Gaming machine promotional system and method of use

Abstract

A system for increasing gaming machine participation includes a matching feature. A player's initial investment is matched such that a player may attempt to recoup his initial losses with house money. The system can be implemented via a system of networked gaming machines, via individual gaming machines or manually. Regardless of the method of implementation, players are afforded a doubling of their initial investment. For example, if a player loses an initial investment of $100.00 he will given a matching investment (e.g. $100.00) by a participating gaming establishment. Should the player lose the matching investment, he walks away having realized a total loss of $100.00. Should the player accumulate winnings above the matching investment of $100.00, he retains the winnings and returns the matched investment. The matching credits can be awarded immediately upon receipt of the initial investment or may be awarded once the initial investment has been lost.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A method of playing an electronic gaming machine comprising: 
 a. providing means for said gaming machine to accept and record an amount of an initial investment by a player;    b. should said player lose the initial investment by playing said gaming machine, providing credits, for play only, to the player in an amount matching the initial investment; and    c. providing means for said player to retain any winnings, in excess of the initial number of matching credits, earned by playing the gaming machine with said matching credits.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said gaming machine is one of a plurality of gaming machines incorporated in a network of gaming machines.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said gaming machine further provides means for said player to select to participate in said method.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising providing means for determining an amount of elapsed time since the player last received matching credits.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  further comprising providing means for limiting the player to one initial investment per predefined time interval.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the predefined time interval is twenty-four hours.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising providing means for limiting the amount of the initial investment eligible for matching credits.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein if said player is provided with matching credits, said player must forfeit, at termination of play, all credits less than, or equal to, the number of initially matched credits.  
     
     
         9 . A manually conducted match play promotion used in conjunction with gaming machines wherein a player notifies personnel of a gaming machine operator of said player's desire to participate in said match play promotion comprising: 
 a. said player placing an initial investment into said gaming machine;    b. should said player lose the initial investment playing said gaming machine, said personnel of the gaming machine operator causing said gaming machine to be credited in an amount matching said initial investment, said matching credits being limited to play; and    c. providing means for said player, at termination of play, to retain all winnings less the number of initially matched credits.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein said gaming machine is one of a plurality of gaming machines incorporated into a network of gaming machines.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising providing means for determining an amount of time elapsed since the player last participated in the match play promotion.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising providing means for limiting the player to one initial investment per predefined time interval.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the predefined time interval is twenty-four hours.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising providing means for limiting the amount of the initial investment eligible for matching credits.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9  wherein if said player is provided with matching credits, said player must forfeit, at termination of play, all credits less than, or equal to, the number of initially matched credits.  
     
     
         16 . A method of playing an electronic gaming machine over a network of gaming machines, said network having at least a central computer, including a processing unit and means for communicating with said gaming machines, comprising: 
 a. providing means for said gaming machine to accept and record an amount of an initial investment by a player;    b. should said player lose the initial investment by playing said gaming machine, providing credits, for play only, to the player in an amount matching the initial investment; and    c. providing means for said player to retain any winnings, in excess of the initial number of matching credits, earned by playing the gaming machine using said matching credits.    
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein said central computer causes said matching credits to be transmitted to said gaming machine if said player's initial investment reaches zero.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  wherein said gaming machine further provides means for said player to select to participate in said method.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16  wherein, if said player is provided with matching credits, said central computer subtracts from the total available number of credits, at termination of play, the number of initially matched credits and provides means for the remaining credits to be retrieved by said player.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16  wherein said central computer determines an amount of time elapsed since the player last participated in the match play method.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20  wherein said central computer limits the player to one initial investment per predefined time interval.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the predefined time interval is twenty-four hours.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 16  wherein said central computer limits the amount of the initial investment eligible for matching credits.  
     
     
         24 . A method of playing an electronic gaming machine comprising: 
 a. providing means for said gaming machine to accept and record an amount of an initial investment by a player;    b. means for said machine to match with credits said investment thereby doubling said player's initial investment; and    c. providing means for said player to retain any amounts, in excess of the initial number of matching credits, earned by playing the gaming machine using a combination of the initial investment and the matching credits.    
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24  wherein said gaming machine is one of a plurality of gaming machines incorporated into a network of gaming machines.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24  wherein said gaming machine further provides means for said player to select to participate in said method.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 24  further comprising providing means for determining an amount of time elapsed since the player last received matching credits.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27  further comprising providing means for limiting the player to one initial investment per predefined time interval.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28  wherein the predefined time interval is twenty-four hours.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 24  further comprising providing means for limiting the amount of the initial investment eligible for matching credits.  
     
     
         31 . An electronic gaming machine comprising: 
 a. means for accepting and recording an amount of an initial investment by a player;    b. means for providing credits, for play only, to the player in an amount matching the initial investment, said credits provided in response to said player losing the initial investment by playing said gaming machine; and    c. means for awarding said player any winnings, in excess of the initial number of matching credits, earned by playing the gaming machine with said matching credits.    
     
     
         32 . The gaming machine of  claim 31  wherein said gaming machine is one of a plurality of gaming machines incorporated into a network of gaming machines.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 31  wherein said gaming machine further provides means for said player to select to participate in said method.  
     
     
         34 . The gaming machine of  claim 31  further having means for determining an amount of time elapsed since the player last received matching credits.  
     
     
         35 . The gaming machine of  claim 34  further comprising providing means for limiting the player's to one initial investment per predefined time interval.  
     
     
         36 . The gaming machine of  claim 35  wherein the predefined time interval is twenty-four hours.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 31  further comprising providing means for limiting the amount of the initial investment eligible for matching credits.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 31  wherein if said player is provided with matching credits, said player must forfeit, at termination of play, all credits less than, or equal to, the number of initially matched credits.  
     
     
         39 . A method of playing an electronic gaming machine comprising: 
 a. providing means for said gaming machine to accept and record an amount of an initial investment by a player;    b. should said player lose the initial investment by playing said gaming machine, providing credits, for play only, to the player in an amount proportional to the initial investment; and    c. providing means for said player to retain any winnings, in excess of the initial number of provided proportional credits, earned by playing the gaming machine with said proportional credits.    
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39  wherein said gaming machine is one of a plurality of gaming machines incorporated into a network of gaming machines.  
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 39  wherein said gaming machine further provides means for said player to select to participate in said method.  
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 39  further comprising providing means for determining an amount of elapsed time since the player last received matching credits.  
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42  further comprising providing means for limiting the player to one initial investment per predefined time interval.  
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43  wherein the predefined time interval is twenty-four hours.  
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44  further comprising providing means for limiting the amount of the initial investment eligible for proportional credits.  
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 39  wherein if said player is provided with proportional credits, said player must forfeit, at termination of play, all credits less than, or equal to, the number of initially matched credits.  
     
     
         47 . A method of playing an electronic gaming machine over a network of gaming machines, said network having at least a central computer, including a processing unit and means for communicating with said gaming machines, comprising: 
 a. providing means for said central computer to determine a first number of earned points by a player's play of an initial investment; and    b. should said player lose the initial investment by playing said gaming machine, providing a second number of points to the player in an amount matching the first number of earned points.    
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 47  wherein said gaming machine further provides means for said player to select to participate in said method.