Variable gravity gaming

Abstract

The present invention provides a means for randomizing and controlling objects in a zero gravity environment. The invention also replicates and enhances traditional casino gaming experiences in zero gravity, microgravity, low gravity and variable gravity environments. This includes adapted seating for players and staff, enabling wagering, and ensuring security and integrity of the games. Both traditional casino games, such as craps, roulette and blackjack, and new games of chance are provided and modified so as to take advantage of unique properties of zero, low or variable gravity environments. Games may be either attended or unattended, and wagering may be either on-site or off-site via remote communications. Virtual games may also be played in simulated zero gravity, low gravity and variable gravity.

1 . A zero gravity casino comprising: 
 a chamber;    games of chance housed within the chamber and adapted for being played in zero gravity, including means for enclosing game boards, playing objects and wagering tokens within enclosures to confine the objects and tokens within an enclosed space to prevent the objects and tokens from floating away;    seating devices for positioning and holding players within playing distance of the games of chance; and    wagering devices for accepting and paying wagers from the players on the games of chance.    
   
   
       2 . A casino chamber adapted for use in a zero gravity, micro gravity or variable gravity environment, comprising: 
 a modular, sealed chamber adapted for being launched into space, adapted for operation in space, adapted for placement aboard an air or space vehicle, and adapted for accommodating gaming devices, game players and staff people;    gaming devices housed within the chamber and adapted to receive gaming objects and to prevent them from floating away;    devices within the chamber for positioning the game players and staff people at positions nearby the gaming devices; and    devices to accommodate wagering on the gaming devices.    
   
   
       3 . A game of chance adapted for use in a zero gravity, micro gravity or variable gravity environment, comprising: 
 a game environment having an enclosure and having internal positions representing winning and losing positions and adapted for receiving movable game objects, and adapted to prevent the game objects from floating away;    means for randomizing the game objects;    means for introducing the game objects into the game environment;    means for randomly urging the game objects onto winning and losing positions within the game environment;    means for positioning players and staff people at playing positions adjacent to the game environment;    means for enabling players to wager on the game;    means for ending the game and for determining winners and losers; and    means for viewing the operation and results of the game.    
   
   
       4 . A virtual game of chance that simulates game play in a simulated zero gravity, micro gravity or variable gravity environment, comprising: 
 a simulated game environment having a simulated enclosure and having simulated positions representing winning and losing positions and adapted for simulating the receipt and confinement of simulated movable game objects;    means for randomizing the simulated game objects;    means for introducing the simulated game objects into the game environment;    means for simulating the random urging of the simulated game objects onto winning and losing positions within the simulated game environment;    means for simulating players at simulated playing positions adjacent to the simulated game environment;    means for enabling players to wager on the game;    means for ending the game and for determining winning and losing wagers; and    means for viewing the simulated game environment and operation and results of the game and simulated game objects.    
   
   
       5 . A zero gravity roulette game, comprising: 
 a roulette game board;    a rotatable roulette wheel housed within a closed, transparent chamber, the wheel having numerous positions adapted to receive a ball, the container being adapted to prevent the ball from floating away in zero gravity;    means for introducing the ball into a randomizing device adjacent to the chamber;    means for introducing the ball into the chamber;    means for producing random motion in the ball;    means for urging the ball toward the wheel;    means for receiving wagers from players;    means for capturing the ball into one position on the wheel in random fashion; and    means for determining and viewing a winning position of the ball.    
   
   
       6 . A zero gravity craps game, comprising: 
 a craps game board housed within a closed, transparent chamber, the board having numerous positions adapted to display markings of winning and losing positions on a pair of dice thrown into the chamber, the chamber being adapted to prevent the dice from floating away in zero gravity;    means for introducing the dice into a randomizing device adjacent to the chamber;    means for producing random motion in the dice;    means for introducing the dice into the chamber after randomization;    means for urging the dice toward the board;    means for receiving wagers from players;    means for capturing the dice into a random position on the board; and    means for determining and viewing a winning position of the dice.    
   
   
       7 . A zero gravity lottery game, comprising: 
 an enclosed transparent chamber adapted to receive floating balls and to prevent the balls from floating away in zero gravity;    means for positioning balls near the chamber;    means for randomizing the balls;    means for introducing the balls into the chamber;    means for receiving wagers from players;    means for capturing a winning group of balls;    means for removing the winning group of balls from the chamber; and    means for viewing the winning group of balls.    
   
   
       8 . A zero gravity Sixteen game, comprising: 
 an enclosed transparent chamber adapted to receive floating balls and to prevent the balls from floating away in zero gravity;    means for randomizing the balls;    means for introducing the balls into the chamber;    means for receiving wagers from players;    means for capturing a winning group of 16 balls; and    means for viewing the winning group of balls.    
   
   
       9 . A zero gravity Byte game, comprising: 
 an enclosed transparent chamber adapted to receive floating balls and to prevent the balls from floating away in zero gravity;    means for randomizing the balls;    means for introducing the balls into the chamber;    means for receiving wagers from players;    means for capturing a winning group of 8 balls representing a computer byte; and    means for viewing the winning group of balls.    
   
   
       10 . A zero gravity Space Pool game, comprising: 
 an enclosed transparent chamber adapted to receive balls and to prevent the balls from floating away in zero gravity;    means for introducing the balls into the chamber into a starting position;    means for receiving wagers from players;    robotic pool cue means for remotely shooting a ball within the chamber;    means for capturing the balls in pockets; and    means for viewing all activity occurring within the chamber.    
   
   
       11 . A method for operating games of chance in a zero-gravity environment, comprising the steps of: 
 providing an enclosed transparent chamber having a gaming board and adapted to receive gaming objects, the chamber adapted to prevent the objects from floating away in zero gravity;    accepting wagers from players on the gaming objects;    introducing the gaming objects into the chamber to start a game;    randomizing the gaming objects;    causing the gaming objects to cease motion so as to end the game;    viewing all activity within the chamber; and    determining one or more winning and/or losing wagers.    
   
   
       12 . A method for operating a game of skill in a zero-gravity environment, comprising the steps of: 
 providing an enclosed transparent chamber having a playing board and adapted to receive playing objects, the chamber adapted to prevent the objects from floating away in zero gravity;    accepting wagers from players;    starting a game of skill by introducing a playing object into the chamber;    viewing all activity within the chamber; and    determining one or more winning and/or losing players.    
   
   
       13 . A method of confining, randomizing and controlling moving objects in a zero-gravity environment, comprising: 
 providing an enclosed chamber having an irregular inner surface;    introducing magnetic objects into the chamber;    randomizing motions of the objects within the chamber by directing jets of air at the objects at random times; and    stopping the motion of the objects by introducing an electromagnetic field within the chamber at a random time.