Gaming system including multiple wager selectors and dynamic theoretical payback percentage display

Abstract

Systems and methods of gaming that provide the user with increased wagering within a specific game of chance. Multiple wager selectors each having a specific value ed therewith provide the user with a wide range of wager amounts that may be placed on gaming device. As the user's current wager increases or decreases, a theoretical percentage is displayed to the user.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] None. STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT [0002] Not applicable. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Gaming machines or devices that are currently available permit a player to play video card games, video keno, video spinning-reel type games, video bingo, and other types of games. These same games, as well as others, may also be played over a data network such as the Internet. [0004] Current gaming devices provide games that are based on a single denomination within each game (e.g. nickel games, quarter games, dollar games etc.). Wagers and awards are whole number multiples of the particular denomination. This stems from the time when coins or tokens were inserted into the gaming machine as the only means of accepting money and hoppers dispensing coins were the primary means of returning winnings to the player. The payout amount for a winning outcome had to be an increment of the denomination for the player to...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009] Embodiments of the invention provide more diverse betting options, which may eliminate the need for games at different denominations.

[0010] Another object of this invention is to create more equity in terms of cost per hour to play for the house at lower bets and for the player at higher bets.

[0011] It is a further object of this invention to provide players with more information regarding the effect of their wager on the payback percentage and the related cost per hour to play.

[0012] In one aspect of the invention, a gaming device is provided with multiple wager selectors, each with a different value, within a single game. Each wager selector operates, in a preferred embodiment, to increment the player's wager amount by the value of the wager selector each time it is selected (as by depressing a key). Preferably, each wager key may either increment or decrement the wager amount at the player's option. Accordingly, players can more easily achieve their desired bet level over a larger range of bets. For example, if a game is provided with four wager selectors with values of five cents, twenty-five cents, one dollar and five dollars, each with increment and decrement functionality and a maximum bet of one hundred dollars, the player can select any bet from five cents to one hundred dollars in five cent increments with twenty eight or less selections of the appropriate wager selectors. For practical reasons, each selector could be limited to a maximum of twenty increments. This would allow the player to wager from five cents to one dollar in five cent increments, from twenty-five cents to five dollars in twenty-five cent increments, from one dollar to twenty dollars in one dollar increments, or from five dollars to one hundred dollars in five dollar increments with no more than twenty selections of the appropriate wager selector.

[0013] In a further aspect of the invention, the theoretical payback percentage will be caused to increase at every, or nearly every, increasing bet. The contribution to the theoretical payback percentage of any given outcome is calculated by multiplying the statistical odds of that outcome occurring times the pay for that outcome. With multiple wager selectors, it is possible to provide awards which are whole number multiples of the smallest wager selector and fractional multiples of the larger wager selectors while still permitting the player to bet their entire credit balance down to exactly zero. An increased number of available award values with increasing bets provides for more precision in targeting theoretical payback percentages as the wager increases. With a five cent wager selector and a twenty five cent wager selector, when the player is betting twenty-five cents it is possible to provide awards which are any multiple of five cents rather than just multiples of twenty-five cents, allowing game designers greater flexibility in achieving desired theoretical payback percentages. All other things being constant, increasing the theoretical payback percentage as the absolute value of the bet increases will create a more equitable cost per hour to play the game for all players. The theoretical payback percentage can be set low enough at a five cent bet that the “house” no longer needs to worry about a player occupying a seat and only betting five cents per game. Similarly, the theoretical payback percentage can be set high enough at large bets such that the cost per hour to play is not so high as to discourage high rollers.

[0016] Therefore, the invention provides for a gaming system and method in which the player has a wide range of choices and relative ease of achieving wager amounts. The need for games at different denominations is eliminated. There is more flexibility in achieving a desired increase in theoretical payback percentage as the bet increases. Due to increasing the theoretical payback percentage as the absolute value of the bet increases, more player equity is created in terms of average cost per hour to play, all other things being constant. The theoretical payback percentage display dynamically updates the theoretical payback percentage as the player's wager amount changes, giving the player more information about how a wager amount affects the theoretical payback percentage.

Problems solved by technology

Assuming the player was offered the 5-7, the 5-8, and the 6-9 at denominations of 5¢, 25¢, and $1 respectively, discrepancies can be seen which are not atypical of current art in the gaming industry and are often unavoidable or inherent in the credit / denomination approach used throughout the industry.

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