Gaming system and method of providing a gaming session

Abstract

A method and apparatus for operating a gaming device having a flat rate play session costing a flat rate price. The flat rate play session spans multiple plays on the gaming device over a pre-established duration. The gaming device identifies price parameters and determines the flat rate price of playing the gaming device based on those price parameters. In one embodiment, identifying price parameters includes receiving player selected price parameters. Once the player initiates play, the gaming device tracks the duration remaining in the flat rate play session and stops the play when the given period has elapsed. During the play, payouts are made either directly to the player in the form of coins or indirectly in the form of credits to the player's credit account.

The invention is claimed as follows: 
     
         1 . A gaming system comprising:
 at least one display device;   at least one input device;   at least one processor; and   at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to:
 (a) enable a player to select at least one of a plurality of different gaming session features, and 
 (b) for each of a plurality of distinct plays of a wagering game of a gaming session:
 (i) enable the player to place a wager, 
 (ii) randomly generate a game outcome, 
 (iii) display the generated game outcome, 
 (iv) determine any award associated with the generated game outcome, and 
 (v) display any determined award, wherein at least one of: the randomly generated game outcome, the displayed game outcome, any determined award associated with the generated game outcome and any displayed award associated with the generated game outcome is based, at least in part, on the at least one player selected gaming session feature. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to enable the player to select one of a plurality of different feature packages. 
     
     
         3 . The gaming system of  claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of different feature packages include at least one of the plurality of different gaming session features. 
     
     
         4 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the gaming session includes a flat rate play session, wherein a payment associated with the flat rate play session is received prior to any play of any of the plurality of distinct plays of the wagering game and a sum of the wagers placed on each of the plays of the wagering game at least equals the payment received in association with the flat rate play session. 
     
     
         5 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of: at least one of the wagers placed and at least one of any determined awards is selected from the group consisting of: a quantity of monetary credits, a quantity of non-monetary credits, a quantity of promotional credits, and a quantity of player tracking points. 
     
     
         6 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of different gaming session features include at least one selected from the group consisting of: a modified award associated with a designated game outcome, a quantity of distinct plays of the wagering game of the gaming session, a duration associated with the plurality of distinct plays of the wagering game of the gaming session, a paytable associated with at least one of the plurality of distinct plays of the wagering game of the gaming session, and an available wager amount associated with at least one of the plurality of distinct plays of the wagering game of the gaming session. 
     
     
         7 . A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:
 (a) enabling a player to select at least one of a plurality of different gaming session features, and   (b) for each of a plurality of distinct plays of a wagering game of a gaming session:
 (i) enabling the player to place a wager, 
 (ii) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to randomly generate a game outcome, 
 (iii) causing at least one display device to display the generated game outcome, 
 (iv) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine any award associated with the generated game outcome, and 
 (v) causing the at least one display device to display any determined award, wherein at least one of: the randomly generated game outcome, the displayed game outcome, any determined award associated with the generated game outcome and any displayed award associated with the generated game outcome is based, at least in part, on the at least one player selected gaming session feature. 
   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , which includes enabling the player to select one of a plurality of different feature packages. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein each of the plurality of different feature packages include at least one of the plurality of different gaming session features. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the gaming session includes a flat rate play session, wherein a payment associated with the flat rate play session is received prior to any play of any of the plurality of distinct plays of the wagering game and a sum of the wagers placed on each of the plays of the wagering game at least equals the payment received in association with the flat rate play session. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein at least one of: at least one of the wagers placed and at least one of any determined awards is selected from the group consisting of: a quantity of monetary credits, a quantity of non-monetary credits, a quantity of promotional credits, and a quantity of player tracking points. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the plurality of different gaming session features include at least one selected from the group consisting of: a modified award associated with a designated game outcome, a quantity of distinct plays of the wagering game of the gaming session, a duration associated with the plurality of distinct plays of the wagering game of the gaming session, a paytable associated with at least one of the plurality of distinct plays of the wagering game of the gaming session, and an available wager amount associated with at least one of the plurality of distinct plays of the wagering game of the gaming session. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 7 , which is operated through a data network. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the data network is an internet. 
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory computer readable medium including a plurality of instructions, which when executed by at least one processor for a play of a game, cause the at least one processor to:
 (a) enable a player to select at least one of a plurality of different gaming session features, and   (b) for each of a plurality of distinct plays of a wagering game of a gaming session:
 (i) enable the player to place a wager, 
 (ii) randomly generate a game outcome, 
 (iii) cause at least one display device to display the generated game outcome, 
 (iv) determine any award associated with the generated game outcome, and 
 (v) cause the at least one display device to display any determined award, wherein at least one of: the randomly generated game outcome, the displayed game outcome, any determined award associated with the generated game outcome and any displayed award associated with the generated game outcome is based, at least in part, on the at least one player selected gaming session feature. 
   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to enable the player to select one of a plurality of different feature packages. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein each of the plurality of different feature packages include at least one of the plurality of different gaming session features. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the gaming session includes a flat rate play session, wherein a payment associated with the flat rate play session is received prior to any play of any of the plurality of distinct plays of the wagering game and a sum of the wagers placed on each of the plays of the wagering game at least equals the payment received in association with the flat rate play session. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein at least one of: at least one of the wagers placed and at least one of any determined awards is selected from the group consisting of: a quantity of monetary credits, a quantity of non-monetary credits, a quantity of promotional credits, and a quantity of player tracking points. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of different gaming session features include at least one selected from the group consisting of: a modified award associated with a designated game outcome, a quantity of distinct plays of the wagering game of the gaming session, a duration associated with the plurality of distinct plays of the wagering game of the gaming session, a paytable associated with at least one of the plurality of distinct plays of the wagering game of the gaming session, and an available wager amount associated with at least one of the plurality of distinct plays of the wagering game of the gaming session.