Patent Application
20060105829
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to wagering games and, in particular, to wagering games having a wheel bonus game and to seal card games such as scratch lottery tickets.
2. Discussion of the Background
Casino gaming devices involving a bonus game incorporating a top box bonus wheel have always been popular with the gaming public. The bonus wheel is usually mechanical and either the wheel spins or a ball on a stick spins over a fixed wheel. At the beginning of the twentieth century, many different “wheels of fortune” were popular in the gaming industry.
One conventional wheel bonus is the CASH FOR LIFE BONUS SPIN RICH & FAMOUS casino game from Bally which is based upon an earlier MONTE CARLO slot series. In this CASH FOR LIFE game, when the player places a maximum bet and a bonus spin symbol appears on the third reel of the slot game, the player is afforded the opportunity to press a Bonus Spin button. When pressed, a white ball spins faster and faster around a bonus wheel until it lands on a bonus award. In a variation of this game, Bally produced the CASH FOR LIFE TRIPLE SPIN casino game. Here, the player is afforded the opportunity to pass on or select the first two of three spins of the bonus wheel. That is, if the player accepts the results of the first wheel spin, the bonus game is over. If the player passes on the first two wheel spins, the third wheel spin automatically provides the effective wheel spin result. IGT has a “Price Is Right” game where a combination of bonus symbols starts a bonus game. The bonus game has a qualifying round which uses a mechanical wheel. If the player qualifies based on the wheel spins, then the player plays an additional bonus game for more awards. Aristocrat has a “You Might Be a Redneck If . . . ” game where if the player makes an additional wager, then an additional reel spins and based on the symbol appearing on this reel, the player qualifies for a bonus game.
Other conventional slot games having a wheel bonus game are set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,823,874 and 5,848,932. The '874 patent sets forth a standard gaming unit having, for example, three reels in the base game and a rotatable mechanical bonus wheel. The standard gaming unit generates a signal to operate the mechanical wheel. In the '874 patent, the appearance of certain displayed indicia such as reels, indicia of reels, indicia of playing cards, and combinations thereof are used so that when they appear on the payline of the standard gaming unit, the signal is generated. The '932 patent also provides a signal that is generated in the primary gaming unit when a display of indicia occurs on the payline in play of the primary gaming unit to operate the bonus payout indicator.
A need exists in the gaming industry to continually improve upon wagering games having a bonus wheel so as to add increased play and excitement for players.
Scratch lottery tickets are used principally by governmental entities to generate revenue therefor. A ticket is purchased at a retail establishment by a consumer upon payment of value such as $1.00, $2.00, $5.00, or $10.00. According to the instructions on the ticket, the consumer then scratches off a removable material from selected areas to reveal hidden play symbols on the ticket. When a win occurs, a corresponding award area is scratched off to reveal a payoff value. The player then takes the ticket to an establishment for redemption. A pull tab (also called “breakopen”) ticket is used in the casino gaming world. Pull tabs require removing a cover member such as a top or a flap to reveal a hidden play symbol. The term “seal card game” herein refers to scratch lottery tickets, to pull tickets, or to any other similar ticket.
A continuing need also exists to provide new and exciting seal card games to consumers.
The needs set forth above are met under the teachings of the present invention. A method for playing a wagering game is set forth wherein when a randomly occurring bonus game condition symbol occurs in a base game outcome, the player plays a separate bonus game to a bonus game outcome. When play of the bonus game is successful, a bonus wheel is then spun to provide an additional award. In a variation, the wagering game is separately played. When an independent bonus game condition occurs separately from the base game outcome, the bonus wheel is spun to provide an award independent from the base game.
The above two methods are incorporated and played when the wagering game is a seal card game such as a scratch lottery ticket.
1. Overview
The present invention pertains to an improved wagering game using a wheel to provide additional payoffs to players of the wagering game. The term “wagering game” includes all of the various types of casino games such as, but not limited to, slot machines, video poker machines, and keno machines. The wagering game as presented herein is independent of the type of base game such as video poker, slots, keno, etc. The term “wagering game” also includes seal card games such as pull tab or scratch lottery tickets. Pull tab wagering games are typically found in casinos whereas scratch lottery tickets are usually sold over the counter in various jurisdictions to the consuming public. The base game in seal card games can also be any suitable conventional base game based upon poker hands, matching numbers, matching symbols, etc. The term “wagering game” therefore includes conventional casino games, conventional seal card games, and any other game played in response to a wager being placed and payoffs being given when winning combinations are obtained in play of the wagering game.
Two embodiments of the present invention are presented in the following: 1) a bonus condition in the base game outcome and 2) a bonus condition independent of the base game outcome. While two embodiments are used to illustrate the present invention, it is to be expressly understood, that modifications and variations may be made to these embodiments under the teachings herein.
