US 7,727,068 B2Granted

Gaming system having a common display, a first bonus game or a first bonus game paytable and an option to purchase a second bonus game or a second bonus game paytable with relatively expected higher values

AssigneeIgt

InventorLance R. Peterson

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Abstract

A gaming system including a plurality of gaming devices and a shared or a common secondary display associated with the gaming devices. In one embodiment, the shared display is adjacent to one or more of the gaming devices of the gaming system. The gaming system includes at least one primary game and at least one secondary or bonus game. The bonus game is associated with a plurality of average expected payouts or values. In one embodiment, the bonus game that is played on the secondary display is associated with a higher average expected payout or higher values than the average expected payouts or values of the bonus game played on the individual gaming devices. When the player places a designated wager, they qualify to play the game on the secondary display and thus qualify for a chance to win the higher awards.

Claims44

Dependent claims

A gaming system comprising:

a plurality of gaming machines, each gaming machine including a primary game and a display device, wherein each primary game is associated with a triggering event;
a bonus game;
a central controller in communication with each of the gaming machines;
a separate shared display controlled by the central controller;
and
wherein each gaming machine is operable to enable a player to place at least one of a plurality of different wagers, wherein at least one of the wagers is a designated wager;
wherein for each gaming machine, if a player places one of the wagers, said gaming machine is operable with the central controller and the shared display to:
(a) enable the player to play the primary game on said gaming machine;
(b) determine a primary game outcome for the player;
(c) upon an occurrence of the triggering event associated with the primary game:
(i) determine if the player placed the designated wager;
(ii) if the player did not place the designated wager, enable the player to play the bonus game, wherein the bonus game is displayed on the individual display device of the gaming machine and said bonus game has a first average expected payout;
(iii) if the player placed the designated wager, enable the player to play the bonus game, wherein said bonus game is displayed on the shared display and the bonus game has a second average expected payout, wherein said second average expected payout is higher than the first average expected payout;
and
(iv) determine a bonus game outcome for the player;
and
(d) provide any awards to the player based on the primary game outcome and any bonus game outcome.

14 more elements

A method of operating a gaming system, said gaming system including a plurality of gaming machines, each gaming machine including a primary game and a display device, wherein each primary game is associated with a triggering event, and said gaming system includes a separate shared display, said method for each gaming machine comprising:

(a) enabling a player to place at least one of a plurality of wagers, wherein at least one of the wagers is a designated wager;
(b) if the player placed at least one of the wagers:
(i) enabling the player to play the primary game on said gaming machine;
(ii) determining a primary game outcome for the player based on the primary game;
and
(iii) upon an occurrence of the triggering event associated with the primary game:
(1) determining if the player placed the designated wager;
(2) if the player did not place the designated wager, enabling the player to play a bonus game wherein the bonus game is displayed on the individual display device of the gaming machine and said bonus game is associated with a first average expected payout;
(3) if the player placed the designated wager, enabling the player to play the bonus game wherein said bonus game is displayed on the shared display and the bonus game is associated with a second average expected payout, wherein said second average expected payout is higher than the first average expected payout;
(4) determining a bonus game outcome for the player;
and
(d) providing any awards to the player based on the primary game outcome and any bonus game outcome.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.