This patent is directed to a casino gaming apparatus, which could be either an individual gaming unit or a casino gaming unit having a plurality of gaming units, each gaming unit capable of providing customized games and customized game content to a player.
Conventional gaming units have employed player tracking devices. A player was assigned an identification unique to that particular player. The identification was read by a gaming unit to determine the identity of the player. In some cases personal information about the player could be displayed or read by the gaming unit. Information about the player was also gathered by the gaming unit. The player was information was associated with the player identification and stored in a memory. In a conventional gaming system, a network computer accumulated and analyzed data relating to the player. For example, data relating to the dollar amount and number of wagers made by a player, winnings received by a player, games played by a player and other gaming habits of a player were accumulated and analyzed. In some cases, the player information also included the name of the player, the address of the player, age of the player and other demographic information regarding the player. The player information was used for various purposes including marketing, game development, product placement, etc.
In one aspect, the invention is directed to a gaming system which may include a network server and a gaming apparatus. The network server may include a gaming server controller having a processor and a memory operatively coupled to the processor. The network server controller may be programmed to receive request data relating to a request for a game, to receive preference data relating to the preferences of a first player, to select a game from a plurality of available games based upon the first player preferences and to provide the selected game in response to the request. The gaming apparatus may be operatively coupled to the network server, and may include a display unit capable of generating video images, a value input device and a gaming apparatus controller. The gaming apparatus controller may include a processor and a memory operatively coupled to the processor. The gaming apparatus controller may be programmed to provide the network server with the request data, to receive game selection data relating to the selected game, to cause the display unit to generate a game display relating to the selected game, and to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of the selected game.
In another aspect, the invention is directed to a gaming apparatus which may include a display unit, a value input device and a controller operatively coupled to the display unit and the value input device. The controller may include a processor and a memory operatively coupled to the processor. The controller may be programmed to receive preference data relating to preferences of a first player, to select a game from a plurality of available games based upon the first player preferences to provide a game selection comprising the selected game, to cause the display unit to generate a game selection display relating to the game selection, to cause the display unit to generate a game display and to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of the game. The game display may relate to a game from the game selection, poker, blackjack, slots, keno or bingo.
In a further aspect, the invention is directed to a gaming apparatus which may include a display unit, a value input device and a controller operatively coupled to the display unit and the value input device. The controller may include a processor and a memory operatively coupled to the processor. The controller may be programmed to receive preference data relating to preferences of a first player, to select a game characteristic from plurality of game characteristics based upon the first player preferences to provide a game characteristic selection comprising the selected game characteristic, to cause the display unit to generate a game characteristic selection display relating to the game characteristic selection to cause the display unit to generate a game display, to implement a game characteristic from the game characteristic selection in the game and to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of the game. The game display may relate to poker, blackjack, slots, keno or bingo.
In yet another aspect, the invention is directed to a gaming method which may include receiving identification data relating to the identity of a first player and receiving player profile data relating to a player profile associated with the player identity. The player profile may include preference data relating to preferences of the first player. The method may further include selecting a game from a plurality of available games based upon the first player preferences to provide a game selection comprising the selected game, causing a game selection display relating to the game selection to be generated, causing a game display to be generated and determining a value payout associated with an outcome of the game represented by the video image. The game display may represent a game from the game selection, poker, blackjack, slots, keno or bingo.
Additional aspects of the invention are defined by the claims of this patent.
Although the following text sets forth a detailed description of numerous different embodiments of the invention, it should be understood that the legal scope of the invention is defined by the words of the claims set forth at the end of this patent. The detailed description is to be construed as exemplary only and does not describe every possible embodiment of the invention since describing every possible embodiment would be impractical, if not impossible. Numerous alternative embodiments could be implemented, using either current technology or technology developed after the filing date of this patent, which would still fall within the scope of the claims defining the invention.
It should also be understood that, unless a term is expressly defined in this patent using the sentence “As used herein, the term ‘______’ is hereby defined to mean . . . ” or a similar sentence, there is no intent to limit the meaning of that term, either expressly or by implication, beyond its plain or ordinary meaning, and such term should not be interpreted to be limited in scope based on any statement made in any section of this patent (other than the language of the claims). To the extent that any term recited in the claims at the end of this patent is referred to in this patent in a manner consistent with a single meaning, that is done for sake of clarity only so as to not confuse the reader, and it is not intended that such claim term be limited, by implication or otherwise, to that single meaning. Finally, unless a claim element is defined by reciting the word “means” and a function without the recital of any structure, it is not intended that the scope of any claim element be interpreted based on the application of 35 U.S.C. §112, sixth paragraph.
