System for operating a sequence of games with enhanced payouts

Abstract

A gaming system and method for operating a sequence of single games, providing enhanced payouts for bets placed with credits earned over the course of previous games, and restricting access to certain games according to a predetermined set of criterion. The system comprises a terminal for players to place their bets on outcomes of a last selected game and a single game controller for operating the last selected game. The system further comprises a sequencer for selecting the next game of the sequence at predetermined intervals of time and determining whether players are eligible to participate in the selected games. The system also comprises a bet controller for determining whether the bets were placed with regular or bonus credits, and assigning enhanced payout factors to those of the bets that were placed with bonus credits.

1 . A gaming system for providing enhanced payouts, the system comprising:
 a terminal for accepting regular bets placed with regular credits and bonus bets placed with bonus credits on any of a same set of game outcomes;   a game controller for providing game display instructions to the terminal and for selecting one the game outcomes in accordance with rules of the game;   the main bet controller for multiplying the regular credits placed on the selected outcome by a regular factor to determine credits earned with the regular bets;   a bonus bet controller for multiplying the bonus credits placed on the selected outcome by a bonus factor to determine credits earned with the bonus bets, wherein the bonus factor is greater than the regular factor; and   a credit controller for incrementing the player's credit balance by at least some of the credits earned with the regular bets and bonus bets.   
     
     
         2 . The gaming system of  claim 1  wherein the credits earned with the bonus bets are bonus credits. 
     
     
         3 . The gaming system of  claim 2  wherein the credits earned with the regular bets are bonus credits. 
     
     
         4 . The gaming system of  claim 2  further comprising a payout controller for deducting from the bonus credit increment resulting from an immediately preceding play the bonus credits with which the bonus bets are placed within a current play to obtain a regular credit payout and wherein the credit controller increments the player's credit balance by the payout. 
     
     
         5 . The gaming system of  claim 3  further comprising a payout controller for deducting from the bonus credit increment resulting from an immediately preceding play the bonus credits with which the bonus bets are placed within a current play to obtain a regular credit payout and wherein the credit controller increments the player's credit balance by the payout. 
     
     
         6 . A method of providing an enhanced payout comprising:
 providing regular credits and bonus credits in accordance with two different acquisition modalities;   accepting regular bets placed with the regular credits or bonus bets placed with the bonus credits on any of a same set of game outcomes;   selecting one the outcomes;   if the regular bets are accepted, multiplying the regular credits placed on the selected outcome by a regular factor to determine credits earned with the regular bets;   if the bonus bets are accepted, multiplying the bonus credits placed on the selected outcome by a bonus factor to determine the credits earned with the bonus bets, wherein the bonus factor is greater than the regular factor; and   incrementing the player's credit balance by at least some of the credits earned with the regular bets and bonus bets.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the credits earned with the bonus bets are bonus credits. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the credits earned with the regular bets are bonus credits. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising deducting from the bonus credit increment resulting from an immediately preceding play the bonus credits with which the bonus bets are placed within a current play to obtain a regular credit payout and incrementing the player's credit balance by the payout. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising deducting from the bonus credit increment resulting from an immediately preceding play the bonus credits with which the bonus bets are placed within a current play to obtain a regular credit payout and incrementing the player's credit balance by the payout. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the multiplying the regular credits placed on the selected outcome and the multiplying the bonus credits placed on the selected outcome are performed by automated operation of circuitry. 
     
     
         12 . A gaming system for operating a sequence of single games, the system comprising:
 a sequencer for selecting a next one of the games of the sequence;   a timer for enabling the sequencer at predetermined intervals of time;   a terminal for accepting bets placed by a player on any of a set of outcomes of the last selected game;   a single game controller for providing game display instructions to the terminal and for selecting one of the potential outcomes;   the bet controller for determining the credits earned by the player with those of the bets placed on the selected outcome; and   the credit controller for incrementing the player's credit balance by at least a portion of the earned credits.   
     
     
         13 . The gaming system of  claim 12  further comprising an eligibility controller for determining whether the player is eligible to participate in the last selected game in accordance with rules of the game and for disabling the terminal if the player is not eligible. 
     
     
         14 . The gaming system of  claim 13  wherein the eligibility controller determines whether the last selected game is restricted to players that have earned credits in a previous one of the games, and disables the terminal for the restricted game if the player has not earned the credits in the previous game. 
     
     
         15 . The gaming system of  claim 12  wherein the terminal accepts regular bets placed with regular credits and bonus bets placed with bonus credits on any of the same plurality of game outcomes, the bet controller comprises a main bet controller for multiplying the regular credits placed on the selected outcome by a regular factor to determine credits earned with the regular bets and a bonus bet controller for multiplying the bonus credits placed on the selected outcome by a bonus factor to determine credits earned with the bonus bets, the bonus factor is greater than the regular factor, the credits earned with the regular and bonus bets are the bonus credits for placing the bonus bets over the course of subsequent ones of the games of the sequence. 
     
     
         16 . A method of operating a sequence of single games, the method comprising:
 selecting a next one of the games of the sequence at predetermined intervals of time;   accepting bets placed by a player on any of a set of outcomes of the last selected game;   selecting one of the outcomes;   determining the credits earned by the player with those of the bets placed on the selected outcome; and   incrementing the player's credit balance by at least a portion of the earned credits.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising determining whether the player is eligible to participate in the last selected game in accordance with rules of the game wherein the accepting bets is only performed if the player is eligible. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the determining whether the player is eligible comprises determining whether the last selected game is restricted to players that have earned credits in a previous one of the games, and the accepting bets is performed only if the player has earned the credits in the previous game. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the accepting bets comprises accepting regular bets placed with regular credits and bonus bets placed with bonus credits on any of the same set of game outcomes, the determining the bets earned by the player comprises multiplying the regular credits placed on the selected outcome by a regular factor to determine credits earned with the regular bets and multiplying the bonus credits placed on the selected outcome by a bonus factor to determine credits earned with the bonus bets, the bonus factor is greater than the regular factor. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the selecting a next one of the games is performed by automated operation of circuitry.