Amusement or gaming apparatus

Abstract

Amusement or gaming apparatus comprises coin operated apparatus adapted for playing of a roulette game which is enhanced by a bonus game. The apparatus comprises an actual or a simulated roulette wheel ( 2 ) with a circular track ( 3, 4 ) and a matrix ( 32 ) of numbered squares comprising an array ( 32 ) to one lateral side of the wheel. The matrix ( 32 ) is interactive, by means of a cursor and mouse, or by embodiment as a touch screen, for selecting numbers and placing bets. The track ( 3, 4 ) includes in addition to the usual numbered spaces and a zero, two unnumbered and preferably distinctively coloured spaces ( 12 ) which enable access to a bonus game if a first ball lands on one of these spaces. The bonus game preferably makes use of a distinctively coloured ball.

1 . Amusement or gaming apparatus adapted to simulate a roulette based game, comprising a real or simulated roulette wheel, having number spaces each providing a station to halt a real or simulated ball, and differentially coloured in first and second colours, and means for enabling bets to be placed in relation to any selected number space, or colour, characterised in that one or more extra spaces are provided, and in that the apparatus is arranged so that should the ball halt in said one, or one of said, extra space or spaces, access is given to a bonus game. 
   
   
       2 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein means are provided, activatable by access to the bonus game, to enable a second, differentially coloured, real or simulated ball to be projected onto the roulette wheel and come to rest in a randomly determined number space. 
   
   
       3 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more extra spaces are differentially coloured, in a third colour. 
   
   
       4 . Apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein two such extra spaces and a ‘zero’ space are located at equispaced intervals around the roulette wheel. 
   
   
       5 . Apparatus according to  claim 1  comprising control means for operating the roulette or roulette simulating game and for operating the bonus game, the control means including means for controlling a display simulating the action of the game, and enabling the trajectory and randomly determined end point of the respective balls to be displayed. 
   
   
       6 . Apparatus according to  claim 5  wherein the control means includes means operable in the bonus game to either provide a ‘free’ game, and to provide a prize in the event of a win in the bonus game which is a multiple of the accumulated winnings. 
   
   
       7 . Apparatus according to  claim 1  which has a display featuring a roulette wheel including the extra space or spaces, and a matrix of numbers disposed in arrays to each lateral side of the display, the display being adapted to allow selection of numbers and placement of wagers by interactive means. 
   
   
       8 . Apparatus according to  claim 7  wherein the interactive means comprise a cursor and mouse. 
   
   
       9 . Apparatus according to  claim 7  wherein the interactive means comprise embodying the arrays of the matrix of numbers as touch screens.