol to which such the at least one portal-game symbol, sub-symbol, or watermark is associated.

18. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media according to claim 16 , further including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

generating and displaying on the electronic display device of the wagering game, in association with the portal game, the at least one portal-game symbol, sub-symbol, or watermark adjacent the corresponding the at least one wagering-game symbol to which such the at least one portal-game symbol, sub-symbol, or watermark is associated.

19. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media according to claim 16 , further including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

generating and displaying on the electronic display device of the wagering game, in association with the portal game, at least one portal-game symbol, sub-symbol, watermark, light or backlight, to indicate a portal-game trigger condition has been satisfied on the wagering-game device.

20. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media according to claim 16 , further including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

generating and displaying on the electronic display device of the wagering game, in association with the portal game, at least one portal-game symbol, sub-symbol, watermark, light or backlight, to indicate a randomly selected portal-game winning outcome has been achieved on the wagering-game device.

Assignments (10)
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 23, 2025
From: LNW GAMING, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 071340/0404 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 7, 2023
From: SG GAMING, INC.
To: LNW GAMING, INC.
Reel/Frame 062669/0341 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 22, 2022
From: SG GAMING INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 059793/0001 →
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 051649/0239 →
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 Aug 13, 2015
From: WMS GAMING INC.
To: BALLY GAMING, INC.
Reel/Frame 036322/0399 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 24, 2015
From: COLLETTE, SHAWN C.; SCHULTZ, BRAD; JAFFE, JOEL R.; MASTROPIETRO, MICHAEL W.
To: WMS GAMING INC.
Reel/Frame 036177/0912 →
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 →