Abstract: A gaming system and method that enables the odds of obtaining a winning outcome or a designated outcome for a play of a game to change without modifying the paytable of the game. The gaming system makes a first determination using a first processor based on a paytable of a game. The gaming system makes a second determination using a second processor, where the second determination may be based, at least in part, on the wager amount. The gaming system displays a single game outcome to the player and either provides the player with the highest award resulting from the determinations or any awards resulting from the determinations.

Abstract: In various embodiments, the gaming system, gaming device, and method disclosed herein maintains a designated award which is associated with a variable score for a skill-based game. In one such embodiment, the gaming system enables a player to play a game, wherein the gaming system forms a score for the player. The player's formed score is based on zero, one or more inputs made by the player during the play of the skill-based game (i.e., which tends to measure one or more aspects of that player's skills). If the player's score does not reach the variable score associated with the designated award, the gaming system modifies the variable score associated with the designated award of that skill-based game. If the player's score reaches or exceeds the variable score associated with the designated award, the gaming system provides the player a designated quantity of opportunities to win the maintained designated award.

Abstract: A gaming system which provides the player a plurality of playing cards to form an initial primary card hand and also displays one or more other card hands. The player selects one or more of the initially dealt cards in the primary card hand to hold or to discard. The held cards are also held in one, more or each of the other simultaneously displayed hands. The gaming device evaluates the held cards and determines which card game outcomes are possible based on the held cards and the remaining cards in the deck. The gaming device utilizes a stored table of different distributions of card game outcomes which would result in each payout amount and a table regarding which card game outcomes are possible based on the player's held cards to determine a distribution of outcomes that provides a total payout equal to the payout of the predetermined game outcome.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide an electronic gaming machine having a default mode in which the electronic gaming machine provides a default average expected payback percentage for each play of a wagering game, and a different second hot mode in which the electronic gaming machine provides an increased average expected payback percentage for each play that wagering game. In The electronic gaming machine is in the default mode for certain periods of play, and is in the hot mode for certain periods of play when, in certain embodiments, a random determination is made that the hot mode will be employed. In various embodiments, players are not informed that the electronic gaming machine is in the hot mode.

Abstract: The gaming system, gaming device and method disclosed herein determines whether to provide at least one of the plurality of progressive awards to the player based on that player's measured level of skill in: (i) a plurality of plays of a partial skill-based game, (ii) a skill-based progressive award sequence, or (iii) a plurality of plays of a partial skill-based game and a skill-based progressive award sequence. The determination is based on zero, one or more inputs made by the player which tend to measure that player's level of skill in at least one of a partial skill-based game and a skill-based progressive award sequence.

Abstract: Gaming systems and methods providing a community selection game providing bonus game selection. In one embodiment, for each gaming device in the gaming system, when a triggering event occurs, the gaming system provides a player of that gaming device with a player identifier that uniquely identifies that player. The community selection game includes a plurality of bonus game identifiers each identifying a bonus game. The bonus game identifiers each include a limited quantity of bonus game player identifier display areas. The gaming system enables the players to place earned or received player identifiers at the bonus game player identifier display areas. When each bonus game player identifier display area of one of the displayed bonus game identifiers displays a player identifier, the players associated with those player identifiers are provided with one or more plays of the bonus game identified by that bonus game identifier.

Abstract: The gaming system receives a wager from a player for a play of a game including a plurality of multi-component symbols. Each of the multi-component symbols includes a plurality of symbol component locations. A plurality of the multi-component symbols include at least one of the symbol components in at least one of the symbol component locations. The gaming system randomly generates and displays a plurality of the multi-component symbols. The gaming system determines, for a first one of a designated number of the displayed multi-component symbols, a quantity of symbol component locations of the first one of the displayed multi-component symbols that display one of the symbol components and that correspond to a symbol component location of each of the other displayed multi-component symbols of the designated number of the displayed multi-component symbols that each display one of the symbol components. Any awards are determined based on the determined quantity.

Abstract: The gaming system receives a wager from a player for a play of a game including a plurality of multi-component symbols. Each of the multi-component symbols includes a plurality of symbol component locations. A plurality of the multi-component symbols include at least one of the symbol components in at least one of the symbol component locations. The gaming system randomly generates and displays a plurality of the multi-component symbols. The gaming system determines, for a first one of a designated number of the displayed multi-component symbols, a quantity of symbol component locations of the first one of the displayed multi-component symbols that display one of the symbol components and that correspond to a symbol component location of each of the other displayed multi-component symbols of the designated number of the displayed multi-component symbols that each display one of the symbol components. Any awards are determined based on the determined quantity.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a gaming system including a central controller, a central display which includes a plurality of display segments and a plurality player stations. The display segments are configured to each separately display one of a plurality of games, to co-act to display a plurality of games, or to co-act to display one game. Each player station is configured to enable a player to play one or more of the games displayed by the display segments. The gaming system enables a plurality of players to play a group game on the central display, a plurality of players to simultaneously play multiple group games on the central display, and a plurality of players to each simultaneously play multiple individual games on the central display.

Abstract: An poker game which provides a predetermined outcome to a player. In one embodiment, a plurality of playing cards are provided to a player wherein one or more of the provided playing cards are based on the predetermined game outcome. The player is enabled to select one or more of the initially dealt playing cards to hold or to discard. If a poker hand with an associated payout equal to the value associated with the predetermined game outcome may be obtained based on the held cards, the gaming device utilizes one or more backfill algorithms, to determine which card or cards, if any, need to be dealt to the player. The determined cards are provided to the player to replace the playing cards designated by the player to discard and the selected predetermined game outcome which is associated with a value equal to the payout of the player's poker hand is provided to the player.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a gaming system which may randomly generate a plurality of directional symbols. Each directional symbol may have an input direction and an output direction. The gaming system may analyze the generated directional symbols to determine whether any formed sets, chains or sequences of compatible directional symbols are associated with any awards. More specifically, the gaming system may determine whether to form any sets of compatible directional symbols based on if one or more input directions of one or more of the generated directional symbols are compatible with one or more output directions of one or more of the generated directional symbols. The gaming system then may determine and may provide a player an award based on one or more of any formed sets of compatible directional symbols.

