Method and apparatus for gaming machines with a tournament play bonus feature

Abstract

A tournament gaming system is disclosed including one or more gaming machines programmed for play of at least one tournament game. A plurality of gaming machines may be linked for tournament play by a host computer. Qualification for tournament play is based only upon criteria established only by the gaming operator or without consideration of player desire to participate in the tournament. Game play on at least some of the participating games is tracked and displayed during the tournament, which ends after a player of one of the games achieves predetermined results.

1 . A method of operating a gaming system, comprising: 
 allowing game play on one or more of a plurality of gaming devices connected to a central controller over a gaming network;    generating an enrollment signal on the network that identifies at least one of the gaming devices to participate in the tournament;    generating the enrollment signal responsive to criteria established only by the gaming system operator;    transmitting the enrollment signal to the identified gaming device;    starting the tournament at a starting time;    tracking game play that occurs on the selected games after the starting time as tournament game play;    compiling at least portions of the tournament game play as tournament data;    displaying the tournament data substantially in real-time as it is collected; and    ending the tournament after a player of one of the selected games achieves predetermined game results.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein displaying the tournament data comprises displaying leaders of the tournament.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein displaying the tournament data comprises displaying the tournament data on a device separate from the plurality of gaming devices.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the starting time begins at a pre-scheduled time.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the starting time begins at a random time.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein ending the tournament comprises ending after a player accumulates a predetermined number of points.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising awarding an award to the player that achieves the predetermined game results.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein awarding an award comprises paying a hand-pay.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7  wherein awarding an award comprises crediting a meter on a gaming device associated with the player that achieves the predetermined game results.  
     
     
         10 . A method of operating a gaming system, comprising: 
 allowing game play by players on one or more of a plurality of gaming devices connected to a central controller over a gaming network;    selecting a group of the playing devices to participate in a tournament, the selection made without consideration of player desire to participate in the tournament;    generating an enrollment signal on the network that identifies at least one of the gaming devices in the group selected to participate in the tournament;    transmitting the enrollment signal to the identified at least one gaming device;    starting the tournament at a starting time;    tracking game play that occurs on the selected games after the starting time as tournament game play;    compiling at least portions of the tournament game play as tournament data;    displaying the tournament data substantially in real-time as it is collected; and    ending the tournament after a player of one of the selected games achieves predetermined game results.    
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the starting time begins at a pre-scheduled time.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the starting time begins at a random time.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising awarding an award to the player that achieves the predetermined game results.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 16  wherein awarding an award comprises crediting a meter on a gaming device associated with the player that achieves the predetermined game results.  
     
     
         15 . A gaming system managed by a system operator, comprising: 
 a plurality of gaming devices coupled to a gaming network;    a tournament controller on the gaming network including: 
 a selection mechanism under sole control of the system operator and structured to select one or more of the gaming devices to participate in a tournament,  
 a tournament enroller coupled to the selection mechanism and structured to generate an enrollment signal for the selected gaming devices based on an output of the selection mechanism,  
 a tournament initiator structured to, at a tournament starting time, send the enrollment signal to the selected gaming devices,  
 a tournament tracker configured to track game play that occurs on the selected games after the starting time as tournament game play,  
 a display coupled to the tournament tracker, and  
 a comparator structured to end the tournament after elements of the game play match predetermined results.  
   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , further comprising a data compiler coupled to the tournament tracker, the data compiler adapted to filter game play and generate tournament data to be shown on the display.  
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16  wherein the tournament data comprises tournament leaders.  
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the display is a device separate from the plurality of gaming devices.  
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 15 , further including a time scheduler that allows the system operator to choose a starting time.  
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the tournament controller further comprises an award mechanism for generating a tournament award to a winner of the tournament.  
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20  wherein the award mechanism comprises a machine credit generator.