Generating a score related to play on gaming devices

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to generating and displaying a score related to the results of wagering by a player on an electronic gaming machine. In one embodiment, a method for generating a score related to play on at least one electronic gaming device includes tracking the amount wagered on the gaming device, tracking the amount awarded by the gaming device, and generating a score related to the tracked amounts.

1 . A method for generating a score related to play on at least one electronic gaming device comprising:
 tracking an amount wagered on the at least one gaming device;   tracking an amount awarded by the at least one gaming device; and   generating a score related to the tracked amounts.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the tracked amounts are related to a single gaming device. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the tracked amounts are related to a single player of the gaming device. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the tracked amounts are related to multiple players of the gaming device. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the tracked amounts are related to a single player of multiple gaming devices. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the generated score comprises the actual machine hold for an identified wager segment. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  further comprising comparing the actual machine hold to a theoretical machine hold. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising generating scores for multiple players and displaying at least some of the scores. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising generating a visible display related to the score. 
     
     
         10 . A method for generating a score related to play on an electronic gaming device comprising:
 tracking a predefined amount wagered on the gaming device;   tracking an amount awarded by the gaming device in response to wagering the predefined amount of money; and   generating a score that is a function of the tracked amounts.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising:
 tracking a predefined amount wagered on a second gaming device;   tracking an amount awarded by the second gaming device in response to wagering the predefined amount of money on the second gaming device;   generating a score that is a function of the tracked amounts on the second gaming device; and   comparing the scores generated on the first and second gaming devices.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the predefined amount wagered comprises a predefined amount for which tracking starts in response to a command input to the gaming device by a player of the gaming device. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the predefined amount wagered comprises a predefined wager-segment amount that is repeatedly determined during the course of gaming device play. 
     
     
         14 . A method for generating a score on a gaming device associated with a player, the method comprising:
 associating a player identifying mark with the player;   tracking credits wagered by the player over a plurality of gaming events;   tracking credits awarded to the player over the plurality of gaming events;   calculating a player score based on the tracked credits wagered and tracked credits awarded during the plurality of gaming events; and   displaying the player score with the player identifying mark.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein calculating the player score includes normalizing the credits wagered and credits awarded based on a predetermined number of gaming events. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein calculating the player score includes normalizing the credits wagered and credits awarded based on a predetermined monetary value. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein calculating the player score includes normalizing the credits wagered and credits awarded based on a predetermined time period. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the player score is calculated by the following formula: (credits awarded)/(credits wagered). 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising indicating on the gaming device whether the player score was greater than an expected payback percentage of the gaming device. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein multiple indications of player scores versus the expected payback percentage are displayed on the gaming device. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein associating a player identifying mark with the player includes identifying the player by use of player tracking device and retrieving the player identifying mark from a player tracking account associated with the identified player. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein associating a player identifying mark with the player includes requesting the player to input one or more symbols to create the player identifying mark. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the player may reset the tracked amounts to respective initial values after completion of a gaming event. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the tracked amounts are reset after a predetermined number of credits are wagered. 
     
     
         25 . A gaming device comprising:
 means for wagering credits during a gaming session on the gaming device;   means for displaying the outcome of the gaming session;   means for tracking an amount of credits wagered on the gaming device;   means for tracking an amount of credits awarded on the gaming device; and   means for calculating a player score based on the tracked amounts.   
     
     
         26 . The gaming device of  claim 25 , further comprising means for displaying the calculated player score. 
     
     
         27 . The gaming device of  claim 25 , further comprising means for comparing the calculated player score with an expected payback percentage of the gaming device. 
     
     
         28 . The gaming device of  claim 27 , further comprising means for displaying the result of the comparison of the calculated player score with the expected payback percentage of the gaming device. 
     
     
         29 . A method for generating a score on a gaming device associated with a player, the method comprising:
 associating a player identifying mark with the player;   initiating a score tracking session;   tracking credits wagered by the player over a plurality of gaming sessions during the score tracking session;   tracking credits awarded to the player over the plurality of gaming sessions during the score tracking session;   ending the score tracking session;   calculating a final player score based on the tracked credits wagered and tracked credits awarded during the score tracking session; and   displaying the player score with the player identifying mark.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the score tracking session is ended after a predetermined number of gaming sessions have been completed. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the score tracking session is ended after a predetermined amount of credits has been wagered. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the score tracking session is ended after a predetermined amount of time has passed. 
     
