Systems, methods, apparatus and computer-readable mediums for on-line gaming

Abstract

A gaming method, machine and system provide a game of chance which includes a skill feature ( 312 ). The gaming method according to one embodiment enables a player to access a game of chance (S 55 ), triggers (S 60 ), in the game of chance, a bonus feature when a predetermined scenario occurs in the game of chance, provides to the player a skill game within the bonus feature (S 3 ), and returns to the game of chance (S 85 ) after the skill game is completed by the player (S 70 ).

1 . A gaming method, said method comprising:
 enabling a player to access a game of chance;   triggering, in the game of chance, a bonus feature when a predetermined scenario occurs in said game of chance;   providing to the player a skill game within the bonus feature; and   returning to the game of chance after said skill game is completed by the player.   
     
     
         2 . The gaming method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the game of chance is a slot game. 
     
     
         3 . The gaming method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the outcome and/or payout of the bonus feature is determined by the player's skill. 
     
     
         4 . The gaming method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the outcome and/or payout of the bonus feature is determined by the player's skill, said outcome and/or payout affecting a likelihood for a win in said game of chance. 
     
     
         5 . The gaming method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 calculating a bonus payout for the player using the player's score from said skill game and a paytable of said bonus feature.   
     
     
         6 . The gaming method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said bonus feature includes a bonus paytable in which scores relate to a multiplier of a likelihood of a win from said game of chance. 
     
     
         7 . The gaming method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said bonus feature includes a bonus paytable in which scores relate to a multiplier of a stake from said game of chance, and said multiplier is a random scatter which gives the player a fixed multiple of the total stake for a spin in said game of chance. 
     
     
         8 . The gaming method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein multiple lines in the game of chance triggering the bonus feature provide multipliers to a stake of the skill game. 
     
     
         9 . The gaming method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein multiple feature symbols on a payline in said game of chance increase a payout of said skill game based on a bonus paytable. 
     
     
         10 . The gaming method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said skill game is implemented using an application programming interface (API) flash container solution, wherein content of the bonus feature is created in a container with configurable elements. 
     
     
         11 . The gaming method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said bonus feature offers at least one of
 a prize with a value increasing per player's score in said skill game, and   a cash bonus calculated based on a stake of the player and a bonus multiplier determined by the player's score in said skill game.   
     
     
         12 . The gaming method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing said enabling step on a social networking site.   
     
     
         13 . The gaming method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said triggering step is provided in one of:
 an online location accessed with a processor,   a gaming venue, and   a mobile device.   
     
     
         14 . The gaming method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein a paytable in the bonus feature provides different multipliers to a stake of said player per line, depending on a score band in which a score of said player in the skill game lies. 
     
     
         15 . The gaming method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein an arrangement of feature symbols in the game of chance triggers said bonus feature. 
     
     
         16 . The gaming method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of a line selection, a stake selection, a max bet selection and a spin are enabled in the game of chance. 
     
     
         17 . The gaming method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 enabling at least one of animations and audio to be played in the skill game.   
     
     
         18 . The gaming method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 requesting the player to register before accessing said game of chance.   
     
     
         19 . The gaming method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 obtaining data from a remote location pertaining to said bonus feature, in connection with said triggering step; and   retrieving a score of the player from said skill game and sending said score to said remote location.   
     
     
         20 . The gaming method as recited in  claim 1 ,
 wherein said skill game provides a video within the bonus feature, and a reward is given to the player depending on an action of the player in connection with the video,   wherein said reward is applied to the game of chance.   
     
     
         21 . The gaming method as recited in  claim 1 ,
 wherein said skill game provides a quiz within the bonus feature, and a reward is given to the player depending on a response of the player to a question in the quiz,   wherein said reward is applied to the game of chance.   
     
     
         22 . The gaming method as recited in  claim 1 ,
 wherein said skill game provides a set of options within the bonus feature, and a reward is given to the player depending on an option selected from said set of options,   wherein said reward is applied to the game of chance.   
     
     
         23 . A gaming machine, said machine comprising:
 at least one processor; and   a display device,   wherein
 said at least one processor enables a player to access a game of chance through said display device, 
 said at least one processor triggers, in the game of chance, a bonus feature when a predetermined scenario occurs in said game of chance; and 
 said at least one processor provides to the player a skill game within the bonus feature, 
   wherein said at least one processor returns the player to the game of chance after said skill game is completed by the player.   
     
     
         24 . The gaming machine as recited in  claim 23 , wherein the game of chance is a slot game. 
     
     
         25 . The gaming machine as recited in  claim 23 , wherein the outcome and/or payout of the bonus feature is determined by the player's skill. 
     
     
         26 . The gaming machine as recited in  claim 23 , wherein the outcome and/or payout of the bonus feature is determined by the player's skill, said outcome and/or payout affecting a likelihood for a win in said game of chance. 
     
     
         27 . The gaming machine as recited in  claim 23 , wherein said at least one processor:
 calculates a bonus payout for the player using the player's bonus score from said skill game and a paytable of said bonus feature.   
     
     
         28 . The gaming machine as recited in  claim 23 , wherein said bonus feature includes a bonus paytable in which scores relate to a multiplier of a slot stake from said game of chance. 
     