The first network 12 of gaming units 20 may be provided in a first casino, and the second network 26 of gaming units 30 may be provided in a second casino located in a separate geographic location than the first casino. For example, the two casinos may be located in different areas of the same city, or they may be located in different states. The network 40 may include a plurality of network computers or server computers (not shown), each of which may be operatively interconnected. Where the network 40 comprises the Internet, data communication may take place over the communication links 42, 44 via an Internet communication protocol.
The network computer 22 may be a server computer and may be used to accumulate and analyze data relating to the operation of the gaming units 20. For example, the network computer 22 may continuously receive data from each of the gaming units 20 indicative of the dollar amount and number of wagers being made on each of the gaming units 20, data indicative of how much each of the gaming units 20 is paying out in winnings, data regarding the identity and gaming habits of players playing each of the gaming units 20, etc. The network computer 22 may analyze the data regarding the gaming habits of players to customize games for a player, and/or to predict what games a player may enjoy. The network computer 22 may be used to store information regarding a particular player in a player profile. The player profile may include the wagering habits of the player, previous game selections, commonalities among previously selected games (e.g., game themes, potential payouts, game types, etc.), player game tactics and methods of play (e.g., aggressive), demographic information regarding the player such as age, gender, address, personal interests or any other information regarding the player. The network computer 32 may be a server computer and may be used to perform the same or different functions in relation to the gaming units 30 as the network computer 22 described above.
The network computer 22 may include a controller 22a that may comprise a program memory 22b, a microcontroller or microprocessor (MP) 22c, a random-access memory (RAM) 22d and an input/output (I/O) circuit 22e, all of which may be interconnected via an address/data bus 22f. It should be appreciated that although only one microprocessor 22c is shown, the controller 22a may include multiple microprocessors 22c. Similarly, the memory of the controller 22a may include multiple RAMs 22d and multiple program memories 22b. Although the I/O circuit 22e is shown as a single block, it should be appreciated that the I/O circuit 22e may include a number of different types of I/O circuits. The RAM(s) 22d and program memories 22b may be implemented as semiconductor memories, magnetically readable memories, and/or optically readable memories, for example.
Although the program memory 22b is shown in
Although each network 12, 26 is shown to include one network computer 22, 32 and four gaming units 20, 30, it should be understood that different numbers of computers and gaming units may be utilized. For example, the network 12 may include a plurality of network computers 22 and tens or hundreds of gaming units 20, all of which may be interconnected via the data link 24. The data link 24 may be provided as a dedicated hardwired link or a wireless link. Although the data link 24 is shown as a single data link 24, the data link 24 may comprise multiple data links.
Referring to
If provided on the gaming unit 20, the ticket reader/printer 56 may be used to read and/or print or otherwise encode ticket vouchers 60. The ticket vouchers 60 may be composed of paper or another printable or encodable material and may have one or more of the following informational items printed or encoded thereon: the casino name, the type of ticket voucher, a validation number, a bar code with control and/or security data, the date and time of issuance of the ticket voucher, redemption instructions and restrictions, a description of an award, and any other information that may be necessary or desirable. Different types of ticket vouchers 60 could be used, such as bonus ticket vouchers, cash-redemption ticket vouchers, casino chip ticket vouchers, extra game play ticket vouchers, merchandise ticket vouchers, restaurant ticket vouchers, show ticket vouchers, etc. The ticket vouchers 60 could be printed with an optically readable material such as ink, or data on the ticket vouchers 60 could be magnetically encoded. The ticket reader/printer 56 may be provided with the ability to both read and print ticket vouchers 60, or it may be provided with the ability to only read or only print or encode ticket vouchers 60. In the latter case, for example, some of the gaming units 20 may have ticket printers 56 that may be used to print ticket vouchers 60, which could then be used by a player in other gaming units 20 that have ticket readers 56.
