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  Games of chance involving roulette wheelsUSPTO Application #: 20060066044Title: Games of chance involving roulette wheels Abstract: A device for playing a game of chance comprises a plurality of roulette wheels each spinnable to provide a result, and an accumulator for calculating and outputting a sum of the results of the roulette wheels. The result is a game of chance that has a bell curve of odds for the available outcomes, permitting maximum prizes which are high relative to what is currently available for this kind of game. (end of abstract)
Agent: Martin Moynihan Prtsi, Inc. - Arlington, VA, US Inventor: Eli Dabosh USPTO Applicaton #: 20060066044 - Class: 273139000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Amusement Devices: Games, Chance Devices, Chance Selection The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060066044. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] The present application claims priority from GB Patent Application No. 0420125.7, filed on Sep. 9, 2004. FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates to games of chance involving roulette wheels and, more particularly, but not exclusively to a game of chance involving multiple roulette wheels. [0003] Games of chance are highly popular and have been around for many centuries. One especially popular game of chance is roulette, which is believed to have been around in something close to its present form since the 18.sup.th century. Roulette involves a wheel traditionally having 37 or possibly 38 spaces or stopping positions, each position being assigned a unique number and one of two colors. The 37 space wheel is typically used in Europe and the 38 space wheel in the USA. The wheel is set to spin and when the wheel ceases spinning a ball comes to rest within one of the spaces. Players may bet on the numbers, or combination of numbers, or the colors, of an expected stopping position of the ball within the wheel (a betting position or prediction). The player who makes a correct prediction wins. Typically the odds the player receives for winning are slightly lower than the mathematical odds of the position he has bet on. However a disadvantage of roulette is that since the odds of any single number coming up are 37/1, the maximum prize that can be paid out is bounded above by 37 times the bet placed. Generally players are attracted by high maximum payouts, however small the odds of such a maximum payout. [0004] Traditional roulette is based on a single wheel, and is generally played at a casino where a wheel is mounted on a table and a cloth or like marked spread is provided to enable each player to indicate his predictions. The wheel is set near the center of the table. [0005] As indicated above, certain of the numbers and spaces on the roulette betting felt (such as 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 17, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 29, 31, 33, and 35) are colored black, while others (such as 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14, 16, 18, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 32, 34 and 36) are colored red. Also included on the betting felt are spaces for such bets as: "manque" (1 to 18 inclusive); "pass" (19 to 36 inclusive); "pair" (an even number); "impair" (an odd number); "rouge" (a red number); and "noir" (a black number). Therefore, the winning bet may be comprised of a bet on the particular winning number, a bet on a range of numbers that includes the winning number (e.g., on odd or the "2.sup.nd 12"), or a bet on a color that includes a winning number. [0006] All bets are placed against the house and are indicated by placing stakes (e.g., chips) on the particular numbers or types of bets selected as they appear on the table. Once the bets are placed, the "croupier" spins the wheel in one direction and tosses the ball onto the wheel in the other direction. The sector where the ball finally comes to rest is the outcome, thereby indicating the winning number and color. This information is then used to manually determine which of the bets are winning bets. Various betting combinations with different odds and maximum bets are allowed depending on the rules of the gaming establishment. The standard odds and payouts for traditional roulette are well known in the art. [0007] One way of increasing the possibilities in a game is to increase the number of balls that circulate with the roulette wheel, thus increasing the number of outcomes that can be bet on. An example is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,209,869 to Mathews, which discloses an apparatus and method for playing a roulette-type game. The apparatus includes a conventional roulette wheel and four tables. Each table has a lower playing field and an upper playing field, wherein each field is utilized for placing bets. During play, four balls are utilized on the one wheel, wherein each ball corresponds to one of the tables. The lower field is utilized for placing bets on the single ball that is associated with that particular table, while the upper field of each table is utilized for placing bets on all of the balls in play. [0008] U.S. Pat. No. 5,755,440 to Sher relates to an apparatus used to play roulette using multiple balls. The apparatus includes a single roulette wheel that has multiple tracks, thereby permitting two or more balls to be propelled into the wheel simultaneously. [0009] The mechanical systems above can be simulated electronically, and both stand alone roulette machines and computer programs for playing roulette are well known. The computer programs may be stand alone programs or can be played by remotely located participants over the Internet. [0010] U.S. Pat. No. 5,259,616 to Bergmann discloses a coin-operated gaming machine that has a roulette-like number pan and a setting keyboard. In operation, the player inserts one or more coins into a coin insertion slot. The player then selects which numbers the player wishes to bet on using the keyboard. After the player places a bet, a random number generator randomly determines the winning number, and that number is then highlighted on the number pan. The random number generator also randomly determines a win multiplier number by which the winning payout is multiplied. [0011] U.S. Pat. No. 6,083,105 to Ronin et al. discloses a single-player computerized roulette playing apparatus. The apparatus includes a rotatable roulette wheel that is mechanically rotated using a drive mechanism. One or more balls are put into play during the game. A roulette game field is displayed on a corresponding computer display, which provides a means by which the player can place one or more bets. [0012] Recently, a system intended for Internet based betting or for a betting machine, provides for a series of roulette wheels and allows a player to take a betting position that takes into account the results at each of the roulette wheels in the series. The system thus allows for results with odds that are lower than 37/1 and thereby permits higher payouts, but only in a limited way. Such a system is exemplified by International Patent Application No. WO 2004/054665, which teaches a computerized multiple wheel roulette game allowing players to place bets on different wheels and on multiple numbers on the same wheel. The idea is to permit bets with lower odds and thus to permit larger prizes. The game is based on individual results produced on individual wheels and, since these are independent events, the use of the individual results does not succeed in giving a level of odds and consequent maximum prize, which can stand out against national or state lotteries and other available games of chance. [0013] There is thus a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, a game of chance based on roulette wheels which is devoid of the above limitations. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0014] According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of playing roulette using a plurality of wheels having discrete stopping positions, each stopping position being a discernable result, the method comprising: [0015] receiving at least one player's prediction of an accumulated result possible for the plurality of wheels, [0016] operating the plurality of wheels to cause each wheel to reach one of its stopping positions at random, thereby to give one of the discernable results, [0017] calculating an accumulated result for the plurality of wheels by adding the discernable results, and comparing the accumulated result with the at least one player's prediction to identify a winning prediction. [0018] In a particularly preferred embodiment the method uses five roulette wheels, as this gives a level of odds that are seen as an ideal balance between the level of the prize and the chances of actually winning. [0019] The wheel being used may be the traditional European version having 37 stopping positions, or it may be the traditional USA version having 38 stopping positions. As a further alternative the wheel may make use of any other suitable format. There exist for example various historical formats of the roulette wheel which are not in widespread use today. [0020] The method may use a dedicated electronic slot machine. [0021] Alternatively, the method may use a dedicated mechanical device, for example a device in which a given number of wheels are arranged in a column. A single spin action by the operator sets all of the wheels spinning but they come to rest independently. Preferably the stopping positions are electronically detected and the sum of the stopping positions is indicated at an output. [0022] Alternatively the method may be played using a computer program, which simulates the spin of the roulette wheels. [0023] The computer program may be stand alone or support play with one or more remote users over an electronic network, say between a server and a client. [0024] According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a device for playing a game of chance comprising: [0025] a plurality of roulette wheels each spinnable to provide a result, and [0026] an accumulator for calculating and outputting a sum of the results of the plurality of roulette wheels. Continue reading... Full patent description for Games of chance involving roulette wheels Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Games of chance involving roulette wheels patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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