Systems and methods for providing player rewards

Abstract

Players in a player loyalty scheme are awarded points based on their point-generating activity and are then ranked in order of generated points. Rank-based points are then associated with each rank according to a predefined mapping scheme. The rank-based point totals may be updated periodically. Rank-based points may also be used in tournament play.

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 place a wager on a play of a game, 
 (b) for the wagered on play of the game:
 (i) determine a game outcome, 
 (ii) display the determined game outcome, 
 (iii) determine any award associated with the determined game outcome, and 
 (iv) display any determined award, and 
 
 (c) in addition to any determined award associated with the determined game outcome:
 (i) track a first activity of the player, 
 (ii) track a second, different activity of the player, 
 (iii) determine a quantity of loyalty points, wherein said determined quantity is based on each of the tracked activities of the player, and 
 (iv) accumulate the determined quantity of loyalty points for the player. 
 
   
     
     
         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 determine the quantity of loyalty points based on a relative ranking of the player during a gaming session. 
     
     
         3 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the wager and any determined awards is at least one 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 loyalty points. 
     
     
         4 . 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 simultaneously track the first activity of the player and the second, different activity of the player. 
     
     
         5 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the first activity of the player is at least one activity selected from the group consisting of: the placement of the wager on the play of the game, a food purchase at a gaming establishment, an entertainment purchase at the gaming establishment, a transportation purchase at the gaming establishment, a lodging purchase at the gaming establishment, a merchandise purchase at the gaming establishment, a service purchase at the gaming establishment, a food purchase at at least one non-gaming establishment venue associated with the gaming establishment, an entertainment purchase at the at least one non-gaming establishment venue associated with the gaming establishment, a transportation purchase at the at least one non-gaming establishment venue associated with the gaming establishment, a lodging purchase at the at least one non-gaming establishment venue associated with the gaming establishment, a merchandise purchase at the at least one non-gaming establishment venue associated with the gaming establishment, and a service purchase at the at least one non-gaming establishment venue associated with the gaming establishment. 
     
     
         6 . The gaming system of  claim 5 , wherein the second activity of the player is at least one activity selected from the group consisting of: the placement of the wager on the play of the game, the food purchase at the gaming establishment, the entertainment purchase at the gaming establishment, the transportation purchase at the gaming establishment, the lodging purchase at the gaming establishment, the merchandise purchase at the gaming establishment, the service purchase at the gaming establishment, the food purchase at at least one non-gaming establishment venue associated with the gaming establishment, the entertainment purchase at the at least one non-gaming establishment venue associated with the gaming establishment, the transportation purchase at the at least one non-gaming establishment venue associated with the gaming establishment, the lodging purchase at the at least one non-gaming establishment venue associated with the gaming establishment, the merchandise purchase at the at least one non-gaming establishment venue associated with the gaming establishment, and the service purchase at the at least one non-gaming establishment venue associated with the gaming establishment. 
     