If provided, the card reader 58 may include any type of card reading device, such as a magnetic card reader or an optical card reader, and may be used to read data from a card offered by a player, such as a credit card or a player tracking card. If provided for player tracking purposes, the card reader 58 may be used to read data from, and/or write data to, player tracking cards that are capable of storing data representing the identity of a player, the identity of a casino, the player's general gaming habits, etc. The data may further represent games previously wagered on by the player, including various aspects or characteristics of each of those games (e.g., a game theme, type of game, potential payout amount, multiplayer/single player, etc.). The player's gaming habits may be specifically related to each game previously wagered on by the player. For example, the data may represent the number of wagers per game, frequency of play per game, amount of time spent per game, the date and time each game was played, tactics, play methodology, etc. As mentioned, just as the card reader 58 may be used to read player tracking data from a card offered by a player, the gaming unit 20 may also use the card reader 58 to write player tracking data to the player tracking card. In other examples, such information may be stored the network computer 22 and accessed by the gaming unit 20 when the card reader 58 reads a player identification on the player tracking card. That is, when the identity of a player is determined, the gaming unit 20 may read and/or write data relating to the player to/from the network computer 22 or other central memory device accessible by the gaming unit 20. Although a player tracking card has been mentioned, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that other methods and apparatus may be utilized to identify a player and associate the player with the data identified above.
The gaming unit 20 may include one or more audio speakers 62, a coin payout tray 64, an input control panel 66, and a display unit 70. Where the gaming unit 20 is designed to facilitate play of a video casino game, such as video poker or video slots, the display unit 70 may be a color video display unit that displays images relating to the particular game or games. Where the gaming unit 20 is designed to facilitate play of a reel-type slot machine, the display unit 70 may comprise a plurality of mechanical reels that are rotatable, with each of the reels having a plurality of reel images disposed thereon. The audio speakers 62 may generate audio representing sounds such as the noise of spinning slot machine reels, a dealer's voice, music, announcements or any other audio related to a casino game. The input control panel 66 may be provided with a plurality of pushbuttons or touch-sensitive areas that may be pressed by a player to select games, make wagers, make gaming decisions, etc.
If the gaming unit 20 provides a slots game having a plurality of reels and a plurality of paylines which define winning combinations of reel symbols, the control panel 66 may be provided with a plurality of selection buttons 76, each of which allows the player to select a different number of paylines prior to spinning the reels. For example, five buttons 76 may be provided, each of which may allow a player to select one, three, five, seven or nine paylines.
If the gaming unit 20 provides a slots game having a plurality of reels, the control panel 66 may be provided with a plurality of selection buttons 78 each of which allows a player to specify a wager amount for each payline selected. For example, if the smallest wager accepted by the gaming unit 20 is a quarter ($0.25), the gaming unit 20 may be provided with five selection buttons 78, each of which may allow a player to select one, two, three, four or five quarters to wager for each payline selected. In that case, if a player were to activate the “5” button 76 (meaning that five paylines were to be played on the next spin of the reels) and then activate the “3” button 78 (meaning that three coins per payline were to be wagered), the total wager would be $3.75 (assuming the minimum bet was $0.25).
The control panel 66 may include a “Max Bet” button 80 to allow a player to make the maximum wager allowable for a game. In the above example, where up to nine paylines were provided and up to five quarters could be wagered for each payline selected, the maximum wager would be 45 quarters, or $11.25. The control panel 66 may include a spin button 82 to allow the player to initiate spinning of the reels of a slots game after a wager has been made.
In
Although one possible control panel 66 is described above, it should be understood that different buttons could be utilized in the control panel 66, and that the particular buttons used may depend on the game or games that could be played on the gaming unit 20. If the display unit 70 is provided as a video display unit, the control panel 66 could be generated by the display unit 70. In that case, each of the buttons of the control panel 66 could be a colored area generated by the display unit 70, and some type of mechanism may be associated with the display unit 70 to detect when each of the buttons was touched, such as a touch-sensitive screen.
