Gaming machine, networked gaming system and method with a dynamic bingo card

Abstract

A system, apparatus, and method are disclosed with one or more dynamic bingo cards or artifices wherein each daubed number on a bingo card is removed from its initial location and re-located to the last position of the payline on which the daubed number is positioned and at least one other number on the associated payline is moved to replace the position vacated by the daubed number. Once the final number is drawn, paylines with all daubed numbers are paid according to the paytable. If all positions on a bingo card are daubed, then a progressive or other jackpot award may be paid.

1 . A method of operating a gaming machine, the method including:
 (a) displaying a graphic representation of a bingo card at a display device of the gaming machine, the bingo card being displayed with randomly populated indicia from a finite set of indicia to form one or more paylines through the bingo card;   (b) with a game processor associated with the gaming machine, randomly selecting a number of indicia from the finite set and for each selected indicia determining whether the respective selected indicia matches one of the populated indicia;   (c) for each selected indicia matching one of the populated indicia, (i) daubing the respective matched populated indicia in the displayed bingo card by changing an appearance of the matched populated indicia on the display device to a daubed appearance, and (ii) moving that daubed indicia to a new position in the payline of the bingo card in which the respective matched populated indicia is located no further than any undaubed populated indicia in a daubed indicia collection direction defined for that payline, and (iii) shifting each populated indicia between the original position of that daubed indicia and the new position of that daubed indicia one position toward the original position of that daubed indicia; and   (d) awarding a prize for any payline through the bingo card which includes a number of daubed indicia defined in a paytable for the gaming machine as a winning payline, the paytable correlating each winning payline to a respective prize.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the bingo card includes a set of columns of n indicia, wherein each column of n indicia is defined as a payline, wherein any column with all daubed indicia is defined as a respective winning payline, and wherein the daubed indicia collection direction for a respective column is the direction from the bottom to the top of that column. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the new position is the lower-most position on each column. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the bingo card includes a set of rows of m indicia, wherein each row of m indicia is defined as a payline, wherein any row with all daubed indicia is defined as a respective winning payline, and the daubed indicia collection direction for the respective row is the direction from the right to the left of that row. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the new position is the right-most position on each row. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the bingo card includes a set of left-to-right diagonals of x indicia, wherein each left-to-right diagonal of x indicia is defined as a payline, wherein a left-to-right diagonal with all daubed indicia is defined as a respective winning payline, and wherein the daubed indicia collection direction is the direction from the right to left along the respective left-to-right diagonal. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the new position is the right-most position on each left-to-right diagonal. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the bingo card includes a set of right-to-left diagonals of y indicia, wherein each right-to-left diagonal of y indicia is defined as a payline, wherein a right-to-left diagonal with all daubed indicia is defined as a respective winning payline, and wherein the daubed indicia collection direction is the direction from the left to right along the respective right-to-left diagonal. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the new position is the left-most position on each right-to-left diagonal. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  further including providing an option at the gaming machine for a player to select one or more types of paylines for each game, wherein the types of paylines include one or more of columns, rows, left-to-right diagonals, and right-to-left diagonals. 
     
     
         11 . A gaming system including:
 (a) a player input system;   (b) a display system;   (c) at least one processor; and   (d) at least one memory device storing instructions executable by the at least one processor to:
 (i) receive a play input for a wagering game through the player input system, the player input being associated with a wager for the wagering game; 
 (ii) cause the display system to display a graphic representation of a bingo card, the bingo card being displayed with randomly populated indicia from a finite set of indicia to form one or more paylines through the bingo card; 
 (iii) randomly select a number of indicia from the finite set and for each selected indicia determining whether the respective selected indicia matches one of the populated indicia; 
 (iv) for each selected indicia matching one of the populated indicia, daub the respective matched populated indicia in the displayed bingo card by changing an appearance of the matched populated indicia on the display device to a daubed appearance, and move that daubed indicia to a new position in the payline of the bingo card in which the respective matched populated indicia is located no further than any undaubed populated indicia in a daubed indicia collection direction defined for that payline, and shift each populated indicia between the original position of that daubed indicia and the new position of that daubed indicia one position toward the original position of that daubed indicia; and 
 (v) award a prize for any payline through the bingo card which includes a number of daubed indicia defined in a paytable for the gaming machine as a winning payline, the paytable correlating each winning payline to a respective prize. 
   
