Multi-use gaming machine

Abstract

A multi-use gaming machine is switchable between playing a game native to the machine and for interactive play of a game taking place at a remote location has a common video display for displaying the results of the game being played by a player at the machine. The machine includes a touch screen corresponding to a betting grid of the game taking place at the remote location by which wagers can be placed on the remote game and a computer that determines winning and losing wagers and maintains a running account balance for the machine. The machine also can be used for tournament play with a number of machines where there is a data processor manager, a counter that sets a predetermined number of games for the tournament, a communication link by which the data processor obtains and stores the running account balances of all of the machines after completion of a game, the data processor determining the tournament winner based on only one machine having a running account with a positive balance prior to the completion of the predetermined number of games or the machine having the highest balance after completion of the predetermined number of games. Data of the machine having the highest account balance is also provided to all of the machines after each game.

1 . A multi-use gaming machine for play of a game native to the machine and interactive play of a game taking place at a location remote from said machine, comprising: 
 a video display for displaying the play and results of the native game played by a player at the machine;    means for switching said video display to display the progress of a game being played at a location remote from said machine; and    means for wagering on the game being remotely played.    
   
   
       2 . The multi-use gaming machine as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said remote location comprises: 
 a camera to view the game action and means at the location for producing game result data; and    distribution means for broadcasting from the location to the machine the output of the camera view, said game result data of a game played at the location;    and said machine further comprises:    (a) a receiver for receiving the output broadcast from said distribution mean of said location of said camera view which is displayed on said machine video display and said game result data; and    (b) touch screen means for displaying an electronic representation of the game being played at the remote location and for placing wagers on the game being played.    
   
   
       3 . The multi-use gaming machine as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said machine further comprises: 
 (c) computer means responsive to a wager made from said touch screen and for managing the account of the player in response to the received game result data for computing losing and winning amounts.    
   
   
       4 . The multi-use gaming machine as claimed in  claim 3  wherein said machine computer means also updates the account of the player at the machine based on computed losses and winning amounts and maintains a current account balance for the player at the machine.  
   
   
       5 . The multi-use gaming machine as claimed in  claim 3  wherein said machine computer means includes a memory for storing data of a table of betting odds and computes a winning amount based on the amount of the wager placed on the game being played and betting odds data stored.  
   
   
       6 . The multi-use gaming machine as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said machine further comprises a means for establishing a betting account for the player at the machine without communication from the machine to the remote location.  
   
   
       7 . The multi-use gaming machine as claimed in  claim 6  wherein said means for establishing a betting account includes one of a currency acceptor and a compatible reader means for any one of a credit card, debit card or voucher.  
   
   
       8 . The multi-use gaming machine as claimed in  claim 3  and further comprising: 
 means at the location for producing wagering status signals representing the close of wagering on a game and the start of playing of a new game which are broadcast to said machine and received by said receiver of said machine, the received wagering status signals used by said machine computer means to control said means for wagering.    
   
   
       9 . The multi-use gaming machine as claimed in  claim 3  wherein said distribution means for broadcasting from the location to a machine includes one of cable, wired communication, wireless, satellite and the Internet.  
   
   
       10 . The multi-use gaming machine as claimed in  claim 3  wherein there are a plurality of said machines, and further comprising: 
 data processor means; and    a communication link for providing communication between said plurality of machines and said data processor means by which after completion of a game the amount in the player's account of each of said machines is obtained and stored by said data processor means.    
   
   
       11 . The multi-use gaming machine as claimed in  claim 10  further comprising: 
 counter means for setting a predetermined number of games for tournament play between said plurality of machines; wherein    said data processor means further comprises means for determining from said ledger the machine having the highest account balance after each game and for determining the tournament winner based on only one machine having a running account with a positive balance prior to the completion of said predetermined number of games or the machine having the highest balance after said predetermined number of games has been completed.    
   
   
       12 . The multi-use gaming machine as claimed in  claim 10  wherein said data processor means includes means to determine the highest account balance among the account balances of all of said plurality of machines and communicates to all of said plurality of machines the highest account balance for display on the said machine video display of a said machine.  
   
   
       13 . The multi-use gaming machine as claimed in  claim 12  further comprising: 
 counter means for setting a predetermined number of games for tournament play between said plurality of machines; wherein    said data processor means further comprises means for determining from said ledger the machine having the highest account balance after each game and for determining the tournament winner based on only one machine having a running account with a positive balance prior to the completion of said predetermined number of games or the machine having the highest balance after said predetermined number of games has been completed.    
   
   
       14 . A system for tournament play between a plurality of machines located remotely from the place at which the game is being played, wherein said remote location comprises: 
 a camera to view the game action;    means for producing game result data;    distribution means for broadcasting from the location to said plurality of machines the output of the camera view and said game result data;    and each said machine comprises:    (a) receiver means for receiving the output broadcast from said distribution mean of said location of said camera view and said game result data;    (b) display means for displaying said location camera view; and    (c) means for wagering on the game being remotely played; and    (d) computer means;    said system further comprising:    a data processor means; and    a communication link connecting said plurality of machines to said data processor means; wherein at least one of said data processor means and said machine computer means is responsive to a wager made at a machine and in response to the received game result data compute losses and winning amounts and manages the account of the machine to maintain a running balance for the machine; wherein    said data processor means obtains the running account balance of each of said plurality of machines after completion of a game; and    said data processor means further comprising means for determining the machine having the highest account balance after each game.    
   
   
       15 . The systems as claimed in  claim 14  and further comprising: 
 counter means for setting a predetermined number of games for a tournament; and    wherein said means for determining is responsive to said counter means and declares the tournament winner based on only one machine having a running account with a positive balance prior to the completion of said predetermined number of games or the machine having the highest balance after said predetermined number of games has been completed.    
   
   
       16 . The system as claimed in  claim 14  wherein said data processor means for determining also communicates the highest account balance among the account balances of all of said plurality of machines to all of said plurality of machines for display on the said video display of a machine.  
   
   
       17 . The system as claimed in  claim 15  wherein said data processor means for determining also communicates the highest account balance among the account balances of all of said plurality of machines to all of said plurality of machines for display on the said video display of a machine.  
   
   
       18 . The system as claimed in  claim 14  wherein each said machine further comprises touch screen means for displaying an electronic representation of the game being played for placing a wager on the game being played.  
   
   
       19 . The system as claimed in  claim 14  and further comprising: 
 means at the location for producing wagering status signals representing the close of wagering on a game and the start of playing of a new game which are broadcast; and wherein at least one of to said machine computer means and said data processing means is responsive to received wagering status signals to control said means for wagering of a said machine.    
   
   
       20 . The system as claimed in  claim 14  wherein at least one of said plurality of machines further comprises: 
 means for playing a game native to the machine; and    means for switching said means for playing and said video display of said at least one machine between playing the native game and displaying its progress and results and playing a game at a location remote from said machine; and displaying its progress.