2. Bonus Condition in Base Game Outcome
One of the random combinations in the outcome of the base game 740 is a bonus game condition such as the alignment of a predetermined bonus symbol or a set of bonus symbols representing qualification of the player to play a bonus game 780. This is illustrated by the bonus game condition symbol B appearing on payline 760 within display 712, as shown in
Under the teachings of the present invention, play 130 of the bonus game 780 occurs if the bonus game condition 120 is satisfied. Play of the bonus game may occur in a separate screen 780 of display 712 or in a display (not shown) in the top box 722. Whether the player is successful in playing the bonus game 780 is determined in method step 150. If bonus game play by the player is successful, the wagering game spins 160 a mechanical wheel 720 in the top box 722 for a bonus payoff award, which is made in method step 170. It is to be understood that the term “spinning the mechanical wheel” (and variations thereof) means either a fixed wheel 720 with rotating indicator 724, or a fixed indicator 724 with rotating wheel 720. Moreover, wheel 720 and indicator 724 could both rotate, either in opposite directions, or in the same direction albeit at different speeds. The term herein “spinning the wheel” (and variations thereof) includes the above as well as a video representation of wheel 720 and indicator 724, or the player selecting a segment containing a hidden value such as in a stationary wheel printed on a scratch lottery ticket.
The wheel 720 may spin automatically in response to the player's successful bonus game outcome, or the wheel 720 may spin after the player provides an input (such as pushing a button, not shown). After the wheel 720 is spun 160 and the award 726 is paid to the player 170, the wagering game of the present invention 140 ends. If the player is not successful in play 130 of the bonus game 780, then the wagering game ends 140, or as shown by the dotted lines, a consolation award 152 may be given to the player. The consolation payoff is lower in value than any payoff provided by the wheel 720.
In the play 130 of the bonus game 780, any conventional (or new) bonus game separate from the base game can be utilized such as providing a trivia question to the player. The play 150 of the bonus game 780 is separate from play 110 of the base game 740. If the player correctly responds to the trivia question, method step 150 is successful and the player is then permitted to spin 160 the wheel 720 to land on an award 726. If the player incorrectly answers, a consolation award 152 may optionally be given or the game simply ends 140. Or, play 130 of the bonus game 780 may involve a bonus game wherein the player is given the opportunity to choose an object that hides a wheel icon. If the player chooses the object that uncovers a wheel icon, the play is successful 150 and spinning 160 the wheel 720 occurs.
For example, upon entering method step 130, the play 130 of the bonus game 780 occurs on display 712, which may be a video touch screen display having both data input and data displaying capabilities. A question with answers 200 is presented (as shown in
In
The two bonus games of
In a variation of the embodiment of
In a variation, the “degree” of success in playing 130 the bonus game 780 controls the “value” of the multiplier (or the “number” of spins). For example, the question 200 could be: Name the cities in the following list that are in Colorado without naming a city outside Colorado: Denver, Omaha, Boulder, Boston, and Pueblo—Each correct answer will result in an added 1× multiplier. The selection of an incorrect answer choice will nullify any multiplier value generated by previous correct answer choices. The first incorrect answer will result in no multiplier whatsoever and end the game. When a player first picks Denver, then Boulder, the player gets a 2× multiplier as both answers are correct and spins the wheel. If the player first picks Denver, then Boulder and then Omaha, the game ends as Omaha is incorrect. A player choosing Denver, Pueblo and Boulder wins a 3× multiplier and spins the wheel. This example can be based on spins rather than a multiplier.
The modification in step 180 can modify one or more characteristics of the spinning step 160 and/or the bonus payoff step 170. The player, when successful in method step 150, receives a modification graphic G 782 authorizing two spins. If the player is unsuccessful in method step 150, the player receives an award, and the wagering game ends. Hence in this embodiment, in method step 160, a player who was successful in step 150 receives two spins and the sum of the two awards. In one example, the first wheel spin results in an award of $20.00, the second wheel spin results in an award of $50.00, and the player then receives an award of $70.00. The displayed modification graphic G acts to modify method step 160 accordingly, and it is to be expressly understood that any of a number of different modification graphics G 782 could be utilized under the present invention, each corresponding to an arithmetic function such as multiplication, addition, or a wheel operation such as additional spins (e.g., 2 instead of 1). In the wheel spin variation, the awards from each wheel spin accumulate. Or, the two variations could be combined so as to provide two wheel spins and a multiplier. It can be appreciated that the bonus game 780 can be designed to provide the player with great excitement and interaction to “build a wheel spin payoff” by increasing the number of spins and/or the arithmetic operation based on the player's skill, strategy, knowledge, or luck in play 130 of the bonus game 780. Further, the bonus game 780 can be designed to offer only play based on the player knowledge, skill, or strategy.
In the above, if the player is unsuccessful in method step 150, the wagering game ends 140. Under the teachings of the present invention, and unlike conventional wheel bonus games, obtaining a bonus condition such as symbol B in
In summary, what has been set forth above is the generation of a bonus condition in the actual base game outcome. The teachings of the present invention are not limited to how the bonus condition occurs in the base game outcome and it could be a single symbol as illustrated by B in
3. Bonus Condition Independent of Base Game Outcome
In the embodiment of
In
In summary of this embodiment, the bonus condition (790 or 798) is independent and separate from the base game outcome 420. The spinning of the mechanical wheel 720 randomly occurs based upon events not found in play of the base game outcome and which randomly occur. In one variation, the intermediate bonus game of the first embodiment can be incorporated into this embodiment to add further excitement. How the bonus condition is randomly generated is vigorous and can include any independent random event from play of the base game.
