U.S. patent application number 12/295023 was filed with the patent office on 2009-11-19 for methods and apparatus for facilitating flat rate play sessions.
Invention is credited to Jay S. Walker.
Application Number | 20090286585 12/295023 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39710525 |
Filed Date | 2009-11-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090286585 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Walker; Jay S. |
November 19, 2009 |
METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING FLAT RATE PLAY SESSIONS
Abstract
In accordance with one embodiment, a video roulette flat rate
play session is facilitated. The flat rate play session may be
associated with at least one of a wagering restriction applied to
one or more bets during the flat rate play session and a net
maximum payout per spin applicable to one or more bets during the
flat rate play session. In one embodiment, a player is provided
with a plurality of wagering units at the beginning of the session.
A monetary value of the plurality of wagering units may be greater
than a monetary value of a flat rate price paid for the flat rate
play session.
Inventors: |
Walker; Jay S.; (Ridgefield,
CT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WALKER DIGITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC
2 HIGH RIDGE PARK
STAMFORD
CT
06905
US
|
Family ID: |
39710525 |
Appl. No.: |
12/295023 |
Filed: |
February 22, 2008 |
PCT Filed: |
February 22, 2008 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/US08/54728 |
371 Date: |
September 29, 2008 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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60891154 |
Feb 22, 2007 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
463/17 ; 463/20;
463/42; 463/43 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G07F 17/32 20130101;
G07F 17/3244 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
463/17 ; 463/42;
463/43; 463/20 |
International
Class: |
A63F 9/24 20060101
A63F009/24 |
Claims
1. An apparatus for facilitating a wagering game, comprising: a
processor operable to facilitate a wagering game; a memory storing
a program, the memory operable to communicate with the processor; a
display for outputting representations of a video roulette wagering
game; the processor operable with the memory to: determine a player
has purchased and is participating in a flat rate play session of
the video roulette game, the flat rate play session being defined
by a restriction and a maximum net payout per spin: recognize a bet
requested by the player; perform a spin of the video roulette game;
determine a result of the spin; determine whether the bet is a
winner; determine, if the bet is a winner, an initial payout to the
player for the spin; determine whether the initial payout is
greater than the maximum net payout; and provide the initial payout
to the player if the initial payout is not greater than the maximum
net payout, otherwise providing the maximum net payout to the
player in place of the initial payout.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further
operable with the program to: determine whether the bet is
compatible with the restriction; reject the bet if the bet is not
compatible with the restriction.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor if further
operable with the program to: determine a number of spins
comprising the flat rate play session; and display via the display
the number of spins comprising the flat rate play session.
4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising: upon an occurrence
of each spin in the session, decrementing by one the number of
spins remaining.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further
operable with the program to: receive a payment for the flat rate
play session, the payment comprising a flat rate price that is less
than the sum of the wager available for placement during the
session.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further
operable with the program to: provide, at a beginning of the flat
rate play session, a plurality of wagering units to the player for
wagering during the flat rate play session, wherein a monetary
value of the wagering units provided is greater than a monetary
value of a price paid for the flat rate play session.
7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the wagering units provided
are non-cashable.
8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processor being operable
with the program to provide a plurality of wagering units to the
player comprises the processor being operable with the program to:
provide a first number of a first category of wagering units to the
player, wherein the first category of wagering units corresponds to
a first wagering restriction imposed upon the player during the
session; and providing a second number of a first category of
wagering units to the player, wherein the second category of
wagering units corresponds to a second wagering restriction imposed
upon the player during the session.
9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor if further
operable with the program to, upon recognizing a bet requested by
the player: determine whether a wagering unit being used for the
bet is of the first category or of the second category; determine
the wagering restriction associated with the category of the
wagering unit being used for the bet; determine whether the bet
requested by the player is consistent with the restriction; and
reject the bet if the bet is not consistent with the
restriction.
10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further
operable with the program to: recognize a request for cashout by
the player; determine monetary value due to the player as a result
of the session; and output the monetary value to the player in a
cashable form.
11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor being operable
with the program to determine a monetary value due to the player
comprises the processor being operable with the program to:
determine a starting balance of wagering units provided to the
player at a beginning of the flat rate play session; determine a
current balance of wagering units; and dispense any value of the
current balance above the starting balance.
12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor if further
operable with the program to: determine, upon a completion of a
spin of the session, whether the player qualifies for a jackpot
payout based upon a result of the spin and a result of at least one
previous spin.
13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flat rate play session is
defined by both a maximum net payout per spin and a maximum net
payout for outside bets per spin.
14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor is further
operable with the program to: determine whether the bet is an
outside bet; and if the bet is an outside bet, determine whether
the initial payout is greater than the maximum net payout for
outside bets.
15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein providing the initial payout
to the player and providing the maximum net payout to the player
both include returning a wager placed on the bet to the player.
16. An apparatus for facilitating a video roulette wagering game,
comprising: a processor operable to facilitate a wagering game; a
memory storing a program, the memory operable to communicate with
the processor; a display for outputting representations of a video
roulette wagering game; the processor operable with the memory to:
determine a player has purchased and is participating in a flat
rate play session of the video roulette game, the flat rate play
session being defined by a wagering restriction: recognize a bet
requested by the player; determine whether the bet is compatible
with the wagering restriction; and reject the bet if the bet is not
compatible with the wagering restriction.
17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor if further
operable with the program to: determine a number of spins
comprising the flat rate play session; and display via the display
the number of spins comprising the flat rate play session.
18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising: upon an
occurrence of each spin in the session, decrementing by one the
number of spins remaining.
19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is further
operable with the program to: receive a payment for the flat rate
play session, the payment comprising a flat rate price that is less
than the sum of the wager available for placement during the
session.
20. An apparatus for facilitating a video roulette wagering game,
comprising: a processor operable to facilitate a wagering game; a
memory storing a program, the memory operable to communicate with
the processor; a display for outputting representations of a video
roulette wagering game; the processor operable with the memory to:
output, via the display, a menu of available flat rate play
sessions of a video roulette wagering game, wherein each flat rate
play session is defined by a flat rate price and a plurality of
wagering unite to be provided to the player for wagering during the
flat rate play session, a monetary value of the plurality of
wagering units being greater than a monetary value of the flat rate
price, and wherein each flat rate play session is further defined
by at least one of a wagering restriction and a maximum net payout
per spin; receiving a selection of a flat rate play session,
thereby determining a selected flat rate play session; receiving a
payment of the flat rate price corresponding to the selected flat
rate play session; and facilitating the selected flat rate play
session by conducting a plurality of spins of the video roulette
game in accordance with the at least one of the wagering
restriction and the maximum net payout per spin.
Description
[0001] The present application claims the benefit of priority of
PCT/US08154728 filed Feb. 22, 2008 entitled "METHODS AND APPARATUS
FOR FACILITATING FLAT RATE PLAY SESSIONS" which claims priority and
the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/891,154,
filed Feb. 22, 2007.
[0002] This application is related to U.S. application Ser. No.
10/986,529, filed Nov. 10, 2004 in the name of Walker et al. and
entitled GAMING DEVICE FOR A FLAT RATE PLAY SESSION AND A METHOD OF
OPERATING SAME, which application is a continuation application of
U.S. application Ser. No. 10/001,089 filed Nov. 2, 2001, which is a
continuation-in-part application of U.S. application Ser. No.
09/518,760 filed 03103100, which is a continuation application of
U.S. application Ser. No. 08/880,838 filed 06123197.
[0003] The entirety of each of these applications is incorporated
by reference herein for all purposes.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] FIG. 1 is an overall schematic view of a system according to
one embodiment of the present invention, including a slot machine
and a slot network server;
[0005] FIG. 2a is a schematic view of the slot machine of FIG.
1;
[0006] FIG. 2b is a plan view of the slot machine of FIG. 1;
[0007] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the slot network server of
FIG. 1;
[0008] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a casino player database of
the server of FIG. 3;
[0009] FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the flat rate database of the
slot machine of FIG. 2;
[0010] FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the payout table of the slot
machine of FIG. 2;
[0011] FIG. 7 is a schematic view of the calculation table of the
slot machine of FIG. 2;
[0012] FIGS. 8a and 8b are overall flow diagrams of the operation
of the system of FIG. 1;
[0013] FIG. 9 is a detailed flow diagram of the operation of the
system of FIG. 1;
[0014] FIG. 10 is a flow diagram of the process of terminating play
of the system of FIG. 1;
[0015] FIGS. 11a and 11b are flow diagrams of the process of
resuming play of the system of FIG. 1;
[0016] FIGS. 12a and 12b are overall flow diagrams of the operation
of another embodiment of the present invention;
[0017] FIG. 13 is a flow diagram of the process of receiving a
payout in the embodiment of FIG. 12;
[0018] FIG. 14 is a schematic view of the flat rate price package
database of the slot machine of FIG. 2; and
[0019] FIG. 15 is an overall flow diagram of the operation of
another embodiment of the present invention.
[0020] FIG. 16 is an overall schematic view of a system according
to another embodiment of the present invention.
[0021] FIG. 17 is a schematic view of the casino server of FIG.
16.
[0022] FIG. 18 is a schematic view of the insurer device of FIG.
16.
[0023] FIG. 19 is schematic view of the gaming device of FIG.
16.
[0024] FIG. 20 is a schematic view of the player device of FIG.
16.
[0025] FIG. 21 is a table illustrating an embodiment of the player
database stored in the casino server of FIG. 17.
[0026] FIG. 22 is a table illustrating an embodiment of the gaming
device database stored in the casino server of FIG. 17.
[0027] FIG. 23 is a table illustrating an embodiment of the
contract database stored in the casino server of FIG. 17.
[0028] FIG. 24 is a flowchart illustrating a process in accordance
with one embodiment of the present invention, the process
corresponding to the system illustrated in FIG. 16.
[0029] FIG. 25 is a screen shot illustrating an example screen of a
video roulette session, consistent with one or more
embodiments.
[0030] FIG. 26 is a flowchart illustrating a process in accordance
with one or more embodiments, a process for facilitating a video
roulette session.
[0031] FIGS. 27a-27c illustrate three distinct screen shots of
screens that may be output via a gaming device upon an occurrence
of a qualifying jackpot, consistent with one or more
embodiments.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0032] Certain embodiments of the present invention will now be
described in greater detail with reference to the drawings. It
should be understood that the embodiments described herein are
relevant to many different types of games and gaming devices, such
as reeled slot machines (whether stepper reels or video reels),
video poker machines, video blackjack machines, video roulette
machines, video keno machines, video baccarat machines and the
like.
[0033] The present invention is directed generally to a method and
apparatus for operating a gaming device having a flat rate play
session. As used herein, flat rate play session is defined as a
period of play wherein the player need not make funds available for
any play during the play session. The flat rate play session spans
multiple plays of the gaming device. These multiple plays are
aggregated into intervals or segments of play. It is to be
understood that the term interval as used herein could be time,
handle pulls, and any other segment in which slot machine play
could be divided. For example, two hours, one hundred spins, fifty
winning spins, etc. A player enters player identifying information
and player selected price parameters at a gaming device. The price
parameters define the flat rate play session, describing the
duration of play, machine denomination, jackpots active, etc. The
gaming device stores the player selected price parameters and
proceeds to retrieve the flat rate price of playing the gaming
device for the flat rate play session. The player selected price
parameters, in combination with operator price parameters,
determine the flat rate price. Should the player decide to pay the
flat rate price, the player simply deposits that amount into the
gaming device or makes a credit account available for the gaming
device to debit. For example, it might cost twenty-five dollars to
play for half an hour.
[0034] Once the player initiates play, the gaming device tracks the
flat rate play session and stops the play when the session is
completed, usually when a time limit has expired. During the play
session, the player is not required to deposit any coins. Payouts
are made either directly to the player in the form of coins or
indirectly in the form of credits to the credit balance stored in
the machine. It should be understood that the player balance could
be stored in a number of mediums, such as smart cards, credit card
accounts, debit cards, and hotel credit accounts.
[0035] With reference to FIG. 1, a system 100 according to one
embodiment of the present invention is shown. In general, the
system 100 comprises multiple slot machines 102 and a slot network
server 106. In the present embodiment, each slot machine 102, which
is uniquely identified by a machine identification (ID) number,
communicates with the slot network server 106 via a slot network
104. The slot network 104 is preferably a conventional local area
network controlled by the server 106. It is to be understood,
however, that other arrangements in which the slot machines 102
communicate with the server 106 are within the scope of the present
invention.
[0036] As will be described in greater detail below, in one
embodiment, the slot machine 102 communicates player identifying
information to the slot network server 106. The slot network server
106, in turn, verifies the player identifying information. The slot
machine 102 also calculates a flat rate price based on both player
selected and casino determined price parameters and displays the
flat rate price to the player. The player may then accept the flat
rate price and initiate play. In another embodiment, the present
invention may be practiced without server 106, in an arrangement in
which the slot machine 102 calculates the flat rate price.
[0037] With reference to FIG. 2a, the slot machine 102 will now be
described in greater detail. The slot machine 102 contains a
Central Processing Unit (CPU) 210, a clock 212, and an operating
system 214 (typically stored in memory as software). The CPU 210
executes instructions of a program stored in Read Only Memory (ROM)
216 for playing the slot machine 102. The Random Access Memory
(RAM) 218 temporarily stores information passed to it by the CPU
210 during play. Also in communication with the CPU 210 is a Random
Number Generator (RNG) 220.
[0038] With respect to gaming operations, the slot machine 102
operates in a conventional manner. The player starts the machine
102 by inserting a coin into coin acceptor 248, or using electronic
credit, and pressing the starting controller 222. Under control of
a program stored, for example in a data storage device 224 or ROM
216, the CPU 210 initiates the RNG 220 to generate a number. The
CPU 210 looks up the generated random number in a stored
probability table 226, which contains a list which matches random
numbers to corresponding outcomes, and finds the appropriate
outcome. Based on the identified outcome, the CPU 210 locates the
appropriate payout in a stored payout table 228. The CPU 210 also
directs a reel controller 230 to spin reels 232, 234, 236 and to
stop them at a point when they display a combination of symbols
corresponding to the appropriate payout. When the player wins, the
machine stores the credits in RAM 218 and displays the current
balance in video display area 238. In an alternate embodiment, the
slot machine 102 dispenses the coins to a payout tray (not shown),
and in another embodiment, the slot network server 106 stores the
player credits.
[0039] A hopper controller 240 is connected to a hopper 242 for
dispensing coins. When the player requests to cash out by pushing a
cashout button (not shown) on the slot machine 102, the CPU 210
checks the RAM 218 to see if the player has any credit and, if so,
signals the hopper controller 240 to release an appropriate number
of coins into a payout tray (not shown). A coin acceptor 248 is
also coupled to the CPU 210. Each coin received by the coin
acceptor 248 is registered by the CPU 210.
[0040] In alternate embodiments, the slot machine 102 does not
include the reel controller 230 and reels 232, 234 and 236.
Instead, a video display area 238 graphically displays
representations of objects contained in the selected game, such as
graphical reels or playing cards. These representations are
preferably animated to display playing of the selected game.
Further, video display area 238 may be utilized by a player
pursuant to the purchase, selection and configuration of a flat
rate play session (e.g., a pre-packaged flat rate play session with
operator-specified parameters), as described in Applicant's
co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/254,352, entitled
METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING A FLAT RATE PLAY SESSION AND
FOR EXTENDING SAME, filed on Oct. 20, 2005; the entirety of this
application is incorporated herein by reference for all
purposes.
[0041] Also in communication with the CPU 210 is a player tracking
device 260. The tracking device 260 comprises a card reader 266 for
reading player identifying information stored on a player tracking
card. As used herein, the term player identifying information
denotes any information or compilation of information that uniquely
identifies a player. In the present embodiment, the identifying
information is a player identification (ID) number. Although not so
limited, the player tracking card of the present embodiment stores
the player ID on a magnetic strip located thereon. Such a magnetic
strip and device to read the information stored on the magnetic
strip are well known.
[0042] The player tracking device 260 also includes a display 262
and a player interface 264. The player interface 264 may include a
keypad and/or a touchscreen display. In operation, as discussed
below, the slot machine 102 displays a message prompting the player
to enter player selected price parameters. In the present
embodiment, a player may enter the player selected price parameters
via the player interface 264. Because the player interface 264 is
part of the tracking device 260, it is, therefore, in communication
with the CPU 210. Alternatively, input of selected price parameters
may be accomplished through video display area 238 if it is
configured with touch screen capabilities.
[0043] The slot machine 102 also includes a series of bet buttons
272, 274, 276. The bet buttons include "Bet 1 coin" 272, "Bet 2
coins" 274, and "Bet 3 coins" 276. The bet buttons 272, 274, 276
are coupled to the CPU 210. Therefore, pressing one transmits a
signal to the CPU 210 indicating how much a player is wagering on a
given play.
[0044] The databases stored in the data storage device 224 include
a probability table 226, a calculation table 227, a payout table
228, a flat rate price package database 229, and a flat rate
database 246. As discussed in greater detail below, the flat rate
database 246 and the calculation table 227 store information
related to the flat rate play session and calculation of the flat
rate price, respectively. The flat rate price package database 229
stores information describing different pre-established flat rate
packages as custom designed by the casino.
[0045] Also connected to the CPU 210 is a slot network interface
250. The slot network interface 250 provides a communication path
from the slot machine 102 to slot network server 106 through the
slot network 104. Thus, as discussed in greater detail below,
information is communicated among the player tracking card, player
tracking device 260, slot machine 102, and slot network server
106.
[0046] In some embodiments, slot machine 102 may be embodied as a
mobile gaming device, which may communicate wirelessly with one or
more other devices (e.g., slot network server 106) as described
below (e.g., via a wireless communication protocol such as WiFi).
Example mobile gaming devices include "laptop" computers, cellular
phones, personal digital assistants, or any "handheld" electronic
devices that may be configured to perform gaming applications. For
example, a small handheld computing device may be operable to (i)
receive inputs from players (e.g., a player presses a button or
area of a touch-screen as a command to execute game play), (ii)
generate and/or output game results (e.g., the mobile gaming device
may have its own RNG, or simply output outcomes that have been
determined and transmitted by a central server), (iii) receive
funds (e.g., a signal is sent to the mobile gaming device
authorizing a particular credit balance), (iv) payout funds (e.g.,
transmit funds to a player account), etc.
[0047] In one example, a mobile gaming device may comprise a
"tablet PC" such as the LS800 Tablet PC running Microsoft.RTM.
Windows.RTM. XP Tablet PC Edition developed by Motion Computing,
Inc. of Austin, Tex. A description of this device, which is
incorporated herein by reference for all purposes, is available for
review on the Internet at:
http://www.motioncomputing.com/products/tablet_pc_ls.asp. In
another example, a mobile gaming device may comprise a handheld
computing device developed by Hewlett-Packard Company of Palo Alt,
Calif., such as the iPAQ hw6920 running Microsoft.RTM. Windows
Mobile.TM. for Pocket PC. A description of this device, which is
incorporated herein by reference for all purposes, is available for
review on the Internet at:
http://www.cantorgaming.com/cgv2.html.
[0048] With reference to FIG. 2b, the plan view of slot machine
102, will now be described below. FIG. 2b depicts slot machine 102
displaying player selected price parameter options on video display
area 238. Included in the displayed parameters is amount wagered
per play 712, interval 714, duration of interval 722, and active
pay combinations 720. As will be described further below, after the
player has selected the desired price parameters, the slot machine
102 displays a flat rate price 724. Once the player has accepted
the flat rate price and made the appropriate funds available, play
may commence.
[0049] The slot network server 106 will now be described in greater
detail with reference to FIG. 3. Like the slot machine 102 of FIG.
2, the slot network server 106 has a Central Processing Unit (CPU)
310. The CPU 310, which has a clock 312 associated therewith,
executes instructions of a program stored in Read Only Memory (ROM)
320. During execution of the program instructions, the CPU 310
temporarily stores information in the Random Access Memory (RAM)
330.
