US 8,998,700 B2Granted

Gaming system, gaming device and method for offering a guaranteed win

AssigneeIgt

InventorsJay S. Walker, James A. Jorasch, Geoffrey M. Gelman, Scott T. Friesen, Stephen C. Tulley, Norman C. Gilman, Daniel E. Tedesco, Michael D. Downs

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Abstract

A method in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention is provided, the method comprising the steps of generating a first outcome of a game of chance, determining a target outcome, receiving a first wager, generating a second outcome based on the first outcome, and repeating the step of generating the second outcome until the second outcome matches the target outcome, before receiving any second wager.

Claims3

Dependent claims

A gaming system comprising:

at least one display device;
at least one input device;
at least one processor;
and
at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to:
(a) provide an offer to a player for a guaranteed benefit in exchange for a payment, the guaranteed benefit of the offer including a predetermined target outcome, said predetermined target outcome including a plurality of symbols displayed along a payline and requiring all of a plurality of reels to display said plurality of symbols along said payline,
(b) receive an indication of an acceptance of the offer by the player, and
(c) after receiving the indication of the acceptance of the offer, for each accepted offer:
(i) cause at least one, but less than all of the plurality of reels to display, along said payline, at least one, but less than all of the plurality of symbols of the predetermined target outcome,
(ii) initiate at least one spin of less than all of the plurality of reels, said less than all of the plurality of reels including the plurality of reels not caused to display, along said payline, one of the symbols of the plurality of symbols of the predetermined target outcome,
(iii) generate the predetermined target outcome based on the at least one spin of less than all of the plurality of reels,
(iv) determine a non-zero payout of the guaranteed benefit, an amount of the payout of the guaranteed benefit based on a quantity of spins of less than all of the plurality of reels required to generate the predetermined target outcome, wherein a first quantity of spins of less than all of the plurality of reels required to generate the predetermined target outcome is associated with a first amount of the payout of the guaranteed benefit and a second, different quantity of spins of less than all of the plurality of reels required to generate the predetermined target outcome is associated with a second, different amount of the payout of the guaranteed benefit, and
(v) provide the guaranteed benefit to the player.

10 more elements

A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

(a) causing at least one display device to display an offer to a player for a guaranteed benefit in exchange for a payment, the guaranteed benefit of the offer including a predetermined target outcome, said predetermined target outcome including a plurality of symbols displayed along a payline and requiring all of a plurality of reels to display said plurality of symbols,
(b) causing at least one input device to receive an indication of an acceptance of the offer by the player, and
(c) after receiving the indication of the acceptance of the offer, for each accepted offer:
(i) causing at least one, but less than all of the plurality of reels to display, along said payline, at least one, but less than all of the plurality of symbols of the predetermined target outcome,
(ii) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to initiate at least one spin of less than all of the plurality of reels, said less than all of the plurality of reels including the plurality of reels not caused to display, along said payline, one of the symbols of the plurality of symbols of the predetermined target outcome,
(iii) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to generate the predetermined target outcome based on the at least one spin of less than all of the plurality of reels,
(iv) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a non-zero payout of the guaranteed benefit, an amount of the payout of the guaranteed benefit based on a quantity of spins of less than all of the plurality of reels required to generate the predetermined target outcome, wherein a first quantity of spins of less than all of the plurality of reels required to generate the predetermined target outcome is associated with a first amount of the payout of the guaranteed benefit and a second, different quantity of spins of less than all of the plurality of reels required to generate the predetermined target outcome is associated with a second, different amount of the payout of the guaranteed benefit, and
(v) providing the guaranteed benefit to the player.

5 more elements

A non-transitory computer readable medium including a plurality of instructions, which when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

(a) cause at least one display device to display an offer to a player for a guaranteed benefit in exchange for a payment, the guaranteed benefit of the offer including a predetermined target outcome, said predetermined target outcome including a plurality of symbols displayed along a payline and requiring all of a plurality of reels to display said plurality of symbols,
(b) cause at least one input device to receive an indication of an acceptance of the offer by the player, and
(c) after receiving the indication of the acceptance of the offer, for each accepted offer:
(i) cause at least one, but less than all of the plurality of reels to display, along said payline, at least one, but less than all of the plurality of symbols of the predetermined target outcome,
(ii) initiate at least one spin of less than all of the plurality of reels, said less than all of the plurality of reels including the plurality of reels not caused to display, along said payline, one of the symbols of the plurality of symbols of the predetermined target outcome,
(iii) generate the predetermined target outcome based on the at least one spin of less than all of the plurality of reels,
(iv) determine a non-zero payout of the guaranteed benefit, an amount of the payout of the guaranteed benefit based on a quantity of spins of less than all of the plurality of reels required to generate the predetermined target outcome, wherein a first quantity of spins of less than all of the plurality of reels required to generate the predetermined target outcome is associated with a first amount of the payout of the guaranteed benefit and a second, different quantity of spins of less than all of the plurality of reels required to generate the predetermined target outcome is associated with a second, different amount of the payout of the guaranteed benefit, and
(v) provide the guaranteed benefit to the player.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/197,478Filed 3 Aug 2011 · continuation
Priority: 24 Jul 2001
Published: US 2011/0287830 A124 Nov 2011
Granted: 7 Apr 2015
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification2 codes

G07F 17/3244
For games, toys, sports, or amusements: payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
G07F
Coin-freed or like apparatus

Family

Application60/307,441Us provisional application · filed 24 Jul 2001
Application10/205,305Parent of this continuation · filed 24 Jul 2002
US 2011/0287830 A1Pre-grant publication · published 24 Nov 2011
US 8,012,013 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2003/0060276 A1Published application
US 8,998,700 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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