     
     
         12 . The gaming system of  claim 11  wherein the bingo card includes a set of columns of n indicia, wherein each column of n indicia is defined as a payline, wherein any column with all daubed indicia is defined as a respective winning payline, and wherein the daubed indicia collection direction for a respective column is the direction from the bottom to the top of that column. 
     
     
         13 . The gaming system of  claim 11  wherein the bingo card includes a set of rows of m indicia, wherein each row of m indicia is defined as a payline, wherein any row with all daubed indicia is defined as a respective winning payline, and the daubed indicia collection direction for the respective row is the direction from the right to the left of that row. 
     
     
         14 . The gaming system of  claim 11  wherein the bingo card includes a set of left-to-right diagonals of x indicia, wherein each left-to-right diagonal of x indicia is defined as a payline, wherein a left-to-right diagonal with all daubed indicia is defined as a respective winning payline, and wherein the daubed indicia collection direction is the direction from the right to left along the respective left-to-right diagonal. 
     
     
         15 . The gaming system of  claim 11  wherein the bingo card includes a set of right-to-left diagonals of y indicia, wherein each right-to-left diagonal of y indicia is defined as a payline, wherein a right-to-left diagonal with all daubed indicia is defined as a respective winning payline, and wherein the daubed indicia collection direction is the direction from the left to right along the respective right-to-left diagonal. 
     
     
         16 . A program product stored on one or more tangible, non-transitory data storage devices, the program product including:
 (a) initial display program code executable by the at least one processor to cause a gaming machine display device to display a graphic representation of a bingo card, the bingo card being displayed with randomly populated indicia from a finite set of indicia to form one or more paylines through the bingo card;   (b) indicia selection and matching program code executable by at least one processor to randomly select a number of indicia from a finite set of indicia, and for each selected indicia determine whether the respective selected indicia matches one of the populated indicia;   (c) daubing program code executable by the at least one processor to, for each selected indicia matching one of the populated indicia, (i) daub the respective matched populated indicia in the displayed bingo card by changing an appearance of the matched populated indicia on the display device to a daubed appearance, and (ii) move that daubed indicia to a new position in the payline of the bingo card in which the respective matched populated indicia is located no further than any undaubed populated indicia in a daubed indicia collection direction defined for that payline, and (iii) shift each populated indicia between the original position of that daubed indicia and the new position of that daubed indicia one position toward the original position of that daubed indicia; and   (d) award program code executable by the at least one processor to award a prize for any payline through the bingo card which includes a number of daubed indicia defined in a paytable for the gaming machine as a winning payline, the paytable correlating each winning payline to a respective prize.   
     
     
         17 . The program product of  claim 16  wherein the bingo card includes a set of columns of n indicia, wherein each column of n indicia is defined as a payline, wherein any column with all daubed indicia is defined as a respective winning payline, and wherein the daubed indicia collection direction for a respective column is the direction from the bottom to the top of that column. 
     
     
         18 . The program product of  claim 16  wherein the bingo card includes a set of rows of m indicia, wherein each row of m indicia is defined as a payline, wherein any row with all daubed indicia is defined as a respective winning payline, and the daubed indicia collection direction for the respective row is the direction from the right to the left of that row. 
     
     
         19 . The program product of  claim 16  wherein the bingo card includes a set of left-to-right diagonals of x indicia, wherein each left-to-right diagonal of x indicia is defined as a payline, wherein a left-to-right diagonal with all daubed indicia is defined as a respective winning payline, and wherein the daubed indicia collection direction is the direction from the right to left along the respective left-to-right diagonal. 
     
     
         20 . The program product of  claim 16  wherein the bingo card includes a set of right-to-left diagonals of y indicia, wherein each right-to-left diagonal of y indicia is defined as a payline, wherein a right-to-left diagonal with all daubed indicia is defined as a respective winning payline, and wherein the daubed indicia collection direction is the direction from the left to right along the respective right-to-left diagonal.