Although the program memory 102 is shown in
As shown in
One manner in which one or more of the gaming units 20 (and one or more of the gaming units 30) may operate is described below in connection with a number of flowcharts which represent a number of portions or routines of one or more computer programs, which may be stored in one or more of the memories of the controller 100. The computer program(s) or portions thereof may be stored remotely, outside of the gaming unit 20, and may control the operation of the gaming unit 20 from a remote location. Such remote control may be facilitated with the use of a wireless connection, or by an Internet interface that connects the gaming unit 20 with a remote computer (such as one of the network computers 22, 32) having a memory in which the computer program portions are stored. The computer program portions may be written in any high level language such as C, C++, C#, Java or the like or any low-level assembly or machine language. By storing the computer program portions therein, various portions of the memories 102, 106 are physically and/or structurally configured in accordance with computer program instructions.
During performance of the attraction sequence, if a potential player makes any input to the gaming unit 20 as determined at block 202, the attraction sequence may be terminated and suggested games may be determined at block 203 based on player preferences. The gaming unit 20 may detect an input at block 202 in various ways. For example, the gaming unit 20 could detect if the player presses any button on the gaming unit 20; the gaming unit 20 could determine if the player deposited one or more coins into the gaming unit 20; the gaming unit 20 could determine if player deposited paper currency into the gaming unit; etc.
The suggested games at block 203 may be determined based on player preferences associated with a player identification (e.g., a player profile). The player profile may be stored on memory within the gaming unit 20, or on a memory that may be remotely accessed by the gaming unit 20. The player profile may also be stored on a memory or other data storage device that the player may use for player identification, such as the player tracking card mentioned above. Using the player preferences, the gaming unit 20 may determine what games the player may enjoy and suggest resulting games to the player. The player preferences may also be used to determine game themes, potential payouts, game types or other game characteristics the player may enjoy. Alternatively, the gaming unit may provide the network computer 22 with the player identification, and the network computer 22 may determine suggested games for the player. Although suggested games may be determined at block 203, the gaming unit 20 may further provide default games in addition to, or as an alternative to, the suggested games determined at block 203.
A game-selection display may be generated in the display unit 70 (if provided as a video display unit) at block 204 to allow the player to select a game available on the gaming unit 20. The game-selection display generated at block 204 may include, for example, a list of video games that may be played on the gaming unit 20 and/or a visual message to prompt the player to deposit value into the gaming unit 20. The list of video games may include any suggested games as determined at block 203 and/or any default games that may otherwise be provided by the gaming unit 20. While the game-selection display is generated, the gaming unit 20 may wait for the player to make a game selection. Upon selection of one of the games by the player as determined at block 205, the controller 100 may cause one of a number of game routines to be performed to allow the selected game to be played. For example, the game routines could include a video poker routine 206, a video blackjack routine 207, a slots routine 208, a video chino routine 209, and a video bingo routine 210, or any other game listed on the game selection display from block 204. At block 205, if no game selection is made within a given period of time, the operation may branch back to block 201.
After one of the routines 206, 207, 208, 209, 210 has been performed to allow the player to play one of the games, block 211 may be utilized to determine whether the player wishes to terminate play on the gaming unit 20 or to select another game. If the player wishes to stop playing the gaming unit 20, which wish may be expressed, for example, by selecting a “cash out” button, the controller 100 may dispense value to the player at block 212 based on the outcome of the game or games played by the player. The operation may then return to block 201. If the player did not wish to quit as determined at block 211, the routine may return to block 205 where the game selection display may again be generated to allow the player to select another game.
It should be noted that although five gaming routines are shown in
During performance of the attraction sequence, if a potential player makes any input to the gaming unit 20 as determined at block 202, a suggested game may be determined at block 203. The suggested game may be determined based on player preferences associated with a player identification as read by the gaming unit 20. A game selection display may be generated on the display unit 70 (if provided as a video display unit) at block 204. The game selection display generated at block 204 may include, for example, an image of the default game and/or suggested games that may be played on the gaming unit 20 and/or a visual message to prompt the player to deposit value into the gaming unit 20. At block 225, the gaming unit 20 may determine if the player requested information concerning a game, in which case the requested information may be displayed at block 226. Block 227 may be used to determine if the player requested initiation of the suggested game determined at block 203, in which case a game routine 228 of the suggested game may be performed. The game routine 228 could be any of the game routines disclosed herein, such as one of the five game routines 206, 207, 208, 209, 210, or any other game routine.