Abstract: A gaming system providing a falling symbol obstacle board game. The gaming system displays a symbol starting position, a plurality of symbol ending positions, and a plurality of obstacles. The gaming system selects one of a plurality of symbols, displays the symbol moving from the symbol starting position into one of the symbol ending positions along one of a plurality of symbol paths through the obstacles, and displays the symbol at the symbol ending position at the end of the symbol path. The gaming system repeats selecting symbols, displaying the symbol moving from the symbol starting position to a symbol ending positions along a symbol path, and displaying the symbol at the symbol ending position at the end of the symbol path until a termination condition is satisfied, after which the gaming system determines whether any winning combinations of the symbols are displayed at the symbol ending positions.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a gaming system which may randomly generate a plurality of directional symbols. Each directional symbol may have an input direction and an output direction. The gaming system may analyze the generated directional symbols to determine whether any formed sets, chains or sequences of compatible directional symbols are associated with any awards. More specifically, the gaming system may determine whether to form any sets of compatible directional symbols based on if one or more input directions of one or more of the generated directional symbols are compatible with one or more output directions of one or more of the generated directional symbols. The gaming system then may determine and may provide a player an award based on one or more of any formed sets of compatible directional symbols.

Abstract: A gaming machine includes a display device and a processor coupled to the display device. The processor is configured to monitor at least one display property of a media display on the display device, detect that the at least one display property is equal or greater than a preselected threshold, and generate an alert in response to the detection.

Abstract: Methods and devices are provided for detecting and/or preventing cheating in online gaming. Some implementations provide gaming information in formats that are difficult for a bot to interpret, but which are preferably easy for humans to interpret. Some implementations of the invention involve the tracking and analysis of players' gaming activities. Some implementations of the invention provide a multi-tier approach to data analysis. Some analyses may be performed, for example, by a centralized computing device such as a server, whereas other analyses may be performed by a host device. In some implementations, “challenge and response” measures will be employed. Some implementations of the invention involve detection and prevention of collaboration between players.

Abstract: The gaming system and method disclosed herein provides a plurality of players with an opportunity to win a plurality of progressive awards maintained by the gaming system. The gaming system accumulates a quantity of progressive event points for each player playing at one of the gaming machines in the gaming system. In one embodiment, the gaming system uses an accumulated quantity of progressive event points for a designated player to determine which one or more of the progressive awards the designated player wins. In another embodiment, the gaming system uses an accumulated quantity of progressive event points to determine the designated player's probability of winning one or more of the progressive awards. Accordingly, the gaming system provides a point-based system in which either a progressive award to win or a probability of winning a progressive award is determined based on the quantities of progressive event points accumulated by the players.

Abstract: A central determination gaming system including a plurality of gaming terminals in communication with a central controller. In one embodiment, upon initiation of a game at one of the gaming terminals, the gaming terminal randomly generates a proposed game outcome. The proposed game outcome is communicated to the central controller. The central controller determines if a pool of predetermined game outcomes includes the proposed game outcome. If the pool includes the proposed game outcome, the central controller authorizes the proposed game outcome to be provided to the player, flags the authorized game outcome from further authorizations and communicates the authorized game outcome to the gaming terminal. The gaming terminal then provides the authorized game outcome to the player. If the pool does not include the proposed game outcome, the central controller discards the proposed game outcome and instructs the gaming terminal to generate another proposed game outcome for authorization.

Abstract: Gaming machines and systems having a universal interface layer linking a gaming platform to a hardware platform are disclosed. In particular, the universal interface layer is configured such that the gaming platform is hardware platform independent and such that the hardware platform is gaming platform independent. Platform independence can facilitate the interchangeability of one platform without a corresponding need to modify the other platform. The gaming platform can include various gaming modules and an operating system, while the universal interface layer can include firmware, various additional gaming modules, hardware specific drivers and various APIs to facilitate communication between the gaming platform and other universal interface layer components. A safe storage manager can be included to utilize a non-volatile storage component to store data regarding a gaming machine state, with the state being recoverable after a substantial interruption to the machine.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method of determining suitable paytables for wagering Solitaire games or type games and a gaming system, gaming device and method for providing such wagering games with such paytables. In one embodiment, the paytable includes the outcomes in the form of ranges of the total numbers of cards which are banked at the time play terminates and the awards associated with each range. In various embodiments, the paytable is constructed such that certain of the awards increase non-linearly as the ranges of numbers of banked cards increase. In other words, in various embodiments, certain awards in the paytable have a different upper ratio to the number of cards banked than other awards in the paytable. In various embodiments, the Solitaire game includes one stage or multiple stages. The present disclosure also provides a paytable for multiple related plays of the Solitaire game.

Abstract: The gaming system disclosed herein accounts for game play over a gaming session in determining a bonus game attribute for a triggered bonus game. The gaming system maintains a plurality of different bonus game attributes. Each different bonus game attribute is associated with a different bonus game attribute modification event and an initial probability of that bonus game attribute being selected for a play of a bonus game. For each bonus game attribute modification event that occurs, the gaming system modifies the probability that the associated bonus game attribute will be selected for a play of a bonus game. Upon an occurrence of a bonus game triggering event, the gaming system randomly selects one of the maintained bonus game attributes. The gaming system then displays a bonus game and determines a bonus game award utilizing the selected bonus game attribute.