     
         29 . The gaming machine as recited in  claim 23 , wherein said bonus feature includes a bonus paytable in which scores relate to a multiplier of a stake from said game of chance, and
 said multiplier is a random scatter which gives the player a fixed multiple of the total stake for a spin in said game of chance.   
     
     
         30 . The gaming machine as recited in  claim 23 , wherein multiple lines triggering the bonus feature provide multipliers to a stake of the skill game. 
     
     
         31 . The gaming machine as recited in  claim 23 , wherein multiple feature symbols on a payline in said game of chance increase a payout of said skill game based on a bonus paytable. 
     
     
         32 . The gaming machine as recited in  claim 23 , wherein said skill game is implemented using an application programming interface (API) flash container solution, wherein content of the bonus feature is created in a container with configurable elements. 
     
     
         33 . The gaming machine as recited in  claim 23 , wherein said bonus feature offers at least one of
 a prize with a value increasing per player's score in said skill game, and   a cash bonus calculated based on a stake of the player and a bonus multiplier determined by the player's score in said skill game.   
     
     
         34 . The gaming machine as recited in  claim 23 , wherein said at least one processor enables the player to access the game of chance by connecting to a social networking site. 
     
     
         35 . The gaming machine as recited in  claim 23 , wherein said at least one processor triggers the bonus feature in one of:
 an online location,   a gaming venue, and   a mobile device.   
     
     
         36 . The gaming machine as recited in  claim 23 , wherein a paytable in the bonus feature provides different multipliers to a stake of said player per line, depending on a score band in which a score of said player in the skill game lies. 
     
     
         37 . The gaming machine as recited in  claim 23 , wherein an arrangement of feature symbols in the game of chance triggers said bonus feature. 
     
     
         38 . The gaming machine as recited in  claim 23 , wherein at least one of a line selection, a stake selection, a max bet selection and a spin are enabled in the game of chance. 
     
     
         39 . The gaming machine as recited in  claim 23 , wherein said at least one processor enables at least one of animations and audio to be played in the skill game. 
     
     
         40 . The gaming machine as recited in  claim 23 , further comprising:
 a processor requesting the player to register before accessing said game of chance.   
     
     
         41 . The gaming machine as recited in  claim 23 , wherein said at least one processor
 obtains data from a remote location pertaining to said bonus feature, and   retrieves a score of the player from said skill game and sends said score to said remote location.   
     
     
         42 . A gaming system comprising:
 a unit for a game of chance;   a skill unit; and   a skillgaming unit,   wherein the units are programmed to operate so that:
 the unit for the game of chance sends a request for a bonus round game session to the skill unit, during a game of chance played by a player, when a predetermined scenario occurs in said game of chance, 
 the skill unit sends session information to the unit for the game of chance, 
 the unit for the game of chance sends bonus round characteristics to the skillgaming unit, for the bonus round to be played by the player as a skill game, 
 the skillgaming unit sends a player score from said bonus round so that the score reaches the unit for the game of chance. 
   
     
     
         43 . The gaming system as recited in  claim 42 , wherein the game of chance is a slot game. 
     
     
         44 . The gaming system as recited in  claim 42 , further comprising a server controlling tournaments to enable the use of scores from the bonus feature in a tournament. 
     
     
         45 . The gaming system as recited in  claim 42 , further comprising a display unit illustrating at least one of a paytable function, a stake function, a lines function, a maxbet function, a spin function and an autospin function. 
     
     
         46 . The gaming system as recited in  claim 42 , wherein said paytable function launches a paytables section showing what the player can win on the game of chance and on the bonus feature. 
     
     
         47 . The gaming system as recited in  claim 42 , wherein said skillgaming unit or said unit for the game of chance are accessed from a social networking site. 
     
     
         48 . The gaming system as recited in  claim 42 , wherein said unit for the game of chance, skill unit and skillgaming unit are located at the same physical location. 
     
     
         49 . The gaming system as recited in  claim 42 , wherein
 said unit for the game of chance and said skill unit are located at different physical locations,   said unit for the game of chance is an online unit or an in-venue gaming unit, and   said skillgaming unit is provided at one of: an online location, a casino, and a government-sanctioned gaming facility.   
     
     
         50 . The gaming system as recited in  claim 42 , wherein said skillgaming unit is accessed by the player on-site or remotely using a user account. 
     
     
         51 . The gaming system as recited in  claim 42 , wherein said unit for the game of chance provides a reward to the player based on the score sent by the skillgaming unit. 
     
     
         52 . The gaming system as recited in  claim 42 , wherein
 said skill unit is located at an online site separately from said unit for the game of chance, and   a bonus round is played by the player on the skillgaming unit, at the location where said unit for the game of chance is located.   
     
     
         53 . The gaming system as recited in  claim 42 , wherein
 said skillgaming unit enables a player to practice a skill game which is similar to the bonus round, without accessing the unit for the game of chance.   
     
     
         54 . The gaming system as recited in  claim 42 , wherein
 said unit for the game of chance includes slots which display a plurality of pictures.   
     
     
         55 . The gaming system as recited in  claim 42 , wherein
 said unit for the game of chance includes at least one slot surrounded by a newsfeed describing the activity of another player.   
     
     
         56 . The gaming system as recited in  claim 42 , wherein
 the score is determined by the player's skill.   
     
     
         57 . The gaming system as recited in  claim 42 , wherein
 the score is determined by the player's skill, said score affecting a likelihood for a win in said game of chance.