Method of awarding a prize

Abstract

A method of awarding a prize to a user of an electronic gaming machine (EGM) in a network. The network includes a plurality of venues in which each venue includes at least one EGM. The method includes querying the EGMs to determine changes in win meters of the respective EGMs during a polling cycle. The change in the win meter representative of at least one of a number of wins or an amount won by the corresponding EGM over the cycle. The method also includes deciding to award the prize based on responses to the querying and selecting a winning venue from the network. The method also includes selecting a winning EGM at the winning venue, wherein probabilities of the respective EGMs being selected as the winning EGM are proportional to the changes in the win meters of the respective EGMs at the winning venue over the cycle.

1 . A method of awarding a prize to a user of an electronic gaming machine (EGM) in a network, the network including a plurality of venues in which each venue includes at least one EGM having a win meter, the method comprising:
 querying the EGMs to determine changes in the win meters of the respective EGMs during a polling cycle, the change in the win meter representative of at least one of a number of wins or an amount won by the corresponding EGM over the polling cycle;   deciding to award the prize based on responses to the querying;   selecting a winning venue from the network;   selecting a winning EGM at the winning venue, wherein probabilities of the respective EGMs being selected as the winning EGM are proportional to the changes in the win meters of the respective EGMs at the winning venue over the polling cycle.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the probabilities of the respective EGMs being selected as the winning EGM are directly proportional to the changes in the win meters of the respective EGMs. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the probabilities of the respective EGMs being selected as the winning EGM are directly proportional to the changes in the win meters of the respective EGMs and inversely proportional to a sum of the changes in the win meters of the EGMs in the network over the polling cycle. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the probabilities of the respective EGMs being selected as the winning EGM increase when the win meter of the respective EGMs increase and the probabilities decrease when the win meters of the respective EGMs decrease. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the probabilities of the respective EGMs being selected as the winning EGM increase when a sum of the changes in the win meters of the EGMs in the network over the polling cycle decreases and the probabilities decrease when the sum of the changes in the win meters of the EGMs in the network over the polling cycle increases. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the polling cycle is a designated amount of time that is less than or equal to 10 seconds. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein selecting the winning EGM from the winning venue occurs after determining to award the prize and is not based on previous changes in win meters of the EGMs in prior polling cycles. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein selecting a winning venue from the network includes:
 determining a venue hit number from within a range that is based on an accumulated change in winnings (ACW) over the polling cycle, the ACW being a sum of the changes in the win meters of the EGMs in the venues, wherein each of the venues has a venue sum that is a sum of the changes in the win meters of the EGMs over the polling cycle for the corresponding venue; and   incrementally summing the venue sums until a value of the summing equals or exceeds the venue hit number, wherein the venue associated with the venue sum that caused the value to equal or exceed the venue hit number is selected as the winning venue.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein selecting the winning venue and selecting the winning EGM occurs after the prize is determined to be awarded. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the probabilities of the respective EGMs being selected as the winning EGM are independent of amounts of turnover of the respective EGMs. 
     
     
         11 . A system for awarding a prize to a user of an electronic gaming machine (EGM) in a network, the network including a plurality of venues in which each venue includes at least one EGM having a win meter, the system comprising:
 a central prize controller configured to receive data from the EGMs, the data regarding changes in the win meters of the respective EGMs during a polling cycle, the change in the win meter representative of at least one of a number of wins or an amount won by the corresponding EGM over the polling cycle;   wherein the central prize controller includes a processor that selects a winning EGM at a winning venue, the winning venue being selected from one of the venues of the network, wherein probabilities of the respective EGMs being selected as the winning EGM are proportional to the changes in the win meters of the respective EGMs at the winning venue over the polling cycle.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the probabilities of the respective EGMs being selected as the winning EGM are directly proportional to the changes in the win meters of the respective EGMs. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the probabilities of the respective EGMs being selected as the winning EGM are directly proportional to the changes in the win meters of the respective EGMs and inversely proportional to a sum of the changes in the win meters of the EGMs in the network over the polling cycle. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the probabilities of the respective EGMs being selected as the winning EGM increase when the win meter of the respective EGMs increase and the probabilities decrease when the win meters of the respective EGMs decrease. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the probabilities of the respective EGMs being selected as the winning EGM increase when a sum of the changes in the win meters of the EGMs in the network over the polling cycle decreases and the probabilities decrease when the sum of the changes in the win meters of the EGMs in the network over the polling cycle increases. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the central prize controller is configured to select a winning venue from the venues of the network. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the central prize controller is configured to select the winning venue from the network by:
 determining a venue hit number from within a range that is based on an accumulated change in winnings (ACW) over the polling cycle, the ACW being a sum of the changes in the win meters of the EGMs in the venues, wherein each of the venues has a venue sum that is a sum of the changes in the win meters of the EGMs over the polling cycle for the corresponding venue; and   incrementally summing the venue sums until a value of the summing equals or exceeds the venue hit number, wherein the venue associated with the venue sum that caused the value to equal or exceed the venue hit number is selected as the winning venue.   
     
     
         18 . A method of awarding a prize to a user of an electronic gaming machine (EGM) in a network, the network including active venues in which each active venue of the network includes at least one EGM having a win meter that has changed during a polling cycle, the method comprising:
 deciding that the prize should be awarded;   selecting a winning venue from the active venues of the network, wherein selecting the winning venue includes:
 determining a venue hit number from within a range that is based on an accumulated change in winnings (ACW) over the polling cycle, the ACW being a sum of the changes in the win meters of the EGMs in the active venues, wherein each of the active venues has a venue sum that is a sum of the changes in the win meters of the EGMs over the polling cycle for the corresponding active venue; and 
 summing the venue sums until a value of the summing equals or exceeds the venue hit number, wherein the active venue associated with the venue sum that causes the value to equal or exceed the venue hit number is selected as the winning venue; and 
   awarding the prize to a user of the winning venue.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the network further comprises an inactive venue in which each inactive venue does not have an EGM with a win meter that has changed during the polling cycle. 
     
     
         20 . A method of awarding a prize to a user of an electronic gaming machine (EGM) in a network, the network including EGMs that have a win meter, wherein a change in the win meter is at least one of a number of wins or an amount won by the corresponding EGM over a polling cycle, the method comprising:
 determining that the prize should be awarded;   selecting a winning EGM from a set of the EGMs, wherein the set of the EGMs includes a plurality of the EGMs or all of the EGMs of the network, wherein selecting the winning EGM includes:
 determining an EGM hit number from within a range that is based on a sum of the changes of the win meters of the set of the EGMs over the polling cycle; and 
 summing the changes of the win meters of the set of the EGMs until a value of the summing equals or exceeds the EGM hit number, wherein the EGM associated with the change that caused the value to equal or exceed the EGM hit number is selected as the winning EGM; and 
   awarding the prize to a user of the winning EGM.