[0050] Additionally, the CPU 310 is coupled to a data storage
device 340, having a flat rate database 246, transaction processor
342 and a casino player database 344. In general, the transaction
processor 342 manages the contents of the data storage devices 340.
As discussed in detail below, the casino player database 344 stores
information specific to each player, including player identifying
information.
[0051] In order to communicate with the slot machines 102, the slot
network server 106 also includes a communication port 350. The
communication port 350 is coupled to the CPU 310 and a slot machine
interface 360. Thus, the CPU 310 can control the communication port
350 to receive information from the data storage device 340 and RAM
330 and transmit the information to the slot machines 102 and vice
versa.
[0052] It is to be understood that because the slot machines 102
are in communication with the slot network server 106, information
stored in a slot machine 102 may be stored in the server 106 and
vice versa. Thus, for example, in an alternate embodiment, the
server 106 rather than the slot machine 102 includes the payout
table 228, flat rate database 246, and/or calculation table
227.
[0053] The casino player database 344 of the present embodiment, as
shown in FIG. 4, includes multiple records having multiple fields
of information. Specifically, the casino player database 344
comprises multiple records, each record being associated with a
particular player, as identified by a player identification (ID)
number. The fields within each record include: player
identification (ID) number 410, social security number 412, name
414, address 416, telephone number 418, credit card number 420,
credit balance 422, complimentary information, such as total
accumulated complimentary points 424, whether the player is a hotel
guest 426, player status rating 428, and value of interval
remaining 430. Having information related to one field, such as
player ID 410, allows the slot network server 106 to retrieve all
information stored in corresponding fields of that player
record.
[0054] It is to be understood that not all of these identifying
fields are necessary for operation of the present embodiment. For
example, the name 414, social security number 412, address 416,
telephone number 418, credit card number 420, and hotel guest 426
fields are merely representative of additional information that may
be stored and used for other purposes. In one embodiment, credit
card number 420 and hotel guest 426 are used for billing purposes
and social security number 412 is used to generate tax forms when a
player wins a jackpot over a given amount.
[0055] Complimentary points awarded 424 is further illustrative of
additional information a casino may store in a player's record. As
described below, a player's complimentary points are displayed to
the player when a player tracking card is inserted into the slot
machine 102. In an alternate embodiment, such points may be used in
addition, or as an alternative to the credit balance 422 stored in
RAM 218 of slot machine 102.
[0056] The player status rating 428 contains information
representative of the particular player's relative importance to
the casino, as based upon the frequency and duration of the
player's visits, the amount of money wagered, and the like.
[0057] The value of interval remaining field 430 stores the value
of interval remaining in a flat rate play session when a player
terminates the play session prior to its expiration. This field
will be described in greater detail below.
[0058] The flat rate database 246 will now be described in greater
detail with reference to FIG. 5. The flat rate database 246
comprises multiple records, each record pertaining to the flat rate
play session of a particular player, as identified by that player's
ID number. Consequently, one field in flat rate database 246 is the
player ID number field 510. Other fields include: player selected
price parameters 512, flat rate price 514, interval remaining 516,
time audit data 518, and machine identification (ID) number field
520. The machine ID number field 520 contains the machine ID number
that uniquely identifies the slot machine 102. It is to be
understood that since both the casino player database 244 and the
flat rate database 246 include a player ID field, 410 and 510,
respectively, the system 100 can correlate any player information
stored in the casino player database 344, with any player
information stored in the flat rate database 246.
[0059] The payout table 228 will now be described in greater detail
with reference to FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 6, the payout table 228
of the present embodiment can be logically represented by five
fields of related information. The first field, a pay combination
field 610, identifies the set of possible pay combinations for a
given slot machine 102. Such possible pay combinations include
winning pay combinations, or those in which a payout results, and
non-winning pay combinations, in which the player receives no
payout and consequently loses the amount wagered. Winning pay
combinations include, for example, "DOUBLE JACKPOT-DOUBLE
JACKPOT-DOUBLE JACKPOT" and "BAR-BAR-BAR." The pay combinations
field 610 also includes a "NON-WINNING OUTCOMES" record, an entry
representing the outcomes which result in no payout to the player,
such as "PLUM-BELL-ORANGE."
[0060] The payout table 228 also includes three payout fields 620,
630, 640. Such payout fields 620, 630, 640 contain the payout
information for each of the possible pay combinations identified in
the pay combinations field 610. Each of the payout fields 620, 630,
640 is identified by the number of coins wagered on a particular
play, as selected via the bet buttons 272, 274, 276. In the present
embodiment, payout table 228 contains a "1 coin" payout field 620,
which is accessed when one coin is wagered, a "2 coins" payout
field 630, which is accessed when two coins are wagered, and a "3
coins" payout field 640, which is accessed when three coins are
wagered. In other words, each field 620, 630, 640 corresponds to a
bet button 272, 274, 276, respectively. The payout information
provides the number of coins won upon the occurrence of a
particular pay combination. Thus, "CHERRY-CHERRY-CHERRY" pays out
ten coins when one coin is wagered.
[0061] Finally, the payout table 228 of the present embodiment
includes a pay combination status field 650. The pay combination
status field 650 includes an indication for each winning pay
combination, identified in the pay combination field 610, of
whether the player is eligible to win the payout for each outcome.
As will be described below, the determination of whether a player
is eligible to win a payout for a given outcome is made by the
player as part of the player selected price parameters.
[0062] The calculation table 227 will now be described in greater
detail with reference to FIG. 7. The calculation table 227 is used
by the system 100 in determining the flat rate price 724 (field 514
in the flat rate database 246) charged to the player. Specifically,
the calculation table 227 contains multiple price parameters which
are correlated to a flat rate price 724. More specifically, these
price parameters include player selected price parameters and
operator selected price parameters. In general, player selected
price parameters include any game related variable that defines the
flat rate play session. Furthermore, operator selected price
parameters are parameters which the operator of the slot machines
102 selects as affecting the flat rate price 724. Thus, in the
present embodiment, the player selected price parameters in the
calculation table 227 include machine type 710, amount wagered per
play 712, active pay combinations 720, and length of the flat rate
play session 722. The operator selected price parameters in the
calculation table 227 include player status rating 714, time of day
716, day of the week 718, and machine usage 719. In the present
embodiment the flat rate price 724 is predetermined based upon the
aforementioned price parameters and stored in the calculation table
227, as will be described later in FIGS. 14 and 15. In an alternate
embodiment the flat rate price 724 is calculated based upon these
parameters as needed according to a price algorithm stored in
memory. For example, the price algorithm may operate as
follows:
Algorithm for Calculating a Flat Rate Price.
[0063] The are any number of algorithms that could be used to
calculate a flat rate price, and they can be generally described as
calculating an expected value to the customer and then adding in a
margin for the casino or adjusting the price to reflect the time of
day, value of the customer, etc.
[0064] The first step is to determine a "base" flat rate price.
This would be calculated as follows:
Base Price=[(amount wagered).times.(interval)].times.[(expected
coins awarded for all active pay combinations over a cycle/expected
coin-in over a cycle)].
[0065] For example, the following Base Price calculation represents
a player selecting three dollar coins per handle pull, an interval
of 500 handle pulls, and the top three pay combinations active. For
this example we will assume that a complete cycle of the slot
machine is 10,648 unique outcomes and that the top three pay
combinations would pay 2,160 coins over that cycle. Note also that
the expected coins awarded for all active pay combinations over a
cycle and the expected coin-in over the cycle should both reflect
the same number of coins wagered. Essentially, this ratio reflects
the expected monetary return to the payer on a per coin wagered
basis. When multiplied by the amount wagered and the number of
handle pulls the number reflects the amount of money that the
player would be expected to receive from the machine over the
interval specified. It should be notes that this amount of money is
not necessarily the number of coins entered by the player but
rather is the theoretical number of coins of play allowed by the
flat rate session. Continuing with the calculation:
Base Price = [ ( $3 ) .times. ( 500 ) ] .times. [ ( 2 , 160 / 10 ,
648 ) ] = $1 , 500 .times. .202855 = $304 .28 ##EQU00001##
[0066] Note that if the player were to pay this Base Price he would
be essentially getting a fair bet for his money. He would pay
$304.28 for the session and expect (over the long run) to get
$304.28 back in prize money from the top three active pay
combinations. Of course in the short run his results could range
from receiving no payouts over the interval to receiving thousands
of dollars. Because this base price is a fair bet for the player
the casino may want to add in margin for the house, perhaps by
multiplying the base price by a predetermined margin factor such as
50%. In this example the Profit Adjusted Price would thus be:
Profit Adjusted Price = $304 .28 .times. 150 % = $456 .42
##EQU00002##
[0067] Of course the casino might want to offer flat rate sessions
to players without a casino markup under some circumstances, such
as part of a promotional package or to reward a particularly loyal
customer. In fact the casino might even decrease the base price in
some circumstances.
[0068] The Base Price or (Profit Adjusted Price) could be further
modified by various other operator price parameters such as the
following:
1. Time of Day (TD).
[0069] Times of the day in which the casino traffic tends to be
heavy should result in the player paying a premium for the flat
rate session, while quiet times in the casino should offer the
player a discount over normal rates.
TABLE-US-00001 Midnight to 4am 70% 4am to 8am 80% 8am to 12pm 90%
12pm to 4pm 100% 4pm to 8pm 120% 8pm to Midnight 140%
2. Day of Week (DW).
[0070] With the heaviest volume of visitors falling on Fridays and
Saturdays, these days will necessitate higher flat rate session
costs. For example:
TABLE-US-00002 Monday to Thursday 80% Friday 120% Saturday 140%
Sunday 100%
3. Player Status Rating (PSR).
[0071] For top customers such as high rollers, the cost of a flat
rate session may be reduced as a customer retention tool. For
example:
TABLE-US-00003 1 (High Roller) 80% 2 (Good customer) 90% 3
(Average) 100% 4 (Low) 120%
4. Slot Machine Usage (SMU).
[0072] When the majority of slot machines in the casino are being
used, a premium is applied to the cost of the flat rate play
session in order to more evenly distribute play. For example:
TABLE-US-00004 Heavy 120% Moderate 100% Light 80%
Sample Calculation.
[0073] In addition to the above player selected price parameters,
the following operator selected parameters are incorporated into
the price: The player is in the casino at 2 am on a Wednesday,
there is low slot machine usage, and the player has an average
rating. The calculations below reflect these conditions:
Base Price = $304 .28 ##EQU00003## Final flat rate price = ( Base
Price ) .times. TD .times. DW .times. PSR .times. SMU = $304 .28
.times. 70 % .times. 80 % .times. 100 % .times. 80 % = $304 .28
.times. 44.8 % = $136 .32 ##EQU00003.2##
[0074] The casino may round up this price to $137 to avoid the need
for small change. In the above calculations, the casino might also
incorporate floors which prevent the Base Price from going below a
level that would be profitable for the house, regardless of the
number of positive criterion that were applied to the base
price.
[0075] Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that
modifications could be made to the formula to reflect different
kinds of flat rate sessions. For a session with an interval of one
hour (instead of a fixed number of handle pulls) the formula might
reflect an expected number of handle pulls per hour for that
particular game, perhaps even adjusted to reflect the type of
player purchasing the flat rate session. For example, an
experienced video poker player might be expected to reach 700 hands
per hour while a beginner might only be expected to reach 300 hands
per hour.
[0076] As will also be understood by those skilled in the art, the
ultimate goal of many slot machine players is to hit a jackpot
payout. The enjoyment of the play, as well as the ability to
maximize the chance of hitting a large jackpot, is increased by
more play. Play can be increased both by playing longer, and by
playing faster. As will be appreciated from a consideration of the
process described below, the present invention permits both
increased duration, by providing for play at discounted prices, and
speed of play, by providing for minimal time delays between
plays.
[0077] The flat rate price package database 229 will now be
described in greater detail with reference to FIG. 14. The flat
rate price package database 229 is used by the system 100 in
providing the player with different price package options for flat
rate play of the slot machine 100. Specifically, the flat rate
price package database 229 contains multiple combinations, or
packages 1410, of price parameters which correspond to
pre-established flat rate prices. More specifically, these price
parameters include but are not limited to, interval 1412, duration
of flat rate play 1414, amount wagered per play 1416, and pay
combination status 1418. Each combination of price parameters has
corresponding flat rate play session prices 1420. As will be
described later in FIG. 15, the flat rate price package database
229 is accessed when the player determines he wishes to initiate a
flat rate play session. Rather than let the player choose the price
parameters, the slot machine 100 lists the different packages
stored in the flat rate price package database 229. The player then
chooses the package he likes the most and play commences.
[0078] Having thus described the components of the present
embodiment, the operation of the system 100 will now be described
in greater detail with reference to FIGS. 8-11, and continuing
reference to FIGS. 1-7. It is to be understood that the programs
stored in ROM 320 of the slot network server 106 and ROM 216 of the
slot machine 102 provide the function described below.
[0079] Turning first to FIGS. 8a and 8b, the general operation of
the system 100 will be described. As shown in step 810, the slot
machine player first inserts the player tracking card into the card
reader 266. The card reader 266 then proceeds to read player
identifying information from the tracking card. The player
identifying information, namely the player ID number, is
communicated from the slot machine 102 to the slot server 106 in
step 812.
[0080] Upon receiving the player identifying information, the slot
network server 106 verifies the information in step 814. Such
verification includes the slot network server 106 searching the
casino player database 344 for a record containing the received
player ID number in the appropriate field 410. Once the slot
network server 106 verifies the player identifying information, the
server 106 transmits a signal to the slot machine 102 acknowledging
such verification in step 816. In alternate embodiments, other
information, such as the player's name 414, complimentary point
total 424, and player status rating 428 are transmitted to the slot
machine 102 for display.
[0081] In step 818, the player selects flat rate play via the
player interface 264. The CPU 210 of slot machine 102, in step 820,
then receives a signal from the player interface 264, indicating
that the player has selected flat rate play. For example, there
could be a button specifically for triggering a flat rate play
session. The CPU 210, in response, accesses memory to retrieve
player selectable price parameters. Player selectable price
parameters are the choices available to a player for entering the
player selected price parameters. These player selectable price
parameters are controlled by a program stored in ROM 216. Such
player selectable price parameters, in the present embodiment,
include the amount wagered per play, (e.g. one, two, or three
coins), the length of the flat rate play session, and possible
jackpot structures, such as having only the "DOUBLE JACKPOT" and "5
BAR" jackpots active (as illustrated in the payout table 228 of
FIG. 6). In an alternate embodiment, the player selectable price
parameters are stored as part of the calculation table 227.
[0082] Then, as shown in step 822, the slot machine 102 displays
the player selectable price parameters to the player. For example,
the parameters could be listed on the video display area 238 for
the player, as described previously in FIG. 2b. Once the parameters
appear, the player simply selects his desired settings.
Alternatively, the player may accept one or more default settings.
Once the player selectable price parameters are displayed on the
display 238, the player proceeds, in step 824, to enter player
selected price parameters via the player interface 264. The player
selected price parameters also include data which, although not
directly inputted by the player, is selected by the player and
identified by the slot machine 102. In the present embodiment, such
additional player selected price parameters include type of
machine, time of day, and day of the week.
[0083] It is to be understood that the casino operator of the slot
machines 102 may define the scope of the player selectable price
parameters, and therefore limit the player selected price
parameters in any manner. For example, the length of flat rate play
may be limited to periods above a minimum time or to periods that
are multiples of thirty minute intervals. The jackpot structure may
require that some jackpots remain active.
[0084] Referring now to FIG. 8b, the slot machine 102 CPU 210
receives the player selected price parameters in step 826. Having
received the player selected parameters, the CPU 210 then stores
the player selected price parameters, the player identifying
information, and the slot machine's machine ID number in a record
in the flat rate database 246. Specifically, the player ID number
is stored in field 510, the machine ID number is stored in field
520, and the player selected price parameters are stored in field
512. Although the player selected price parameters are illustrated
as being stored in a single field (512), it is to be understood
that each player selected price parameter may be stored in a
separate field. It is also to be understood that in alternate
embodiments the player selected price parameters need not be stored
in a database, but could be stored in RAM 218.
[0085] The slot machine 102 CPU 210 uses the player selected price
parameters to determine the flat rate prices. Specifically, in step
828, the CPU 210 accesses the calculation table 227 and searches
for the flat rate price 724 corresponding to the received player
selected price parameters 512, which, in the present embodiment,
include machine type 710, amount wagered per play 712, time of day
716, day of the week 718, active jackpots 720, and the length of
the flat rate play session 722. The CPU 210 also incorporates
operator selected price parameters for the flat rate price 724 such
as player status rating 714 and machine availability 719. As will
be appreciated by one skilled in the art, the player status rating
714 is received from the casino player database 344 at any time
prior to determination of the flat rate price 724. Thus, in a
preferred embodiment, the slot network server 106 transmits the
player status rating 428 to the slot machine 102 along with the
verification signal in step 816.
[0086] By including the player status rating 714 in the calculation
table 277, a casino may reward frequent players who wager
relatively large amounts of money with a lower flat rate price 724.
Thus, the system 100 rewards and encourages frequent play. By
including active jackpots 720 in the calculation table 348, the
system 100 allows a casino to discount the flat rate price 724 for
those players who choose to enable relatively few winning outcomes
in the payout table 228. Furthermore, by including the price
parameters relating to time of day and day of the week in the
calculation table 227, a casino may charge a lower flat rate price
724 for sessions during weekday afternoons or between 2:00 a.m. and
8:00 a.m. in the mornings, thereby encouraging play of the slot
machines 102 when they are typically idle.
[0087] It is to be understood that the aforementioned price
parameters in the calculation table 227 are merely representative
of the type of variables that may be considered in determining a
flat rate price. Thus, it is within the scope of the present
invention to include only some of the price parameters, all of the
parameters, or additional parameters in the calculation table
227.
[0088] As mentioned above, the flat rate price may be based partly
upon the availability of slot machines 102. In such an embodiment,
the server 106 tracks whether each slot machine 102 is being used
by noting whether outcomes are currently being received from a
given slot machine 102. In another embodiment, the server 106
tracks slot machine availability by tabulating the number of slot
machines 102 for which flat rate play is currently enabled. In yet
another embodiment, the server 106 tracks slot machine availability
by identifying how many slot machines 102 have a player tracking
card inserted therein.
[0089] Another price parameter which may be used is predicted or
forecasted slot machine availability. Specifically, such a
parameter accounts for anticipated availability of slot machines
102 based upon events at the casino. For example, the calculation
table 227 correlates a lower flat rate price 724 to the time of day
716 corresponding to an event, such as a show which many casino
players attend. On the other hand, the calculation table 227
correlates a higher flat rate price to the time of day 716
corresponding to the end of the event or heavier casino traffic.
This enables a casino to effectively revenue manage their slot
machines without resorting to a change in hold percentage which
requires regulatory approval.
[0090] It is to be understood that accounting for slot machine
availability need not be accomplished in the calculation table 227.
Rather, in an alternate embodiment, a schedule of events is stored
in RAM 218 which is accessed prior to transmitting the flat rate
price 724 to the player. If the event schedule indicates that an
event is ending during the requested flat rate play session, then
the flat rate price 724 will be incremented accordingly.
[0091] In another embodiment, the flat rate price is based only on
operator selected price parameters. A slot machine 102 according to
such an embodiment could, for example, provide discounted flat rate
play sessions based on player status rating, thereby offering 100
plays for the price of 90 or discounted timed sessions. To
encourage repeat, high stakes play, higher player status ratings
result in greater discounts.
[0092] Having determined the flat rate price 724, the slot machine
102, in step 830, displays the duration of the flat rate play
session 722 and the flat rate price 724 and requests approval from
the player. Once the player accepts the terms of the flat rate play
session, flat rate play commences.
