Acres Technology

Embodiments of the present concept provide an electronic gaming device that facilitates wagering by multiple players on a single gaming device. Also provided is a method of sharing game play on such a gaming device, where the method includes receiving a wager from a first player at a first gaming station, receiving a wager from a second player at a second gaming station, initiating a gaming event that is displayed at the first and second gaming stations, and awarding prizes associated with gaming outcomes displayed at the first and second gaming stations.

On a network of electronic gaming machines, data regarding the performance of the machines or the players of the machines is collected and processed to make predictions of future jackpots and recommendations of games to play. The predictions and recommendations are delivered via at least one virtual persona that communicates with players or potential players via displays in a casino or on a web browser, via smartphone. Players can conduct conversations with the persona using cellular telephone, text messaging, or other types of Internet communications.

The present system incorporates mobile computing devices to play games, such as electronic pull-tabs, in a plurality of venues, each having a local wireless network. Each network communicates with a central system that generates decks of game outcomes and associated awards. All wagers and awards for each game are tracked on the central system, which also provides each game award and associated outcome from a deck stored on the central system.

A method for promoting play on electronic gaming devices and for promoting engagement with casino personnel comprising in which a code is displayed on a sign. When the code is received in a text from an identified player, drawing entries are associated with the player as a function of play on the gaming devices. At least one drawing entry is also associated with the player when he or she actuates a service button on a gaming device. Drawing prizes, if any, are revealed in response to another text from the player.

Embodiments of the present concept provide means to control the payback percentage of games being played on gaming devices. In one example, a gaming device includes a processor configured to initiate a payback-controlling event and determine a game outcome to display on the game display in response to a gaming event being initiated. Here, the determined game outcome is a payback-controlling outcome when the payback-controlling event satisfies the payback-controlling criterion, and the determined game outcome is a game outcome determined from the base-game paytable when the payback-controlling event does not satisfy the payback-controlling criterion.

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to gaming systems that allow customers to wager, or “trade-in” an object of value or winning situation for a chance to win an even more valuable award. The chance for valuable award may be a bonus game or chance to win a bonus game. Bonus awards are “funded” by the savings achieved from the players trading in their wins in the base game, which would otherwise be paid. Players who do not trade-in see no changes from the base game paytable, while those players who participate in the trade-in bonus have a different gaming experience.

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to method of operating a gaming system including a plurality of networked electronic gaming machines and a wireless network that communicates with mobile devices carried by attendants. The method detects when an electronic gaming machine is engaged by a player and disables at least one adjacent electronic gaming machine. When the player disengages from the electronic gaming machine, it is disabled and an attendant is dispatched to the electronic gaming machine via their mobile device to implement a cleaning protocol. When the cleaning protocol is completed, the attendant so indicates via an input on the mobile computing device, and the electronic gaming device is enabled for play.

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods and apparatus in which a player plays one of a plurality of networked gaming devices. Game awards below a predefined level are tracked and stored on the network. If the game awards are less than a predefined criterion, a pay command is sent over the network to the player's gaming device, which may be used for a free game. Implementation in a single gaming device is also disclosed.

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to gaming devices and gaming systems that are configured to implement event-based gaming operations. Here, a gaming device includes a game event list that has game outcomes associated with each entry in the game event list. The game event list is generated before game play on the gaming device by selecting general game outcome types or specific game outcomes for each of the entries in the game event list. During game play, a game counter is incremented to a next entry in the game event list and an associated game outcome is displayed on the gaming device during the gaming event.

Embodiments of the present concept provide gaming devices configured for linked game play. First and second gaming devices that are separately playable by first and second players are electronically linked so that a gaming event being played at the first gaming device may also be being played at the second gaming device. Also provided is a method of sharing game play across multiple gaming devices, where the method includes receiving a wager from a first player at a first gaming device, receiving a wager from a second player at a second gaming device, initiating a gaming event that is displayed at the first and second gaming devices, and awarding prizes associated with gaming outcomes displayed at the first and second gaming devices. These and other arrangements of the present concept may allow cooperative or competitive game play between the first and second player.