Method for tracking system generated winnings

Abstract

One or more gaming machines include an external attendant paid bonus win meter. More particularly, when the casino gaming system generates a jackpot, and awards the jackpot to a player at a gaming machine, the amount of the winning jackpot is recorded on the external attendant paid bonus win meter. Otherwise stated, the system-based jackpot is awarded to a player at a gaming machine, and the amount of the winning jackpot is recorded on a gaming machine-based meter. The player may be randomly determined. Additionally, the trigger for awarding the jackpot may be randomly determined based on predetermined criteria set by the casino or gaming system manufacturer. Once the jackpot win occurs, the player at the selected gaming machine is notified, usually by a visible sign or message. In one embodiment, the amount of the jackpot win (or bonus win) is recorded on the external attendant paid bonus win meter.

1 . A method for tracking system generated jackpot amounts on a gaming machine in a casino gaming system, wherein a casino gaming server generates a system-based jackpot winning time and jackpot award value, the method comprising:
 after the occurrence of a system generated jackpot, sending a message from a back end server to a gaming machine, wherein the message contains information including a winning jackpot amount and instructions for transferring a jackpot win amount from a host to a gaming machine;   applying the jackpot amount to the game on the gaming machine;   locking the gaming machine into a hand pay condition for the amount of the jackpot and require an employee to perform a jackpot reset on the gaming machine;   incrementing an external attendant paid bonus win meter associated with the game once an attendant resets the gaming machine; and   sending data containing the amount incremented on the meter.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the jackpot winning time is randomly determined based on criteria set by the casino or gaming system manufacturer. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the jackpot award value is randomly determined based on criteria set by the casino or gaming system manufacturer. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein casino gaming system includes a plurality of gaming machines connected via a network to a back end server. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein a router connects one or more gaming machines to the back end server. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the router directs information from a game monitoring unit in each gaming machine to the back end server. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the back end server includes a slot accounting system, a slot marketing system, and a casino management and accounting system. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the winning jackpot is funded by marketing dollars and not by funds directly received from a winning player in exchange for game play. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the winning player is selected from a group of player that each have a player tracking card inserted into a gaming machine at a time the winning jackpot is awarded. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a group of jackpot-eligible players is restricted to a specific number of gaming machines by gaming machine denomination, gaming machine manufacture, gaming machine zone, gaming machine asset numbers, or combinations thereof. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a casino operator determines criteria for triggering a jackpot award. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a casino operator enters an average jackpot win amount, an average award time, and an average reset time. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein an actual award grows from a reset value towards a desired value. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein progressive growth is not linked to wagering activity on an associated casino floor. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a random time during progressive growth of the jackpot award is triggered as the jackpot winning time. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the casino gaming system includes a controller board that accepts transactions from the back end server. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the casino gaming system includes a controller board that accepts transactions from a back end system main frame. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, in response to receiving information containing the jackpot award value from the back end server, a controller board transfers jackpot winnings to a gaming machine at which the winning player is located. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the controller board uses a long poll command with a transfer code to transfer bonus jackpot win amount from host to gaming machine and force attendant pay lockup. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein, in response to an attendant resetting a winning gaming machine, the gaming machine's external attendant paid bonus win meter is incremented for the jackpot award value, and a message is sent to the controller board notating the meter incrementation. 
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a player is eligible for a consolation prize if the player has a player card inserted in a qualified gaming machine and has activated game play on the qualified gaming machine at a jackpot winning time. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the back end server identifies eligible players for the consolation prize, and transfers a consolation prize amount to a consolation account that is accessible to each qualifying player via a user interface. 
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein each qualifying player may access the account via the user interface. 
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising awarding a consolation prize. 
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein awarding a consolation prize comprises:
 identifying one or more players who have player cards inserted into gaming machines at the time the system generated jackpot occurs;   awarding a consolation prize amount for each identified player in a consolation bucket, wherein the identified player can access the consolation prize via an input mechanism;   transferring the consolation prize to the identified player's gaming machine after receiving input information from the player, wherein the gaming machine transfers the prize to the game such that the amount of the consolation prize is added to a game credit meter;   incrementing the external machine paid bonus meter for the amount of the credit applied to the game as the credits are applied to the game; and   sending data to a controller on the gaming machine and to the back end server, wherein the data includes the amount incremented on the meter.   
   