[0093] If the player does not approve the flat rate price 724, then
the player indicates so via the player interface 264. As indicated
by path A in FIGS. 8a and 8b, the slot machine 102 repeats its
operation from step 822. On the other hand, if the player approves
the flat rate price 724, the player indicates such approval via the
player interface 264 in step 832. Following such approval, the slot
machine 102 prompts the player to enter an appropriate amount of
money in step 834. In the present embodiment, the player deposits
coins into the coin acceptor 248. In one embodiment, the player
deposits a casino token as payment for the flat rate session. Such
tokens may be denominated in dollars, or represent a number of
handle pulls. A casino could thus sell a fifty handle pull token,
usable on a particular denomination and/or type of machine. Such a
token may additionally serve to activate the flat rate session,
eliminating the need for the player to select flat rate play via
player interface 264. Alternatively, the player's credit balance
422 may be debited to pay for the flat rate play session.
[0094] In some embodiments a casino token may be associated with a
particular set of pay combinations which are to be active during a
flat rate play session activated via the token. In yet other
embodiments a casino token may be associated with (i) a specified
duration of time, (ii) a specified number of handle pulls or
outcomes, (iii) a specified number of winning handle pulls or
outcomes, and/or (iv) a flat rate price package as, for example,
described with reference to the flat rate price package database
299 of FIG. 14. A gaming device may identify such a token and enter
the appropriate flat rate play session by, for example, the size
and/or weight of the token or by reading or receiving information
from the token (e.g. via a computer chip embedded in the token or
special markings on the token). Such a casino token may be, for
example, purchased by a person and given to another person as a
gift. The recipient may subsequently use the token by inserting it
into an appropriate gaming device and essentially playing for
"free" (since the person that gave the gift had prepaid for the
token) for a specified duration.
[0095] Once the CPU 210 registers the receipt of money, the CPU 210
reconfigures the slot machine 201 for the flat rate play session in
step 836. Specifically, the CPU 210 generates a signal, or a flag
in memory, indicating that there is no need to accept the coins
between plays. CPU 210 further sets the active field 650 in the
payout table 228 according to the jackpot structure entered by the
player.
[0096] The operation of the slot machine 102 during the flat rate
play session will now be described with reference to FIG. 9 and
continuing reference to FIGS. 1-7. During the flat rate play
session, a slot machine 102 operates generally as described above
with reference to FIG. 2. However, the slot machine 102 is
reconfigured to operate according to the player selected price
parameters, if such parameters affect play, and to operate
continuously, without requiring payment between each play.
Specifically, the flat rate play session begins when the player
presses the starting controller 222 in step 910. The CPU 210 also
initiates a countdown of the length of the flat rate play session
as stored in the player selected parameters field 512 of the flat
rate database 246. With the start of the session, the CPU 210
stores the start time of the flat rate play session in the flat
rate database 246. Specifically, the start time is stored in the
time audit data field 520 in step 912. In step 914, the CPU 210
begins to count down the duration of the flat rate play session.
Next, in step 916, the slot machine 102 generates an outcome and
accesses payout table 228 to determine the appropriate
corresponding number of coins to be paid out.
[0097] Furthermore, in step 918, after each outcome is generated,
the slot machine 102 determines whether the countdown of the
interval remaining 516 has reached zero. It is to be understood
that the countdown may be implemented in either software or
hardware. Additionally, it is understood that the countdown process
discussed herein may be replaced with any suitable means for
tracking the duration of the flat rate play session. Interval
remaining 516 may also represent the number of handle pulls
remaining.
[0098] In the event that the countdown has not reached zero, the
player presses the starting controller 222 in step 920, thereby
initiating another play of the slot machine 102. In the event that
the countdown has reached zero, the CPU 210 generates a signal
indicating that the flat rate play session has concluded. The slot
machine 102 displays a message indicating this to the player and,
in step 922, stores the end time of the session in the time audit
data field 518 of the flat rate database.
[0099] In an alternate embodiment, the player selected price
parameters include the "time between plays." In this embodiment,
the CPU 210 of slot machine 102 controls the time between
generating outcomes of successive plays in the slot machine 102 to
equal the received "time between plays" player selected price
parameter. In another alternate embodiment, the slot machine 102
tracks the number of plays during the flat rate play session. If
the number of plays exceeds a predetermined limit, the slot machine
102 automatically terminates the flat rate play session, regardless
of the duration of the flat rate play session.
[0100] Turning now to FIG. 10, the operation of the system 100 when
the player terminates the flat rate play session prior to the
expiration of the session will be described. In step 1010, the
player indicates a desire to terminate the flat rate play session
via the player interface 264. Consequently, the slot machine 102
CPU 210 receives a termination signal and, in step 1012, displays a
message to the player, asking the player to verify termination of
the flat rate play session. If the player does not verify
termination, then the session continues as described above with
reference to FIG. 9. On the other hand, if the player verifies
termination, shown as step 1014, the CPU 210 proceeds to store the
stop time in the time audit data field 518 of the flat rate
database 246 in step 1016.
[0101] It is to be understood that having both the start time and
the stop time of the flat rate play sessions stored in the flat
rate database 246 allows the casino to perform an audit of the
session. Specifically, should a player allege that the flat rate
play session was shorter than that which was paid for, the casino
may access the flat rate database 246 and retrieve the actual start
and stop time from the time audit data field 520. In the present
embodiment, this time includes an indication of the day, hour, and
minute of the play session.
[0102] Next, in step 1018, CPU 210 determines the value of the
interval remaining in the flat rate play session and transmits the
value to the server 106. In order to determine the value of the
interval remaining, the CPU 210 accesses the calculation table 227.
The value of interval remaining will equal the flat rate price 724
corresponding to the price parameters (i.e., the machine type 710,
amount wagered per play 712, player status rating 714, time of day
716, etc.) used to determine the original flat rate price charged
to the player. When determining the value of the interval
remaining, however, the value in the length of flat rate play
session field 722 is not the original length of the session, but
rather is equal to the actual interval remaining in the flat rate
play session. Stated succinctly, the slot machine 102 identifies
the flat rate price 724 corresponding to the actual interval
remaining in the flat rate play session.
[0103] Once the value of interval remaining is determined, the slot
machine 102 transmits the value to the slot network server 106.
Upon receiving the value of interval remaining, the server 106
stores the value in field 430 of the casino player database 344 in
the player's record, as identified by the player ID number 410.
Storing the value is shown as step 1020. Finally, in step 1022, the
player removes the player tracking card.
[0104] The process of resuming play at another slot machine 102
will now be described with reference to FIGS. 11a and 11b. The
initial operation of the system 100, as indicated by steps
1110-1128, proceeds generally as described above with reference to
steps 810-828 of FIGS. 8a and 8b.
[0105] However, once the CPU 210 of slot machine 102 determines a
new flat rate price based on the relevant price parameters, the CPU
210 determines whether the player must deposit additional
funds.
[0106] Specifically, in step 1130, the CPU 210 compares the new
flat rate price 724 with the value of interval remaining 430. The
server 106 transmits the value of interval remaining 430, as stored
in the casino player database 344, to the slot machine 102 in step
1116 so that the comparison may be performed. As indicated by step
1132, the comparison involves determining whether the new flat rate
price 724 is higher than the value of interval remaining 430.
[0107] If the new price 724 is not higher than the value of
interval remaining 430, then, in step 1134, the slot machine allows
the player to play the flat rate session at no cost. However, if
the new flat rate price 724 is higher than the value of interval
remaining 430, then, in step 1136, the CPU 210 assigns the
difference in the two values as the new flat rate price. Thus, in
step 1138, the CPU 210 displays the new flat rate price on the
video display area 238 of the slot machine 102. Thereafter,
operation of the system continues as described above with reference
to steps 832-836 of FIG. 8b.
[0108] In an alternate embodiment, when a player terminates the
flat rate session early, the value of the interval remaining is
added to the player's credit balance, as stored in field 422 of the
casino player database 344.
[0109] It is to be understood that an embodiment of the present
invention need not include both a slot machine and slot network
server. For example, an embodiment employing only a slot machine
102 is within the scope of the present invention. Such an
embodiment will now be described with reference to FIGS. 12a, 12b,
and 13, and continuing reference to FIGS. 2, 5, and 7. Such an
embodiment utilizes the slot machine 102 of FIG. 2.
[0110] Initially, the player selects flat rate play on the slot
machine 102 in step 1210. Once the player selects flat rate play,
the flat rate play signal is transmitted from the player interface
264 to the CPU 210 in step 1212. The CPU 210 then proceeds, in step
1214, to retrieve the player options for selectable price
parameters. Then, in step 1216, the CPU 210 transmits the player
selectable price parameter options to the video display area 238
for viewing.
[0111] Once the player selectable price parameter options have been
displayed to the player, the player inputs the player selected
price parameters through the player interface 264. Then, in step
1220, the CPU 210 receives the player selected price parameters
from the player interface 264.
[0112] Once the CPU 210 receives the player selected price
parameters, the CPU 210 reconfigures the slot machine 102.
Specifically, the CPU 210 generates a signal, or a flag in memory,
indicating that there is no need to accept the coins between plays.
CPU 210 further sets the pay combination status field 650 in the
payout table 228 according to the jackpot structure entered by the
player. In an alternate embodiment in which the player selectable
price parameters include the time between the handle pulls, the CPU
210 sets an internal timer.
[0113] Furthermore, once the slot machine 102 CPU 210 receives the
player selected price parameters, it proceeds to access the
calculation table 227. By accessing the calculation table 227, the
CPU 210 retrieves the flat rate price for the flat rate play
session. Retrieving the flat rate price is shown as step 1224. Once
the CPU 210 retrieves the flat rate price, it proceeds to transmit
the price, the length of the flat rate play session, and payment
instructions to the video display area 238 for player viewing in
step 1226.
[0114] In step 1228, the player reads the data and instructions on
the video display area 238 and inserts money into the coin acceptor
248 or a bill acceptor (not shown) in order to initiate play of the
slot machine 102. In an alternate embodiment, the player enters a
stored value card such as a "smart card" into the card reader 266.
Such a smart card has the players credit balance stored thereon.
Payment using a smart card further entails the CPU 210 debiting the
player's balance on the smart card by the amount of the flat rate
price. Further, the player may enter a credit card into the card
reader 266.
[0115] In step 1230, the CPU 210 generates a confirmed payment
message indicating that the player has deposited sufficient funds
to cover the flat rate price. Consequently, the CPU 210, in step
1232, sends the current time to both the video display area 238 and
the time audit field 518 of flat rate database 246. Next, in step
1234, the CPU 210 initiates the countdown of the interval remaining
in the flat rate play session as stored in field 516. The length of
the flat rate play session received from the player is initially
stored in field 516. The slot machine 102 decrements, or counts
down, this value as the flat rate play session begins.
[0116] As shown in step 1236, the flat rate play session continues
in accordance with the player selected price parameters, if such
parameters affect play, in step 1236. During such play, the CPU 210
stores and updates the player's accumulated credits in RAM 218. In
an alternate embodiment, the slot machine pays out jackpots as they
occur. Finally, in step 1238, the CPU 210 terminates the flat rate
play session when the countdown ends.
[0117] In an alternate embodiment, the interval of the flat rate
play session is not a time period, but rather is a maximum number
of plays. In such an embodiment, the slot machine 102 stores the
number of plays in the flat rate database 246, as described
previously in FIG. 9, and, in step 916, increments a counter for
each outcome generated. The counter may be implemented in either
software or hardware. Furthermore, in step 918, the slot machine
102 compares the number of plays stored in the flat rate database
246 to the value of the counter. If the value of the counter equals
the stored number of plays, then the flat rate play session is
terminated.
[0118] Turning now to FIG. 13, the process of receiving a payout
from the present embodiment will be described. As shown as step
1310, the flat rate play session ends upon the termination of the
countdown. Specifically, as shown in step 1312, the slot machine
102 CPU 210 terminates the flat rate play session by reconfiguring
the slot machine 102 to its default values. For example, the CPU
210 resets the pay combination status field 650 in the payout table
228 to reflect the original jackpot structure. The CPU 210 also
generates a signal indicating that coins must be received for each
play. In short, the player selected price parameters are no longer
in effect.
[0119] In step 1314, the CPU 210 checks the total credits
accumulated, as stored in the RAM 218, and transmits a payout
command to the hopper controller 240. Consequently, in step 1316,
the slot machine 102 pays out the total number of credits to the
player.
[0120] An alternate embodiment of the present invention will now be
described with reference to FIG. 15. The operation of slot machine
100, as indicated by steps 1510-1524 below, proceeds generally as
described with reference to FIG. 14. In this embodiment, the player
selects from a list of casino determined price packages, rather
than choosing individual price parameters. Each price package, as
stored in the flat rate price package database 229 described above,
is a combination of different price parameters which correspond to
a flat rate play session price.
[0121] In step 1510, the player presses a "flat rate play" button
on the slot machine 100. The slot machine 102 CPU 210 receives flat
rate play signal from the player interface 264 in step 1512. In
this case, the player interface is an actual "flat rate play"
button located on the outside of the slot machine 100. Next, in
step 1514, the CPU 210 access flat rate price package database 229
from data storage device 224. The CPU 210 then displays the player
selectable price packages on video display area 238 in step 1516.
It is to be understood that the CPU 210 need not display the
packages on the video display area 238, as those package options
could be displayed elsewhere on the body of the slot machine 100.
Alternatively, player interface 264 could incorporate several "flat
rate play" buttons, each representing a different flat rate price
package.
[0122] Next, in step 1518, the player selects the desired price
package via the player interface 264. Having already seen what the
price of the selected package is, the player then deposits the
appropriate amount of money into coin acceptor 248 in step 1520.
For example, the player may have chosen price package four which
costs fifty dollars. In return for fifty dollars deposited into the
slot machine, the player receives two hundred and fifty handle
pulls, with three coins wagered per pull, and with the top three
jackpots active in his flat rate play session. These parameters are
specified in the flat rate price package database 229.
[0123] In step 1522, the CPU 210 receives an indication of payment
from the coin acceptor 248 and reconfigures the parameters of slot
machine 100 to meet the specifications of the flat rate price
package selected by the player. Finally, in step 1524, flat rate
play begins.
[0124] It is noted that the flat rate price package database 229
could be located at the slot network server 106 and not at each
individual slot machine 100. When it is located at the server,
certain casino or operator selected parameters could be used to
determine the price. For example, there could be different flat
rate price packages for different times during the day which are
based on projected or actual casino traffic and/or slot machine
usage.
[0125] As will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art,
the key step in getting players to wager money on gaming devices,
such as slot machines, is to bring the players to the casino floor.
One way in which casinos can bring additional players to the casino
floor, and thereby increase total revenues, is by giving away free
samples or rewards with a minimum displacement of traditional
pay-per-play players. The present invention may be employed for
such a purpose.
[0126] In one embodiment, for example, the casino could declare a
free-play period. During the free-play period, likely chosen by the
casino to correspond to down time, when most gaming devices are
idle, players insert their player tracking cards into the gaming
devices and initiate play without being charged. Specifically, the
casino programs the calculation table 227 so that the flat rate
price 724 is zero for a given time of day 716 and day of the week
718. It is anticipated that during such a free-play period, the
casino will alter the jackpot structure, causing only a selected
jackpot to be active. Thus, the lure of free jackpots will bring
additional players to the casino floor who will likely continue
playing after the free-play period ends. A further benefit of this
embodiment is that it would encourage players to become slot club
members. This would result in an increase of players who return to
the casino and the customer base which the casino markets to
through mailings.
[0127] It is also to be understood that play of the slot machines
during the free-play period need not occur as described above.
Thus, in an alternate embodiment, the reels 232, 234, 236 of the
slot machines 102 continuously spin, regardless of whether a player
has inserted a tracking card, with the server 106 periodically
signaling a jackpot on a random machine. Only when a player has
inserted a player tracking card is the jackpot awarded. The server
106 randomly selects a machine ID number and, if the machine 102 is
not being played by a pay-per-play player, the server 106 transmits
a signal to that slot machine 102 directing it to produce a winning
outcome.
[0128] In an alternate embodiment that achieves substantially the
same result of attracting additional players to the floor during
down times, the casino issues guests a player tracking card or a
smart card having a predetermined free credit balance associated
therewith. The casino could then restrict the day and time in which
the players could use the free card in a flat rate play session. In
another embodiment, the cards provided to guests contain an
indication of time, rather than money, for use during a flat rate
play session.
[0129] Although the foregoing embodiments employ static jackpot
structure, which stay the same throughout the flat rate play
session, it is within the scope of the present invention to employ
dynamic jackpot structures, which change during the flat rate play
session. In one such embodiment, the dynamic jackpot structure
starts with a given number of active jackpots, as indicated in the
pay combination status field 650 of the payout table 228. As the
flat rate play session progresses, the number of active jackpots
changes. Specifically, as the interval remaining in the flat rate
play session decreases, fewer pay combinations are made active. In
other words, the slot machine 102 CPU 210 monitors the time and,
every fifteen minutes, for example, causes the pay combination
status field 650 to change from "active" to "inactive" for a given
pay combination 610. Alternatively, the CPU 210 changes the pay
combination status field 650 after a predetermined number of plays.
In a further variation of this embodiment, individual jackpots may
be decreased instead of or in addition to being eliminated (e.g.
the jackpot for a particular outcome may decrease from 10 coins to
8 coins as the play session progresses).
[0130] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, a
dynamic jackpot structure based on the time progression of the flat
rate play session can increase the revenue generated by the slot
machines 102. Specifically, such a dynamic jackpot structure could
be used with a flat rate play session whose duration is not a fixed
time, but rather a given number of plays. Because fewer jackpots
will be active as time progresses, players have an incentive to use
their fixed number of plays within a short time period. Stated
succinctly, the present invention increases speed of play.
[0131] In another embodiment, the jackpot structure is dynamic
based not on the progression of the flat rate play session, but
rather on the outcomes generated by the slot machine 102. One such
embodiment involves changing a particular jackpot from "active" to
"inactive" upon a player hitting the outcome corresponding to that
pay combination. For example, a player may begin the flat rate play
session with all jackpots active. On one play, the slot machine 102
generates a "CHERRY-CHERRY-CHERRY" outcome 610. Upon accessing the
payout table 228, the CPU 210 determines that ten coins are to be
paid out, credits the player's accumulated credits accordingly, and
causes the pay combination status field 650 corresponding to the
"CHERRY-CHERRY-CHERRY" outcome 610 to change from "active" to
"inactive". Thus, a player can only hit a given jackpot once. As
will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, such a dynamic
jackpot structure will allow slot machine operators to further
discount the flat rate price to attract additional players.
Furthermore, it is anticipated that players will be willing to
forego hitting the same jackpot multiple times because their focus
is typically on hitting the highest jackpot once.
[0132] These and other dynamic jackpot structures may be
implemented as either a player selected price parameter or an
operator selected price parameter. When implemented as a player
selected price parameter, the dynamic jackpot structure is
displayed to the player as a player selectable price parameter
option. The player, in turn, selects it via the player interface
264. When implemented as an operator selected price parameter, the
dynamic jackpot structure is displayed for player viewing prior to
player approval of the flat rate price. Whether the price
parameters are selected by the player or the casino operator, the
dynamic jackpot structure affects the flat rate price generally as
described above, namely, as a field in the calculation table 227 or
as a variable in the price algorithm.
[0133] In some embodiments of the present invention, an individual
may purchase a flat rate play session as a gift for another person.
For example, an individual may purchase one of the available flat
rate price packages of FIG. 14. In such an embodiment the
individual purchasing a flat rate play session may be provided with
a flat rate play session identifier, which the purchase in turn
provides to the gift recipient. The flat rate play session
identifier may be stored by the casino in association with the
price parameters defining the flat rate play session. Thus, when
the gift recipient inserts the flat rate play session identifier
into a gaming device, the gaming device may communicate with the
casino server to determine the parameters of the flat rate play
session and set itself to such parameters. A flat rate play session
identifier may be provided on, for example, a gift card that is
magnetically or optically encoded with the flat rate play session
identifier such that it may be read by a gaming device.
