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US 11,069,189 B2Granted
Reserve credits for use on gaming device
AssigneeAcres Technology
InventorJohn F. Acres
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods and apparatus in which a player plays one of a plurality of networked gaming devices. Game awards below a predefined level are tracked and stored on the network. If the game awards are less than a predefined criterion, a pay command is sent over the network to the player's gaming device, which may be used for a free game. Implementation in a single gaming device is also disclosed.
Claims30
At least one non-transitory computer readable medium that stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by at least one processor causes the at least one processor to:
- (a) access a player tracking system that is operatively connected to a network of electronic gaming machines, the player tracking system storing data related to wagers and awards made on the gaming machines;
- (b) determine from the data in the player tracking system if at least one of wagers and awards at one of the electronic gaming machines bears a predefined relationship to a predefined criterion that is a function of at least one of the wagers and awards;
- (c) send a command over the network to the one electronic gaming machine if the one award is less than the predefined criterion;
- (d) apply a first credit to a credit meter associated with the one electronic gaming machine in response to the command;
- (e) prevent the applied first credit from being cashed out;
- (f) permit the player to use the applied first credit to play a game on the one electronic gaming machine;
- (g) determine the value of an award, if any, resulting from the game played using the applied first credit;
- (h) determine whether the value of the award resulting from the game played using the applied credit is above a predefined value;
- (i) if the value of the award from the game played using the applied credit is above the predefined value, receive a wager from the credit balance in response to a player-actuated input;
- (j) if the value of the award from the game played using the applied credit is below the predefined value:
- apply a second credit to a credit meter associated with the one electronic gaming device in response to a pay command sent on the network;
- prevent the applied second credit from being cashed out;
- permit the player to use the applied second credit to play a game on the one electronic gaming device;
- and
- (k) periodically performing steps (a) through (j) while the player plays the game.
12 more elements
At least one non-transitory computer readable medium that stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by at least one processor causes the at least one processor to:
- define a losing experience as a function of at least one game outcome on one of a plurality of networked electronic gaming machines;
- store the losing experience in a computer memory operatively connected to the network;
- determine whether at least one outcome of a game played by a player comprise the losing experience;
- if the at least one outcome comprises the losing experience, award the player a credit via a network pay command that applies the credit to a credit meter associated with the one electronic gaming device;
- prevent the applied credit from being cashed out;
- permit the player to use the applied credit to play another game on the one electronic gaming device;
- determine an outcome for the game played using the applied credit;
- determining whether the value of the award, if any, resulting from the game played using the applied credit results in the losing experience;
- if the value of the award from the game played using the applied credit does not result in the losing experience, receive a wager from the credit balance in response to a player-actuated input;
- and
- if the value of the award, if any, from the game played using the applied credit results in the losing experience:
- apply a second credit to a credit meter associated with the one electronic gaming device in response to a pay command,
- prevent the applied second credit from being cashed out, and
- permit the player to use the applied second credit to play an additional game on the one electronic gaming device.
11 more elements
A method of operating a plurality of electronic gaming machines interconnected via a network, the method comprising:
- defining a losing experience as a function of at least one game outcome on one of the electronic gaming machines;
- storing the losing experience in a computer memory operatively connected to the network;
- determining whether at least one outcome of a game played by a player comprise the losing experience;
- if the at least one outcome comprises the losing experience, awarding the player a credit via a network pay command that applies the credit to a credit meter associated with the one electronic gaming device;
- preventing the applied credit from being cashed out;
- permitting the player to use the applied credit to play another game on the one electronic gaming device;
- determining an outcome for the game played using the applied credit;
- determining whether the value of the award, if any, resulting from the game played using the applied credit results in the losing experience;
- if the value of the award from the game played using the applied credit does not result in the losing experience, receiving a wager from the credit balance in response to a player-actuated input;
- and
- if the value of the award, if any, from the game played using the applied credit results in the losing experience:
- applying a second credit to a credit meter associated with the one electronic gaming device in response to a pay command,
- preventing the applied second credit from being cashed out, and
- permitting the player to use the applied second credit to play an additional game on the one electronic gaming device.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.