Nested Online Games for Real Money Gambling

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for executing nested online games. In a processor-executable method embodiment, operations include providing a graphical user interface (GUI) for a first online game and receiving a first game input from the user that represents a play according to game mechanics of the first online game. The embodiment also provides for displaying a GUI view for a second game and for receiving a second game input from the user representing a play according to game mechanics for the second game. The method provides to the user a payout for the first online game and a promotional payout that depends at least in part on a result related to the second game.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 providing, by a server, a graphical user interface (GUI) view for a first online game to be displayed on a device of a user;   receiving, at the server, a first game input from the device of the user that represents a first play according to game mechanics of the first online game;   providing, by the server, a GUI view for a second game to be displayed on the device of the user, the GUI view for the second game is overlaid on part of the GUI view for the first online game;   receiving, at the server, a second game input from the device of the user representing a second play according to game mechanics for the second game, the second game input is operable for producing a result related to the second game;   responsive to producing the result related to the second game, providing, by the server, the GUI view for the first online game to return to be fully displayed on the device of the user and providing to the user a payout for the first online game and a promotional payout that depends at least in part on the result related to the second game.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein when the first online game returns to be fully displayed on the device of the user, the GUI view for the second game is removed from being overlaid on part of the GUI view for the first online game. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said providing the GUI view for the second game activates the second game and said providing the GUI view for the first online game to return to be fully displayed deactivates the second game. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said providing the GUI view for the first online game and providing the GUI view for the second game enables the user to make progress in both the first online game and the second game sequentially. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein when the GUI view for the second game is subsequently displayed to the device of the user, the second game resumes from a game state caused by the second game input. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 verifying, at the server, that the user is eligible to play the first online game, the verifying includes determining that the user is old enough to legally play using data related to age obtained through an application programming interface (API).   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first online game is a real money game and the second game is not a real money game. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the payout for the first online game and the promotional payout are for real money. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said providing the payout for the first online game is calculated based on a paytable associated with the first online game, and wherein the promotional payout is based on a percentage of the payout for the first online game as calculated by the paytable. 
     
     
         10 . A method, comprising:
 providing, by a server, a graphical user interface (GUI) view for an online game to be displayed to a device of a user;   receiving, by the server, a first game input from the device of the user that represents a wager or a play according to game mechanics of the online game;   providing, by the server, a GUI view for a minigame to be displayed to the device of the user, the providing the GUI view for the minigame activates the minigame;   receiving, at the server, a second game input from the device of the user that represents a play according to game mechanics for the minigame, the second game input is operable for producing a result related to the minigame;   responsive to producing the result related to the minigame, providing, by the server, the GUI view for the first online game to return to be displayed on the device of the user that deactivates the minigame and providing a payout for the first online game to the user and providing a promotional payout that depends at least in part on the result related to the minigame to the user.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the online game is a real money game and the minigame is not a real money game. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the payout for the online game and the promotional payout are for real money. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the minigame is created from a full-length video game, the minigame being subset of the full-length video game. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the minigame is created from a social game, the minigame includes social-networking features that enable the user to invite a friend to assist with playing the minigame or to join the game, to broadcast an indication of a progress of the user with respect to the minigame. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said providing the GUI view for the online game and said providing the GUI view for the minigame enables the user to make progress in both the online game and the minigame sequentially. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein when the GUI view for the minigame is subsequently displayed to the device of the user, the minigame is configured to resume from a game state caused by the second game input. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 verifying, at the server, that the user is eligible to play the first online game, the verifying includes determining that the user is old enough to legally play using data related to age obtained through an application programming interface (API).   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said providing the payout for the online game is calculated based on a paytable associated with the first online game, and wherein the promotional payout is based on a percentage of the payout for the online game as calculated based on the paytable. 
     
     
         19 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program executable by a processor based system, comprising:
 program instructions for providing, by a server, a graphical user interface (GUI) view for a first online game to be displayed on a device of a user;   program instructions for receiving, at the server, a first game input from the device of the user that represents a first play according to game mechanics of the first online game;   program instructions for providing, by the server, a GUI view for a second game to be displayed on the device of the user, the GUI view is overlaid on part of the GUI view of the first online game;   program instructions for receiving, at the server, a second game input from the user representing a second play according to game mechanics for the second game, the second game input is operable for producing a result related to the second game;   program instructions for providing, by the server in response to said producing the result related to the second game, the GUI view for the first online game to return to be fully displayed on the device of the user and providing to the user a payout for the first online game and a promotional payout that depends at least in part on the result related to the second game.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 19 , wherein the first online game is a real money game and the second game is not a real money game, and wherein the payout for the first online game and the promotional payout are for real money.