Game controller, system and method of gaming

Abstract

A gaming system is arranged to implement a game which is based on credit received. A portion of the credit received is allocated to a credit accumulator. The gaming system is arranged to play one or more feature games for the portion of credit accumulated.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]The present application claims the benefit of priority to Australian Provisional Patent Application No. 2008901252, filed on Mar. 13, 2008, entitled “, A GAME CONTROLLER, SYSTEM AND METHOD OF GAMING”, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to a gaming system and to a method of gaming.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]It is known to provide gaming systems which operate on the basis of player credit to play a game and make a return of credit to a player depending upon the outcome of the game. Such gaming systems include the type which are arranged to randomly select and cause the display of several symbols from a predetermined set of symbols and to determine a game outcome, such as a game win, based on the displayed symbols. These gaming systems may commonly be implemented as a stepping machine provided with reels with each reel carrying several symbols of the set, ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0012]Because the credit accumulator is associated with an individual player terminal, in at least an embodiment, the accumulated portion of credit can only be obtained by playing the particular player terminal. In an embodiment, the accumulated portion of credit can be used to pay for relatively high prizes, such as high value prize feature games. This advantageously increases the attractiveness of the particular player terminal e.g. a particular type of EGM that offers the accumulated portion of credit and one or more feature games. In venues where a proportion of RTP is allocated to funding a linked prize, such as a linked jackpot, gaming systems in accordance with the present invention are still attractive, as further prizes are available via the feature game for the stored portion of credit associated with the player terminal.

[0017]A further advantage of at least an embodiment of the invention, is the provision of feature games which are funded from the accumulated portion of credit (e.g. the feature games may be paid for from the accumulated portion of credit and / or the prizes from play of the feature games may be paid for from the accumulated portion of credit), providing further levels of gaming which increase the interest of a player.

[0018]In an embodiment, the gaming system is arranged to make available play for the accumulated portion of credit only to eligible players. In an embodiment, the gaming system includes an identifying device for identifying eligible players. The identifying device may include a device for identifying a token, such as a card reader for reading a smart card or magnetic card, a biometric device for identifying eligible players via biometrics, a ticket reader for reading a ticket or other identifying device. In at least an embodiment this has the advantage that only eligible players will be able to play for the accumulated portion of credit. This provides a way of attracting players to the player terminal. For example, where the player terminal is an EGM, a player may enter a loyalty system associated with a particular brand of EGM's where they are eligible to play for the accumulated portion of credit.

[0019]In the embodiment where only an eligible player is allowed to play for the accumulated portion of credit, this may have the advantage of providing a relatively inexpensive way of a venue instituting a loyalty program. For example, a simple card reader may be provided to identify eligible players. This may be provided by the EGM manufacturer, and therefore there would be little or no cost to the venue operator instituting such a loyalty system.

[0025]In an embodiment, this has the advantage that only eligible players are allowed to play for the accumulated portion of credit. Eligible players may belong to a loyalty scheme associated with the gaming system.

Problems solved by technology

In order to fund the linked prizes, the venue operators will often select as lower possible RTP for the individual EGM's (resulting in low prizes being awarded by the EGM's).

A problem with this is that the players tend to be attracted by the linked prize, and are not particularly concerned with games that may be offered by an individual manufacturer's EGM.

This makes it difficult for individual manufacturers of EGM's to distinguish their products and attract players to their products.

These systems are expensive and some venues do not have the means to adequately fund such systems, particularly after considering RTP and tax requirements (which in some jurisdictions can be high).

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