Contract Embodiment
[0134] In accordance with some embodiments of the present invention
a flat rate play session may be purchased by means of a contract.
According to such embodiments a player at a casino may purchase a
contract (e.g. from an insurer, such as the casino or another
entity) or similar agreement to use a gaming device, such as a slot
machine. Costing a fixed amount, the contract insures the player
against the possibility of potentially large losses at the slot
machine. In accordance with one such embodiment, upon purchasing
the contract, a player credit account is set up at the slot
machine. The account may begin with zero credits but may begin with
another balance in other embodiments. The player is then allowed a
fixed number of handle pulls at the slot machine without requiring
the player to insert any money. Each handle pull decreases the
player account, typically by decreasing the player account by a
predetermined amount (e.g. one credit) for each handle pull. This
may cause the number of credits to be negative, but play may still
continue. If the player achieves a winning outcome, credits can be
added to the player account in accordance with the payout for the
winning outcome. If, after the fixed number of handle pulls, there
are a positive number of credits in the player account, then these
may be paid out to the player in the form of cash. If, however,
there are less than a predetermined amount of credits (e.g. zero
credits) in the player account, then the player receives nothing.
The insurer, however, could compensate the casino for, e.g., an
amount in the player's account that is less than a predetermined
number.
[0135] In such an embodiment, the player enjoys the fixed number of
pulls without the risk of any loss. The only loss for the player
comes from the cost of the contract.
[0136] One aspect of this invention is a way to price a contract
for a block of pulls to be sold to a player. Pricing a contract may
involve calculating the expected amount that would have to be paid
a player upon the completion of the pulls. The price of the
contract would then typically be greater than this expected amount
so as to result in an expected profit possibly to be divided
amongst the casino and, if it is a separate entity, an insurer. For
example, if a player could be expected to receive $30 upon the
completion of 1000 pulls, then the contract for the block of 1000
pulls could by sold for $35.
[0137] The following definitions define the terms used to describe
the contract embodiments of the present invention:
[0138] Contract indicator--an object or information by which a
gaming device may recognize a contract in order to execute the
contract. For example, a player purchases a contract at casino desk
and receives a token that serves as a contract indicator. When the
player deposits the token in a gaming device, the gaming device
recognizes the contract the player has signed up for and executes
the contract accordingly.
[0139] Execute a contract--to carry out the terms of a contract. A
gaming device executes a contract for 200 pulls by generating the
200 outcomes, incrementing and decrementing player credits in
accordance with the outcomes, and paying the player, if necessary,
at the end of the contract.
[0140] Gambling contract--An agreement between a player, an
insurer, and sometimes a casino (e.g. if different than the
insurer) with the following exemplary provisions: [0141] The player
pays the insurer a fixed amount up front. [0142] The player must
make a predetermined number of handle pulls, no more and no less.
[0143] The player need not pay any additional money after
purchasing the contract. [0144] The player keeps any net winnings
after all handle pulls have been completed. [0145] If the player
has a net loss after the handle pulls have been completed, then the
loss is paid to the casino by the insurer.
[0146] There are many variants of these provisions, and additional
provisions are possible. As can be seen, the contract insures a
player against excessive losses, and may give the player more
handle pulls than would otherwise be possible for the price of the
contract. Also, since there may be no additional player decisions
required after the player has purchased the contract, the player
need not be present for the execution of the contract and may
therefore experience the feeling of remote gambling.
[0147] Gaming Device--Any electrical, mechanical, or
electromechanical device that accepts wagers, steps through a
process to determine an outcome, and pays winnings based on the
outcome. The outcome may be randomly generated, as with a slot
machine; may be generated through a combination of randomness and
player skill, as with video poker; or may be generated entirely
through player skill. Gaming devices may include slot machines,
video poker machines, video blackjack machines, video roulette
machines, video keno machines, video bingo machines, and the like.
As described above, in some embodiments, a gaming device may
comprise a mobile computing device operable to facilitate such game
play.
[0148] Gross winnings--the total of a player's winnings during the
execution of a contract without regard to wagers made by the
player. For example, if, after five pulls of a contract, a player
has attained one winning outcome with a payout of 4 coins, and one
winning outcome with a payout of 20 coins, then the player's gross
winnings thus far are 24 coins. Since gross winnings does not
account for wagers a player makes, gross winnings will always be
larger than or equal to net winnings.
[0149] Handle pull--a single play at a gaming device, including
video poker, video blackjack, video roulette, video keno, video
bingo, and other devices. The definition is intended to be flexible
in that a single play might constitute a single complete game, or a
single wager. For example, in video blackjack, a player might play
a single game in which he splits a pair of sevens, requiring an
additional wager. This one game might thereby constitute either one
or two handle pulls.
[0150] Net winnings--the total of a player's winnings during the
execution of a contract minus the amount spent by the player on
wagers. In the example cited under the definition of "gross
winnings," the net winnings are 19 coins since the player has won
24 coins but used one coin as a wager on each of the five
pulls.
[0151] Turning now to a detailed description of the contract
embodiments of the present invention, various aspects of such
embodiments are set forth below.
Description of the Contract
[0152] A typical contract is an agreement between the insurer and a
player. The player agrees to pay a fixed amount of money up front.
In return, the player may (or must) gamble at a gaming device for a
designated amount of time or for a designated number of outcomes.
After the player has gambled the requisite amount, the player has
the right to keep any winnings that exceed a certain threshold. The
player does not, however, pay any losses. Thus, one function of the
contract is to insure the player against losses at a gaming device.
There are many variations of the contract and a portion of these
are described below.
[0153] Another function of the contract is to allow a player to
play a large number of handle pulls without the need of a large
bankroll. For example, a player wishing to make 600 pulls at a
quarter slot machine would ordinarily require $150 (25
cents.times.600) in order to assure himself the ability of
completing the 600 pulls. However, a contract might allow a player
to make 600 pulls by paying only $20.
[0154] In some embodiments, the contract does not involve an
insurer. The function of the contract may be to allow outcomes to
be generated for the player while the player is not physically
present at the gaming device. In these embodiments, the contract
may consist mainly of instructions from the player as to how the
slot machine should gamble on the player's behalf. For example, the
instructions will tell the machine how fast to gamble, when to
quit, and then where to send winnings.
Amount of Play
[0155] A contract may place one or more of the following exemplary
restrictions on play covered by the contract: [0156] The player
must make a minimum number of handle pulls. [0157] The player may
not make more than a maximum number of handle pulls. [0158] The
player must play for a certain minimum time period. [0159] The
player must play for less than a certain maximum time period.
[0160] The player must maintain a minimum rate of play. [0161] The
player may not exceed a maximum rate of play. [0162] The total coin
in over the course of the contract must exceed a certain minimum
amount. [0163] The total coin in over the course of the contract
must not exceed a certain amount. [0164] The player must play until
obtaining a specified outcome.
Coin Denomination
[0165] A contract may specify the size of the wager for each pull.
The wager size may be the same as that typically used by the gaming
device. For example, if a player signs up for a contract at a
quarter slot machine, the wager for each pull of the contract might
be a quarter. If the slot machine offers multiple coin bets, the
wager for each pull might be a quarter, 50 cents, 75 cents etc. The
contract may allow or may force the player to vary the wager from
pull to pull.
[0166] One aspect of a contract may allow all play to occur in
"credit mode." That is, the player need not physically insert money
into the gaming device prior to each pull, and money needn't come
out of the gaming device after a player win. Rather, a player's
credit balance may be stored in a player database either in the
gaming device or at the casino server. Every time the player then
makes a handle pull, credits are deducted from the player's
balance. Every time the player wins, credits are added to the
player's balance. The player's credit balance can be displayed on
the device so that the player may track his progress.
[0167] Since play may occur in credit mode, each wager might
consist of coin denominations that are not standard for the gaming
device. For example, a device that typically handles quarters may
accept wagers of a nickel, of 40 cents, or even of 121/2 cents.
Winnings Threshold
[0168] A contract may describe some threshold of gross winnings,
net winnings, or accumulated player credits above which the player
keeps any excess. Gross winnings describes the accumulated player
wins from each pull of the contract. Thus, a player who makes 600
pulls on a $1 slot machine as part of a contract and wins $3 on
each of 100 pulls has gross winnings of $300 ($3/pull.times.100
pulls). Net winnings are the gross winnings less the accumulated
costs of wagering. In the above example, the accumulated costs of
wagering are $600 ($1/pull.times.600 pulls). Thus, in the above
example, the player's net winnings would be negative $300
($300-$600). Accumulated player credits may mirror a running tally
of a player's net winnings. For example, a player may begin with
zero credits, with credits deducted in the amount of any wager, and
added in the amount of any winnings. Accumulated player credits may
also mirror a running tally of gross winnings, or any other
statistic about a player's performance.
[0169] At the end of a contract, a player's accumulated credits may
be compared to a threshold. The player may then receive a payout of
any excess accumulated credits above the threshold. For example, if
the threshold is zero, and the player has 44 credits, each credit
representing 25 cents, then the player receives a payout of $11 (44
credits.times.25 cents/credit). If the player had -12 credits,
indicating a net loss of 12 credits, then the player receives
nothing. The player does not owe $3 because the contract does not
make the player responsible for any losses.
[0170] The threshold might be at 10 credits, in which case a player
with accumulated credits of 30 would receive a payout equivalent to
20 credits at the end of a contract, and a player with 6 credits
would receive nothing. A threshold might be at -10 credits, in
which case a player with accumulated credits of -6 would receive
the equivalent of 4 credits, while a player with -100 credits would
receive nothing.
[0171] Rather than insuring against all of a player's losses, a
contract might insure all losses up to a point and not beyond.
Therefore, a contract may have multiple thresholds, each with
different functions. A player may, for example, be responsible for
any losses beyond a threshold loss of 100 credits. The same player
might receive any winnings beyond a threshold of 10 accumulated
credits. Thus, if, at the end of the contract, the player has
accumulated -125 credits, then the player must pay 25 credits. If
the player has accumulated 33 credits, then the player receives a
23 credit payout. If the player has accumulated -49 credits, then
the player neither owes nor receives anything.
[0172] In some embodiments, a threshold delineates a change in the
percentage of a player's winnings or losses between credit tallies
above and below the threshold. For example, a player might keep any
credits won beyond a threshold of 50. Below 50 credits, the player
only keeps 80% of his winnings. Therefore, if a player has 70
credits remaining at the end of a contract, he keeps all 20 credits
above 50, and he keeps an additional 40 credits, representing 80%
of the first 50 credits. Therefore, the player keeps 60 credits in
total.
[0173] A player may also be responsible for a percentage of losses
above or below a certain threshold. For example, a player may be
responsible for 50% of losses over 10 credits. Thus, a player who
finishes a contract with minus 20 credits owes nothing for the
first 10 credits of loss, but owes 5 credits for the next 10
credits of loss. The player therefore owes 5 credits.
[0174] In the most general sense, a contract specifies a functional
relationship between what a player's accumulated credits are at the
end of the contracted number of pulls, and what the player either
owes or is due. The function may be piece-wise linear, or may be
rather non-linear and convoluted.
[0175] Where there is potential for a player to owe money at the
end of a contract, the player may be required to deposit money into
the gaming device in advance so as to prevent the player from
walking away when he owes money. The advance payment may later be
returned if the player turns out to owe nothing at the end of the
contract.
[0176] In many embodiments, a contract is transparent to the
casino. In other words, if the player makes a certain number of
pulls, the casino makes the same amount of money whether or not the
player happened to be involved in a contract. In these embodiments,
however, a casino may collect money that it makes (and the player
has lost) from the insurer, rather than from the player. The casino
may also act as an intermediary in transactions between the player
and the insurer. For example, the casino may collect from the
player money that is meant to pay for a contract. The casino may
then transfer an equivalent amount of money to the insurer.
[0177] In other embodiments, a contract is not completely
transparent to the casino. That is, the amount of money a casino
receives after a certain number of the player's handle pulls may
depend on whether or not the player was in a contract. In one
example, a casino agrees that if a player's accumulated credits at
the end of a contract are less than -200, then the casino will only
collect 200 credits for the contract's handle pulls. This example
may benefit the insurer, since the insurer doesn't have to worry
about covering player losses in excess of 200 credits. In another
example, the casino configures a gaming device to give different
odds to a player in contract play versus a player not in contract
play.
Player Decisions
[0178] As mentioned previously, players may have some restrictions
on the play covered by the contract. For example, a contract may
cover an hour's play at a gaming device, but require the player to
make between 600 and 800 pulls in that hour. In some embodiments,
however, contracts may allow players to quit early or to play more
than is otherwise covered by the contract. For example, a contract
might cover an hour's worth of play. After the first half-hour, the
player may be ahead by $100 and wish to quit without risking the
loss of the $100 in the subsequent half-hour. He may therefore opt
to pay $20 in order to be released from the obligation of
continuing the contract. He may then collect his $100 in
winnings.
[0179] A player at a gaming device may reach the end of a contract
with accumulated credits just short of an amount necessary to
collect winnings. However, the last 17 out of 20 pulls may have
been wins for the player. The player may feel as if he has some
momentum going for him and therefore may not wish that the contract
be finished. In some embodiments, the player may extend the
contract. For example, the gaming device might prompt the player,
saying, "For only $5 more, we'll give you another 200 spins added
to your contract." If the player accepts, then the casino or
insurer has made a new sale with potential profitability. In some
embodiments, the player may be allowed to extend a contract for
free, or may even be paid to extend the contract. For example, the
player may have winnings of $100 at the end of a contract. The
casino, or insurer, may figure that if the player were to keep
pulling, he would be likely to lose some of that $100. So the
casino may pay the player $5 to take another 200 pulls.
[0180] In a related embodiment, a player may carry over the
accumulated credits from a first contract to a second contract.
Thus, a player with 40 accumulated credits at the end of a first
contract may begin a second contract with 40 accumulated credits.
The player may pay or be paid for carrying over credits.
Price
[0181] In many embodiments, the player pays a fixed sum to buy the
contract. In exchange for that fixed sum, the player can then
gamble a significant amount with little or no risk of losses. In
many embodiments, the insurer takes the risk of the player's loss.
The insurer must therefore price the contract so as to be
compensated for the risk it takes. In other embodiments, the casino
and the insurer share the profits and losses associated with a
contract. To ensure a profit to be divided amongst the two, a
contract may be priced in excess of a player's average win. Note
that a player's loss would count as zero in figuring out the
player's average win, since the player does not have to pay for
losses.
[0182] One method of pricing the contract involves first figuring
out what the insurer might expect to pay, on average, to cover a
player's losses. Another method of pricing a contract involves
first figuring out what the casino/insurer combination might expect
to pay, on average, to compensate a player for his winnings. Both
methods involve similar computations. Therefore, computations will
be described below with respect to only one or the other method of
pricing a contract.
Exemplary Price Computations
[0183] 1) The insurer obtains the gaming device or a component of
the gaming device containing significant information about the
operation of the gaming device (e.g. the CPU). The insurer then
operates the gaming device as a player would when under contract.
For example, if the insurer is to sell contracts for 600 pulls, the
insurer would make 600 handle pulls at the gaming device and record
the number of accumulated credits at the end of the 600 pulls. The
insurer may repeat this process of testing contracts at the device
for a large number of trials. The insurer may then average what its
payments would be over all the trials. Note that while it might
take a player days or years to complete, say, 100,000 contracts at
a gaming device; the process may be sped up for the insurer by
giving the gaming device special instructions to generate outcomes
more rapidly. The performance of large number of trials in the
manner described above is often called a Monte-Carlo
simulation.
[0184] The following is an example of pricing a contract. Using the
method of pricing described above, an insurer simulates the
execution of a 600-pull contract. The insurer repeats the
simulation four more times. After the first simulation, the player
has won $10. After the second, the player has lost $5. After the
third, the player has lost $17. After the fourth, the player has
lost $8. After the fifth, the player has won $3. To figure out what
the insurer must pay, on average, the insurer adds the three losses
to get: $5+$17+$8=$30. The insurer then divides by five, the number
of simulations, to get: $30/5=$6. The insurer doesn't care, for the
purposes of this calculation, how much the player won when he did
win, since the casino is the one paying the player his winnings.
Now, in order to obtain an average $4 profit, the insurer might
charge $10 for each contract.
2) The insurer obtains or creates software that mirrors or models
the operation of the gaming device. For example, the software is
configured to generate the same outcomes as does the gaming device
with the same frequency as the gaming device. For each outcome
generated, the software tracks what a player's accumulated credits
would be. As before, the insurer may simulate many contracts and
average what its payments would be over all the trials. 3) The
insurer mathematically models potential outcomes of one handle pull
of the gaming device using a random variable with a probability
mass function (PMF) or probability density function (PDF). With
these functions, the x-axis may represent potential winnings, such
as -$1 or $3, which can occur from a single handle pull. The
example of -$1 indicates the player has paid $1 for the pull but
has won nothing. The example of $3 indicates that the player has
paid $1 for the pull and won $4. The y-axis of these functions
represents the probability or probability density of each outcome
occurring. The probability of the player getting -$1 on a pull
might be 0.8, while the probability of the player getting $3 might
be 0.2.
[0185] A PMF for the number of accumulated credits at the end of a
contract can then be created by summing the random variables
representing individual handle pulls. If each pull is independent
with an identical PMF, as is common with slot machines, then the
PMF for the results of the entire contract can be created using
repeated convolutions of the PMF's for individual handle pulls. If,
for example, 600 pulls are involved, then the PMF for single a
handle pull may be convolved with itself 599 times to generate a
PMF for the entire contract.
[0186] Using this resultant PMF, the insurer can easily calculate
how much it would expect to pay to cover a player's losses on each
contract. If the resultant random variable is denoted by w, and the
insurer would by required to pay for any player losses, then the
insurer's expected payment is given by .SIGMA..sub.-.infin..sup.0
w*probability(w).
4) In the method described above, Fourier Transforms, Z transforms,
Laplace Transforms, or other transforms can be used to aid in the
calculation of the repeated convolutions. Such a use of transforms
is well known in the art. 5) As is well known in the art, with many
classes of random variables, repeated summation results in a
Gaussian probability distribution. This distribution has the shape
of the familiar bell curve. The Gaussian distribution has the
advantage of being fully described by only two parameters, a mean
and a standard deviation. If a Gaussian probability distribution is
used to approximate the sum of a large number of independent,
identically distributed random variables, such as those that often
describe handle pulls, then the mean and standard deviation of the
Gaussian distribution is very easily calculated based on the mean
and standard deviation of a random variable describing an
individual pull. Such calculations are well known in the art. Thus,
a Gaussian distribution can easily be generated to approximate the
PMF of a player's accumulated credits at the end of a contract.
Using this distribution, the insurer can calculate the amount it
would be required to pay, on average, to cover a player's losses.
The method of calculation is similar to that described in 3). If a
Gaussian PDF is used as an approximation, then an integral sign
replaces the summation sign, and "probability" is replaced by
"probability density."
[0187] The following is an example of using a Gaussian probability
density function to approximate the amount a casino would be
required to pay, on average to, to compensate a player for his
winnings at the end of a contract. The contract may then be priced
in excess of this amount to ensure an average profit for the
casino/insurer combination. A Gaussian function is given by the
formula, f(x)=1/
(2.pi..sigma.)exp(-(x-.mu.).sup.2/(2.sigma..sup.2)). In this
formula, .sigma. is the standard deviation, and .mu. is the mean.
Now, let us suppose that a single handle pull of a slot machine
results in a required payout to the player described by a
probability mass function with mean .mu..sub.0 and standard
deviation .sigma..sub.0. Then, assuming each handle pull is
independent, n handle pulls of the slot machine may be described by
a function with mean .mu.=.mu..sub.0n and standard deviation
.sigma.=.sigma..sub.0 n. Furthermore, if n is large, then the
function describing a casino's aggregate payout after n handle
pulls may be approximated by the Gaussian function f(x), whose
formula is given above.