The specific implementation of the two embodiments of
4. Seal Card Application
In
In the event the player uncovers a bonus condition 512 such as “Q,” the player then is entitled to move 514 to the second play area 520. An example of a base game outcome set would be {$5.00, $3.00, $8.00, Q, $1.00} as shown in
The player is asked a question 530 (e.g., to name the capital of Oregon) with a plurality of choices such as the three in play area 520 (Portland, Salem, Eugene). The player can scratch only one of the choices to reveal whether the answer is correct (such as uncovering a wheel symbol 521). If the scratched off answer is incorrect, then the player does not win with this scratch ticket. In the event the player answers the question correctly, the player moves 524 on to play area 540 in which the player selects one segment of wheel 550 (i.e., spins the wheel) to scratch and uncover a final prize, such as $1.00, $2.00, $5.00 or $10.00. The player then takes the ticket and redeems it for payment of an award. It is to be understood that a player may look up the answer before removing material from an answer choice. The final award is decided based upon random selection of a segment in the wheel.
The method of the present invention for
After purchasing the ticket, the player in
The player then proceeds to follow the instructions on the ticket pertaining to the bonus game in play area 520. The player uncovers one of the answers. It is to be understood that if the player uncovers more than one answer, the ticket is invalidated. If the player scratches off an incorrect answer, then the game is over (bonus play in step 150 is unsuccessful). As mentioned, one option, would be to pay 152 the player a consolation payoff the amount of which payoff could equal the price paid for the ticket. If the player scratches only the correct answer, then the player scratches off only one segment in the wheel 550 play area 540 such as segment 560 (corresponding to spin the wheel step 160 in
The player returns to an establishment to redeem the ticket. The establishment, which could be represented by store clerk, first looks at the play areas 520 and 540 to ascertain that only one play area has been uncovered. The revealing of any other play area or any other tampering with the removable material over another play area results in invalidation of the ticket. In a variation, if all answers in area 520 are scratched off and the entire wheel is scratched off, only the consolation award (i.e., such as when selecting an incorrect answer occurs) is given. Or, if only the entire wheel is scratched off, the lowest segment value (i.e., $1 in
It is to be understood that while the foregoing examples are given in terms of purchase by the consumer, with cash prizes, other embodiments are possible. For example, the seal tickets could be given away as a promotion (e.g., at fast-food establishments) or with accompanying purchase (e.g., at a department store), with possible awards including food prizes and/or merchandise, perhaps in addition to monetary prizes.
While the seal card embodiments of the present invention represent different structures than processor-controlled casino games, the method of play is the same. The base game on seal card games can be any suitable conventional base game. In the first embodiment of a bonus condition appearing in the base game outcome, this is commonly one or more symbols such as symbol Q which leads directly to the intermediate bonus game. Again, the intermediate bonus game can be any knowledge-based, skill-based, strategy-based, or random-based bonus game. If the player is successful, the player then moves to the wheel spin portion. In this structure, of course, a mechanical wheel is not used and a spin doesn't happen. However, the player selects one of the segments to scratch off or reveal. This brings the excitement of the “wheel spin” to seal card games.
5. Casino Game Application
In
In
With regard to the present invention, the processor 900 controls receiving wagers in device 730 which can be any suitable device or combination of devices such as a currency reader, a ticket reader, a coin-in sensor, a credit card reader, a debit card reader, a smart card reader, etc. The processor 900 also conventionally communicates with and controls a suitable payout device 930 such as, but not limited to, writing to a smart card, printing a ticket, issuing coins or other forms of currency, etc.
The processor 900 also communicates with and controls a suitable input device or devices 940 which allows the player to press buttons to select the wager per line and number of lines such as found in a multi-line, multi-reel slot game, to receive other types of input such as pressing a button to spin the mechanical wheel 720, receiving a cash-out input so the player can receive any and all credits in the wagering game as a payout, etc.
The processor 900 can be any suitable processor which, in communication with memory 950, controls the wagering game by interacting with hardware devices based on the software found in memory 950. The processor 900 and 950 can also incorporate a random number generator either in hardware or software to provide the required random events in the base game, the random occurrence of the bonus condition, the random spin of the wheel 720, etc. The processor 900 controls and communicates with a display or displays 712 which can also be input devices such as touch screens. The processor 900 also communicates with and controls the mechanical wheel 720. The present invention is not limited to the illustration set forth in
The above disclosure sets forth a number of embodiments of the present invention described in detail with respect to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in this art will appreciate that various changes, modifications, other structural arrangements, and other embodiments could be practiced under the teachings of the present invention without departing from the scope of this invention as set forth in the following claims.