   
       26 . A method for tracking system generated jackpot amounts in casino gaming system, the method comprising:
 providing one or more gaming machines that each include an external attendant paid bonus win meter;   generating a system-based jackpot winning time and jackpot award value from a casino gaming server;   randomly determining a winning player at a gaming machine;   awarding the winning jackpot to the winning player at the gaming machine,   recording the jackpot award value on the external attendant paid bonus win meter;   notifying the winning player at the selected gaming machine is notified of the jackpot win, via a visible sign or message;   
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the jackpot winning time is randomly determined based on criteria set by the casino or gaming system manufacturer. 
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the jackpot award value is randomly determined based on criteria set by the casino or gaming system manufacturer. 
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein casino gaming system includes a plurality of gaming machines connected via a network to a back end server. 
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein a router connects one or more gaming machines to the back end server. 
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the router directs information from a game monitoring unit in each gaming machine to the back end server. 
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the back end server includes a slot accounting system, a slot marketing system, and a casino management and accounting system. 
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the winning jackpot is funded by marketing dollars and not by funds directly received from a winning player in exchange for game play. 
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the winning player is selected from a group of players that each have a player tracking card inserted into a gaming machine at the time the winning jackpot is awarded. 
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein a group of jackpot-eligible players is restricted to a specific number of gaming machines by gaming machine denomination, gaming machine manufacturer, gaming machine zone, gaming machine asset numbers, or combinations thereof. 
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein a casino operator determines criteria for triggering a jackpot award. 
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein a casino operator enters an average jackpot win amount, an average award time, and an average reset time. 
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein an actual award grows from a reset value towards a desired value. 
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein progressive growth is not linked to wagering activity on an associated casino floor. 
   
   
       40 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein a random time during progressive growth of the jackpot award is triggered as the jackpot winning time. 
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the casino gaming system includes a controller board that accepts transactions from the back end server. 
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the casino gaming system includes a controller board that accepts transactions from a back end system main frame. 
   
   
       43 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein, in response to receiving information containing the jackpot award value from the back end server, a controller board transfers jackpot winnings to a gaming machine at which the winning player is located. 
   
   
       44 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the controller board uses a long poll command with a transfer code to transfer bonus jackpot win amount from host to gaming machine and force attendant pay lockup. 
   
   
       45 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein, in response to an attendant resetting a winning gaming machine, the gaming machine's external attendant paid bonus win meter is incremented for the jackpot award value, and a message is sent to the controller board notating the meter incrementation. 
   
   
       46 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein a player is eligible for a consolation prize if the player has a player card inserted in a qualified gaming machine and has activated game play on the qualified gaming machine at a jackpot winning time. 
   
   
       47 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein the back end server identifies eligible players for the consolation prize, and transfers a consolation prize amount to a consolation account that is accessible to each qualifying player via a user interface. 
   
   
       48 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein each qualifying player may access the account via the user interface. 
   
   
       49 . A method for tracking system generated consolation prize on a gaming machine, the method comprising:
 identifying a qualifying player with at a gaming machine having an external attendant paid bonus win meter and an inserted player tracking card;   sending a message from a back end server to a gaming machine having an inserted player tracking card;   sending a message from the back end server to a controller board on the gaming machine having an inserted player tracking card, wherein the message includes information regarding a consolation prize amount and instructions for the controller board to transfer cashable winnings to the gaming machine, wherein the controller board uses a long poll command with a transfer code to transfer the cashable winnings to the gaming machine;   forcing attendant pay lockup in response to receiving the instructions; and   adding the consolation prize amount to the external attendant paid bonus win meter of the gaming machine.