Multimedia Games, Inc.

Other

Arrowsmith Technologies Corporation

Gordon Thomas Graves

Clifton E Lind

Jefferson Craig Lind

Joseph R Enzminger

Gary Lee Loebig

Rodney L Willyard

Martin Anthony Keane

Robert F Lannert

Brendan M O'Connor

Naveen Malhotra

Rodney L Willard

Gary W Watkins

A Clifford Barker

Alva C Barker

Described is a method of constructing prize structures that are particularly useful in gaming systems which can be used to implement various games such as bingo and poker. In particular the described pay structures and game systems can have sufficient granularity such that the outcome or payoff of the game being played can be expanded to provide higher payout amounts as well as closely replicate the payoff of a second game. Included are methods and apparatus for playing bingo games and determining which bingo cards are winners. In addition, methods and apparatus for evaluating or checking each card in a bingo game using a bit marked card technique and vector operations are described.

Bingo apparatus

A method for conducting bingo games includes using a server to collect game play requests from a plurality of electronic player stations. The server determines if a group of the collected game play requests meets one or more predefined conditions for establishing a quorum, and if so conducts a game with the group of game play requests. Even after the game is started, the server continues to collect game play requests in preparation for conducting additional games. When enough game play requests are collected, the server starts the next game, even if previous games are still in progress.

Method, system, and program product for conducting multiple concurrent bingo games

Method, apparatus, and program products relating to a multi-mode game play. A player places a bet through a player station to commence play in a first play mode of a multi-mode game. The first play mode may award a prize specified as a number of plays at a different ('second') play mode. The second play mode has a different associated prize structure and a higher expected net value per play as compared to the first play mode. Once the player has played the specified number of plays at the second play mode the game switches back to the first play mode for additional plays.

Gaming machines and methods particularly for use in environments imposing prize restrictions

A result represented by a matched bingo card representation is displayed to a player in a bingo-type game through a result representation provided at a suitable player station. Each result representation includes a graphical representation unrelated to the bingo-type game. That is, although the game results are simply bingo game results defined by predetermined patterns of matches between the various card designations and the designation set produced or called for a particular bingo-type game, the game results are displayed to the players with a graphical display including a graphic that is not merely a graphical representation or reproduction of a bingo card.

Method, apparatus, and program product for presenting results in a bingo-type game

A gaming system, apparatus, and method are disclosed which provide a player selectable option to manually interact by selecting game elements or initiate an automated mode whereby the gaming apparatus selects game elements in accordance with the rules of the game being played. An example disclosed embodiment includes a player being assigned a bingo card representation and a game designation set is associated with the bingo card representation, such that daubing the bingo card representation may be performed manually by the player at the player's respective player station using a suitable interface at the player station. Alternatively to manual daubing, the present invention includes automatically daubing one or more bingo card representations in response to an automatic daub input made by the player at the player station using a suitable input device.

Gaming system, machine and method with user selectable game interactive mode

Method and system for conducting multiple concurrent bingo games

Each bingo card representation matched with a game designation set in a given bingo game (a 'matched bingo card representation') represents a respective game play record providing a result in the bingo game. The result represented by a matched bingo card representation is displayed to a player in the bingo-type game through a result representation provided at a suitable player station. Each result representation is correlated to one or more game results in the bingo-type game so that each game result in the bingo-type game is associated with a result representation. According to the invention, each result representation includes a graphical representation unrelated to the bingo-type game. That is, although the game results are simply bingo game results defined by predetermined patterns of matches between the various card designations and the designation set produced or called for a particular bingo-type game, the game results are displayed to the players with a graphical display including a graphic that is not merely a graphical representation or reproduction of a bingo card. Displaying the result of the bingo-type game to the player thus involves displaying the result representation associated with the particular game result in lieu or at least in addition to the representation of the matched bingo-type game card.

A lottery ticket distribution system according to the invention includes a ticket distribution center () that is in electronic communication with a number of player terminals () at locations remote to the ticket distribution center. The ticket distribution center () includes an electronic ticket storage device () for storing a game set () of electronic tickets () and distributing the electronic tickets to the player terminals (). A ticket record manufacturing device () operatively connected to the ticket distribution center () provides either a nonvolatile data record for each ticket or a hard copy ticket, or both. The nonvolatile data records or set of hard copy tickets for a given game set are not distributed to the players, but are held for verification and dispute resolution purposes either at the ticket distribution center () or some other secure location.

Lottery ticket distribution system

A method of and system of providing a realistic audiovisual representation at a remote location of a game occurring at a base location in which the base location and remote location are linked by a communications channel, including the steps of preparing a library of prerecorded video clips depicting events typically encountered in conducting a game, storing the library of the remote location, transmitting information as to the progress of a game from the base location to the remote location over the communication channel at the base location using the information to select appropriate video clips from the library that replicate the game, and presenting the selected video clips at the remote location to provide a realistic audiovisual representation.

System and method for providing a realistic audiovisual representation of a game among widely separated participants

A gaming system ( ) utilizes a game designation generating component ( ), a gaming establishment component ( ), and a set of predefined bingo card representations. Each bingo card representation is stored in electronic format as a data structure or data record defining a predefined pattern of game designations chosen from a pool of available designations. The game designation generating component ( ) generates sets of game designations from a pool of available designations. The method employed in the gaming system ( ) includes pre-matching the bingo card representations to a given set of game designations to produce a matched card set. This pre-matching occurs prior to the sale, distribution, or assignment of card representations to players in the game. The matched card set includes a number of game play records, each corresponding to a different one of the bingo card representations and each being associated with a result indicator which indicates whether the respective bingo card representation is a winning card or losing card for that set of game designations. Data representing these matched card sets are stored and then the individual game play records are assigned to players in response to game play requests initiated by the players.

Method and program product for producing and using game play records in a bingo-type game

An electronic or mechanical device that acts as an automated agent enabling clients, to participate in a game of chance even though a client is not present at the site of the game. The device is located at a site where a game of chance takes place. The device acts, as a proxy player by purchasing wagering chances, playing those chances, and reporting the results of those games of chance to clients who are not present at the site where the game takes place. The proxy player may learn a client's preferences and play a game without further input from the client while making gaming decisions according to those preferences. The device enables individuals to participate in games of chance, such as bingo or other types of games, even though they may be outside of the jurisdiction where such games are permitted.

Gaming system for remote players

A lottery-type game is played with a first level game and at least one second level or additional level game. The first level game includes a plurality of first level game records, each having an associated outcome. At least one outcome is a negotiable outcome. The second level game is related to the negotiable outcome of the first level game and includes a plurality of second level game records. According to the present gaming method, a player is enabled to view a first level game representation associated with a particular one of the first level game records. This first level game representation indicates the outcome associated with the particular first level game record. When this first level outcome is the negotiable outcome, the player may choose to view a second level game representation which indicates the outcome of a particular one of the second level game records.

Multi-level lottery-type gaming method and apparatus

An electronic or mechanical device that acts as an automated agent enabling clients to participate in a game of chance even though a client is not present at the site of the game. The device is located at a site where a game of chance takes place. The device acts as a proxy player by purchasing wagering chances, playing those chances, and reporting the results of those games of chance to clients who are not present at the site where the game takes place. The proxy player may learn a client's preferences and play a game without further input from the client while making gaming decisions according to those preferences. The device enables individuals to participate in games of chance, such as bingo or other types of games, even though they may be outside of the jurisdiction where such games are permitted.

Growing community of inventors

Austin, TX, United States of America

Gordon Thomas Graves