Block 229 may be used to determine if the player requested initiation of a default game provided by the gaming unit 20, in which case a game routine of the default game provided by the gaming unit 20 may be performed. The default game routine 230 could be any of the game routines disclosed here, such as one of the five game routines 206, 207, 208, 209, 210, or any other default game routine. In an alternative example, a default game may not be provided by the gaming unit 20, and the only game provided may be the suggested game determined at block 203.
After the routines 228, 230 have been performed to allow the player to play a game, block 211 may be utilized to determine whether the player wishes to terminate play on the gaming unit 20. If the player wishes to stop playing the gaming unit 20, which wish may be expressed, for example, by selecting a “cash out” button, the controller 100 may dispense value to the player at block 212 based on the outcome of the game or games played by the player. The operation may then return to block 211. If the player did not wish to quit as determined at block 212, the operation may return to block 225.
Although the main operating routines 200, 220 have been disclosed as determining suggested games at blocks 203, respectively, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the main operating routines 200, 220 may determine suggested game characteristics based on the player preferences such as game theme, potential payout, game types, etc. which may be used to customize a default game or to create a customized game. As explained below, player preferences regarding themes, potential payout, etc. may be used to determine the suggested game.
Referring to
The player profile may contain information about the player including the player's gaming preferences which may be read at block 242. The player preferences may include and/or be derived from demographic information about the player, the player's gaming habits, previous games played by the player, preferences dictated by the player, or other forms of player preferences and personal information. This information may be gathered in a variety of methods, such as polling the player for personal or demographic information (e.g., age, gender, income, personal finance, employment, residence, etc.), as well as the player's likes and dislikes regarding different games or characteristics of a game such as game format, game theme, type of game, game visuals, payout tables, or other game characteristics. The player may also be asked to rank which preferences are more important (e.g., game type is more important than game theme) and to rank each of these preferences with respect to each other (e.g., prefers both card game types and slot game types, but prefers slot game types). In effect, the player's preferences can be obtained at any desired level of detail from the most basic of information, such as demographic information, to more personalized preferences such as game type, game theme, etc.
In order to gather personal information about the player, a variety of techniques may be employed, whether alone or in combination. The player may be asked to answer a series of questions when receiving a player tracking card or other identification device, when first using a gaming unit 20, when first entering a casino, when first checking into a casino hotel, etc. This may be done via a hard copy questionnaire, via a questionnaire over a gaming unit 20, via a questionnaire over a video display kiosk, etc. Various other methods of determining a player's preferences may also be used, such as prompting the player to rank interest in various games, game themes, game types, etc.
The player's preferences may further be determined based on monitoring the player's gaming habits to allow for continual upgrading and refinement in establishing a player's preferences. For example, a player may prefer particular games based on game theme, game type, potential payout, etc., and may tend to play games that only have these particular characteristics. This may be determined by monitoring games played by the player, how long and how often a player plays a particular game, the size and/or number of wagers made for a particular game, selections made during a game, play tactics, etc. The gaming unit 20 may further query the player to determine how the player liked the various characteristics of a game. Other considerations may also be taken into account. For instance, the player's gaming habits may vary over periods of time (e.g., gaming habits on a weekday are different than gaming habits on a weekend), vary depending on the player's mood, vary depending on previous payouts received by the player or any other number of factors. The gaming unit 20 may monitor this behavior and provide such information to a computer or server, such as the network computer 22 or other data storage device. The network computer 22 or controller 100 may determine the player's gaming habits based on this information, which may be used to determine the player's preferences regarding particular games.
Previous games played by a player may also be used to determine the player's preferences. For example, the player profile may contain a record of the last game played by a player, the games most frequently played by a player or all games that have been played by the player. Each game may include a game profile that identifies various characteristics about a game. For example, a poker game, such as five card poker, may be associated with a game profile that depicts the game type (e.g., card game, poker), the minimum bet amount, the potential payout (e.g., dollar amount, high payout, low payout, etc.), game theme (e.g., sports, game shows, movies, etc.), multiplayer or single player games, etc. The characteristics for a particular game may depend on the game type. For example, a game profile for a slots game may include the number of pay lines available, a game profile for a Keno game may include the range of numbers, a game profile for a bingo game may include the game card choices, the game profile for a blackjack game may include the number of blackjack hands that may be played, etc. As seen from these examples, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various other game characteristics may be included in each game profile with corresponding player preferences being determined for each player profile (e.g., preferred game type, preferred game theme, preferred potential payout, etc.).