     
         7 . A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:
 (a) enabling a player to place a wager on a play of a game,   (b) for the wagered on play of the game:
 causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to determine a game outcome, 
 (ii) causing at least one display device to display the determined game outcome, 
 (iii) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine any award associated with the determined game outcome, and 
 (iv) causing the at least one display device to display any determined award, and 
   (c) in addition to any determined award associated with the determined game outcome:
 (i) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to track a first activity of the player, 
 (ii) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to track a second, different activity of the player, 
 (iii) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a quantity of loyalty points, wherein said determined quantity is based on each of the tracked activities of the player, and 
 (iv) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to accumulate the determined quantity of loyalty points for the player. 
   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine the quantity of loyalty points based on a relative ranking of the player during a gaming session. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein at least one of the wager and any determined awards is at least one 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 loyalty points. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to simultaneously track the first activity of the player and the second, different activity of the player. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the first activity of the player is at least one activity selected from the group consisting of: the placement of the wager on the play of the game, a food purchase at a gaming establishment, an entertainment purchase at the gaming establishment, a transportation purchase at the gaming establishment, a lodging purchase at the gaming establishment, a merchandise purchase at the gaming establishment, a service purchase at the gaming establishment, a food purchase at at least one non-gaming establishment venue associated with the gaming establishment, an entertainment purchase at the at least one non-gaming establishment venue associated with the gaming establishment, a transportation purchase at the at least one non-gaming establishment venue associated with the gaming establishment, a lodging purchase at the at least one non-gaming establishment venue associated with the gaming establishment, a merchandise purchase at the at least one non-gaming establishment venue associated with the gaming establishment, and a service purchase at the at least one non-gaming establishment venue associated with the gaming establishment. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the second activity of the player is at least one activity selected from the group consisting of: the placement of the wager on the play of the game, the food purchase at the gaming establishment, the entertainment purchase at the gaming establishment, the transportation purchase at the gaming establishment, the lodging purchase at the gaming establishment, the merchandise purchase at the gaming establishment, the service purchase at the gaming establishment, the food purchase at at least one non-gaming establishment venue associated with the gaming establishment, the entertainment purchase at the at least one non-gaming establishment venue associated with the gaming establishment, the transportation purchase at the at least one non-gaming establishment venue associated with the gaming establishment, the lodging purchase at the at least one non-gaming establishment venue associated with the gaming establishment, the merchandise purchase at the at least one non-gaming establishment venue associated with the gaming establishment, and the service purchase at the at least one non-gaming establishment venue associated with the gaming establishment. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 7 , which is provided 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, cause the at least one processor to:
 (a) enable a player to place a wager on a play of a game,   (b) for the wagered on play of the game:
 (i) determine a game outcome, 
 (ii) cause at least one display device to display the determined game outcome, 
 (iii) determine any award associated with the determined game outcome, and 
 (iv) cause the at least one display device to display any determined award, and 
   (c) in addition to any determined award associated with the determined game outcome:
 (i) track a first activity of the player, 
 (ii) track a second, different activity of the player, 
 (iii) determine a quantity of loyalty points, wherein said determined quantity is based on each of the tracked activities of the player, and 
 (iv) accumulate the determined quantity of loyalty points for the player. 
   
     
     
         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 determine the quantity of loyalty points based on a relative ranking of the player during a gaming session. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein at least one of the wager and any determined awards is at least one 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 loyalty points. 
     
     
         18 . 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 simultaneously track the first activity of the player and the second, different activity of the player. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the first activity of the player is at least one activity selected from the group consisting of: the placement of the wager on the play of the game, a food purchase at a gaming establishment, an entertainment purchase at the gaming establishment, a transportation purchase at the gaming establishment, a lodging purchase at the gaming establishment, a merchandise purchase at the gaming establishment, a service purchase at the gaming establishment, a food purchase at at least one non-gaming establishment venue associated with the gaming establishment, an entertainment purchase at the at least one non-gaming establishment venue associated with the gaming establishment, a transportation purchase at the at least one non-gaming establishment venue associated with the gaming establishment, a lodging purchase at the at least one non-gaming establishment venue associated with the gaming establishment, a merchandise purchase at the at least one non-gaming establishment venue associated with the gaming establishment, and a service purchase at the at least one non-gaming establishment venue associated with the gaming establishment. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 19 , wherein the second activity of the player is at least one activity selected from the group consisting of; the placement of the wager on the play of the game, the food purchase at the gaming establishment, the entertainment purchase at the gaming establishment, the transportation purchase at the gaming establishment, the lodging purchase at the gaming establishment, the merchandise purchase at the gaming establishment, the service purchase at the gaming establishment, the food purchase at at least one non-gaming establishment venue associated with the gaming establishment, the entertainment purchase at the at least one non-gaming establishment venue associated with the gaming establishment, the transportation purchase at the at least one non-gaming establishment venue associated with the gaming establishment, the lodging purchase at the at least one non-gaming establishment venue associated with the gaming establishment, the merchandise purchase at the at least one non-gaming establishment venue associated with the gaming establishment, and the service purchase at the at least one non-gaming establishment venue associated with the gaming establishment.