Wagering game with community game feature
AssigneeWMS Gaming Inc.
InventorsAllon G Englman, Philip B Gelber, Benjamin T Gomez, Bradley A Rose, Jeremy M Hornik, Patrick J Campbell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A gaming system for conducting a wagering game includes a community display for displaying a community game having a plurality of features for determining a community award that is awarded to all players at eligible linked gaming machines. The community game includes selection of a player at an eligible linked gaming machine to interact with the community game to determine the community award. One of the plurality of features includes a community free spin feature that awards free spins of a base wagering game to each player.
Claims19
A gaming system for playing a community wagering game comprising:
- a plurality of linked gaming machines being operable to receive wagers from players, each linked gaming machine including a display for displaying a base wagering game having a plurality of symbols;
- and
- a community display for displaying a community bonus game, the community display in communication with the linked gaming machines;
- wherein upon the occurrence of a special event at any one of the plurality of linked gaming machines, each player at an eligible linked gaming machine being allowed to participate in the community bonus game, the community bonus game including a free spin feature for awarding a community free spin award to all players at the eligible linked gaming machines, the community free spin award including a number of free spins;
- wherein once the free spin feature is triggered, at least one of the players at the eligible linked gaming machines is randomly selected to interact with the free spin feature of the community bonus game by activating a player-input device on the individual gaming machine to determine the community free spin award to all players at the eligible linked gaming machines.
A method of conducting a community wagering game on a gaming system having a plurality of linked gaming machines, the method comprising:
- displaying wagering games at each of the linked gaming machines;
- initiating a community bonus game upon the occurrence of a special event;
- displaying the community bonus game to all players playing at eligible linked gaming machines on a community display, the community bonus game having a community free spin feature;
- once the community free spin feature is triggered, randomly selecting a player at one of the eligible linked gaming machines to interact with the community free spin feature;
- receiving input from the selected player to determine a community free spin award corresponding to a number of free spins;
- and
- awarding the number of free spins to all players at the eligible linked gaming machines.
A gaming system comprising:
- a plurality of linked gaming machines for playing a base wagering game;
- a controller coupled to the plurality of linked gaming machines and operative to initiate a community bonus game based on the occurrence of a special event, the community bonus game including a plurality of free spin awards;
- display the community bonus game on a community display;
- wherein the controller randomly selects at least one of the players to interact with the free spin feature of the community bonus game by activating a player-input device on the individual gaming machine;
- receive input from the player indicating one of the plurality of free spin awards;
- and
- award the one of the plurality of free spin awards to all players at the linked gaming machines based on the input from the player.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.