In addition to determining a profile for a particular player, information gathered about each player may be used to determine preferences for a particular demographic or group of players. For example, it may be determined that players within the age of 21 to 30 tend to enjoy poker games having a movie game theme, whereas players within the age of 31 to 40 enjoy slots games having a game show theme. Each game profile may therefore be associated with, or otherwise include, the profile(s) of a particular player type(s) that may enjoy playing that particular game. Likewise, each particular player type profile may be associated, or otherwise include, a list of games that such a person may enjoy playing.
Referring again to
Based on the above criteria, a match may be determined at block 244. If a match has been determined, the matching game may be added to a game list at block 245 as a suggested game. If the game being considered was not considered a match at block 244, control may return to block 243 to compare the player preferences to the next available game. Games added to the game list at block 245 may be ranked in terms of degree of match. For example, matches of greater weight (i.e., important preferences) may cause a game to be ranked higher than a game with more overall matches, but fewer matches among the important player preferences. Alternatively, the games may be ranked based purely on the number of matching preferences, without giving greater or lesser weight to any particular player preference. At block 246, the game suggestion routine 203a may determine if all available games have been compared to the player preferences. If so, the game suggestion routine 203a may return to the main operating routine 200, 220. If not, control may pass to block 243 to compare the player preferences to the game profile of the next available game.
Although the above has been described as being part of a main operating routine 200, 220, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that aspects of the game suggestion routine 203 may be executed outside of a main operating routine 200, 220 to determine suggested games that a player may enjoy playing, as opposed to determining such games when a player is detected by a gaming unit 20. For example, each time a new player profile and/or game profile is added, a comparison may be performed between the new player profile and the game profiles of all existing games, or between the new game profile and the profiles of all existing players. A list of suggested games that a player may enjoy may thereby be associated with, or otherwise be a part of, each player profile. When a gaming unit 20 identifies a player, as at block 240, and retrieves a player profile, as at block 241, the gaming unit 20 may read the list of previously suggested games and return to the main operating routine 200, 220.
The game suggestion routine 203c may read the characteristics of a last game from the associated game profile at block 263. At block 264, characteristics of the previously played game may be compared to the characteristics of the available games at block 264. At block 265, the game suggestion routine 203c may determine whether there is a match, or a sufficient degree of match, between the previously played game and the available game being considered. If a match occurs, the available game is added as a suggested game to a game list at block 266. The game previously played by the player, favorite games or frequently played games may be considered automatic matches and added to the game list at block 266. If there is no match, or an insufficient degree of match at block 265, control may pass back to block 264 to compare the previously played game to the next available game. At block 267, the game suggestion routine 202c may determine whether all available games have been compared to the previously played game. If so, control may return to the main operating routine 200, 220. If not, control may return to block 264 to compare the previously played game to other available games.
As mentioned above, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the game suggestion routines 203 may be modified to predict not only which games the player may enjoy but also which game themes, potential payouts, etc. that the player may prefer. As such, the above routines 203 may be used to suggest games or game characteristics such as game theme, pay tables, etc. Once each list(s) of games and/or game characteristics has been determined, the list(s) may be displayed to the player to select a particular game, game theme, payout table or any other game characteristic.
Where the gaming unit 20 is designed to facilitate play of a video poker game, the display unit 70 may comprise a video display unit.
At block 382, the routine may determine if the player desires a new hand to be dealt, which may be determined by detecting if the “Deal/Draw” button 364 was activated after a wager was made. In that case, at block 384 a video poker hand may be “dealt” by causing the display unit 70 to generate the playing card images 352. After the hand is dealt, at block 386 the routine may determine if any of the “Hold” buttons 354 have been activated by the player, in which case data regarding which of the playing card images 352 are to be “held” may be stored in the controller 100 at block 388. If the “Deal/Draw” button 364 is activated again as determined at block 390, each of the playing card images 352 that was not “held” may be caused to disappear from the video display 350 and to be replaced by a new, randomly selected, playing card image 352 at block 392.
