Gaming systems including viral benefit distribution
Gaming machines and systems are configured to distribute of viral events, such as viral gaming events, amongst devices. The devices can present the viral events. The devices can, for example, be gaming machines and/or mobile devices. According to one embodiment, once a viral event is triggered, it is presented at one or more first devices at a first time. The viral event spreads to other devices, such as one or more second devices where it can be presented at a later time. The viral event may continue to spread to numerous other devices. Feedback or metrics may be used to control the devices to which the viral event spreads and/or the rate of spread.
1. A method for distributing a viral benefit to an electronic device supporting a user interface, the method comprising:
determining, at one or more computing devices, whether a first viral event is to be initiated;
determining, at the one or more computing devices, a first plurality of electronic devices to distribute a first viral benefit if it is determined that the first viral event is initiated;
distributing, by the one or more computing devices, the first viral benefit to the first plurality of electronic devices, wherein the first viral benefit awards an additional payout for each winner;
determining, at the one or more computing devices, a second plurality of electronic devices to distribute a second viral benefit if it is determined that a second viral event is initiated;
distributing, by the one or more computing devices or one or more first electronic devices of the first plurality of electronic devices, the second viral benefit, to the second plurality of electronic devices;
spreading the second viral benefit to a third plurality of electronic devices; and
incubating the second viral benefit at the second plurality of electronic devices, such that the additional payout is awarded at the second plurality of electronic devices after the second viral benefit is spread to the third plurality of electronic devices,
wherein the additional payout awarded for each winner is based on an amount wagered at the first plurality of electronic devices,
wherein the first plurality of electronic includes at least first gaming table, and the second plurality of electronic devices includes at least a second gaming table.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the distributing of the first viral benefit to the first plurality of electronic devices is based on an eligibility determination of the first plurality of electronic devices.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the distributing of the second viral benefit to the second plurality of electronic devices is based on an eligibility determination of the second plurality of electronic devices.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the eligibility determination of the second viral benefit to the second plurality of gaming devices is based on a presence of a side wager or a maximum wager, a player's duration of play, a membership status, or random selection.
5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the eligibility determination of the first viral benefit for the first plurality of gaming devices is based on a presence of a side wager or a maximum wager, a player's duration of play, a membership status, or random selection.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the incubating of the second viral benefit at the second plurality of electronic devices comprises providing a viral benefit alert at the second plurality of electronic devices prior to the second viral benefit being spread to the third plurality of electronic devices, but not awarding the additional payout at the second plurality of electronic devices until after the second viral benefit is spread to the third plurality of electronic devices, the viral benefit alert indicating that the second viral benefit has been spread to the second plurality of electronic devices.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising illuminating a distribution path from the first plurality of electronic devices to the second plurality of electronic devices using lights positioned between the first plurality of electronic devices and the second plurality of electronic devices.
8. A method for distributing a viral benefit to gaming devices, the method comprising:
determining, at one or more computing devices, whether to initiate a first viral event;
determining, at the one or more computing devices, a first viral benefit to distribute to one or more first gaming devices of a first plurality of gaming devices if it is determined that the first viral event is initiated;
distributing the first viral benefit to the one or more first gaming devices so that the first viral benefit is able to be displayed by each of the one or more first gaming devices, wherein the distributing of the first viral benefit is based on an eligibility determination of the one or more first gaming devices;
determining, at the one or more computing devices, whether to distribute a second viral benefit to one or more second gaming devices of a second plurality of gaming devices;
distributing the second viral benefit to the one or more second gaming devices if it is determined that the second viral benefit to the one or more second gaming devices is to be distributed so that the second viral benefit is able to be displayed by each of the one or more second gaming devices;
spreading the second viral benefit to one or more third gaming devices; and
incubating the second viral benefit at the one or more second gaming devices, such that an additional payout is awarded at the one or more second gaming devices after the second viral benefit is spread to the one or more third gaming devices,
wherein the first plurality of gaming devices includes at least a first gaming table, and the second plurality of gaming devices includes at least a second gaming table.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the determining whether to initiate the first viral event comprises determining whether a viral gaming event is to be initiated on at least one of the first plurality of gaming devices.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the distributing of the second viral benefit to each of the one or more second gaming devices is based on a random selection of the one or more second gaming devices from the second plurality of gaming devices.
11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the determining whether to distribute the second viral benefit to the one or more second gaming devices is based on a proximity location of the second plurality of gaming devices to the first plurality of gaming devices.
12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first plurality of gaming devices or the second plurality of gaming devices are gaming tables.
13. The method of claim 8 , wherein at least one first gaming device of the one or more first gaming devices or at least one second gaming device of the one or more second gaming devices is a gaming table or a mobile device.
14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the distributing of the first viral benefit to the one or more first gaming devices occurs at a time T1 and the distributing the second viral benefit to the one or more second gaming devices occurs at a time T2, time T2 occurring at a time later than time T1.
15. The method of claim 8 , wherein the eligibility determination of the first viral benefit is based on a player's duration of play, or based on a presence of a side wager or maximum wager, and
wherein the first viral benefit is a traveling bonus that awards the additional payout for each winning player.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the traveling bonus is a progressive jackpot.
17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the additional payout awarded is based on an amount wagered by a player at the one or more first gaming devices.
18. The method of claim 8 , wherein the determining whether to initiate the first viral event comprises determining whether a viral gaming event is to be initiated on at least one gaming device of the first plurality of gaming devices, and wherein at least one first gaming device of the one or more first gaming devices is a mobile device.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the mobile device can participate in the viral gaming event without any wager.
20. A method for distributing a viral gaming event to gaming tables, the method comprising:
determining, at one or more computing devices, whether to initiate a viral gaming event;
determining, at the one or more computing devices, a first viral gaming event to distribute to a first subset of gaming tables selected from a plurality of gaming tables if it is determined that the viral gaming event is initiated, wherein the first viral gaming event is a traveling bonus that awards an additional payout for each winner;
distributing the first viral gaming event to the first subset of gaming tables so that the first viral gaming event is able to be displayed by each first gaming table of the first subset of gaming tables;
spreading the first viral gaming event to a second subset of gaming tables; and
incubating the first viral gaming event at the first subset of gaming tables, such that the additional payout is awarded at the second subset of gaming tables after the first viral gaming event is spread to the second subset of gaming tables,
wherein the additional payout awarded for the traveling bonus scales based on an amount wagered by a player at the first subset of gaming tables.
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the determining whether to initiate the viral gaming event is random and not dependent on a base game being played at any of the first subset of gaming tables.
22. The method of claim 20 , wherein the first viral gaming event includes a bonus event or a progressive jackpot event.
23. The method of claim 20 , wherein the first viral gaming event pertains to a secondary game.
24. The method of claim 20 , wherein the first viral gaming event is one of a bonus alert, a progressive jackpot, a promotional message, an advertisement, a group message, a music clip, or a video clip.
25. The method of claim 20 , wherein the traveling bonus is available to one or more players at the first subset of gaming tables but only for a limited amount of time.
26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the method comprises:
rendering the first viral benefit to the one or more players at the first subset of gaming tables that have placed a side wager.
27. The method of claim 20 , wherein display of the viral gaming event comprises display of a bonus wheel.
28. The method of claim 27 , wherein the bonus wheel is a community bonus wheel shared by multiple players.