     
         33 . A gaming system comprising:
 a gaming device including:
 a player identification device to identify a player playing the gaming device, 
 a processor to track an amount of credits wagered on the gaming device, track an amount of credits awarded on the gaming device, and generate a score based on the tracked amounts, and 
 a score display to display the score generated by the processor; and 
   a server coupled to the gaming device over a network, the server including a player database to store player information, wherein the player information stored in the database includes scores generated for respective identified players.   
     
     
         34 . The gaming system of  claim 33 , wherein the scores generated for identified players stored in the database includes a ranked list of scores associated with a player. 
     
     
         35 . The gaming system of  claim 34 , wherein the gaming device further includes a player top score display to show a predetermined number of top scores from the ranked list of scores associated with an identified player. 
     
     
         36 . The gaming system of  claim 34 , wherein the ranked list of scores associated with a player includes a ranked list of scores associated with a particular gaming device. 
     
     
         37 . The gaming system of  claim 34 , wherein the ranked list of scores associated with a player includes a ranked list of scores associated with a particular type of gaming device. 
     
     
         38 . The gaming system of  claim 34 , wherein the ranked list of scores associated with a player includes a ranked list of scores associated with a gaming location or plurality of related gaming locations. 
     
     
         39 . The gaming system of  claim 33 , wherein the gaming device further includes a device score portion to display a ranked list of top scores associated with the gaming device. 
     
     
         40 . The gaming system of  claim 39 , wherein the gaming device further includes a device score portion to display a ranked list of top scores associated with a particular type of gaming device. 
     
     
         41 . The gaming system of  claim 39 , wherein the gaming device further includes a device score portion to display a ranked list of top scores associated with gaming location or plurality of related gaming locations. 
     
     
         42 . The gaming system of  claim 33 , wherein the scores generated for identified players stored in the database includes a ranked list of scores associated with a first group of players. 
     
     
         43 . The gaming system of  claim 42 , wherein the server is configured to award a bonus prize to a highest ranked player from the ranked list of scores associated with the first group of players. 
     
     
         44 . The gaming system of  claim 42 , wherein scores generated for indentified players stored in the database further includes a ranked list of scores associated with a second group of players. 
     
     
         45 . The gaming system of  claim 44 , wherein the server is configured to award a bonus prize to the first or second group of players based on the respective ranked lists of scores associated with the first and second group of players. 
     
     
         46 . A gaming device comprising:
 a player identification device to identify a player playing the gaming device;   a processor to track gaming outcomes on the gaming device associated with wagers placed by the player, the processor configured to generate a score associated with the tracked gaming outcomes; and   a score display to display the score generated by the processor.   
     
     
         47 . The gaming device of  claim 46 , wherein the tracked gaming outcomes used in generating the score include non-winning gaming outcomes. 
     
     
         48 . A method of generating a score on a gaming device, the method comprising:
 initiating a first scoring session;   tracking gaming outcomes based on monetary wagering made on the gaming device by a player during the first scoring session;   initiating a second scoring session;   tracking gaming outcomes based on monetary wagering made on the gaming device by a player during the second scoring session;   ending the first scoring session;   ending the second scoring session;   generating a first score associated with the tracked gaming outcomes from the first gaming session;   generating a second score associated with the tracked gaming outcomes from the second gaming session;   comparing the first score to the second score; and   displaying the higher of the first score and the second score on the gaming device.   
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 48 , further comprising:
 generating a running score at the end of the first scoring session associated with the tracked gaming outcomes from the first scoring session;   displaying the running score on the gaming device;   generating a temporary score at the end of the second scoring session associated with the tracked gaming outcomes from the second scoring session;   modifying a value of the running score with the temporary score if the temporary score is greater than the running score; and   displaying the running score on the gaming device.   
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein the first and second scoring session are included in a time-based predetermined rolling frame. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein the first and second scoring session are included in a wager amount-based predetermined rolling frame.