[0188] To calculate what a casino would have to pay to compensate a
player for his winnings, on average, we note that the casino pays
when the player wins, but receives nothing when a player loses.
Therefore, the expected payment of the casino is given by:
.intg..sub.-.infin..sup.00*f(x)dx+.intg..sub.0.sup..infin.x*f(x)dx=.intg-
..sub.0.sup..infin.x*f(x)dx.
We proceed to solve the integral:
.intg. 0 .infin. x f ( x ) x = .intg. 0 .infin. x 1 / ( 2 .pi.
.sigma. ) exp ( - ( x - .mu. ) 2 / ( 2 .sigma. 2 ) ) x = 1 / ( 2
.pi..sigma. ) .intg. 0 .infin. x exp ( - ( x - .mu. ) 2 / ( 2
.sigma. 2 ) ) x = 1 / ( 2 .pi..sigma. ) .intg. 0 .infin. [ ( x -
.mu. ) exp ( - ( x - .mu. ) 2 / ( 2 .sigma. 2 ) ) + .mu. exp ( - (
x - .mu. ) 2 / ( 2 .sigma. 2 ) ) ] x = 2 .sigma. 2 / ( 2
.pi..sigma. ) ( - 1 / 2 ) [ exp ( - ( x - .mu. ) 2 / ( 2 .sigma. 2
) ) ] 0 .infin. + .mu. .intg. 0 .infin. 1 / ( 2 .pi..sigma. ) exp (
- ( x - .mu. ) 2 / ( 2 .sigma. 2 ) ) x ##EQU00004##
We deal with the two terms separately:
2 .sigma. 2 / ( 2 .pi..sigma. ) ( - 1 / 2 ) [ exp ( - ( x - .mu. )
2 / ( 2 .sigma. 2 ) ) ] 0 .infin. = - .sigma. 2 / ( 2 .pi..sigma. )
[ 0 - exp ( - .mu. 2 / ( 2 .sigma. 2 ) ) ] = .sigma. 2 exp ( - .mu.
2 / ( 2 .sigma. 2 ) ) / ( 2 .pi..sigma. ) = n .sigma. 0 2 exp ( - n
2 .mu. 0 2 / ( 2 n .sigma. 0 2 ) ) / ( 2 .pi. n .sigma. 0 ) = n 3 /
4 .sigma. 0 3 / 2 exp ( - n .mu. 0 2 / ( 2 .sigma. 0 2 ) ) / ( 2
.pi. ) and .mu. .intg. 0 .infin. 1 / ( 2 .pi..sigma. ) exp ( - ( x
- .mu. ) 2 / ( 2 .sigma. 2 ) ) x = .mu. .intg. - .mu. / .sigma.
.infin. 1 / ( 2 .pi..sigma. ) exp ( - y 2 / 2 ) .sigma. y ( where y
= ( x - .mu. ) / .sigma. ) = .mu. .sigma. .intg. - .mu. / .sigma.
.infin. 1 / ( 2 .pi. ) exp ( - y 2 / 2 ) y = .mu. .sigma. [ 1 -
.intg. - .infin. - .mu. / .sigma. 1 / ( 2 .pi. ) exp ( - y 2 / 2 )
y ] ##EQU00005##
[0189] The integral is the cumulative distribution function for a
zero mean, unit standard deviation Gaussian, for which tables
exist. We denote it by N(-.mu./.sigma.). Continuing:
.mu. .intg. 0 .infin. 1 / ( 2 .pi..sigma. ) exp ( - ( x - .mu. ) 2
/ ( 2 .sigma. 2 ) ) x = .mu. .sigma. [ 1 - N ( - .mu. / .sigma. ) ]
= n .mu. 0 n 1 / 4 .sigma. 0 [ 1 - N ( - n .mu. 0 / ( n .sigma. 0 )
) ] = n 5 / 4 .mu. 0 .sigma. 0 [ 1 - N ( - n .mu. 0 / .sigma. 0 ) ]
##EQU00006##
[0190] Recombining the two terms we get:
.intg..sub.0.sup..infin.x*f(x)dx=n.sup.3/4.sigma..sub.0.sup.3/2exp(-n.mu-
..sub.0.sup.2/(2.sigma..sub.0.sup.2)/ (2.pi.)+n.sup.5/4.mu..sub.0
.sigma..sub.0[1-N(- n.mu..sub.0/.sigma..sub.0)]
[0191] If we were to graph the above as a function of n, the number
of pulls, we would see that initially, as the number of pulls in a
contract gets larger, a casino could expect to pay more money to
compensate a player for his winnings. However, there would reach a
point, beyond which more pulls in a contract would actually
decrease the amount a casino could expect to pay to compensate a
player for his winnings. This illustrates an important feature of
contracts. Having more pulls in a contract is not necessarily an
advantage for a player.
6) A casino or insurer may start with a first price for a contract,
and then evolve the price as more and more of the contracts are
purchased and executed. For example, if an insurer loses money on
the first few contracts it sells, then it may increase the price of
the contract. If the insurer makes large profits on its first few
contracts, then it may reduce the price.
[0192] Once the insurer has determined what it can expect to pay,
on average, to cover a player's losses, the insurer may price the
contract so as to give itself a desired profit margin. For example,
if the insurer can expect to pay, on average, $15 to cover a
player's losses, then the insurer might price the contract at $20
to insure itself a $5 average profit.
Automatic Play
[0193] A contract may require certain behaviors of the player. As
mentioned, these behaviors may include maintaining a certain rate
of play, or performing a minimum number of handle pulls. The gaming
device on which a contract is executed may take various steps to
ensure that the behaviors are performed. To this end, the gaming
device may initiate handle pulls automatically or may fail to
register handle pulls that the player attempts to initiate. For
example, if the player must make at least one handle pull every 10
seconds, and the player has failed to make any handle pulls in 9
seconds, then the gaming device may automatically initiate a handle
pull for the player on the tenth second. As another example, a
player may be restricted from making more than one pull every 10
seconds. If in the same 10-second interval, the player attempts to
make more than one handle pull, the second handle pull may not be
initiated, at least until the next 10-second interval.
[0194] As can be seen from the above two examples, the player may
maintain some control over his gambling behavior even while the
gaming device forces him to comply with the contract. So a player
who must make a pull every 10 seconds still has control over
whether the pull occurs on the first second of an interval or the
eighth second of an interval. Such control can be psychologically
important, because many players feel that the exact moment at which
the handle pull is initiated has an important effect on the
ultimate outcome.
[0195] In some cases, a player may not desire to make any active
decisions once a contract has been initiated and may simply put a
gaming device into "automatic play." The player may later have the
option of taking the gaming device out of automatic play and of
manually initiating handle pulls.
Offering the Contract
[0196] A contract may be offered to a player in a number of ways. A
gaming device may use text or synthesized voice to ask a person
whether or not he would like to sign up for a contract. A casino
attendant may offer a contract to a player, or signs at a casino
may point a player towards a casino desk where he may then purchase
a contract.
[0197] A number of circumstances may trigger the casino or an
insurer to offer a contract to the player. For example, the player
may have lost most of an initial stake deposited into a gaming
device. A player may be slowing his play, or may no longer be
inserting coins into the machine. The time of day may be a player's
typical lunch time or departure time. A player may have the
opportunity to enter into a contract only if he also agrees to do
business with a particular merchant or group of merchants. The
player may have the opportunity to enter into a contract if the
casino or insurer deems him a good, valuable, or loyal
customer.
Agreeing to the Contract
[0198] A player may specify a desired contract in a number of ways.
At a gaming device, a player may use a touch screen to indicate his
desire to enter into a specific contract. Using the touch screen,
the player may select from a menu of possible contracts. For
example, the menu might list several contracts with different time
durations or different prices. The player could then select a
contract by touching an area of the screen next to his desired
contract.
[0199] The player might use menus to customize a contract for
himself. The player might use a first menu to select a duration of
the contract (e.g. 600 pulls, or 1/2 hour). A second menu might be
used to select a rate of play. A third menu might be used for coin
denomination. Many other menus are possible for other contract
features. Once the player has selected several contract features,
the gaming device may select the remaining feature so as to make
the contract profitable for the insurer. For example, once the
player has chosen a number of pulls and a coin denomination, the
gaming device might choose the price of the contract.
[0200] Rather than a touch screen, a player may use special
buttons, keys, or voice input to specify a desired contract or
contract terms.
[0201] In some embodiments, a player chooses a contract prior to
approaching the gaming device or even the casino. A player might
select a contract on the Internet. On the Internet, the player
might specify terms of the contract, such as the number of pulls,
the rate of play, the cost, the payout tables, the winning symbol
combinations, etc. The player may then print out a code or a
document describing the terms of the contract. The player then
brings the code or document to a gaming device that then recognizes
what contract the player has chosen. When the player signs up for a
contract, a description of the contract might be sent
electronically directly to the gaming device. The player might then
only identify himself at the gaming device in order to initiate
contract play.
[0202] Other terms of a contract a player may agree to or specify
include: the font size of the machine, the noise level of the
machine's sound effects, the particular game (e.g. number of reels,
number of pay lines), the brightness of the display, etc.
Signature
[0203] To confirm entry into a contract, a player might sign a
document that may contain the terms of the contract. The document
may be printed from a gaming device or from the Internet, or may be
obtained from a counter at a casino. The signed document may then
be deposited into an opening in the gaming device, may be returned
to a casino counter, or may be kept by the player. The player might
also sign an area on a touch screen or other sensing device.
[0204] A player might also confirm entry into a contract simply by
paying for it. The player might pay be depositing tokens, coins or
other currency into the gaming device. The player might pay using a
credit or debit card. The player might also pay from a player
credit account established with the casino. The player might pay at
a counter of the casino and might receive a contract or a contract
indicator to bring to a gaming device. The gaming device might then
recognize the contract indicator by, for example, a bar code, and
then execute the contract.
Instruction Sets
[0205] A typical contract may cover and/or require a large number
of handle pulls by the player. Now ordinarily, when a player is
gambling at a gaming device for a long period of time, the player
makes a number of decisions related to his gambling. Should the
player play more quickly or more slowly? Should the player double
his bet after a loss? Should the player quit after a sizable win?
Should the player take a short break to use the restroom?
[0206] Since the contract covers a large number of pulls, it is
possible for the some player decisions to be made beforehand and
included in the contract. A gaming device may then act on the
decisions specified in the contract without further input from the
player. For example, while negotiating a contract for an hour of
play at 10 pulls per minute, a player might decide he'd like a 15
minute break between the first 1/2 hour and the second 1/2 hour of
pulls. The gaming device might then execute the contract for the
first half hour by automatically spinning and generating outcomes
for the first 1/2 hour. The gaming device might then freeze for 15
minutes, preventing other players from stepping in and allowing the
contract holding player to take his 15 minute break. The device can
then unlock after 15 minutes, perhaps with the entry of a password,
and resume the generation of outcomes.
[0207] One important aspect of having a player's decisions spelled
out before hand in the contract is that the player need not even be
present at the gaming device. A player can sign up for a contract
at a casino in Las Vegas, and then have the contract executed
automatically by a gaming device. The player can then view a
running tally of his accumulated credits over the Internet while in
Virginia, for example.
[0208] In general, player instructions built into a contract will
include some action to be performed as well as some triggering
condition for the action. As an example, a player instruction may
be to increase the rate of handle pulls provided accumulated player
credits exceed 100. In this example, the action is to increase the
rate of handle pulls, and the triggering condition is whether
accumulated player credits exceed 100. The following player actions
may be part of a player's instructions: [0209] Increase or decrease
a wager amount on one or more handle pulls. [0210] Increase or
decrease a rate of wagering. [0211] Cease gambling. [0212] Change
the way outcomes are displayed.
[0213] The following conditions may trigger the above actions
[0214] The player has just won or lost on one or more handle pulls.
[0215] The player has just won a certain amount on one or more
handle pulls. [0216] Any player defined sequence of wins and losses
has occurred on prior handle pulls. [0217] The player has
approached or left the vicinity of the gaming device. [0218] The
current time has reached a particular time of day.
[0219] One advantage of contracts executed by the gaming device is
that a gaming device can gamble at speeds a human is incapable of
achieving. For example a player is on a winning streak, but must
soon join his family for lunch. Rather than cash out and leave, he
decides to accelerate his play to 2 pulls per second. He therefore
enters a into a contract which is to be executed by the machine at
2 pulls per second for the next 8 minutes. In this contract, an
insurer is not involved. The contract simply serves as a means of
increasing the rate of play. As it happens, the player loses all
his money in 6 minutes, and so the contract ends.
[0220] Player instructions may tell the slot machine to play faster
when the player is present or is observing in some way, and to play
more slowly while the player is asleep. For example, the rate of
pulls may be twice as fast during the day as at night. The rate of
play may likewise be faster when an infrared detector in the slot
machine senses the heat of the player's presence.
[0221] Player instructions may also tell a gaming device how to
play certain games involving player decisions. For example, a
player may leave instructions to use basic strategy in a game of
video blackjack, or to play according to published theory in a game
of video poker. The player may add instructions to always draw to a
four card open-ended straight flush.
Times of Execution
[0222] A contract may be executed over a range of different time
periods. The outcomes, the accumulated player credits, and the
player winnings may or may not be displayed to the player at the
same time at which the outcomes are being generated.
[0223] In one embodiment, all the outcomes needed for a contract
are generated very rapidly by a gaming device, perhaps all in less
than a second. The outcomes may then be displayed to the player
over a much longer time frame so as to give the player a more
exciting gaming experience.
[0224] In another embodiment, outcomes may be continuously
generated at a rate comparable to that with which a player might
make handle pulls on his own. This embodiment might be entertaining
for a player if the player is sitting at the gaming device or
watching the outcomes being generated from a home computer.
[0225] In another embodiment, outcomes are generated on a periodic
basis at fixed times every day, week, hour, etc. For example,
outcomes for a 600-pull contract may be generated 100 outcomes at a
time, each block being generated from 8 pm-9 pm on Sunday. Thus, it
would take just under six weeks for the entire contract to be
executed. This method of execution may be ideal if a player has a
schedule as to when he enjoys watching outcomes being generated.
For example, the player might enjoy seeing outcomes generated while
he watches his favorite show on Sundays from 8 pm to 9 pm. This
method of execution might also be ideal for the casino if slow
business periods occur on a periodic basis where the entire
contract cannot be executed in a single period.
[0226] In still another embodiment, outcomes are generated on a
flexible basis, either when it is convenient for the casino or for
the player. In this embodiment, the casino may wait for a gaming
device to be free of use before using it to generate the next
couple of outcomes of a contract. Alternatively, the player may
signal the gaming device any time he is ready to have the next few
outcomes generated
Viewing the Contract's Execution
[0227] As discussed, a player may enjoy watching from a remote
location as the outcomes of his contracts are generated. Since the
player is not physically at the slot machine, the outcomes must be
presented to the player via some graphical representation. In one
embodiment, a camera simply films the gaming device generating the
player's outcomes. The image from the camera is transmitted to the
player device via the Internet, the cable system, satellite, etc.
The player device might be, for example, a TV or a personal
computer. In another embodiment, the generated outcomes are
recorded either by the gaming device, by a camera watching the
device, or by a casino employee. The generation of the outcomes is
then graphically recreated for the player in a manner not
necessarily consistent with the physical appearance of the gaming
device that generated the outcomes. For example, a gaming device
generates the outcome: cherry-orange-lemon. The gaming device then
transmits, via the casino server and the Internet, a bit sequence
indicating the outcomes cherry-orange-lemon. Perhaps the bits
"0000" represent cherry, "0011" represent orange, and "1111"
represent lemon. The bit sequence is transmitted to a player's home
computer, where a software program displays a cartoon
representation of a slot machine. The cartoon shows the reels
spinning and stopping with the outcome: cherry-orange-lemon. The
cartoon representation of the slot machine may not look anything
like the slot machine that originally generated the outcomes. In
some embodiments, a player views a combination of the actual image
of his gaming device, and a computer-rendered version of a gaming
device. For example, a cartoon of the reels spinning might be
displayed within the frame of an actual image of the slot machine,
without the reels.
[0228] In some embodiments, the player does not view a graphical
representation of the outcomes, but sees the outcomes as text, such
as "seven-bar-bar," "s-b-b," "7-b-b," etc. The player may not even
see the outcomes, just how much he has won or lost on every pull.
Thus, the player may view a periodically updated tally of his
accumulated credits. He may only view his total accumulated
credits, or his take home winnings, after all outcomes have been
generated.
[0229] Any graphical or textual representation of the player's
outcomes, accumulated credits, or other contract information may be
displayed either on an entire portion of a computer or TV screen,
or on a smaller portion of the screen. For example, a small cartoon
slot machine may reside in a box in the upper right hand corner of
a TV screen that simultaneously displays a regular TV show. A
player watching television need then only glance up at the corner
of his screen to follow the progress of his contract.
Representation of outcomes may also be place in an email message to
the player.
[0230] Of course, the various representations of outcomes may be
used just as well with a player physically present at the gaming
device or at the casino.
[0231] In some embodiments, the player calls up a number to monitor
the progress of his contract. He may enter a code or password when
prompted by a voice response unit (VRU) and thereby access the
outcomes from his particular contract.
[0232] A player may be sent updates on his contract only when
certain triggering conditions are met. For example, a player may
only wish for updates when he wins more than 100 credits on a spin,
or when the contract terminates.
Revenue Management
[0233] As discussed previously, the pricing of a contract will
often take into account the expected amount an insurer must pay to
a casino to cover a player's losses, or the expected amount that a
casino and insurer in combination can expect to pay to compensate
the player for his winnings. Pricing of contracts may account for
additional factors such as, for example: [0234] Times or dates on
which the contract is to be executed. [0235] The gaming device on
which the contract is to be executed [0236] Flexibility in the
contract's execution. [0237] A player's playing history. [0238] The
importance of the player as a customer of the casino.
[0239] For example, a contract which is to be executed during a
period of low customer activity at a casino may be priced at a
discount. This is because a casino would like to encourage the use
of gaming devices that are otherwise empty. Alternatively, a casino
may want to discourage the purchase of contracts during times of
high customer traffic, and so contracts may be higher priced at
such times.
[0240] If a contract has flexibility as to when it may be executed,
then this allows the casino to execute contracts only during times
when gaming devices would not otherwise be in use. Therefore, such
a contract might be priced more favorably.
[0241] A contract that is executed at an unpopular gaming device,
for example, might be priced more favorably for the player so as to
encourage the use of that device.
[0242] If a player shows signs of nearing the end of his gambling
session, a contract might be priced at a discount for that player.
For example, a player might be slowing his rate of play, indicating
boredom. A player might be lowering his wager size, indicating a
decreasing bankroll. A player might simply have been at a gaming
device for such a long time that he would almost necessarily be
hungry enough to leave at any moment. Providing a discount on a
contract to such players would encourage them to remain gambling
for at least the time it takes to execute the contract.
Settlement
[0243] In some embodiments, the casino acts as the intermediary in
transactions between a player and the insurer. The casino is an
intermediary, for example, when its gaming devices collect a
player's payment for a contract, even though that payment is meant
to go to the insurer. The casino is also an intermediary when it
does not collect losses from a player, but from an insurer.
[0244] Since the casino may engage in many transactions with the
insurer, it would potentially be inefficient for the casino to
transfer money to the insurer, or vice versa, after every
transaction. Therefore, the casino or the insurer may maintain
records of how much one owes the other. The casino and the insurer
may then settle their accounts periodically. If the casino owes the
insurer money, then the casino may wire money to the insurer. If
the insurer owes the casino, then the insurer may wire money. Of
course, many other methods of settlement are possible.
[0245] In cases where a contract has resulted in a net win for the
player, the player must be paid. If the player is at the casino, he
may enter into a gaming device a password or other identifier of
himself or of his contract. The gaming device may then access a
database in the casino server containing the details of the
contract, including the amount owed to the player. The gaming
device may then payout the amount owed in the form of cash, tokens,
paper receipts or vouchers, digital cash, digital receipts, etc.
