Gaming Terminal Parlay Feature for Wagering Flexibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current gaming machines limit players to wagering all their winnings immediately, restricting flexibility and excitement, especially on slot machines with maximum payline bets, and do not allow carrying over winnings to future sessions.
Innovation Solution
A gaming terminal with a parlay feature that enables players to wager a portion of their winnings, greater than the maximum payline bet, and allows saving these winnings for use in subsequent gaming sessions, providing increased flexibility and control over wagering options.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If players are allowed to wager all their winnings immediately in the basic game, then the game structure is simple and easy to operate, but player flexibility and excitement are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the winnings into two distinct components: parlay credits (which can be wagered immediately in enhanced games) and saved credits (which can be carried forward). This segmentation allows players to choose different wagering strategies while maintaining a relatively simple basic game structure, resolving the contradiction between flexibility and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts wagering options based on player choice. Players can select between immediate parlay wagering, saving credits for later, or any combination thereof. This dynamic approach enhances adaptability without requiring a completely complex game structure, as the basic game remains unchanged while offering flexible post-game options.
2Ease of operation
If players must wager all winnings in the immediate next game, then the game flow is continuous and simple, but player control and strategic options are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary separation of winnings into parlay and saved portions before the player places their next wager. This preliminary action gives players control over their wagering strategy in advance, allowing them to decide how much to wager and how much to save for future sessions, thereby enhancing adaptability without complicating the actual game flow.
3Ease of operation
If slot machines have a maximum wager amount per payline, then the game is easy to play within set limits, but players cannot place larger wagers to win bigger amounts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces parlay credits as an intermediary mechanism that bridges the gap between the maximum payline bet limit and the player's total winnings. By converting a portion of winnings into parlay credits, players can effectively wager amounts exceeding the standard maximum payline bet, thereby achieving wager amount flexibility while maintaining the simplicity of the basic wagering system.
4Device complexity
If winnings cannot be carried over to future sessions, then the gaming system is simple to manage, but player engagement and excitement are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts a portion of the winnings and separates it into saved credits that can be carried forward to future sessions. This extraction creates a portable element of value that players can retain across sessions, enhancing player engagement and excitement. The management complexity remains relatively low as the system only needs to track and preserve the saved credit balances without fundamentally altering the core gaming mechanics.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is directed to a gaming terminal and a method of playing a wagering game having a parlay feature. Using the parlay feature, a player can place a wager that is greater than a maximum wager allowed at the gaming terminal. In addition, the parlay feature allows a player to wager a portion of the player's prior winnings, instead of the entire amount. Furthermore, the parlay feature can be saved and used in a later gaming session at the same or different gaming terminal.