Gaming system and method for providing a roulette game with visual effects

1. A roulette gaming system comprising:

a plurality of player stations, each configured to accept a physical item associated with a monetary wager;

a roulette wheel assemblage comprising a roulette wheel;

a game controller;

at least one memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the game controller, cause the game controller to:

a) receive a communication from at least one of the plurality of player stations indicating a wager has been accepted for a play of a roulette game;

b) cause the roulette wheel to spin;

c) cause a roulette ball to be launched; and

d) cause a graphical processing unit to:

i. determine a first future location and a different second future location of the launched ball;

ii. cause a first visual effect to be displayed at a first position on the roulette wheel assemblage, the first position being based on the determined first future location of the launched ball; and

iii. cause the first visual effect to be displayed at a different second position on the roulette wheel assemblage, the second position being based on the determined second future location of the launched ball;

e) determine a game outcome from the play of the roulette game; and

f) communicate the game outcome to the at least one player station.

2. The roulette gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the game controller causes the graphical processing unit to:

determine a first future angle and a different second future angle of the spinning roulette wheel;

cause a second visual effect to be displayed on the roulette wheel assemblage at a first orientation of the spinning roulette wheel, the first orientation being based on the determined first future angle; and

cause the second visual effect to be displayed on the roulette wheel assemblage at a different second orientation on the spinning roulette wheel, the second orientation being based on the determined second future angle.

3. The roulette gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the first visual effect is displayed by a digital projector.

4. The roulette gaming system of claim 1 , wherein a third visual effect is caused to be displayed on the roulette wheel assemblage at a time when the roulette wheel is not spinning.

5. The roulette gaming system of claim 1 , wherein a bonus visual effect is caused to be displayed on the roulette wheel assemblage during the play of the roulette game to indicate that a determined outcome may cause a modified win for a player.

6. The roulette gaming system of claim 5 , wherein the bonus visual effect indicates a bonus pocket on the spinning roulette wheel.

7. The roulette gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one player station provides an award to a player when the determined outcome is a winning outcome.

8. The roulette gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the graphical processing unit causes the first visual effect to cease being displayed prior to the roulette ball coming to rest in a pocket of the roulette wheel.

9. The roulette gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the first future location and the second future location are determined based on information received from a high-speed camera.

10. A roulette gaming system comprising:

a plurality of player stations, each configured to accept a physical item associated with a monetary wager;

a roulette wheel assemblage comprising a roulette wheel;

a game controller;

at least one memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the game controller, cause the game controller to:

a) receive a communication from at least one of the plurality of player stations indicating a wager has been accepted for a play of a roulette game;

b) cause the roulette wheel to spin;

c) cause a roulette ball to be launched; and

d) cause a graphical processing unit to:

i. determine a first future angle and a different second future angle of the spinning roulette wheel;

ii. cause a wheel visual effect to be displayed at a first orientation of the spinning roulette wheel, the first orientation being based on the determined first future angle; and

iii. cause the wheel visual effect to be displayed on the roulette wheel assemblage at a different second orientation of the spinning roulette wheel, the second orientation being based on the determined second future angle;

e) determine a game outcome from the play of the roulette game; and

f) communicate the game outcome to the at least one player station.

11. The roulette gaming system of claim 10 , wherein the wheel visual effect is displayed by a digital projector.

12. The roulette gaming system of claim 11 , wherein the game controller causes the graphical processing unit to:

determine a first future location and a different second future location of the launched ball;

cause a ball visual effect to be displayed at a first position on the roulette wheel assemblage, the first position being based on the determined first future location of the launched ball; and

cause the ball visual effect to be displayed at a different second position on the roulette wheel assemblage, the second position being based on the determined second future location of the launched ball.

13. The roulette gaming system of claim 10 , wherein a stationary visual effect is caused to be displayed on the roulette wheel assemblage at a time when the roulette wheel is not spinning.

14. The roulette gaming system of claim 10 , wherein a bonus visual effect is caused to be displayed on the roulette wheel assemblage during the play of the roulette game to indicate that a determined outcome may cause a modified win for a player.

15. The roulette gaming system of claim 14 , wherein the bonus visual effect indicates a bonus pocket on the spinning roulette wheel.

16. The roulette gaming system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one player station provides an award to a player when the determined outcome is a winning outcome.

17. The roulette gaming system of claim 10 , wherein the first future angle and the second future angle are determined based at least in part on information received from a wheel sensor.

18. A method of controlling a roulette gaming system, the method comprising:

receiving a communication from at least one of a plurality of player stations indicating a wager has been accepted for a play of a roulette game;

causing a roulette wheel housed within a roulette wheel assemblage to spin;

causing a roulette ball to be launched;

determining a first future position of a component of the roulette game;

determining a different second future position of the component of the roulette game;

causing a visual effect to be displayed at a first position on the roulette wheel assemblage, the first position based on the determined first future location;

causing the visual effect to be displayed at a different second position on the roulette wheel assemblage, the second position based on the determined second future location;

determining a game outcome for the play of the roulette game; and

communicating the game outcome to the at least one player station.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the component of the roulette game comprises a location of the launched roulette ball.

20. the method of claim 18 , wherein the component of the roulette game comprises an angle of the spinning roulette wheel.