The player may also collect his winnings at a casino desk, perhaps
after presenting identification.
[0246] If a player is remote from a casino when his contract has
finished executing, then the player may be sent his winnings either
by the insurer or the casino. If the insurer provides the winnings,
then the casino may later reimburse the insurer in the amount of
the winnings. The winnings may be sent in the form of cash, check,
money order, etc. The winnings may be sent by postal mail, by wire
transfer, by direct deposit, by email as digital cash, etc.
[0247] In some embodiments, the casino may simply keep the player's
winnings in a player account at a casino, to be accessed by the
player next time he visits the casino. The winnings may, in the
mean time, accumulate interest. The casino (or insurer) may also
alert the player that his contract has finished executing and that
he has winnings. The player may be instructed to come to the casino
and pick them up.
[0248] In some embodiments, the player may have left instructions
to take any winnings from a first contract and purchase a second
contract. This allows for the notion of a meta-contract. Just as a
contract may specify how to allocate money for pulls, a
meta-contract would describe how to allocate money for contracts.
There could then be meta-meta-contracts, and so on.
[0249] Numerous variations on the above-described contract
embodiments of the present invention may be practiced without
departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For
example, a player may be halfway through a contract and have
negative 200 accumulated credits. The player might therefore lose
all hope of winning enough to overcome the 200-credit deficit, and
so lose interest in the contract. Therefore, in one embodiment, a
player who is well below a threshold number of accumulated credits
for winning may play for an altered pay table. Low paying outcomes
may be eliminated, while the likelihood of achieving high paying
outcomes may increase. This is because a player with a 200-credit
deficit probably doesn't care about a win of ten credits, but does
care about a win of 500 credits. The overall hold percentage of the
machine may remain constant. In some embodiments, the alteration of
the pay tables is an automatic function of the number of pulls
remaining and the credit deficit of the player. In other
embodiments, the player must request an alteration of the pay
tables. As an example, a player may select an option that says,
"Let me play just for the jackpot. Eliminate everything else and
make the jackpot more likely." The player may or may not have to
pay for an alteration of the pay tables. In a more general sense,
the pay tables may change such that the standard deviation of the
payout for a particular handle pull changes even as hold percentage
may remain constant.
[0250] In another embodiment, a player might purchase a contract at
a casino desk and receive a token that indicates the type of
contract. The player might then deposit the token into a gaming
device. The gaming device would then recognize the token and be
able to execute the contract.
[0251] A player may have the privilege of entering into favorable
contracts after a fixed amount of initial betting. For example, if
the player wagers for an hour, he may be able to enter into a
contract where each pull is at true odds. That is each pull pays
back, on average, the same amount that was put in. Typically the
pull pays back less. In yet another embodiment, a player may
receive better odds on contract play when he is recommended to the
casino by a friend.
[0252] In some embodiments, certain results of a pull may terminate
a contract early. For example, if a player hits the jackpot, the
contract may terminate. In other embodiments a player's accumulated
credits can be displayed to a player as a function of time in the
form of a graph. The graph may look much like graphs used to plot
the price of a stock market index as a function of time. In some
embodiments, a player wins money or some other prize if the graph
takes on a certain shape. For example, if the line of the graph is
such that it slips between several sets of markers (much like a
skier on a slalom course), then the player may win a large
prize.
[0253] In some embodiments, a player's winnings on each pull of the
contract are reinvested into the contract, whereas in other
embodiments they are not. In one example, a player purchases a
contract for $100. The player instructs the gaming device to gamble
the $100 until it is all gone. However, any winnings are not to be
used to gamble, they are to be sent directly to the player. In a
second example, the player purchases a contract for $100 and
instructs the gaming device to gamble the $100 until it is gone or
until it has become $200. Here, the player elects to reinvest
winnings, using the winnings to pay for new handle pulls even after
$100 worth of handle pulls has been made already.
[0254] A contract may reward a player based on any second order
data, or meta-data about one or more outcomes. Examples include
rewarding the player if three like outcomes occur in a row, if 20
cherries come up in 10 sequential spins, if the players accumulated
credits ever reach 100, etc. An example previously mentioned is
rewarding a player based on the pattern of a graph of accumulated
winnings as a function of time. A player might choose the
"meta-outcomes" on which he desires to be rewarded, and the gaming
device may figure the corresponding odds and the size of the reward
should the meta-outcome occur.
[0255] A player may be rewarded with the downside of a sequence of
outcomes much as buying insurance gives him the upside. For
example, a player pays a fixed sum of money, and collects winnings
for every dollar in the negative the contract finishes at. Thus, if
a contract ends with the player having minus 20 accumulated
credits, then the player collects 20 credits.
[0256] A contract may apply to a "best 100" sequence of a larger
sequence of pulls. For example, the player pays $100 for a contract
of 1000 pulls. From those 1000 pulls, the player gets to choose any
100 consecutive outcomes to determine his winnings, and can
disregard the rest of the outcomes. Thus the player can say he
wants to use outcomes 506 through 605. Perhaps there was a hot
streak during that sequence. The player's winnings are then
determined solely based on what happened between pulls 506 and 605.
This might result in winnings of $200, whereas having counted all
1000 pulls would have resulted in a net loss for the player. Of
course, the gaming device may automatically choose the most
favorable sequence for the player.
[0257] A player may choose his favorite outcome and receive higher
payouts for that outcome, special privileges for receiving that
outcome (e.g. the ability to terminate a contract), etc.
[0258] Returning now to the figures, FIG. 16 is a schematic
representation of an embodiment of a system configured to carry out
the contract embodiments described above. The system 1600 comprises
a casino server 1605 in communication with insurer device 1610, a
gaming device 1615, and a player device 1620. As used herein, a
device (including the casino server 1605, the insurer device 1610,
the gaming device 1615 and/or the player device 1620) may
communicate, for example, through a communication network such as a
Local Area Network (LAN), a Wide Area Network (WAN), a Metropolitan
Area Network (MAN), a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), a
proprietary network, a Wireless Access Protocol (WAP) network, or
an Internet Protocol (IP) network such as the Internet, an intranet
or an extranet. Moreover, as used herein, a communication network
includes those enabled by wired or wireless (e.g., WiFi,
Bluetooth.TM., GPS, RFID, etc.) technology.
[0259] It should be understood that any number of gaming devices
and any number of player devices can be used in system 1600.
Although system 1600 includes both a casino server 1605 and an
insurer device 1610 as illustrated, one or the other of these
elements may be omitted (for example, the insurer device may be
omitted in embodiments that do not include an insurer or where the
casino acts as the insurer). Similarly, although system 1600
includes both a gaming device 1615 and a player device 1620 as
illustrated, one or more of these embodiments may be omitted (for
example, the player device may be omitted if the casino has not
implemented remote gaming). Further, some or all of the
functionality of a casino server 1605 may be carried out by insurer
device 1610 and vice versa. Similarly, some or all of the
functionality of casino server 1605 and/or insurer device 1610 may
be carried out by gaming device 1615 and vice versa. In one
embodiment, the casino server 1605 comprises one or more computers
that are connected to a remote database server.
[0260] Turning now to FIG. 17, therein depicted is schematic
illustration of a casino server 1605. Casino server 1605 is an
illustration of an embodiment of the casino server of the same
number in FIG. 16. Casino server 1605 comprises a processor 1705 in
communication with a communications port 1710 and storage device
1715. Contained in storage device 1715 is a program 1720, a player
database 1725, a gaming device database 1725, and a contracts
database 1730. Each of these databases will be described in detail
below. The processor 1705 performs instructions of the program
1720, and thereby operates in accordance with the present
invention. The program 1720 may be stored in a compressed,
uncompiled and/or encrypted format. The program 1720 furthermore
includes program elements that may be necessary, such as an
operating system, a database management system, and "device
drivers" used by the processor 210 to interface with peripheral
devices. Appropriate program elements are known to those skilled in
the art. Note that the processor 1705 and the storage device 1715
may be, for example, located entirely within a single computer or
other computing device or located in separate devices coupled
through a communication channel.
[0261] Turning now to FIG. 18, therein depicted is a schematic
illustration of an insurer device 1610. Insurer device 1610 is an
illustration of an embodiment of the insurer device 1610 of the
same number in FIG. 16. Insurer device comprises a processor 1805
in communication with a communications port 1810 and a storage
device 1815. Storage device 1815 stores a program 1820. The
processor 1805 performs instructions of the program 1820, and
thereby operates in accordance with the present invention. The
program 1820 may be stored in a compressed, uncompiled and/or
encrypted format. The program 1820 furthermore includes program
elements that may be necessary, such as an operating system, a
database management system, and "device drivers" used by the
processor 1805 to interface with peripheral devices. Appropriate
program elements are known to those skilled in the art. Note that
the processor 1805 and the storage device 1815 may be, for example,
located entirely within a single computer or other computing device
or located in separate devices coupled through a communication
channel.
[0262] Turning now to FIG. 19, therein depicted is a schematic
illustration of a gaming device 1615. Gaming device 1615 is an
illustration of an embodiment of the gaming device of the same
number depicted in FIG. 16. Gaming device 1615 comprises a
processor 1905 in communication with a communications port 1910, an
input device 1915, an output device 1920, and a storage device
1925. Storage device 1925 stores a program 1930. The processor 1905
performs instructions of the program 1930, and thereby operates in
accordance with the present invention. The program 1930 may be
stored in a compressed, uncompiled and/or encrypted format. The
program 1930 furthermore includes program elements that may be
necessary, such as an operating system, a database management
system, and "device drivers" used by the processor 1905 to
interface with peripheral devices. Appropriate program elements are
known to those skilled in the art. Note that the processor 1905 and
the storage device 1925 may be, for example, located entirely
within a single computer or other computing device or located in
separate devices coupled through a communication channel.
[0263] Input device 1915 may comprise, for example, a player slot
card interface, a keypad, a touch-screen, a microphone and/or any
other device which allows a player to input information into gaming
device 1615. Output device 1920 may comprise, for example, a
display area, a microphone, and/or any other device that allows
gaming device 1615 to output information to a player. Gaming device
1615 may comprise, for example, a slot machine, video poker
machine, video keno machine, or a video blackjack machine. A
combination of these type of machines may be used in embodiments
where casino server 1605 is in communication with more than one
gaming device 1615.
[0264] Turning now to FIG. 20, therein depicted is a schematic
illustration of a player device 1620. Player device 1620 is an
illustration of an embodiment of the player device of the same
number depicted in FIG. 16. Player device 1620 may be, for example,
a personal computer (PC), laptop, personal digital assistant, a
cellular telephone, a pager, and/or any other device that allows a
player to remotely monitor and participate in play of a gaming
device in accordance with the present invention. Player device 1620
comprises a processor 2005 in communication with a communications
port 2010 and a storage device 2015. Storage device 2015 stores a
program 2020. The processor 2005 performs instructions of the
program 2020, and thereby operates in accordance with the present
invention. The program 2020 may be stored in a compressed,
uncompiled and/or encrypted format. The program 2020 furthermore
includes program elements that may be necessary, such as an
operating system, a database management system, and "device
drivers" used by the processor 2005 to interface with peripheral
devices. Appropriate program elements are known to those skilled in
the art. Note that the processor 2005 and the storage device 2015
may be, for example, located entirely within a single computer or
other computing device or located in separate devices coupled
through a communication channel.
[0265] It should be noted that any and all of the processors 1705,
1805, 1905, and 2005 may comprise one or more microprocessors such
as one or more INTEL.RTM. Pentium.RTM. processors. Further, any and
all of the storage devices 1720, 1815, 1925, and 2015 may comprise
any appropriate storage device, including combinations of magnetic
storage devices (e.g., magnetic tape and hard disk drives), optical
storage devices and semiconductor memory devices, such as Random
Access Memory (RAM) devices and Read Only Memory (ROM) devices.
[0266] Examples of databases that may be used in connection with
the system 1600 will now be described in detail with respect to
FIGS. 21 through 23. Each figure depicts a database in which the
data is organized according to a data structure in accordance with
embodiments of the present invention. The data may be stored, for
example, on a computer readable medium and be accessible by a
program executed on a data processing system. The schematic
illustrations and accompanying descriptions of the databases
presented herein are exemplary, and any number of other database
arrangements could be employed besides those suggested by the
figures.
Player Database
[0267] Referring to FIG. 21, a table represents one embodiment of
the player database 1720 that may be stored at the casino server
1605 shown in FIG. 16 according to an embodiment of the present
invention. The table includes entries identifying players that may
be participating in contracts for flat rate play sessions with
system 1600. The table also defines fields 2105, 2110, 2115, 2120,
2125, 2130, and 2135 for each of the entries. The fields specify
(i) a player identifier 2105 that uniquely identifies a player;
(ii) a name 2110 associated with the player; (iii) an address 2115
that facilitates communications with the player; (iv) a financial
account identifier 2120, such as a credit or debit card account,
associated with the player through which payment may be obtained
and to which player winnings may be credited; (v) demographic
information 2125 that may be utilized to determine a price or other
terms for a contract; (vi) credits 2130 that represent the amount
of casino credits associated with the player; and (vii) a lifetime
coin in 2135 that represents the amount of coin in wagered by the
player over the course of his or her relationship with the casino
and/or insurer.
Gaming Device Database
[0268] Referring to FIG. 22, a table represents one embodiment of
the gaming device database 1725 that may be stored at the casino
server 1605 shown in FIG. 16 according to an embodiment of the
present invention. The table includes entries identifying gaming
devices operated by the casino. The table also defines fields 2205,
2210, and 2215 for each of the entries. The fields specify a (i) a
gaming device identifier 2205 that identifies a gaming device; (ii)
a name 2210 associated with the gaming devices, such as, for
example, Diamond Mine.RTM.; and (iii) a manufacturer 2215 of the
gaming device.
Contract Database
[0269] Referring to FIG. 23, a table represents one embodiment of
the contract database 1730 that may be stored at the casino server
1605 shown in FIG. 16 according to an embodiment of the present
invention. The table includes entries identifying contracts that
may or have been purchased via the system 1600. The table also
defines fields 2305, 2310, 2315, 2320, 2325, 2330, 2335, 2340, and
2345 for each of the entries. The fields specify (i) a contract
identifier 2305 that identifies a contract that has been purchased
or is available for purchase by a player; (ii) a player identifier
2310 that identifies a player, if any, that may be associated with
the contract; (iii) an initial bankroll 2315; (iv) a description
2320 that describes the terms of the contract; (v) a cost 2325 of
the contract; (vi) a result 2330 that indicates the current status
of the contract; (vii) an amount owed the player 2335; (viii) an
amount owed the insurer 2340; and (ix) a total amount owed the
insurer 2345.
[0270] A method that may be used in connection with the system 1600
according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be
described in detail with respect to FIG. 24. The method shown in
FIG. 24 may be performed, for example, by a casino server 1605 in
response to a player's request to purchase a contract and after
determining the price and terms of the contract the player wishes
to purchase. This flow chart does not imply a fixed order to the
steps, and embodiments of the present invention may be practiced in
other orders.
[0271] The method 2400 begins upon receipt of payment from a player
for a fixed number of pulls in step 2405. In other embodiments this
step may comprise receipt of payment for a fixed duration of time
during which the player may play. Receipt of payment may comprise,
for example, receipt of a monetary input into a gaming device 1615
or receipt of (and, e.g. approval of a charge on) a financial
account identifier. The received payment, or an indication of it,
is then transmitted to an insurer in step 2410. Outcomes are then
generated for a fixed number of pulls in step 2415. An adjustment
of a tally of the player's accumulated credits based on the
outcomes is performed in step 2420.
[0272] In step 2425 it is determined whether the adjusted tally
exceeds a predetermined threshold. If it does, the method 2400
proceeds to step 2435 where the player is paid the amount by which
the tally exceeds the threshold. Payment to the player may be
achieved by, for example, outputting a monetary amount comprising
the payment to the player at the gaming device or by crediting the
amount of the payment to a financial account identifier associated
with the player. If it is determined in step 2425 that the adjusted
tally does not exceed the predetermined threshold then the method
2400 proceeds to step 2430 in which the amount by which the tally
falls short of the threshold is collected from the insurer.
Additional Description of Some Embodiments
Session "Meta-Bets"
[0273] In some embodiments, a player may be allowed to play a
"meta-bet" on the results of a gaming session. For example, a
player may wager that his gaming session concludes with a credit
balance of less than 20. Players may also bet on other attributes
besides an anticipated credit balance, such as an anticipated
win/loss ratio, anticipated number of outcomes of a particular type
(e.g., wins or losses), etc.
[0274] Players may place such meta-bets at any time before or
during a session. For example, a player may bet at the outset of a
session that his final credit balance will be lower than zero. In
another example, a player may bet while in the middle of his
session that his overall percentage of winning outcomes will be
higher than 60% at the session's end. Additionally, rather than bet
that a certain attribute will be true at the end of a session, a
player may bet that a certain attribute is true by a point midway
through a session (e.g., "I won't hit any Four-of-a-Kinds before
completing 100 of 200 video poker hands in this session").
[0275] In some embodiments a player may be offered one or more
meta-bets. For example, a menu of possible meta-bets may be
presented to a player upon the player purchasing a session.
[0276] The cost of offering such meta-bets may then change
depending on when the player places a bet (e.g., how many
spins/hands or how much time remains), his current credit balance,
his current win percentage, etc. Thus, it is contemplated that the
cost (and thereby a profitable payout ratio) in association with
various types of such meta-bets may be dynamically determined in
some embodiments, depending on the implicated parameters. In some
embodiments, players may only be allowed to place such meta-bets at
certain phases, and/or when certain session attributes are known to
be true, such that the computational requirements of pricing such
bets may be alleviated or avoided altogether (e.g., before the
session starts, the player can select from a menu of three types of
predetermined "Hedge My Session" meta-bets).
[0277] Thus, such meta-bets may provide players with a manner of
"hedging" against flat rate play sessions with streaks of poor
results (e.g., midway through a session that is going poorly, a
player can place a small bet that he'll finish with a credit
balance beneath a particular threshold, and thus at least win some
of his flat prepayment back). Conversely, a player who is "ahead"
in the middle of a session might "lock in" some winnings by placing
such a meta-bet (e.g., a player is up 75 credits, and bets $5 he
finishes with at least 25; the player must then complete the
session to redeem the meta-bet).
Intra-Session "Side Switching"
[0278] In some embodiments, a player may be allowed to "switch
sides" and play against a reverse paytable that rewards players for
traditionally losing outcomes (e.g., Blank-Blank-Blank), though
does not pay for traditionally winning outcomes (e.g.,
Bar-Bar-Bar). Such a reverse payout mode, including manners in
which a player may access such a reverse payout mode and play using
the mode, is described at length in Applicant's U.S. Pat. No.
6,113,492, filed Jun. 30, 1997 and entitled A GAMING DEVICE FOR
OPERATING IN A REVERSE PAYOUT MODE AND A METHOD OF OPERATING SAME;
U.S. application Ser. No. 10/420,037, filed Apr. 21, 2003 and
entitled SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR FACILITATING PLAY USING REVERSED
PAYOUT TABLES; and co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 10/788,124,
filed Feb. 26, 2004 and entitled METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR
REPRESENTING PLAY IN A REVERSE MODE; these documents are hereby
incorporated by reference herein for all purposes.
[0279] In some embodiments, switching to a reverse pay table may
occur during the middle of a flat rate gaming session (e.g.,
pre-paid session of 150 video poker hands in which the player's
credit balance starts at zero and is allowed to go negative
thereafter as wagers are placed). Additionally, in some
embodiments, switching to a paytable may represent a good strategy
for increasing payout volatility in the middle of a player's
session. In some embodiments, a player may elect to switch to a
reverse payout mode. In other embodiments, a switch to a payout
mode may be implemented based on a qualifying criteria (other than
a player selection of such) or randomly.
