Sigma Game, Inc.

Multimedia Games, Inc.

Next Gaming, LLC

Robert J Piechowiak

James P Jackson

Curtis J Crawford

Frank C DeSimone

Bruce Merati

Alec Ginsburg

Charles R Miller, Sr

Roger H Goeb

Thomas J Sanduski

Henry C Nicholson

Michael Thomas Dini

Darin T Gifford

A progressive jackpot slot machine, or group of slot machines, is described herein. A plurality of progressive jackpots are accumulated as the slot machine is played. In one preferred embodiment, a first progressive jackpot is accumulated at a first rate, and a second progressive jackpot is accumulated at a rate higher than the first rate. Additional jackpots accumulate at higher rates. The betting of additional monetary amounts enables the player to win additional jackpots. This provides added incentive for the player to bet additional monetary amounts.

Slot machine having multiple progressive jackpots

In one aspect a switch can be placed on any existing video gaming machine. A player can be informed that they have the option to play other games on the video gaming machine. The switch can be either an icon on the video gaming machine's video or a physical switch. Once the player touches the icon or presses the physical switch as an indication of his or her interest to play other games a server can take control of the video display and its touch screen. Similarly, when the player is playing any of the additional games available on video gaming machine, there will be an icon or a switch button to offer the option to go back to the slot's original game.

Systems and methods for server based lottery and casino gaming machines including a remote display

A progressive jackpot slot machine, or group of slot machines, is described herein. A plurality of progressive jackpots are accumulated as the slot machine is played. In the preferred embodiment, a first progressive jackpot is accumulated at a first rate, and a second progressive jackpot is accumulated at a rate higher than the first rate. Additional jackpots accumulate at higher rates. The betting of additional monetary amounts enables the player to win additional jackpots. This provides added incentive for the player to bet additional monetary amounts.

The invention relates to a bonus feature in a slot machine. This bonus feature may be used in stand-alone slot machines as well as linked slot machines. The preferred embodiment is directed to a system of linked gaming machines. In one embodiment, each linked gaming machines operates like a conventional machine where the generation and display of certain combinations of symbols within a first group of combinations provide awards to the individual players whose machines generate such combinations. In addition to this normal mode of play, a bonus feature is added where the generation and display of combinations of symbols within a second group of combinations are used in the awarding of a bonus. In such a feature, the generation of a combination of symbols within the second group of combinations is used in a bonus award game. The display on each machine may be a video display that displays the main game as well as the bonus game. Since both games can be run using the same electrical circuitry (e.g., memory and a processor), no additional hardware is needed. A single machine, as opposed to linked machines, may incorporate all elements to play the main game and the bonus game. This is equivalent to a single machine in a linked system being operated.

Slot machine using a count valve to award bonus game

In one embodiment of a gaming machine incorporating the present invention, a special outcome of a primary game initiates a bonus game of a type very different from the primary game. One of the outcomes of the bonus game is the initiation of a third game, which the player then plays to determine whether the bonus game ends or continues. This third game may be the random selection by the player or the gaming machine of one of a plurality of tiles (or other icons), where certain ones of the tiles end the bonus game and other ones of the tiles allow the bonus game to continue. The third game may be any game where a random result determines the ending of the bonus game, or the third game may be a game of skill, such as a hand of blackjack. In one embodiment, the primary game, the bonus game, and the third game are played on the same touch video screen, where sensors in the screen detect the position of a player's touch in order to select a displayed option.

Gaming machine having bonus game

A method and apparatus for securing the game program software and related data files used by a gaming device and for authenticating such files during game startup and play. In one embodiment of the present invention, a verification code is generated by the manufacturer for each software file and data file used by the game. The verification codes are stored in a non-volatile, tamper-proof, read-only memory device, which is (in some embodiments) securely attached to the gaming device. On some or every download of the game software and/or related data files into the gaming device, commencement of a game, or on the occurrence of certain pre-defined events, the stored verification code is used to validate the game software and data files. In some embodiments, verification is performed automatically on a periodic basis without operator or player action. Verification consists of calculating a live verification code for some or all of the software and data files present in the alterable random access memory using the same method chosen to create the stored verification code. In some embodiments of the present invention, the verification code is the result of a hash function of trusted copies of each software and related data file. If the live code matches the stored code for every suspect file, then operation and play proceeds normally. If, however, one or more codes do not match, an error condition is declared, operation is halted, and notification of the error condition follows.

Electronic security technique for gaming software

A slot machine is described which allows a player to participate in an additional game of chance whenever a winning combination of symbols includes a special bonus multiplier symbol. In such instances, the award for the winning combination is multiplied by a randomly determined value, thereby increasing the attractiveness of the game. In the preferred embodiment, the bonus multiplier is selected using a weighted random number generator.

Slot machine with award multiplier display

A system of linked gaming machines has each of the linked gaming machines connected to a common controller. In a normal mode of play, each of the linked gaming machines operates like a conventional machine where the generation of certain combinations of symbols provide awards to the individual players whose machines generate such combinations. In addition to this normal mode of play, a bonus feature is added where the generation of combinations of bonus symbols is used by a central controller to build up a pooled bonus value based upon the values of the combinations of bonus symbols generated by all the linked gaming machines. When a player hits a combination which causes the accumulated bonus value to meet or exceed a predetermined value, a bonus award is given to the player which caused the threshold to be exceeded.

Bonus award feature in a gaming machine

A video poker gaming machine is described where, after initially dealing five cards to a player, the machine displays a sixth card to replace a discarded card by the player. In one embodiment, the sixth card automatically replaces the leftmost discarded card. In another embodiment, the sixth card can replace any of the discarded cards.

Video poker machine with revealed sixth card

A system of linked gaming machines is disclosed where each of the linked gaming machines is connected to a common controller. In a normal mode of play, each of the linked gaming machines operates like a conventional machine where the generation of certain combinations of symbols provide awards to the individual players whose machines generate such combinations. In addition to this normal mode of play, a bonus feature is added where the generation of combinations of bonus symbols is used by a central controller to build up a pooled bonus value based upon the values of the combinations of bonus symbols generated by all the linked gaming machines. When a player hits a combination which causes the accumulated bonus value to meet or exceed a predetermined value, a bonus award is given to the player which caused the threshold to be exceeded. To discourage players from not playing any of the linked gaming machines until the accumulated bonus value is near the threshold, each machine has an independent hit counter which is incremented based upon the number of occurrences of bonus combinations generated by that machine. The player may use the value in his/her individual hit counter in order to exceed the award threshold for the bonus award. Other embodiments of slot machines using the above concepts are described.

Bonus award feature in linked gaming machines having a common feature

A method for operating a slot machine is described herein which allows a player nine ways to win for a 3-reel slot machine. A total of nine paylines are provided across the array, each payline identifying a unique combination of symbol positions. The display glass of the slot machine contains colored lines interconnecting the symbol positions for each activated payline. The individual paylines are illuminated as each coin is deposited.

Three reel slot machine with nine ways to win

The preferred embodiment of the present invention operates on a system of interconnected gaming machines and selectively provides one or more active features to all of the gaming machines linked to the system. The enablement of the feature may be based on the combined results from previous plays on the individual gaming machines. The feature may be a bonus award for a specific displayed combination, an increased possibility for a winning combination, or any other feature which alters the normal operation of the gaming machines. The first machine to generate a winning game result to which the feature applies will be given an award based upon the feature. The feature is then disabled and the system returns to normal play mode until the feature is again enabled. Various other features are described.

Growing community of inventors

Las Vegas, NV, United States of America

Robert J Piechowiak