Gaming benefits provided in association with accumulated advertising loyalty points

#In various embodiments, the present disclosure pertains to the utilization of advertising loyalty points to determine one or more benefits in association with a gaming session.

#Gaming machines may provide players awards in primary games. Gaming machines generally require the player to place a wager to activate the primary game. The award may be based on the player obtaining a winning symbol or symbol combination and on the amount of the wager.

#In certain embodiments, the present disclosure relates to a gaming system including a processor, and a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions. When executed by the processor, the instructions cause the processor to identify a user and determine an advertising loyalty point level associated with the identified user. When executed by the processor responsive to the identified user being associated with a first advertising loyalty point level and a triggering event occurring, the instructions cause the processor to determine a first modification of a play of a game, and cause a display device to display the determined first modification of the play of the game. When executed by the processor responsive to the identified user being associated with a second, different advertising loyalty point level and the triggering event occurring, the instructions cause the processor to determine a second, different modification of the play of the game, and cause the display device to display the determined second, different modification of the play of the game.

#FIG. 1A is a flow chart of an example process of one embodiment of the present disclosure illustrating the accumulation of advertising loyalty points in association with a user undertaking certain advertiser related activities remote from a gaming establishment.

#FIG. 1B is a flow chart of an example process of one embodiment of the present disclosure illustrating the utilization of a quantity of accumulated advertising loyalty points in association with a benefit provided to a user at a gaming establishment device.

#FIG. 2A is an example graphical user interface displayed to a user in association with viewing advertisements.

#In various embodiments, the systems and methods of the present disclosure provide a gaming currency in the form of advertising loyalty points which are in addition to and different than certain current known gaming establishment currencies, such as monetary credits, promotional credits and player tracking points. The advertising loyalty points of the present disclosure are accumulated based on a user undertaking certain advertiser related activities, such as viewing advertisements associated with the gaming establishment while remote from the gaming establishment. The advertising loyalty points of the present disclosure are further utilized to obtain one or more benefits at an electronic gaming machine (“EGM”) wherein different quantities of accumulated advertising loyalty points are associated with different advertising loyalty point levels associated with different benefits, such as different modifications of the EGM. Accordingly, unlike certain gaming currencies which are accumulated based on a player's gaming activities at one or more EGMs, the advertising loyalty points of the present disclosure are accumulated independent of a player's gaming activities at any EGMs, thus freeing the player up from having to remain at a gaming establishment without forcing the player to forgo earning benefits to be subsequently used at the gaming establishment.

#FIGS. 1A and 1B are flowcharts of example processes or methods of operating the system of the present disclosure. In various embodiments, the processes are represented by a set of instructions stored in one or more memories and executed by one or more processors. Although the processes are described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, many other processes of performing the acts associated with these illustrated processes may be employed. For example, the order of certain of the illustrated blocks or diamonds may be changed, certain of the illustrated blocks or diamonds may be optional, or certain of the illustrated blocks or diamonds may not be employed.

#In certain embodiments, upon an occurrence of a user identification event, as indicated by block 102 of FIG. 1A, the system enables a user to log into an advertisement tracking account associated with the user. In these embodiments, to track the advertisements a user views and reward the user with advertising loyalty points, the system must first identify the user and the user's advertisement tracking account to which any earned advertising loyalty points are associated with.