Challenge-based electronic gaming systems and methods
OwnerMarcus Fortunato de Mello Costainventor
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Abstract
A system and method for enabling challenge-based electronic gaming is described. In one preferred form, a system in accordance with the present invention may comprise a plurality of gaming terminals, or banks of gaming terminal, that are connected to a central server over a local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), or other communications network that may include, for example, the public service telephone network (PSTN) or Internet. The system is configured to enable a player at one terminal to initiate a wager against a player at another terminal and to, thereby, add an additional element of intrigue to a non-banked or CLASS 2 gaming environment.
Claims27
A challenge-based network gaming system comprising:
- a plurality of electronic gaming terminals and a server linked together by a communications network;
- said electronic gaming terminals being configured such that a user of a first terminal can initiate a challenge type wager to a user of a second terminal, and such that the user of the second terminal can accept the wager.
A method for increasing a level of competitiveness in a CLASS 2 electronic gaming system, which comprises a plurality of electronic gaming terminals coupled to a central server by a communications network, the method comprising the steps of:
- enabling the plurality of electronic gaming terminals to communicate with each other;
- and
- enabling a user of a first electronic gaming terminal to issue a challenge type wager to a user of a second electronic gaming terminal.
An electronic gaming system comprising:
- a first plurality of electronic gaming terminals coupled via a first communications network to a first server;
- a second plurality of electronic gaming terminals coupled via a second communications network to a second server;
- and
- a third server coupled to said first and second servers via a third communications network;
- wherein
- the first and second plurality of electronic gaming terminals are configured such that a user of any one of said electronic gaming terminals can initiate a challenge type wager to a user of another one of said electronic gaming terminals.
A method for improving a profitability measure of a selected CLASS 2 electronic gaming device, the method comprising the steps of:
- enabling the selected CLASS 2 electronic gaming device to communicate with other CLASS 2 electronic gaming devices;
- enabling a user of the selected CLASS 2 electronic gaming device to participate in both standard CLASS 2 gaming or challenge-based gaming;
- and
- collecting as a service charge a percentage of all CLASS 2 and challenge-based wagers.
A method for executing challenge-based wagering within a network wagering system, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a plurality of electronic wagering terminals that are coupled together via a communications network;
- configuring the electronic wagering terminals such that a user of a first terminal can identify wagers that users of other terminals are willing to make;
- and
- configuring the electronic wagering terminals such that the user of the first terminal can issue challenge-based wagers to the users of selected other terminals, and such that the users of the selected other terminals can accept or decline the issued challenge-based wagers.
An electronic wagering screen for use within a challenge-based electronic gaming system, the electronic wagering screen comprising:
- a plurality of symbols corresponding to and separately identifying a plurality of electronic gaming terminals used within the challenge-based electronic gaming system;
- and
- a first field associated with each symbol indicating a challenge-based wager limit that is acceptable to a user of an electronic gaming terminal identified by the symbol.
A method for enabling bluffing within an electronic BINGO, VIDEO REELS, POKER, or KENO gaming environment, said method comprising the steps of:
- enabling users of a plurality of electronic gaming terminals to issue challenge-based wagers to one another;
- enabling the users of the plurality of electronic gaming terminals to play a first portion of an electronic game;
- enabling the users of the plurality of electronic gaming terminals to issue increased challenge-based wagers to one another following completion of the first portion of the electronic game;
- and
- enabling the users of the plurality of electronic gaming terminals to play a second portion of the electronic game.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.