Gaming apparatus and systems
Gaming apparatus, e.g. an Electronic Gaming Machine (EGM) ( 1 ), includes a controller ( 2 ) for implementing e.g. a slot-machine game, a poker game or the like. The EGM ( 1 ) displays a gaming image on a display ( 5 ), e.g. virtual symbol reels or card hands, and receives player instructions via an input ( 6 ) or the like, e.g. to spin the reels or manage the cards. The EGM ( 1 ) includes a guarantee feature in which an event is guaranteed to trigger if a monitored event (e.g. of the same type as the guaranteed event) does not occur within a set amount of gameplay. A guarantee indicator ( 9 ), e.g. a numerical countdown or gauge, indicates the remaining amount of gameplay required before the guarantee feature triggers. The monitored and/or guaranteed event may be a win event or a feature event, e.g. the triggering of a bonus round, free game or the like.
1. Gaming apparatus including:
a component for monitoring a number of games played on the apparatus;
a component for monitoring an occurrence of a monitored feature event; and
a feature event guarantee component for guaranteeing that a guaranteed feature event will trigger within a set number of games,
the feature event guarantee component including: a trigger component for triggering the guaranteed feature event when the set number of games is reached without the monitored feature event having been triggered, and an indicator component for indicating a number of games remaining to be played before the guaranteed feature event will trigger.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the monitored feature event and/or guaranteed feature event includes the provision of a prize win.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the prize win is a win of a certain value or a win based on a particular set of circumstances.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the monitored feature event includes the appearance of a wild symbol.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the monitored feature event includes at least one of an extraneous game from a main game, a bonus game, a free play, a respin, a high payout game, and a luck-based feature event and/or a skills-based feature event.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the guaranteed feature event is an event from a set of possible guaranteed feature events.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the feature event guarantee component includes a reset component for resetting the guaranteed feature event or feature events to a different feature event or feature events when a guaranteed feature event is triggered and/or when a monitored feature event is triggered normally.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the monitored feature event is normally triggered randomly.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the monitored feature event is normally triggered based on a particular set of game circumstances.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the feature event guarantee component includes a reset component for resetting the number of games played if the monitored feature event is triggered before the set number of games is reached.
11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the indicator component displays a gauge on which the number of games remaining to be played is indicated.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the gauge includes a pointer on a scale.
13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the gauge is a physical gauge.
14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the indicator component displays play parameters that will apply when a guaranteed feature event is triggered.
15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one play parameter for the guaranteed feature event is determined from play parameters existing during normal play.
16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein at least one free game is provided as at least part of the guaranteed feature event and wherein the odds of winning the at least one free game are determined in dependence upon said at least one play parameter.
17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein an amount paid out as at least part of a guaranteed feature event is determined in dependence upon said at least one play parameter.
18. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one play parameter for the guaranteed feature event is determined from an average of play parameters existing during normal play.
19. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one play parameter for the guaranteed event are determined randomly.
20. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the set number of games that must be played before the guaranteed feature event is triggered is determined randomly within a set range.
21. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein two or more feature events are separately guaranteed, and wherein the indicator component provides two or more indicators, one for each guaranteed feature event.
22. The apparatus claim 1 , wherein the game run by the gaming apparatus is from the group of a slot-machine game, poker, keno, bingo, blackjack, roulette, or pachinko.
23. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is an electronic gaming machine.
24. The apparatus of claim 23 , wherein a number of games played as accrued at the conclusion of a first user's playing session continues on at the commencement of a subsequent user's playing session.
25. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus includes a central control and a plurality of remote devices in communication with the central control.
26. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the number of games played is monitored based on combined gameplay for a plurality of said devices.
27. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus includes a network of electronic devices.
28. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the guaranteed feature event includes the appearance of a wild symbol.
29. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the guaranteed feature event includes at least one of an extraneous game from a main game, a bonus game, a free play, a respin, a high payout game, a luck-based feature event and/or a skills-based feature event.
30. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one play parameter for the guaranteed feature event is determined from an average of a user's play parameters whilst the number of games played was accumulating.
31. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one play parameter for the guaranteed feature event is determined based on a user's play history.
32. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one play parameter for the guaranteed feature event is determined based on an averaging of a player's bet history.
33. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one play parameter for the guaranteed feature event is determined in dependence upon a residual or rounding amount arising from an averaging of a player's bet history.
34. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the indicator specifies the specific feature event that is guaranteed.
35. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a number of games played as accrued at the conclusion of a first user's playing session is reset at the commencement of a subsequent user's playing session.
36. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a number of games played as accrued at the conclusion of a user's playing session is stored such that the number of games played will resume from its previous level when the player returns to the game.
37. Gaming software recorded on a non-transitory recording media, said gaming software including:
a component for monitoring a number of games played;
a component for monitoring the occurrcnce an occurrence of a monitored feature event; and
a feature event guarantee component for guaranteeing that a guaranteed feature event will trigger within a set number of games, the feature guarantee component including: a trigger component for triggering the guaranteed feature event when the set number of games is reached without the monitored feature event having been triggered, and an indicator component for indicating a number of games remaining to be played before the guaranteed feature event will trigger.
38. Gaming apparatus including:
means for monitoring a number of games played on the apparatus;
means for monitoring an occurrence of a monitored feature event; and
feature event guarantee means for guaranteeing that a guaranteed feature event will trigger within a set number of games, the feature event guarantee means including: a trigger component for triggering the guaranteed feature event when the set number of games is reached without the monitored feature event having been triggered, and an indicator means for indicating a number of games remaining to be played before the guaranteed feature event will trigger.
39. Gaming apparatus according to claim 38 wherein the guaranteed feature event includes at least one free game.