Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080227541 | Gaming method and apparatus for facilitating a game involving an expanding array - A method and apparatus for use in gaming activities such as slot machine is provided. At least some elements of a grid are marked in an initial round. An additional round can be initiated if in the initial round a series of corresponding adjacent elements was created. In each additional round, marked elements may be added to the grid of the previous round. Each additional round can be initiated if the previous round increased the number of corresponding adjacent elements as compared with the previous round. A game can be ended when a round fails to expand the series of corresponding adjacent elements. A payout can be issued, wherein the amount of the payout is related to the number of corresponding adjacent elements of the series. | 09-18-2008 |
20100016054 | Gaming Method and Apparatus with Dynamic Element Function - A method and apparatus for use in gaming activities such as slot machine. A plurality of symbols is presented in connection with a gaming activity. At least one multi-characteristic symbol capable of exhibiting a plurality of different gaming characteristics is also presented. A first gaming characteristic is attributed to the multi-characteristic symbol during play of the gaming activity. The multi-characteristic symbol's first gaming characteristic is replaced with a second gaming characteristic if none of the remaining plurality of symbols exhibit the second gaming characteristic. | 01-21-2010 |
20100178976 | Gaming Method and Apparatus for Facilitating a Game Involving Specialty Wild Functionality - Various embodiments are directed to a plurality of rounds of a game, the game comprising providing a play area comprising a plurality of regions and game elements distributed within the regions, moving a roving wild indicator within the play area to one of the game elements, the roving wild indicator moving between the game elements within the play area during each of the plurality of rounds of the game, the element to which the roving wild indicator moves exhibiting wild functionality for at least a current round of the game, selecting one of the plurality of regions as a wild region, each element within the wild region exhibiting wild functionality for at least the current round of the game, marking a plurality of the game elements, each marking for each element of the plurality selected from a plurality of different marking types, evaluating elements of the play area to identify if the game element to which the roving wild indicator is moved in the current round of the game is within the wild region, evaluating elements of the play area to identify if one or more series of corresponding marked elements were formed, wherein the elements marked with common types of the different marking types correspond to one another and elements exhibiting wild functionality correspond to all game elements, and initiating at least one game play function other than wild functionality if the game element to which the roving wild indicator is moved is within the wild region based on the evaluation of the elements. | 07-15-2010 |
20100210336 | System, Apparatus, and Method for Facilitating Guaranteed Number of Wins Events in Conjunction with a Gaming Activity - A primary gaming activity is provided to a player via a gaming machine that involves engaging the player in a plurality of play events. A win threshold involves a number or quantity of winning events of the plurality of play events. The player continues to be engaged in the plurality of play events at least until the player experiences a number of the winning events that satisfies the win threshold. | 08-19-2010 |
20100210346 | System and Method for Rewarding Consecutive Wins in Gaming Activities - A system and method for rewarding a participant of a gaming activity for achieving a succession of winning results for a corresponding succession of game segments. If winning results are achieved for multiple, consecutive game segments, then the participant is rewarded by augmenting the current payout with a portion of one or more of the previous payouts obtained in the consecutive chain of winning results. An advanced award status is optionally recognized, when the participant has achieved a predetermined number of consecutive winning results. In such an instance, while a particular game segment may have concluded in a losing result, the advanced award status may still be active to enable persistent augmentation of payouts. | 08-19-2010 |
20100216540 | Gaming Method and Apparatus for Portioning a Play Area - A method and apparatus for use in gaming activities, such as in a slot machine. A first grid comprising a plurality of elements overlayed a second grid comprising a plurality of elements is presented. At least some of the elements of the first grid and the second grid are marked. Marked elements of first grid are then used to form a subportion, the subportion boundary enclosing an area and having a correspondingly marked element of the first grid at each corner. Payouts are issued for marked elements and element combinations of the second grid within the subportion. The payouts may be administered according to a pay table. | 08-26-2010 |
20110034234 | SYSTEMS, APPARATUSES AND METHODS FOR AWARDING GAMING PAYOUTS - Methods, apparatuses, and systems for awarding gaming payouts in slot games are provided. Embodiments are directed to initiating a reelspin and moving at least one modifying symbol to a new symbol location. If a predetermined symbol appears in the new symbol location as a result of the reelspin, the predetermined symbol is replaced with the modifying symbol. | 02-10-2011 |
20110190044 | REPLACEMENT REEL GAMING DEVICE AND METHOD - Apparatuses and methods for facilitating participation in a gaming activity. A reel configuration of a plurality of reels is presented, where each of the reels includes one or more associated gaming symbols. The presentation of the gaming symbols is modified on the plurality of reels, such as by spinning the reels or otherwise changing which symbols are presented on the reels. A replacement reel is presented, to supersede or otherwise supplant at least one of the gaming symbols of the reel configuration. Results of the gaming activity are established using the gaming symbols of the plurality of reels and the replacement reel. The result is thereby based on a resulting presentation of symbols that includes both the symbols of the primary reel configuration and the symbol(s) of the replacement reel(s). | 08-04-2011 |
20140287814 | SYSTEMS, APPARATUSES AND METHODS FOR AWARDING GAMING PAYOUTS - Methods, apparatuses, and systems for awarding gaming payouts in slot games are provided. Embodiments are directed to initiating a reelspin and moving at least one modifying symbol to a new symbol location. If a predetermined symbol appears in the new symbol location as a result of the reelspin, the predetermined symbol is replaced with the modifying symbol. | 09-25-2014 |