Methods, devices and systems for virtual contributions and bounties in regulated casino games

A method of providing a game for a regulated gaming machine, comprising:

• providing an existing console-type game or arcade-type game, the provided game comprising a plurality of game assets appearing onscreen during game play;
• modifying the provided game such that:
• player interaction with selected ones of the plurality of game assets gives rise to first wagering opportunities and a second wagering opportunity;
• the game accepts funds from a player to play the game and to wager on the first and second wagering opportunities;
• the game has an overall minimum Return to Player (RTP) and an overall maximum RTP;
• the game determines, using the accepted funds and a first payout schedule that defines a first RTP that is at least as great as the minimum overall RTP, whether and how much to reward player interactions with the first wagering opportunities are received to generate first wagering events;
• for at least some of the first wagering events generated, a portion of a reward due to the player is virtually contributed to a bounty;
• the second wagering opportunity is made selectively available for player interaction;
• and
• only when a successful player interaction with the available second wagering opportunity is received, a second wagering event is generated and the player is rewarded an amount at least equal to the bounty according to a second payout schedule that defines a second RTP that is greater than the overall minimum RTP, the bounty being funded by a sum of the virtually contributed portions of the rewards due to the player for successfully interacting with the first wagering opportunities and wherein, on average, the overall maximum RTP of the game is not exceeded;
• and
• loading the modified game into the regulated gaming machine.

An electronic, wager-based gaming device, comprising:

• a memory;
• a processor, and
• a plurality of processes spawned by the processor, the plurality of processes comprising processing logic to:
• accept funds from a player;
• provide a game configured such that player interaction with a plurality of games assets within the game gives rise to first wagering opportunities and a second wagering opportunity, the game being further configured to have an overall minimum Return to Player (RTP) and an overall maximum RTP;
• determine using the accepted funds and a first payout schedule that defines a first RTP that is at least as great as the minimum overall RTP, whether and how much to reward the player whenever player interactions with the first wagering opportunities are received to generate first wagering events;
• for at least some of the first wagering events generated, virtually contribute a portion of a reward due to the player to a bounty;
• and
• selectively make the second wagering opportunity available for player interaction;
• only when a successful player interaction with the available second wagering opportunity is received, generate a second wagering event and reward the player an amount at least equal to the bounty according to a second payout schedule that defines a second RTP that is greater than the overall minimum RTP, the bounty being funded by a sum of the virtually contributed portions of the rewards due to the player for successfully interacting with the first wagering opportunities in such a manner that, on average, the overall maximum RTP of the game is not exceeded.

A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium having data stored thereon representing sequences of instructions which, when executed by a regulated gaming computing device, cause the regulated gaming computing device to determine rewards due to a player playing a wager-based game by:

• providing, in the regulated gaming machine, a game configured such that player interaction with a plurality of games assets within the game gives rise to first wagering opportunities and a second wagering opportunity, the game being further configured to have an overall minimum return to player (RTP) and an overall maximum RTP;
• determining, using funds accepted from the player and a first payout schedule that defines a first RTP that is at least as great as the minimum overall RTP, whether and how much to reward the player whenever the player interacts with the first wagering opportunities to generate first wagering events;
• for at least some of the first wagering events generated, virtually contributing a portion of a reward due to the player to a bounty;
• and
• selectively making the second wagering opportunity available for player interaction;
• only when a successful player interaction with the available second wagering opportunity is received, generating a second wagering event and rewarding the player an amount at least equal to the bounty according to a second payout schedule that defines a second RTP that is greater than the overall minimum RTP,
• wherein the bounty is funded by a sum of the virtually contributed portions of the rewards due to the player for successfully interacting with the first wagering opportunities and wherein, on average, the overall maximum RTP of the game is not exceeded.