Alternate Payout Schemes for Session Play
[0280] In some embodiments, a player finishing a flat rate session
with a particular credit balance may not receive payment equal to
that balance, but some other amount.
[0281] For example, the player's final credit balance may be
compared to a secondary table that correlates credit balances (or
ranges of credit balances) with payout amounts. Such an
intra-session balance of credit might then be termed a "points"
balance, or otherwise denoted so as to distinguish it from credits
which a player may then be paid. For example, a final session
"point" balance between 100 and 109 may correlate to a payout of 25
credits, whereas a final session "point" balance between 110 and
119 may correlate to a payout of 30 credits. Such a payout
structure might be termed "tournament-style" flat rate play.
[0282] Of course, other attributes of the player's session (number
of outcomes of a particular type, percentage of outcomes of a
particular type, etc.) may similarly be utilized to determine a
payout. For example, in some embodiments a player may qualify for a
bonus amount based on the attributes of the player's session (e.g.,
win a free dinner at a restaurant, ten (10) extra credits or 50%
off your next session if at least 50% of the spins during your
session were not winning spins).
Examples of Flat Rate Play with Various Games
[0283] As described above, a gaming device of the present invention
may facilitate flat rate play of various gambling games, such as
slots, video poker, roulette, blackjack, baccarat, keno, bingo, and
so on. Various examples of slot and video poker game were described
in detail in the parent applications. Below are examples of session
for other types of electronic wagering games.
[0284] For example, a gaming device may facilitate flat rate play
of a video blackjack game. In one example, a player may purchase 30
hands of Blackjack for a flat price of either $4 or $20. In the $4
session, the player may be provided with $30 starting balance (of
money available for wagering during the session; e.g., as in $30 in
starting chips) and be limited to a $1 max bet. Such a session may
have an associated cost, for example, of $1.92 (this may be thought
of as the casino's "contract cost" of providing the session to a
player; in other words, on average, the house expects to pay out
$1.92 to each player of sessions of this type). In the $20 session,
the player may be provided with a $150 starting balance and the max
bet may be increased to $5. Such a session may have an associated
cost, for example, of $9.59.
[0285] In one embodiment, a player of a video blackjack session may
be provided with tokens or other indicators, to be used when
betting on each hand of a session and to aid in counting down the
hands remaining in a session. For example, in some embodiments, for
either the $20 session or the $4 session a player may be allowed to
play either one or two such tokens on any given hand. Thus, playing
one token on each hand will ensure the player the full 30 hands but
no more. Playing two tokens at a time may give the player fewer or
more hands since the player will not lose the tokens on a win. The
utilization of tokens, lammers or other indicators to track the
number of hands remaining in a table version of a blackjack session
is described thoroughly in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.
61/012,230, filed Dec. 7, 2007 and entitled BLACKJACK SESSION
PLAY//TABLE GAME SESSION PLAY. Many of these manners of using
tokens or lammers to track the number of hands remaining in a
session may be applied to the video blackjack session described
herein. Accordingly, the use of tokens or lammers from U.S.
Provisional Application No. 61/012,230 is incorporated by reference
herein.
[0286] In other embodiments, the number of hands may be fixed
(e.g., at 30 hands for either of the above sessions) and counted
down as new cards for each hand are dealt, without use of such
tokens (e.g., a "number of hands remaining" meter may be used to
count down the hands from 30 to 0 as the player bets on each
hand).
[0287] Of course, higher priced video blackjack sessions may be
used as well. For example, a player may be offered a 100 hand video
blackjack session for $20, $75 or $200. The $20 session may provide
the player, for example, with a $100 starting balance and be
limited to a $1 max bet. Such a session may have an associated cost
of, for example, $4.24). The $75 session, on the other hand, may
provide the player with a $1000 starting balance and an increased
max bet of $10. Such a session may have an associated cost of, for
example, $42.40. The $200 session may provide the player with a
$2500 starting balance and an increased max bet of $25. Such a
session may have an associated cost of, for example, $106.01.
[0288] It should be understood that the retail price (the price at
which the session is offered for sale to a player) and/or the cost
of a session may be based at least in part on the rules employed
during the session. The prices and costs provided in the above
examples are each based on the assumption that the following rules
would be employed: (i) dealer stands on soft 17; (ii) blackjack
pays 3 to 2; (iii) no surrender of hands allowed; (iv) early cash
out of session allowed (i.e., player may cash out prior to playing
all hands he is entitled to during the session); (v) doubling down
on any two cards allowed; (vi) maximum of three splits allowed; and
(vii) no re-splitting aces. Some rules may be adjusted without
affecting the price or cost. For example, changing rule (i) such
that the dealer is required to hit on soft 17 would not change the
cost of the session and thus would probably not change the
price.
[0289] Other factors, such as the rules or parameters of the
session itself, may influence the session's cost (and thereby
retail price). In some embodiments, a player's starting credit
balance may be equivalent to the retail price, but in other cases
it may not; this would of course have an effect on the ultimate
number of credits available to the player at the session's
conclusion, and thereby on its cost.
[0290] In one embodiment, a player's credit balance for a video
blackjack session may start at zero irrespective of the session's
retail price. In some embodiments, a player's credit balance may be
allowed to go below zero. For example, the player may place a
standard wager of $5 per hand, which may in some embodiments result
in the credit balance being -$5 upon the placement of the first
wager of the session. In some embodiments, the player's balance may
not be allowed to go below zero but instead the credit balance may
only be adjusted for payouts won by the player and not based on
wagers placed by the player (i.e., in such embodiments the credit
balance may only be increased due to payouts but not decreased due
to wagers).
[0291] In some embodiments, the player may be paid based on his
final credit balance after each of the hands of the video blackjack
session are completed or at another time at which cashout occurs.
For example, upon requesting cash out the player may be paid, an
amount of credits equal to his credit balance, or an alternate
amount based on comparing his final balance to a separate paytable,
as described above. In some embodiments, the player might be
provided with payouts based on comparing a plurality of his hands
(played either in sequence or at the same time) to the dealer
(e.g., a player gets a bonus for having six consecutive wins
against the dealer, for getting five natural blackjacks, for
getting several six-card "21s," etc); such payouts may provide for
increased volatility (such that players who are down toward the end
of a session still have a chance of making money). Such methods are
described in Applicant's co-pending Application No. PCTUS06/37036,
filed Sep. 25, 2006 and entitled MULTIPLE POSITION SINGLE ROUND
GAMING SLOT MACHINE AND METHOD; the entirety of this application is
herein incorporated by reference for all purposes.
[0292] Is should be noted that other methods of increasing the
volatility of a video blackjack session may be employed. The
interested reader is directed to Applicant's co-pending U.S.
Provisional Application No. 60/950,036, filed Jul. 16, 2007 and
entitled METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING CONDITIONAL BETS IN
A FLAT RATE PLAY SESSION for further description of conditional
volatility within flat rate wagering sessions; the entirety of this
application is herein incorporated by reference for all purposes.
In one example, in some embodiments personalized cards may be used
in a flat rate session of video blackjack. For example, players may
purchase one or more personalized cards at the beginning of a
session and the card(s) may be applicable throughout the entire
session.
[0293] One advantage to including personalized cards in a session
based blackjack format is that the cost of a personalized card may
be built into the price of the session. Therefore, a 30 hand
session that would normally cost $20 may instead cost a bit more
(e.g., $23) if the player elects to purchase a personalized card.
For example, when purchasing a flat rate session of 30 hands of
video blackjack, Player A opts to associate an Automatic Win rule
with the K. Player A pays $20 for the session and $1.50 for the
personalized card. If Player A receives the K at any time during
the session, his hand wins automatically.
[0294] Another advantage to including personalized cards in a
session based video blackjack format is that since the casino and
the player can, in many embodiments, anticipate playing a
predetermined amount of hands, the casino can offer "packages" of
personalized cards. A package of personalized cards may comprise
one or more personalized cards that are activated or deactivated
based on a set of triggers within a session. In some embodiments,
players may be able to choose a personalized card's suit, rank,
associated rule or value change, restrictions and duration. In
other embodiments, these variables may already be determined by the
casino.
[0295] In one embodiment, a personalized card "package" may
comprise a plurality of personalized cards that gradually become
active as the player progresses through the session. In such a
situation, the player's odds of winning get better as the player
gets closer to the session's conclusion.
[0296] For example, Player A purchases a 30 hand session of
blackjack with a package of personalized cards. The personalized
cards are defined as any face card of the diamond suit is worth 11.
At the beginning of the session, none of the personalized cards are
activated, however the J.diamond-solid. is activated once the
player has played 10 hands. Then, the Q.diamond-solid. and
K.diamond-solid. are also activated once the player has completed
20 hands. Thus, the player plays first third of the session with no
advantage, gains a small advantage during the second third of the
session, and has the greatest advantage in the last third of the
session.
[0297] In another embodiment, a personalized card "package" may
comprise a plurality of personalized cards that are all active at
the start of the session, and gradually deactivated as the player
progresses through the session. In such a situation, the player's
odds of winning are highest at the beginning of the session, and
decreases as the player gets closer to the sessions conclusion.
[0298] For example, Player A purchases a 30 hand session of
blackjack with a package of personalized cards. The personalized
cards are defined as any face card of the diamond suit is worth 11.
At the beginning of the session, all of the personalized cards are
active, however the Q.diamond-solid. and K.diamond-solid. are both
deactivated once the player has played 10 hands. Then, the
J.diamond-solid. is also deactivated once the player has completed
20 hands. Thus, the player plays the first third of the session
with the greatest advantage, loses some of the advantage during the
second third of the session, and has no advantage during the final
third.
[0299] In another embodiment, a package of personalized cards may
comprise a plurality of personalized cards that are activated based
on the game's outcomes. For example, personalized cards may become
active based on how much a player has lost or won in a session. For
example, a player purchases a package of personalized cards. Once
the player has lost $20, one of the personalized cards becomes
active. If the player loses another $20, another personalized card
may become active, etc. In another example, a player purchases a
package of personalized cards. If the player wins $20, then one of
the personalized cards becomes active. If the player wins another
$20, another personalized card becomes active, etc.
[0300] In some embodiments, personalized cards may become active
based on individual or a combination of outcomes. For example, a
player purchases a package of personalized cards. Each time the
player and the dealer tie, one of the personalized cards becomes
active. In another example, a player purchases a package of
personalized cards and if the player loses 5 or more hands in a
row, the personalized cards become active. In yet another example,
a player purchases a package of personalized cards and if the
player wins 4 or more hands in a row, the personalized cards become
active.
[0301] It should be appreciated that more frequent winning hands at
the end of a session; (i) keeps the player's interest, (ii) makes
the player happier with the game, and (iii) retain players after
the session's conclusion. Thus, in the above described personalized
cards embodiments, the odds over the course of a video blackjack
session may be adjusted by altering the value of one or more
predetermined cards throughout the session. For instance, a video
blackjack session may be broken into a plurality of individual
sections (e.g., determined by a number of hands, an amount of time,
etc) and cards of a predetermined rank and/or suit are assigned
values based upon the current session section. By assigning dynamic
values to specific cards, the casino is able to control blackjack
odds over the course of a game by changing whether a card's applied
value is favorable or unfavorable for the player (e.g., by applying
a 1 or 11 value to cards other than aces).
[0302] For example, in one embodiment a video blackjack session is
segmented into 3 sections and card values are dependent on the
current session segment. For instance, traditional blackjack values
are applied during all segments except that: Kings of hearts are
valued 1 or 11 during the second segment; all Jacks Queens and
Kings of hearts are valued 1 or 11 during the third segment. Thus,
as the play progresses, the player has more chances to hit
Blackjack.
[0303] In some embodiments, altered values are not attributable to
cards in the dealer's hand.
[0304] Commonly-owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,552, filed Mar. 31, 1998
in the name of Walker et al. and issued May 30, 2000, entitled A
GAMING DEVICE AND METHOD OF OPERATION THEREOF describes various
other manners of customizing one or more parameters of a gaming
device, one or more of which may be applicable to embodiments
described herein. Accordingly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,552 is
incorporated by reference herein for all purposes.
[0305] Turning now to video roulette session embodiments, as
described herein, in some embodiments a gaming device may comprise
a video roulette device and be operable to facilitate flat rate
play of a video roulette game. For example, a player may purchase a
session of 25 roulette spins for $40. Betting may occur within the
session in a variety of different manners. In one example, a player
may receive a lump sum of credits with which to bet at the outset
of the session, and may be allowed to use the credits to bet
however he'd like, though with some restrictions (e.g., a minimum
bet of $5 and maximum bet of $25 per spin). Thus, in one example,
both the types of bets the player makes and the amounts bet may be
variable (to at least some degree) within a session. In another
example, a player may placed bets of a fixed size every spin,
though in any manner he'd like. In yet another example, a player
may placed bets of a fixed size every spin, though he may be
restricted on the types of bets he is allowed to place, so as to
reduce the overall volatility available to the player (e.g., a
player gets $20 to bet with every spin, though may place a maximum
of $5 on any given single number). In yet another example, a player
may purchase a video roulette session, and both the types of bets
placed as well as the amount bet per spin may remain fixed
throughout the session (e.g., a player bets $5 on each of five
different numbers every spin). Thus, in accordance with some
embodiments, when playing a session of video roulette, a player's
bets may be restricted in ways that are specific to the game of
roulette. For example, a player may be prohibited from making
overlapping bets, or the player may have a set amount of money that
he is required to bet on a certain zone of the felt (e.g., inside
bets vs. outside bets). Restrictions of this sort may help to
decrease the volatility of the game, which may be beneficial to the
casino hosting the video roulette game.
[0306] In some embodiments, restrictions for a video roulette
session may be embodied in virtual tokens or chips of different
colors that are provided to the player for use during the session,
with each color representing a distinct restriction or set of
restrictions. For example, a player of a video roulette session may
be provided with a certain number (e.g., 5) of chips of a first
color (e.g., red) which may be used to bet in an unlimited manner
(i.e., the player can use the red chips to be on anything). The
player may also be provided with a certain number of chips (e.g.,
10) of a second color (e.g., blue), but the blue chips may only be
used to bet on certain positions (e.g., particular color and/or
particular number(s)) or have other restrictions associated
therewith (e.g., these latter chips may be used only once every
other spin, may not be used in combination with another color chip,
may not be used for overlap bets, etc.).
[0307] In some embodiments, different and/or additional
restrictions may be placed on a player. For example, a player may
only be allowed to play inside with a given number of chips at a
time. In another example, a player may be restricted to bet a
limited amount inside with no overlap or a limited amount outside
with overlap.
[0308] In some embodiments, different types of video roulette
sessions may be made available to different types of players. For
example, certain types of players may be allowed to purchase a
numbers session while other types of players may be allowed to
purchase a red/black session. Of course, making certain types of
sessions only available to certain types of player is a concept
applicable to all of the types of games described herein.
[0309] In one or more embodiments, a player may be allowed to
purchase two concurrent sessions (e.g. a player may purchase both a
numbers session and a red/black session).
[0310] In some embodiments of a video roulette session, the player
receives a starting balance that limits the player. If the player
runs out of session chips the player's session ends. In some video
roulette session embodiments (as well as some video blackjack and
other session embodiments), a player may only be allowed to cash
out any credits over the starting balance provided to the player
upon the beginning of the session. In other words, the credits
initially provided to the player for the starting balance may be
considered non-cashable credits. For example, if a player is
provided with a $100 starting balance and ends the session with a
$115 ending credit balance, the player may be allowed to cash out
the $15 credits over the initial $100 starting balance. In such
embodiments, if the player's ending credit balance is less than the
starting balance, the player may not be allowed to cash any credits
out but may also not be required to provide any further payment
beyond the flat rate price initially paid for the session.
[0311] In some embodiment of video roulette sessions, the player is
not limited in the amount the player can bet per spin (and/or the
types of bet(s) the player can make on any given spin), but instead
is limited in the net amount the player can be paid per spin. In
one embodiment, a session may be defined by (i) a maximum amount
paid per spin (in addition to the wager for that spin) and (ii) a
maximum amount paid for outside bets (including outside wager). In
such embodiments, both of these maximums may apply on each
spin.
[0312] For example, a particular session may provide the player
with 100 credits maximum paid per spin and 50 credits maximum paid
on the outside, wherein the denomination is $1. Thus, if the player
of this session puts $100 on red and it hits, the player will get
the $100 wager back plus $50 more. If the player puts $3 on the
number 17 and it hits, the player gets the $3, plus $100 more (the
player would usually get $105 more at 35 to 1 if playing
conventional roulette). If the player also bet $50 on black (17 is
black), then the player would get this $50 back as well, but no
additional payout since the player already hit his $100 maximum for
the spin.
[0313] In one embodiment, a form of session extension may be
allowed for a video roulette session: if the player hits the
maximum payout on his last spin (e.g., total payout, not just
outside), he may be given an extra spin. This can continue as long
as it lasts (i.e., in one embodiment the player may continue to get
an extra spin so long as he continues to keep kitting the maximum
payout).
[0314] Some example session parameters for video roulette sessions
follow. These examples are note meant in any limiting manner but
are provide to illustrate some embodiments.
[0315] In one example, a 10-spin video roulette session may be sold
for either $50, $100 or $200. The $50 session may be defined by a
$0.50 denomination, a $100 starting balance, a $50 maximum net
payout per spin and a $25 maximum net payout for outside. This
session may have an associated cost of $41 of played on a single-o
wheel and a $37 cost if played on a 00 wheel. The $100 session may
be defined by a $1 denomination, $200 starting balance, $100
maximum net payout per spin and a $50 maximum net payout on
outside. Such a session may have an associated cost of $84 if
played on a single-0 wheel and a $73 cost if played on a 00 wheel.
The $200 session may be defined by a $1 denomination, $500 starting
balance, $200 maximum net payout per spin and a $100 maximum net
payout per spin on outside. Such a session may have an associated
cost of $172 if played on a single-0 wheel and a $156 cost if
played on a 00 wheel.
[0316] In another example, a 25-spin video roulette session may be
sold for either $40 or $200. The $40 session may be defined by a
$0.25 denomination, a $100 starting balance, a $100 maximum net
payout per spin and a $50 maximum net payout on outside. This
session may have an associated cost of $32 if played on a single-0
wheel and a $27 cost if played on a 00 wheel. The $200 session may
be defined by a $1 denomination, a $300 starting balance, a $200
maximum net payout per spin and a $100 maximum net payout for
outside. This session may have an associated cost of $177 if played
on a single-0 wheel and a $160 cost if played on a 00 wheel.
[0317] In some video roulette session embodiments, the player may
also be provided with a number of tokens, lammers or other
indicators equivalent to the number of spins defining the session.
Thus, for a 10 spin session the player may be provided with 10
tokens and one token may be deducted from the player's balance of
tokens upon every spin, as a mechanism for tracking the number of
spins the player has remaining. It should be noted that a player
purchasing a 10-spin session and thus receiving 10 tokens may not
necessarily end up playing 10 spins during the session. In some
embodiments in which the player is not restricted as to the wager
amount per spin, the player may, for example, end up making some
relatively large wagers and thus end up completing less than 10
spins during the session. However, since in some embodiments the
maximum net payout per spin is limited, the player in such
embodiments may not be incentivized to make large bets.
[0318] In some embodiments, a player may be provided with the
entirety of his starting balance for a session upon starting the
session. In other embodiments, portions of the starting balance may
be provided to the player upon each spin (e.g., to minimize the
chances of a player bankrupting himself by making exorbitantly
large wagers). For example, 20 chips may be provided to the player
prior to the initiation of each spin. A player may or may not be
required to wager the entirety of the chips provided to the player
for any given spin (e.g., in some embodiments the player may be
allowed to "roll over" some chips provided for a current spin to a
subsequent spin). In some embodiments, a limit may be placed on how
many of such chips (or a value of such chips) the player may save
towards a future spin (e.g., the player may have a $30 allowance
for a session and/or a $10 allowance per spin of value the player
can save towards a subsequent spin).
