Configurable Virtual Gaming Zone

A method for configuring a zone-based gaming activity within a gaming establishment having a plurality of gaming devices including a first subset of gaming devices in a first zone and second subset of gaming devices outside the first zone, and at least one server coupled to the plurality of gaming devices, and having at least one controller and memory storing a plurality of configuration parameters, the method comprising:

• transmitting, to the at least one server, a signal indicative of a zone request;
• retrieving the configuration parameters from the memory based on the signal received;
• identifying the gaming devices in the first subset of gaming devices in the first zone that remain eligible to participate in a second zone and in the second subset of gaming devices that are eligible to participate in the second zone based on the configuration parameters retrieved based on the configuration parameters retrieved and a random number generated from a random number generator;
• and
• activating a zone feature based on the zone request received in the second zone formed with the gaming devices in the first subset of gaming devices that remain eligible and the gaming devices in the second subset of gaming devices that have been identified as eligible.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising configuration parameters and computer programs for conducting a zone-based gaming activity within a gaming establishment that comprises a plurality of gaming devices including a first subset of gaming devices in a first zone and a second subset of gaming devices outside the first zone, and at least one server coupled to the plurality of gaming devices, and at least one controller, and the computer programs, which, when executed, cause the at least one controller to perform the steps of:

• accessing the non-transitory computer-readable medium for the configuration parameters based on a signal indicative of a zone request;
• configuring a second zone based on the configuration parameters retrieved and a random number generated from a random number generator, including identifying any of the first subset of gaming devices in the first zone that is ineligible in the second zone and any of the second subset of gaming devices that is eligible to participate in the second zone based on the configuration parameters retrieved;
• and
• initiating a zone feature based on the zone request received in the second zone formed with the gaming devices in the first subset of gaming devices that remain eligible and the gaming devices in the second subset of gaming devices that have been identified as eligible.