Gaming machine with win announcement

Abstract

A game machine having a win announcement feature and a method of providing an announcement regarding a winning event or outcome of a game played at a gaming machine are disclosed. One embodiment of a method comprises providing information regarding a winning event occurring at a gaming machine, the method including the steps of presenting a game to a player at a gaming machine, determining if the outcome of the game is a winning outcome, and if so, disseminating at the gaming machine a win announcement comprising information regarding the type of win and the source of the win. A gaming machine includes a controller configured to generate gaming machine control information for presenting a game and configured to generate win announcement information in the event the outcome of a game presented is a winning outcome, the gaming machine including at least one device for disseminating the win information.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A gaming machine having a win announcement feature, said gaming machine comprising at least one controller configured to generate gaming machine control information for presenting a game at said gaming machine, and configured to generate win announcement information in the event the outcome of a game presented at said gaming machine is a winning outcome, said gaming machine including at least one device for disseminating win information in response to said generated win announcement information.  
     
     
         2 . The gaming machine in accordance with  claim 1  wherein said gaming machine includes a main game display and said at least one device comprises a secondary display configured to visually present generated win announcement information.  
     
     
         3 . The gaming machine in accordance with  claim 2  wherein said main game display comprises a plurality of rotatable reels.  
     
     
         4 . The gaming machine in accordance with  claim 1  wherein said at least on device comprises one or more speakers configured to generate audible win announcement information.  
     
     
         5 . The gaming machine in accordance with  claim 1  wherein said gaming machine includes a main gaming controller and a win announcement controller, said win announcement controller configured to generated win announcement information in response to a signal from said main gaming controller that an outcome of a game presented at said gaming machine is a winning outcome.  
     
     
         6 . A method of providing information regarding a winning event occurring at a gaming machine comprising the steps of: 
 presenting a game to a player at a gaming machine;    determining if the outcome of said game presented to said player is a winning outcome; and    if said outcome is a winning outcome, disseminating at said gaming machine a win announcement, said win announcement comprising information regarding the type of win and the source of the win.    
     
     
         7 . The method in accordance with  claim 6  wherein said win announcement comprises audible information.  
     
     
         8 . The method in accordance with  claim 6  wherein said win announcement comprises visual information.  
     
     
         9 . The method in accordance with  claim 6  including the step of accepting a wager from said player and paying a winning amount in the event said outcome is a winning outcome.  
     
     
         10 . The method in accordance with  claim 6  wherein said step of disseminating comprises sounding a first audible alert, pausing, and then providing said information in visual and audible form.  
     
     
         11 . The method in accordance with  claim 6  wherein said type of win comprises a monetary value.  
     
     
         12 . The method in accordance with  claim 6  wherein said source of the win comprises information regarding the gaming machine at which said winning outcome occurred.  
     
     
         13 . The method in accordance with  claim 6  wherein said source of the win comprises information regarding the name of the game played which resulted in the winning outcome.  
     
     
         14 . The method in accordance with  claim 6  wherein said information comprising said win announcement includes the name of the winner, the amount of the win and the game played.  
     
     
         15 . The method in accordance with  claim 6  wherein said disseminating step occurs if said winning outcome is a particular winning outcome from a group of possible winning outcomes achievable playing said game.  
     
     
         16 . A method of providing information regarding a winning event at a gaming machine comprising the steps of: 
 accepting a wager from a player of said gaming machine;    presenting a game to said player;    determining the outcome of said game; and in the event said outcome of said game is a winning outcome: 
 awarding a player a winning amount;  
 generating an audible alert with at least one sound generating device of said gaming machine; and  
 thereafter disseminating information regarding said winning outcome with at least one device of said gaming machine capable of generating audible sound or visual information, said disseminated information comprising said winning amount and information regarding the source of said winning outcome.  
   
     
     
         17 . The method in accordance with  claim 16  wherein said information regarding said source of said winning outcome comprises information identifying the gaming machine at which said winning outcome occurred.  
     
     
         18 . The method in accordance with  claim 16  wherein said information regarding said source of said winning outcome comprises information identifying the game played.  
     
     
         19 . The method in accordance with  claim 16  wherein said step of disseminating comprises generating audible information comprising said winning amount and said source of said winning outcome.  
     
     
         20 . The method in accordance with  claim 16  including the steps of determining if the winning outcome is a particular winning outcome and generating said alert and disseminating said information only if said winning outcome is a particular winning outcome.