[0319] In some embodiments, a player may be paid out in a different
type of chip, credit or other type of currency than he is allowed
to wager with. For example, a player may be provided with
non-cashable credits or chips to utilize for betting during the
session but may be paid out with cashable credits. In some
embodiments, a separate meter and/or display may be used to track
non-cashable credits or chips usable only for betting during the
session and cashable credits or chips that may be cashed out by the
player (e.g., these latter chips or credits may be ones won by the
player during the session as a result of wagers made).
[0320] Turning now to FIG. 25, illustrated therein is an example
screen 2500 of a snapshot in time of a video roulette session,
consistent with some embodiments described herein. Screen 2500
indicates a maximum payout amount per spin for the session the
player is currently engaged in, in area 2505. It also shows the
number of chips the player has left to use for the session (in area
2510), as well as the denomination of each chip (also in area
2515). It should be noted that, in accordance with some
embodiments, the chips usable for betting in a flat rate play
session may be non-cashable chips, which is why these chips are
referred to as "session chips" in screen 2500. Area 2515 shows the
winning number for the last or current spin. Area 2520 shows the
number of spins left in the session. Areas 2525 are buttons the
player may press to quit the session early (as described herein, in
some embodiments a player may end a flat rate play session prior to
utilizing all of the spins of the session). Area 2530 shows the
virtual wheel and virtual ball, which are spun to indicate the
result of each round of the game. In some embodiments, area 2530
may be enlarged during the actual "spinning" process.
[0321] Area 2535 illustrates the betting area (i.e., the virtual
felt on which players place their bets). Areas 2540-2550 illustrate
various buttons a player may press to initiate certain actions.
[0322] Turning now to FIG. 26, illustrated therein is a flowchart
of an example process 2600 consistent with some video roulette
session embodiments described herein. Process 2600 is a process for
processing a bet within a video roulette session of a player. It is
assumed that a player has purchases a flat rate play session of a
video roulette session prior to process 2600 initiating. Details of
the typical operations of a video roulette device are omitted
herein for purposes of brevity. U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,993 to Fentz et
al (issued on Jul. 7, 1998 and entitled VIDEO ROULETTE MACHINE)
describes the detailed operations of a video roulette device that
may be utilized in some embodiments described herein. The entirety
of U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,993 is incorporated by reference herein.
[0323] In step 2605, a player's requested bet is determined. For
example, it may be determined that the player has placed 20 chips
on the line between the number 30 and 33, thus indicating a request
to make a split bet for those numbers. In step 2610 it is
determined whether this bet is consistent with the restriction of
the session the player has purchased. As described, certain
sessions may include one or more restrictions on the types of bets
allowed (e.g., to limit the exposure of the casino). Step 2610 may
comprise, for example, determining the session purchased by the
player, determining the restrictions defining the session and
determining whether the bet requested by the player is prohibited
by the restrictions. If the bet is prohibited, process 2600
continues to step 2615, in which step the bet is rejected. For
example, assuming overlap bets were restricted in the session
purchased by the player, step 2615 may comprise rejecting the split
bet and outputting a message to the player, reminding the player
that overlap bets are prohibited in his session.
[0324] If the bet requested by the player is not prohibited by the
restrictions of the session, process 2600 continues to step 2620,
in which step the bet is confirmed. Confirming the bet may
comprise, for example, recording the bet in memory and displaying
the bet on the virtual felt. Confirming the bet may also comprise
requesting the player to confirm the bet.
[0325] In step 2625, the end of the betting phase is determined
(i.e., it is determined that no more bets are to be accepted for
the upcoming spin of the virtual roulette wheel). For example, it
may be determined that a predetermined amount of time has passed
since bets were begun to be accepted for the spin. Step 2625 may
comprise, for example, displaying a "No More Bets" message to the
player(s) of the game and sending a "betting stopped" message to a
processor of the video roulette device facilitating the game.
[0326] In step 2630, the "spin" of the virtual roulette wheel is
performed. This may comprise, for example, determining a random
number, displaying a tilting of the virtual wheel, displaying a
spinning of the virtual wheel, displaying a dropping of a virtual
ball into the virtual wheel, outputting appropriate sounds
duplicating the sound of a ball rolling in a roulette wheel, and
stopping the wheel such that the ball lands in the spot of the
wheel corresponding to the random number determined.
[0327] In step 2635 it is determined whether the bet confirmed in
step 2620 is a winner (i.e., determining whether the ball landed on
a number/color bet on by the player). If the bet is not a winner,
process 2600 continues to step 2645. Otherwise, process 2600
continues to step 2640, in which step the chips bet are
collected.
[0328] In step 2645 the initial payout is determined. It is called
the initial payout because, in accordance with some embodiments, it
is assumed for the sake of this example that the session defined a
maximum net payout for each spin. Thus, it is first determined what
payout is due to the player based on the amount bet and the payoff
corresponding to the bet, without taking the maximum net payout
into account.
[0329] In step 2650 the initial payout determined in step 2645 is
compared to the maximum net payout of the session purchased by the
player to determine whether the initial payout is greater than the
maximum net payout. If the initial payout is not greater, process
2600 continues to step 2655 and the initial payout is paid to the
player. Otherwise, process 2600 continues to step 2660, in which
the adjusted payout (typically the maximum net payout) is
determined. In step 2665 the adjusted payout is paid to the player
as an alternative to the initial payout.
[0330] In some embodiments, special jackpot payouts may be provided
to a player of a video roulette session based on events during the
session. For example, a special payout may be awarded to a player
for winning on consecutive numbers (e.g., across consecutive
spins). For example, a payout may be provided if a player wins on
the numbers 1-6 across six consecutive spins. In some embodiments,
process 2600 may include a determination of whether a special
jackpot payout is due to the player based on the result of the
current spin and, in some embodiments, based on results of previous
spins.
[0331] It should be noted that U.S. Provisional Application Serial
No. U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/012,230, filed Dec.
7, 2007 and entitled BLACKJACK SESSION PLAY//TABLE GAME SESSION
PLAY describes various roulette session embodiments for table
games. The description of such embodiments from this provisional
application is hereby incorporated by reference herein. Turning now
to video baccarat session embodiments, as described herein, in some
embodiments a gaming device may comprise a video baccarat device
and be operable to facilitate flat rate play of a video baccarat
game. The following example is provided in Hong Kong Dollars,
rather than U.S. dollars, as Baccarat is much more prevalent in
Asian countries than it currently is in the U.S. Of course, the
Hong Kong dollars could easily be converted to U.S. dollars if such
a conversion were desired, or another currency altogether, such as
the Malaysian ringgit, may be used. Turning now to a non-limiting
example, a player may purchase 25 hands of baccarat for HK$2000. Of
course, as in embodiments for other types of games described
herein, the player's credit balance may start at zero and be
allowed to go negative from there, as the player places wagers. In
another embodiment of a HK$2000 baccarat session, a player may be
provided with a starting balance of HK$10,000. The player may be
restricted, however, in how the player may be allowed to bet this
HK$10,000 during the session. For example, the player may be
restricted to 5 HK$1,500 wagers, 10 HK$1,000 wagers and 10 HK$500
wagers. The player may also be provided with 25 tokens, with 1
token being retrieved from the player for each wager made. Such a
video bacarrat session may be further defined by a HK$11,000 pay
line and have an associated contract cost of HK$1,256. In one
embodiments, the rules associated with such a session may be as
follows: (i) player may bet on "player" or "banker" but not on
"tie"; (ii) banker bets have commission taken; (iii) each token has
a maximum bet for the hand associated with it; and (iv) session
must be played out to completion (i.e., no early cash out).
[0332] Players might get paid bonuses for various unlikely
occurrences, such as 100 credits if the player chooses a side
(player or dealer) that results in an outcome of "2-3-4" in any one
suit. In embodiments wherein wager amounts are not fixed, the game
might restrict amount played can bet on an outcome of "tie."
[0333] It should be noted that U.S. Provisional Application Serial
No. U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/012,230, filed Dec.
7, 2007 and entitled BLACKJACK SESSION PLAY//TABLE GAME SESSION
PLAY describes various baccarat session embodiments for table
games. The description of such embodiments from this provisional
application is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
[0334] Turning now to video keno session embodiments, as described
herein, in some embodiments a gaming device may comprise a video
keno device and be operable to facilitate flat rate play of a video
keno game. For example, a player might pay a flat amount and
receive a certain number of keno entries (e.g., 15 consecutive
games). In one example, the player might wager the same amount, and
submit the same "ticket" (e.g., a "5-spot" ticket for the numbers
1, 16, 22, 31, 33, and 39) for each game.
[0335] In one embodiment, a player may be started in a Keno session
with zero credits. Any credits won by the player may be added to
the credit balance while wagers are not deducted from the balance.
In such an embodiment, a player may be offered, for example, either
a 25-hand session or a 100-hand session. The 25-hand session may be
offered, for example, for either $20, $40 or $100. The 25-hand, $20
session may be defined by, for example, 5 spots, $0.10 denomination
and 8 credits bet per spot (for a $4 total wager) and be associated
with a $11.95 cost. The 25-hand, $40 session may be defined by 3
spots, $0.25 denomination and 8 credits bet per spot (for a $6
total wager) and be associated with a $27.27 cost. The 25-hand,
$100 session may be defined by 4 spots, a $1 denomination and 8
credits bet per spot (for a $32 total wager) and be associated with
a $70.76 cost.
[0336] In some embodiments, a keno session may be associated with a
credit balance that can go below zero (e.g., wagers are deducted
for each hand, even if the deduction results in a credit balance
that is negative; wins are added to the credit balance, which may
result in the credit balance returning to a positive amount). In
such an embodiment, some of the parameters defining a keno session
may change. For example, a 25-hand, $20 keno session may be defined
by 2 spots, a $0.25 denomination and 8 credits bet per spot (for a
$4 total wager) and be associated with a $12.49 contract cost. A
25-hand, $40 keno session in such an embodiment may be defined by 4
spots, a $0.50 denomination and 8 credits bet per spot (for a total
of $16) and be associated with a cost of $26.11.
[0337] Additional methods for facilitating session play of various
types of casino games (e.g., roulette, keno, bingo, blackjack,
baccarat, etc.) are described in Applicant's co-pending U.S.
application Ser. No. 11/333,683 (Attorney Docket No. 05-001), filed
Jan. 17, 2006 and entitled METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR DETERMINING AND
SELLING WAGERING GAME OUTCOMES TO BE VIEWED REMOTELY; Applicant's
co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 11/392,444 (Attorney Docket
No. 06-002), filed Mar. 26, 2006 and entitled METHODS AND SYSTEMS
FOR DETERMINING A BATCH RUN OF SESSIONS; Applicant's co-pending
U.S. application Ser. No. 11/391,843 (Attorney Docket No. 06-008),
filed Mar. 26, 2006 and entitled METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR
DETERMINING AND SELLING WAGERING GAME OUTCOMES FOR A PLURALITY OF
PLAYERS; Applicant's co-pending U.S. application Ser. No.
11/392,828 (Attorney Docket No. 06-010), filed Mar. 29, 2006 and
entitled METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR DETERMINING AND SELLING OUTCOMES
FOR ROULETTE GAMES TO BE VIEWED REMOTELY; and Applicant's
co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 11/393,154 (Attorney Docket
No. 06-011), filed Mar. 29, 2006 and entitled METHODS AND SYSTEMS
FOR DETERMINING AND SELLING OUTCOMES FOR DRAWING GAMES TO BE VIEWED
REMOTELY; the entirety of each of these applications is
incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.
Tax Implications and Flat Rate Play
[0338] As is known in the art, in some jurisdictions, some standard
wagering devices (not offering flat rate play sessions) are
configured to "lock up" upon the occurrence of a single payout
amount over a certain threshold (e.g., $1,200), such that tax
paperwork may be facilitated (e.g., an attendant is dispatched to a
gaming device, or notices the gaming device's "locked" state,
service light, etc.). Normally, an attendant might (i) provide a
W2-G to the player, (ii) provide a "hand pay" of the jackpot
amount, and/or (iii) insert a key into the gaming device, such that
the win amount may be cleared from the gaming device's credit
balance (as the player was paid by hand) and/or reported to a
central server (for accounting purposes).
[0339] Such a tax-implicated payout event may be handled
differently within the context of a flat rate play session for
which a player has paid a flat price up front. For example, in one
embodiment, should a player in the middle of a flat rate play
session (e.g., on the 51.sup.st of 100 spins) achieve a single
payout of $1,200 or more, the machine may still "lock up," and an
attendant may still be required to interface with the player. The
attendant may still provide the player with appropriate tax
paperwork (e.g., a W2-G). However, (i) the payout may not be
"cleared" from the machine's credit balance (i.e., intra-session
balance), as the player may still need to "wager off" the payout
over remaining plays of the session (e.g., each play results in a
reduction of the session credit balance by a standard wager
amount), and/or (ii) the player may not receive a hand pay (e.g.,
as the payout amount remains "on the machine").
[0340] In other embodiments, taxes and/or other withholdings may be
deducted from the jackpot amount with the aid of an attendant.
FIGS. 27a-27c illustrate three distinct and consecutive screen
shots corresponding to one example process via which taxes may be
deducted from a qualifying jackpot.
[0341] FIG. 27a illustrates information that may be output to a
player upon winning a jackpot that is equal to or greater than a
qualifying amount (e.g., $1200). In accordance with one embodiment
illustrated via FIG. 27a, a gaming device may lock up upon a win of
such a qualifying jackpot until an attendant arrives to unlock it.
For example, the attendant may be authorized to either clear the
jackpot (i.e., the jackpot is added to the credit meter without any
withholding of taxes therefrom) or cause the appropriate taxes
and/or other withholdings to be deducted from the jackpot prior to
it being added to the credit meter.
[0342] FIG. 27b illustrates the different taxes and other
withholding amounts that an attendant may be asked to fill in when
processing the jackpot. For example, screen 27b may be a
touchscreen via which an attendant may adjust the actual amounts
and/or corresponding rates for each type of withholding. It should
be noted that, in many embodiments, the total withholding must be
less than the net jackpot amount. In some embodiments, each of the
amounts to be withheld may need to be an even multiple of the bet
for each game in the session. In the example of screen 27b, each of
the amounts is in a multiple of $5. In some embodiments, amounts
are rounded up to the nearest $5 increment. When finishing
configuring the withholding amounts, the attendant presses the
"enter" button.
[0343] In some embodiments, taxes or withholdings other than
federal and/or state taxes may be withheld from a jackpot. For
example, local taxes, commonwealth taxes, deadbeat dad withholdings
or any other withholdings may be set as preferred by the casino
hosting a flat rate play session.
[0344] Once the withholding amount is confirmed, the gaming device
may display the alternate jackpot amount (i.e., the jackpot amount
less the withholding amount). FIG. 27c illustrates an example of a
screen that may be displayed, informing the player and the
attendant of the alternate jackpot amount. If the alternate jackpot
amount is correct, the attendant can clear the jackpot (e.g., by
turning the key switch).
[0345] Once the jackpot is cleared, the withholding amount is
subtracted from the session balance and is displayed on the paid
meter. The withheld amount can be metered as attendant paid
canceled credits, added to the paid meter and added to the canceled
credits hard meter. This may be a process similar to what occurs on
some machines when a cashout is requested and paid by an
attendant.
[0346] In addition to clearing the jackpot and authorizing the
withholding amount, an attendant may also provide a player with a
W2-G form and help the player in filling it out. In some
embodiments, the attendant may require the player to provide an
acceptable form of ID when processing the jackpot.
[0347] Mid-Session Game Transfer
[0348] In some embodiments, a player may be allowed to transfer
from "game family" to "game family" of unequal value (e.g., from a
first video poker game wherein a player is offered 150 hands for
$20 to a second video poker game wherein a player is normally
offered 200 hands for $20, as players might be given more hands for
game types that are less volatile). In some embodiments, this may
occur through a value translation process (e.g., an algorithm that
converts "remaining plays/time" of a first game type to an
appropriate metric for "remaining plays/time" of a second game
type), and may optionally include a tax or fee to the player for
switching families (e.g., $1 per mid-game switch).
Benefit for Having a Friend's Player Tracking Card Inserted
[0349] In some embodiments, to encourage new players to view
session play, players of flat rate play sessions may receive a
benefit (e.g., a one-time benefit of a certain amount of comp
points, a cash benefit, merchandise benefit, promotional credits,
etc.) if a different player's tracking card is inserted during a
session. The other player's tracking card might be inserted into
the same machine, or an adjacent machine.
Rate-Of-Play Benefits in Flat Rate Gaming
[0350] In some embodiments, a player may receive more spins/time if
a certain rate of play is maintained for a period within a
session.
Time Play "While Reels Spin"
[0351] In some embodiments, wherein the duration of a flat rate
play session is denoted in time (e.g., a 60-minute session), time
may only count against the player while a game play is
mid-execution (e.g., minutes/seconds are only taken away from the
player's remaining duration "while the reels are spinning").
Altered Bet on Final Spin
[0352] In some embodiments, on the last game play of a prepaid
session, a player may be allowed to place a bet as large as his
credit balance will cover (e.g., $125.25), if he chooses.
Best Session Contest
[0353] In some embodiments, in lieu of collecting payout amount for
completed session, player may enter session into contest ("Best
Session of the Day" pays $10,000).
Flat Rate Play Sessions Executed on Wireless/Handheld Devices
[0354] In some embodiments, players of flat rate play sessions on
wireless/handheld devices (as described above) may receive benefits
for playing in certain geographic areas (e.g., extra spins while
visiting restaurants or waiting in line).
[0355] In some embodiments, players of flat rate play sessions on
wireless/handheld devices may see up to three distinct credit
balances: (i) an "intra-session" balance of credits for tracking
wager/win/loss behavior within a flat rate play session, (ii) a
"gambling" credit balance (funds available to the player for
gambling, whether purchasing flat rate play sessions or otherwise),
and/or (iii) a device/account balance (funds available to the
player for various services available via the handheld/wireless,
including gambling, purchase of goods/services, etc.). In some
embodiments, a player may be restricted from transferring an amount
of funds from one such balance to another. For example, a player
may only be able to deposit $100 into a gambling balance per day.
In another example, only a percentage of a player's device/account
balance may be transferred to a gambling balance at any one time.
In another example, depending on the player, a request to transfer
funds to a gambling balance may be denied (e.g., a child, a problem
gamer, etc.).
[0356] As described, in some embodiments, flat rate play on such a
wireless/handheld device may involve interaction with a network
server, for determining game results, accounting purposes, and so
on. In some embodiments, a player might begin play of a flat rate
session on a first portable gaming device, and conclude the session
on a second portable device (e.g., session data is stored on the
network server, and the player need only identify himself to a
gaming device to resume an interrupted session).
"Sample Session" Button
[0357] In some embodiments, gaming device players may have an
option (e.g., by pressing a button or icon of a touch-screen
display) to play a short-duration session by providing little (or
no) payment. For example, a player may press a "$2 sample session"
button. $2 in value is deducted from the machine's credit balance
and the player may be allowed to play a short flat rate play
session of 20 spins. The player may then "convert" this small
session into a full-length session (e.g., retaining a credit
balance and providing an additional fee), purchase a full-length
session at a discount, win additional session play, and so on. Such
methods for extending flat rate gaming sessions are described at
length in Applicant's co-pending U.S. application Ser. No.
11/254,352 (Attorney Docket No. 05-033), filed Oct. 25, 2005 and
entitled METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING A FLAT RATE PLAY
SESSION AND FOR EXTENDING SAME; and Applicant's co-pending U.S.
application Ser. No. 11/273,534 (Attorney Docket No. 05-044), filed
Nov. 14, 2005 and entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OFFERING A FLAT
RATE GAMING SESSION WITH TIME EXTENSION AWARDS; the entirety of
each of these applications is incorporated herein by reference for
all purposes.
* * * * *
References