Event-based scheduling of wagering game events
View Patent ↗Wagering game systems and methods are disclosed in which the occurrence of a triggering event causes a community game to begin. Further, the occurrence of an event may cause a wagering game or wagering game service such as a progressive game to be reconfigured.
1. A computer-implemented method of initiating a community game on a gaming system including one or more gaming machines, the method comprising:
receiving, via one or more input devices, an input indicative of a wager to initiate a respective wagering game on each of the one or more gaming machines;
displaying, via one or more display devices, a wagering game on each of the one or more gaming machines;
detecting, via one or more processors, a triggering event that is independent of a game event occurring in any wagering game being displayed on the one or more gaming machines, the triggering event comprising a non-random event associated with an identity of one or more players at the one or more gaming machines; and
conducting a community game in response to detecting the triggering event.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the triggering event comprises the presence of a particular player at one of the one or more gaming machines.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the triggering event comprises the presence of a particular class of player at at least one of the one or more gaming machines.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the triggering event further comprises a server detected event.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the triggering event further comprises the presence of at least a predetermined number of players having at least a predetermined class level at at least the predetermined number of the one or more gaming machines.
6. A computer-implemented method of reconfiguring a gaming machine on a gaming system, the method comprising:
receiving, via one or more display devices, an input indicative of a wager to initiate a respective wagering game on each of the one or more gaming machines;
displaying, via one or more display devices, a wagering game on each of the one or more gaming machines;
detecting, via one or more processors, a triggering event that is independent of a game event occurring in any wagering game being displayed on the one or more gaming machines, the triggering event comprising a non-random event associated with an identity of one or more players at the one or more gaming machines; and
reconfiguring a wagering game machine component of at least one of the one or more gaming machines in response to detecting the triggering event.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the triggering event further comprises a passage of a predetermined amount of time since a designated event.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the triggering event further comprises a number of game credits on the one or more gaming machines exceeding a predetermined amount.
9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the triggering event further comprises a game play frequency at the one or more gaming machines exceeding a predetermined amount.
10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the triggering event further comprises an actual hold or actual payback percentage reaching a predetermined threshold on the one or more gaming machines.
11. The method of claim 6 , wherein the triggering event further comprises a number of base wagering games being played on the one or more gaming machines exceeding a predetermined amount.
12. A gaming system including a community gaming event, the gaming system comprising:
a community game server communicably connected to one or more gaming machines;
one or more display devices;
one or more input devices;
one or more processors; and
one or more memory devices storing instructions that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause the gaming system to:
receive, via at least one of the one or more input devices, an input indicative of a wager initiating a respective wagering game on each of the one or more gaming machines;
display, via at least one or the one or more display devices, a wagering game on each of the one or more gaming machines;
detect, via at least one of the one or more processors, a triggering event that is independent of a game event occurring in any wagering game being displayed on the one or more gaming machines, the triggering event comprising a non-random event associated with an identity of one or more players at the one or more gaming machines; and
initiating, via the community server, a community game in response to detecting the triggering event.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the triggering event comprises the presence of a particular player at one of the one or more gaming machines.
14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the triggering event comprises the presence of a particular class of player at at least one of the one or more gaming machines.
15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the triggering event further comprises the presence of at least a predetermined number of players having at least a predetermined class level at at least one of the one or more gaming machines.
16. The system of claim 12 , further comprising a server operable to maintain configuration data defining one or more triggering events.
17. The system of claim 16 , further comprising a user interface operable to create, read, update or delete portions of the configuration data.
18. A machine-readable, non-transitory medium having machine-executable instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when executed by at least one processor in a gaming system, cause the gaming system to perform a method comprising:
receiving, via one or more display devices, an input indicative of a wager to initiate a respective wagering game on each of the one or more gaming machines;
displaying, via one or more display devices, a wagering game on each of the one or more gaming machines;
detecting, via one or more processors, a triggering event that is independent of a game event occurring in any of wagering game being displayed on the one or more gaming machines, the triggering event comprising a non-random event associated with an identity of one or more players at the one or more gaming machines; and
conducting a community game in response to detecting the triggering event.