Gaming system and gaming machines utilizing cash tickets having a feature trigger
View Patent ↗A casino gaming system includes gaming machines which are configured to accept and read tickets. The ticket may comprise cash-value tickets or non-cash value tickets. The tickets may also include secondary feature triggering indicia. A player may obtain a ticket from a system kiosk. The player may then present that ticket to a gaming machine, such as by inserting it into a media reader such as a bill acceptor. Associated monetary value or non-monetary credits may be credited to the machine. In addition, if the ticket includes a feature triggering indicia, when such an indicia is detected, the gaming machine preferably triggers or initiates the feature.
1. A method of presenting a feature at a wagering gaming device, the method comprising the steps of:
issuing a ticket from a ticket-dispensing kiosk, said ticket having first information associated therewith pertaining to a number of non-monetary virtual credits associated with said ticket and said ticket having at least one feature triggering indicia;
accepting said ticket at a media reader associated with said wagering gaming device;
crediting the non-monetary virtual credits associated with said ticket to said gaming device; and
triggering at least one feature at said wagering gaming device in response to the presence of said at least one feature triggering indicia.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the non-monetary virtual credits comprise credits for virtual objects used by a predetermined game type.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the non-monetary virtual credits comprise credits needed to achieve a predetermined game level and/or game component.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the non-monetary virtual credits comprise points which are tracked separately from monetary credits usable to place wagers at said gaming device.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the feature triggering indicia is a logo in a predefined location on the ticket.
6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the wagering gaming device comprises a gaming table at which one or more table-based wagering games are presented.
7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the triggering of the at least one feature comprises at least one of adding monetary credits or increasing a monetary credit balance, adding non-monetary credits or increasing a non-monetary credit balance, providing special pay tables, providing special game screens, providing special information to be presented to a player on a display of the wagering gaming device, and providing special side or bonus games.
8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one feature triggering indicia is printed by the ticket-dispensing kiosk.
9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one feature triggering indicia is pre-printed on the ticket before being issued by the ticket-dispensing kiosk.
10. A gaming system comprising:
a server configured to generate feature triggering indicia;
a kiosk communicatively coupled with said server and configured to create a ticket incorporating the generated feature triggering indicia; and
a gaming device communicatively coupled with the server and the kiosk, the gaming device configured to:
determine if the generated feature triggering indicia is present on the ticket; and
if the generated feature triggering indicia is present on the ticket, trigger a feature.
11. The gaming system according to claim 10 , wherein the ticket created by the kiosk is an electronic ticket, and the kiosk is configured to transmit the electronic ticket to a player's mobile device.
12. The gaming system according to claim 11 , wherein the electronic ticket is displayed on a display of the player's mobile device, and the gaming device comprises optical image reader configured to capture and accept the electronic ticket displayed on the display of the player's mobile device.
13. The gaming system according to claim 11 , wherein the gaming device includes a transceiver configured to transmit and receive information from the player's mobile device, and the gaming device is configured to accept the electronic ticket via the transceiver.
14. The gaming system according to claim 10 , wherein the gaming device is further configured to validate the generated feature triggering indicia on the ticket using the server.
15. The gaming system according to claim 14 , wherein the server is further configured to:
receive the generated feature triggering indicia from the gaming device;
determine if the generated feature triggering indicia is valid; and
if the generated feature triggering indicia is valid, provide instructions to implement the feature.
16. The gaming system according to claim 15 , wherein the server is further configured to close the generated feature triggering indicia from further use if the generated feature triggering indicia is valid.
17. The gaming system according to claim 10 , wherein the server is further configured to generate feature triggering indicia only during predetermined time periods.
18. The gaming system according to claim 10 , wherein the kiosk incorporates the generated feature triggering indicia based on a monetary value of the created ticket.
19. The gaming system according to claim 10 , wherein the generated feature triggering indicia incorporated on the created ticket triggers one of a plurality of features of the gaming device, and the triggered feature is one of the plurality of features that is selected randomly by the gaming device when the generated feature triggering indicia is present on the ticket.
20. The gaming system according to claim 10 , wherein said gaming device comprises a gaming table at which one or more tables games are presented, wherein said ticket is accepted at a ticket reading device associated with said gaming table and said feature is implemented at said table.