SHARED SECONDARY WHEEL GAME AND METHODS
A multiple game-of-chance that occupies the same floor space as a traditional slot machine but has a spinning reel game mounted below a spinning wheel game. The game is also an outcome bank for storing outcomes from the spinning wheel game. The spinning wheel game may provide an outcome that activates the upper spinning wheel game, and the outcomes in the spinning wheel game can alter the outcome of the lower spinning reel game and also provide a bank of outcomes in the outcome bank, which can also be utilized to alter the outcome, or likely future outcomes, in the spinning wheel game. The game also utilizes a flexible, resilient, Z-shaped radial drive gear to drive each of the three wheels in the upper wheel game independently.
1 . A gaming system, comprising:
a plurality of gaming devices, each gaming device comprising a primary game including a plurality of reels, each reel having a plurality of symbols located on each reel;
a secondary wheel game including a secondary wheel, wherein the secondary wheel game is shared by the plurality of gaming devices, and wherein activating the secondary game results in generating a secondary outcome on the secondary wheel; and
a communication device operatively connecting the plurality of gaming devices with the secondary wheel game, wherein the communication device activates the secondary wheel game based upon the presence of a triggering symbol in the primary game.
2 . The gaming system of claim 1 , further comprising a means for indicating whether one of the plurality of gaming devices is interacting with the secondary wheel game.
3 . The gaming system of claim 2 , wherein the indicating means is provided on the secondary wheel game.
4 . The gaming system of claim 2 , wherein the indicating means is provided on each of the plurality of gaming devices.
5 . The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the primary game is presented on a video display.
6 . The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the secondary wheel game is presented on a video display.
7 . The gaming system of claim 6 , wherein the video display is a liquid crystal display.
8 . The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the secondary wheel is a mechanical reel.
9 . A method for managing a secondary wheel game device shared by a plurality of gaming devices, the secondary wheel game device being separate and distinct from the plurality of gaming devices, the gaming devices presenting a primary game including a triggering symbol for starting a secondary wheel game, the method comprising:
receiving a signal from a first gaming device at the secondary wheel game device, wherein the signal is a request to initiate a spin of a secondary wheel;
holding the signal from the first gaming device at the secondary wheel game device if the secondary wheel game device is generating an outcome of the secondary wheel game for another gaming device;
displaying an indicia identifying which gaming device from the plurality of gaming devices is currently interacting with the secondary wheel game device;
processing the signal from the first gaming device when the secondary wheel game device is free to respond to a new wheel spinning event; and
spinning the secondary wheel after processing the signal from the first gaming device.
10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising displaying a new indicia identifying that the first gaming device is currently interacting with the secondary wheel game device.
11 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising informing a player on the first gaming device to initiate play of the secondary wheel game device when the secondary wheel game device is available for play.