Gaming System Group Bonus Participation via Wager Pool Segmentation
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gaming systems often exclude players from progressive jackpot opportunities unless they wager the maximum amount, and secondary or bonus games typically only reward one player, leading to dissatisfaction among other players and skewed outcome distributions in group events due to minimum wagering requirements.
Innovation Solution
A gaming system with a central server that allows all actively playing gaming devices to participate in bonus events, where participation is based on individual accumulated wager pools, ensuring the triggering device participates and other devices have a chance to join based on their wager history, with odds of success varying by their accumulated bonus event pool.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If maximum wager is required to participate in progressive jackpot, then jackpot award amount is improved, but player accessibility and inclusion deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the bonus event participation into multiple independent opportunities. Instead of requiring maximum wager for a single jackpot, the system segments participation into individual bonus events that can be triggered at different wager levels, with each device receiving a portion of the total bonus award pool based on its contribution.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies different participation rules and award distributions to different gaming devices based on their individual wager pools. Each device's eligibility and award portion are determined by its local accumulated wager amount, creating localized quality variations in access and reward distribution across the network.
2Device complexity
If only one player is rewarded in bonus games, then bonus event simplicity is improved, but player satisfaction and engagement deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges multiple individual bonus events into a single coordinated group play event. Multiple players participate simultaneously in what appears to be one bonus event, with their individual outcomes combined to form the overall event result, thereby maintaining simplicity while increasing engagement.
Solution Approach 2:
The bonus event structure is designed to serve multiple functions simultaneously: it rewards the triggering device, provides participation opportunities for other active devices, distributes awards based on wager contributions, and maintains a simple unified event appearance. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction between simplicity and satisfaction.
3Quantity of substance
If minimum wagering requirements are imposed, then bonus event funding is improved, but outcome distribution fairness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the parameter used to determine participation and award distribution from a binary minimum wager requirement to a continuous accumulated wager pool measurement. This allows devices to participate and receive awards proportional to their actual contribution, creating a more fair and reliable outcome distribution that maintains adequate funding.
Data Source
AI summary
A gaming system including a central server linked to a plurality of gaming machines. Upon a suitable triggering event at a triggering gaming device in the gaming system a bonus event occurs. When the bonus event occurs, the players actively playing each auxiliary gaming device in the gaming system are each provided a chance to participate in the bonus event as well. Each remaining gaming device's chance of participating in the bonus event is based on the individual accumulated bonus event pool for that gaming device.