Gaming system allowing jackpot system selection

Abstract

In a gaming system according to the present invention, a server monitors jackpot values and the availability of a plurality of jackpot systems, and thereby produces list outputs of the jackpot values and the available gaming machines. The gaming system provides players with the lists displayed in a screen, and allows each player to select one of the available gaming machines in accordance with the jackpot values. When the jackpot systems are separated from each other and the server, the server reserves the gaming machine selected by a player by using the lists. The selected gaming machine is locked unless the server verifies customer ID data entered into the selected gaming machine. When the server virtually constructs all the jackpot systems, the server will link a virtual gaming machine, which a player has selected by using the lists, to a gaming terminal that the player actually operates.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]The present invention relates to a gaming system, and in particular, a gaming system that comprises a plurality of jackpot systems.[0003]2. Background Information[0004]The value of a jackpot, i.e., the largest award that a player can win on a gaming machine, is one of the most attractive features for players who select gaming machines in a casino. The higher the value of a jackpot is, the more attractive a gaming machine is. In general, one or more gaming machines are linked to a common jackpot controller, and constitute a single jackpot system. The jackpot controller uses a lottery process to determine whether or not to provide a jackpot to one of the linked gaming machines. Jackpot values vary with jackpot systems. In some jackpot systems, two or more jackpot values are selectable (cf. U.S. Pat. No. 5,851,147). In a progressive jackpot system, a jackpot controller repeatedly increments a jackpot value by a percentage ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0012]In the above gaming system according to the present invention, a player can promptly and easily know every jackpot value of many jackpot systems by viewing the display of the gaming machine reservation terminal, without walking around in a huge area filled with gaming machines. In addition, the player can easily and reliably select one available gaming machine in a jackpot system with a favorable jackpot value by making a reservation of the gaming machine through the gaming machine reservation terminal. Indeed, the server will lock the reserved gaming machine by using its reservation checking unit until customer ID data of a player received from the gaming machine matches the registered customer ID data (or a predetermined time has elapsed from the reservation), and accordingly, only an authorized player who has reserved the gaming machine can play games on the gaming machine. Thus, the time needed to select a gaming machine can be reduced, and therefore, the occupancy rates of gaming machines will improve, and players can gain more opportunities to play games on a gaming machine linked to a favorable jackpot system.

[0015]In the server-based gaming system according to the present invention, a player can promptly and easily know every jackpot value of many jackpot systems by viewing the display of the gaming terminal. Furthermore, the player can promptly and easily select one available virtual gaming machine in a virtual jackpot system having a favorable jackpot value, and immediately start gaming on the selected virtual gaming machine by using the gaming terminal. Thus, the time needed to select a virtual gaming machines can be reduced, and therefore, the occupancy rates of virtual gaming machines are improved, and players can gain more opportunities to play games on virtual gaming machines linked to a favorable virtual jackpot system.

Problems solved by technology

Furthermore, once the players have selected a gaming machine on which they want to play games, the gaming machine may be unavailable when they return to play.

Thus, it is difficult to reduce the time required to select a gaming machine, and in particular, reduce the waiting time for available gaming machines linked to a jackpot system that a player wants to play, and therefore, it is difficult to both improve occupancy rates of gaming machines and maintain a player's interest in gaming at a high level.

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