Gaming system having sponsored awards

Abstract

A gaming system includes: (i) a base wagering game requiring a wager to made by a player; (ii) at least one winning outcome for the base wagering game; (iii) a paytable for the at least one winning outcome; (iv) a sponsored award provided randomly to the player, the sponsored award provided by a sponsored award provider and kept separate and apart from the paytable; and (v) advertising for sponsored award provider, the advertising provided in exchange for the provision of the sponsored award.

1 . A gaming system operable under control of at least one processor, said gaming system comprising: 
 at least one display device;    a base game operable upon a wager by a player, said base game having a base game paytable, said base game paytable having: 
 (i) a plurality of winning outcomes obtainable in plays of the base game,  
 (ii) a plurality of probabilities of obtaining said winning outcomes in plays of the base game, and  
 (iii) a plurality of base game awards associated with said winning outcomes;  
   a sponsored award funded by a sponsor, said sponsored award not being part of an average payback percentage based on said probabilities and said base game awards; and    said at least one processor programmed to: 
 (a) randomly generate base game outcomes for plays of the base game,  
 (b) cause the base game awards associated with generated winning outcomes to be provided to the player,  
 (c) randomly determine whether to provide the sponsored award to the player, and if the sponsored award is determined to be provided to the player, provide the sponsored award to the player, and  
 (d) cause the at least one display device to display advertising for the sponsor in connection with the base game as compensation to the sponsor for the sponsored award funded by the sponsor.  
   
   
   
       2 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one processor is programmed to first randomly determine whether to provide the sponsored award to the player before causing the at least one display device to display said advertising for the sponsor.  
   
   
       3 . The gaming system of  claim 2 , wherein said at least one processor is programmed to first cause the at least one display device to display said advertising for the sponsor before providing the sponsored award to the player.  
   
   
       4 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one processor is programmed to first cause the at least one display device to display said advertising for the sponsor before providing the sponsored award to the player.  
   
   
       5 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , which includes a triggering event, wherein the random determination of whether to provide the sponsored award includes a determination of whether the triggering event occurs in one of the plays of the base game.  
   
   
       6 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , which includes a triggering event, wherein the random determination of whether to provide the sponsored award includes a determination of whether the triggering event occurs separate from the plays of the base game.  
   
   
       7 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the random determination of whether to provide the sponsored award includes a determination of whether the processor receives a signal from a network that a triggering event has occurred.  
   
   
       8 . The gaming system of  claim 7 , wherein the network is one of: a casino network, local area network, wide area network, and an internet.  
   
   
       9 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , which includes a bonus game configured to provide the sponsored award to the player.  
   
   
       10 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , which includes one of: a sweepstakes configured to provide the sponsored award to the player, and a progressive pool configured to provide the sponsored award to the player.  
   
   
       11 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , which includes a plurality of different sponsored awards funded by the sponsor.  
   
   
       12 . The gaming system of  claim 1   1 , wherein the at least one processor is programmed to determine which of the plurality of different sponsored awards is provided to the player in one of the following manners: (i) randomly; (ii) based on an event occurring randomly in one play of the base game; (iii) based on an event occurring over a network; (iv) based on an event occurring in a bonus game; (v) based on a sweepstakes; (vi) based on a progressive pool; and (v) based on any combination thereof.  
   
   
       13 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the sponsor is one of: (i) a casino; (ii) a manufacturer of the gaming system; (iii) a third party other than a casino; and (iv) an operator of the gaming system.  
   
   
       14 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is programmed to provide to the player an option to be or not to be eligible to win the sponsored award.  
   
   
       15 . The gaming system of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one processor is programmed to provide to not display the advertising if the player declines eligibility to win the sponsored award.  
   
   
       16 . A gaming system operable under control of at least one processor, said gaming system comprising: 
 a base game operable upon a wager by a player, said base game including a paytable having: 
 (i) a plurality of winning outcomes obtainable in plays of the base game,  
 (ii) a plurality of probabilities of obtaining said winning outcomes in plays of the base game, and  
 (iii) a plurality of base game awards associated with said winning outcomes;  
   a sponsored award funded by a sponsor, said sponsored award not being part of an average payback percentage based on said probabilities and said base game awards;    a bonus game;    at least one display device; and    said processor programmed to operate with the at least one display device to provide: 
 (a) the sponsored award to the player via play of the bonus game, and  
 (b) display an advertisement for the sponsor in connection with at least one of the base game and the secondary game, said advertisement provided in exchange for the sponsored award funded by the sponsor.  
   
   
   
       17 . The gaming system of  claim 16 , which includes at least one bonus award winnable in play of the bonus game.  
   
   
       18 . The gaming system of  claim 17 , wherein the bonus award and probability of winning the bonus award are used to determine the average payback percentage.  
   
   
       19 . The gaming system of  claim 16 , wherein said at least one processor is programmed to first randomly determine whether to provide the sponsored award to the player before causing the at least one display device to display said advertisement for the sponsor.  
   
   
       20 . The gaming system of  claim 19 , wherein said at least one processor is programmed to first cause the at least one display device to display said advertisement for the sponsor before providing the sponsored award to the player.  
   
   
       21 . The gaming system of  claim 16 , wherein said at least one processor is programmed to first cause the at least one display device to display said advertisement for the sponsor before providing the sponsored award to the player.  
   
   
       22 . A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising: 
 (a) accepting a wager from a player to play a base game, said base game including a paytable, said base game paytable having: 
 (i) a plurality of winning outcomes obtainable in plays of the base game,  
 (ii) a plurality of probabilities of obtaining said winning outcomes in the plays of the base game, and  
 (iii) a plurality of base game awards associated with said winning outcomes;  
   (b) if the player obtains one of the winning outcomes via play of the base game, providing the player the base game award associated with said winning outcomes;    (c) displaying advertising for a sponsor; and    (d) randomly determining whether to provide a sponsored award to the player, and if the sponsored award is determined to be provided to the player, providing the sponsored award to the player, said sponsored award funded by a sponsor, said sponsored award not part of an average payback percentage which is based on the probabilities and base game awards of the base game paytable.    
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22 , which includes randomly determining whether to provide the sponsored award to the player before causing display of the said advertising for the sponsor.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23 , which includes causing the display of said advertising for the sponsor before providing the sponsored award to the player.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 22 , which includes causing the display of said advertising for the sponsor before providing the sponsored award to the player.