At block 394, the routine may determine whether the poker hand represented by the playing card images 352 currently displayed is a winner. That determination may be made by comparing data representing the currently displayed poker hand with data representing all possible winning hands, which may be stored in the memory of the controller 100. If there is a winning hand, a payout value corresponding to the winning hand may be determined at block 396. At block 398, the player's cumulative value or number of credits may be updated by subtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if the hand was a winner, the payout value determined at block 396. The cumulative value or number of credits may also be displayed in the display area 366 (
Although the video poker routine 210 is described above in connection with a single poker hand of five cards, the routine 210 may be modified to allow other versions of poker to be played. For example, seven card poker may be played, or stud poker may be played. Alternatively, multiple poker hands may be simultaneously played. In that case, the game may begin by dealing a single poker hand, and the player may be allowed to hold certain cards. After deciding which cards to hold, the held cards may be duplicated in a plurality of different poker hands, with the remaining cards for each of those poker hands being randomly determined.
Where the gaming unit 20 is designed to facilitate play of a video blackjack game, the display unit 70 may comprise a video display unit.
To allow the player to control the play of the video blackjack game, a plurality of player-selectable buttons may be displayed. The buttons may include a “Cash Out” button 406, a “See Pays” button 408, a “Stay” button 410, a “Hit” button 412, a “Bet One Credit” button 414, and a “Bet Max Credits” button 416. The display 400 may also include an area 418 in which the number of remaining credits or value is displayed. If the display unit 70 is provided with a touch-sensitive screen, the buttons 406, 408, 410, 412, 414, 416 may form part of the video display 400. Alternatively, one or more of those buttons may be provided as part of a control panel that is provided separately from the display unit 70.
At block 426, the player may be allowed to be “hit,” in which case at block 428 another card will be dealt to the player's hand by making another playing card image 404 appear in the display 400. If the player is hit, block 430 may determine if the player has “bust,” or exceeded 21. If the player has not bust, blocks 426 and 428 may be performed again to allow the player to be hit again.
If the player decides not to hit, at block 432 the routine may determine whether the dealer should be hit. Whether the dealer hits may be determined in accordance with predetermined rules, such as the dealer always hit if the dealer's hand totals 15 or less. If the dealer hits, at block 434 the dealer's hand may be dealt another card by making another playing card image 402 appear in the display 400. At block 436 the routine may determine whether the dealer has bust. If the dealer has not bust, blocks 432, 434 may be performed again to allow the dealer to be hit again.
If the dealer does not hit, at block 436 the outcome of the blackjack game and a corresponding payout may be determined based on, for example, whether the player or the dealer has the higher hand that does not exceed 21. If the player has a winning hand, a payout value corresponding to the winning hand may be determined at block 440. At block 442, the player's cumulative value or number of credits may be updated by subtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if the player won, the payout value determined at block 440. The cumulative value or number of credits may also be displayed in the display area 418 (
Where the gaming unit 20 is designed to facilitate play of a video slots game, the display unit 70 may comprise a video display unit.
To allow the player to control the play of the slots game, a plurality of player-selectable buttons may be displayed. The buttons may include a “Cash Out” button 456, a “See Pays” button 458, a plurality of payline-selection buttons 460 each of which allows the player to select a different number of paylines prior to “spinning” the reels, a plurality of bet-selection buttons 462 each of which allows a player to specify a wager amount for each payline selected, a “Spin” button 464, and a “Max Bet” button 466 to allow a player to make the maximum wager allowable.
If the “Spin” button 464 has been activated by the player as determined at block 486, at block 488 the routine may cause the slot machine reel images 452 to begin “spinning” so as to simulate the appearance of a plurality of spinning mechanical slot machine reels. At block 490, the routine may determine the positions at which the slot machine reel images will stop, or the particular symbol images 454 that will be displayed when the reel images 452 stop spinning. At block 492, the routine may stop the reel images 452 from spinning by displaying stationary reel images 452 and images of three symbols 454 for each stopped reel image 452. The virtual reels may be stopped from left to right, from the perspective of the player, or in any other manner or sequence.
The routine may provide for the possibility of a bonus game or round if certain conditions are met, such as the display in the stopped reel images 452 of a particular symbol 454. If there is such a bonus condition as determined at block 494, the routine may proceed to block 496 where a bonus round may be played. The bonus round may be a different game than slots, and many other types of bonus games could be provided. If the player wins the bonus round, or receives additional credits or points in the bonus round, a bonus value may be determined at block 498. A payout value corresponding to outcome of the slots game and/or the bonus round may be determined at block 500. At block 502, the player's cumulative value or number of credits may be updated by subtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if the slot game and/or bonus round was a winner, the payout value determined at block 500.
