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Gaming system secondary game

Gaming system secondary game description/claims

This application claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/888,745, filed Feb. 7, 2007 the content of which is herein incorporated by reference.

The present invention relates to gaming systems and devices and in particular to gaming systems and devices utilizing a secondary game.

Gaming devices such as slot machines are common in gaming establishments. The mechanism of playing a slot machine is well known. A player advances a wager in respect of a single gaming event. In modem slot machines, the single gaming event is typically the generation of a random number that is compared against a pay table to determine if the single gaming event produced a winning outcome. A winning outcome will pay a multiple of the wager with the multiple being dependent on the probability of that winning outcome.

Different slot machines generally have a similar look and feel. Therefore, in order for a gaming device to be successful, it is advantageous if that gaming device is easily understood and requires minimal learning by a player. In addition, gaming devices will tend to be more successful if they increase the excitement of playing a game. One way to increase excitement is by interaction with other players.

The various embodiments of the present invention may, but do not necessarily, achieve one or more of the following advantages:

the ability to play a lottery style draw game as a secondary game on a gaming device;

provide opportunity to play a game that involves other players;

provide a readily understandable secondary game;

allow the player to simultaneously play both a primary game and a secondary game; and

provide additional visual and audible stimulations associated with a bingo game.

These and other advantages may be realized by reference to the remaining portions of the specification, claims, and abstract.

In one aspect, the invention relates to a gaming system comprising at least one gaming device and at least one display configured to display primary game information and display secondary game information. The secondary game information may comprise a representation of a draw game such as a bingo game or a keno game.

In one aspect, the invention relates to a method of playing a gaming apparatus comprising receiving a wager on a primary game and determining an outcome of the primary game. The method also comprises receiving a wager on a secondary game comprising at least one draw game, providing a plurality of gaming symbols, displaying a representation of the draw game including a subset of the plurality of gaming symbols. The secondary game comprises drawing a gaming symbol from the plurality of gaming symbols and, if the subset comprises the drawn gaming symbol, updating the representation to indicate the draw of the drawn gaming symbol.

In one aspect, the invention relates to a gaming device comprising means for allowing a player to place a wager, at least one primary game and a secondary game. The secondary game comprises a display configured to display a representation of a draw game card and a subset of gaming symbols on the draw game card. The gaming device also comprises means for drawing of a gaming symbol and means for updating the display if the drawn gaming symbol is in the subset of gaming symbols.

The above description sets forth, rather broadly, a summary of one embodiment of the present invention so that the detailed description that follows may be better understood and contributions of the present invention to the art may be better appreciated. Some of the embodiments of the present invention may not include all of the features or characteristics listed in the above summary. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described below and will form the subject matter of claims. In this respect, before explaining at least one preferred embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and to the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or as illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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