Although the above routine has been described as a virtual slot machine routine in which slot machine reels are represented as images on the display unit 70, actual slot machine reels that are capable of being spun may be utilized instead, in which case the display unit 70 could be provided in the form of a plurality of mechanical reels that are rotatable, each of the reels having a plurality of reel images disposed thereon.
Where the gaming unit 20 is designed to facilitate play of a video keno game, the display unit 70 may comprise a video display unit.
To allow the player to control the play of the keno game, a plurality of player-selectable buttons may be displayed. The buttons may include a “Cash Out” button 526, a “See Pays” button 528, a “Bet One Credit” button 530, a “Bet Max Credits” button 532, a “Select Ticket” button 534, a “Select Number” button 536, and a “Play” button 538. The display 520 may also include an area 540 in which the number of remaining credits or value is displayed. If the display unit 70 is provided with a touch-sensitive screen, the buttons may form part of the video display 520. Alternatively, one or more of those buttons may be provided as part of a control panel that is provided separately from the display unit 70.
Referring to
If play of the keno game is to begin as determined at block 568, at block 570 a game number within a range set by the casino may be randomly selected either by the controller 100 or a central computer operatively connected to the controller, such as one of the network computers 22, 32. At block 572, the randomly selected game number may be displayed on the display unit 70 and the display units 70 of other gaming units 20 (if any) which are involved in the same keno game. At block 574, the controller 100 (or the central computer noted above) may increment a count which keeps track of how many game numbers have been selected at block 570.
At block 576, the controller 100 (or one of the network computers 22, 32) may determine whether a maximum number of game numbers within the range have been randomly selected. If not, another game number may be randomly selected at block 570. If the maximum number of game numbers has been selected, at block 578 the controller 100 (or a central computer) may determine whether there are a sufficient number of matches between the game numbers selected by the player and the game numbers selected at block 570 to cause the player to win. The number of matches may depend on how many numbers the player selected and the particular keno rules being used.
If there are a sufficient number of matches, a payout may be determined at block 580 to compensate the player for winning the game. The payout may depend on the number of matches between the game numbers selected by the player and the game numbers randomly selected at block 570. At block 582, the player's cumulative value or number of credits may be updated by subtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if the keno game was won, the payout value determined at block 580. The cumulative value or number of credits may also be displayed in the display area 540 (
Where the gaming unit 20 is designed to facilitate play of a video bingo game, the display unit 70 may comprise a video display unit.
To allow the player to control the play of the bingo game, a plurality of player-selectable buttons may be displayed. The buttons may include a “Cash Out” button 604, a “See Pays” button 606, a “Bet One Credit” button 608, a “Bet Max Credits” button 610, a “Select Card” button 612, and a “Play” button 614. The display 600 may also include an area 616 in which the number of remaining credits or value is displayed. If the display unit 70 is provided with a touch-sensitive screen, the buttons may form part of the video display 600. Alternatively, one or more of those buttons may be provided as part of a control panel that is provided separately from the display unit 70.
Referring to
After the player has made a wager, at block 628 the player may select a bingo card, which may be generated randomly. The player may select more than one bingo card, and there may be a maximum number of bingo cards that a player may select. After play is to commence as determined at block 632, at block 634 a bingo number may be randomly generated by the controller 100 or a central computer such as one of the network computers 22, 32. At block 636, the bingo number may be displayed on the display unit 70 and the display units 70 of any other gaming units 20 involved in the bingo game.
At block 638, the controller 100 (or a central computer) may determine whether any player has won the bingo game. If no player has won, another bingo number may be randomly selected at block 634. If any player has bingo as determined at block 638, the routine may determine at block 640 whether the player playing that gaming unit 20 was the winner. If so, at block 642 a payout for the player may be determined. The payout may depend on the number of random numbers that were drawn before there was a winner, the total number of winners (if there was more than one player), and the amount of money that was wagered on the game. At block 644, the player's cumulative value or number of credits may be updated by subtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if the bingo game was won, the payout value determined at block 642. The cumulative value or number of credits may also be displayed in the display area 616 (