Abstract: An electronic gaming machine (EGM) is configured to run a persistence game having one or more recordable persistence states transferable to another EGM.

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.

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: Various techniques are disclosed for operating, at a live casino gaming table, a table game having a flat rate play session costing a flat rate price. In one embodiment, the flat rate play session may span multiple plays on the gaming table over a pre-established duration. In at least one embodiment, a given gaming table may be operable to simultaneously or concurrently host both flat rate game play and non-flat rate game play to different players at the gaming table. In one embodiment, the gaming table may include an intelligent multi-player electronic gaming system which is operable to identify price parameters, and/or operable to determine a flat rate price of playing a flat rate table game session based on those price parameters. Additional aspects relate to automated start/stop/suspend/end of flat rate table game sessions.

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: 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: 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: Novel methods, devices and systems are described for mapping pay amounts for a variety of Class III game themes to a common set of bingo pay amounts. Each Class III game theme may cause a different type of entertaining display on a gaming machine when bingo is played, based upon a corresponding Class III game. Preferably, each Class III game theme will offer game play and paytable percentages closely matching those of the original Class III game. Some implementations allow flexibility in matching the probabilities of bingo outcomes and Class III game outcomes by mapping ranges of Class III pay amounts to a single bingo pay amount. Some implementations provide a system wherein electronic gaming machines presenting entertaining displays of various Class III game themes are linked to a single bingo server.

Abstract: A central determination gaming system with a keno game. Upon a player initiating a game play at a gaming terminal, the gaming terminal enables the player to select a plurality of symbols. The gaming terminal accesses a standard set of predefined symbols for the specific game played. The gaming terminal bidirectionally maps the player's selected symbols with the standard set of predefined symbols. The gaming terminal receives a predetermined game outcome seed from a central controller. The gaming terminal utilizes the selected game outcome seed to generate a plurality of game symbols. The gaming terminal determines if each of the generated game symbols needs to be modified. If so, the gaming terminal modifies these generated game symbols based on the bidirectionally mapping, presents the modified game symbols to the player and provides the player a game outcome that is determined based on the selected game outcome seed.

Abstract: A gaming device includes a game having a plurality of reels and a plurality of symbol positions associated with the reels. The gaming device activates a number of the symbol positions based on a wager by a player. The gaming generates and displays a symbol in each of the active symbol positions. In one embodiment, the gaming device analyzes the generated symbols to determine whether any of the generated symbols are related. If the gaming device determines that any of the generated symbols are related, the gaming device determines whether any of the related symbols form a string of related symbols according to one or more designated rules employed in the game. If one or more strings of related symbols are formed in the game, the gaming device determines if any of the strings of related symbols are associated with any awards and provides such awards to the player.

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 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: A gaming system having a five card draw poker game is provided. An initial five card hand is dealt and a first draw card is revealed. The player may keep or discard the first draw card. After the player decides whether to keep or discard the first draw card, the player may replace cards in the initial hand. If the player selects to discard the first draw card, this card is not used as a replacement card to form a final hand. In certain implementations, the player first selects cards in the initial hand to replace. If the player elects to keep the first draw card, the gaming system displays a second draw card and the player may keep or discard the second draw card. This process continues until all discarded cards in the initial hand have been replaced or the player elects to discard one of the draw cards.

Abstract: A gaming system having a five card draw poker game is provided. An initial five card hand is dealt and a first draw card is revealed. The player may keep or discard the first draw card. After the player decides whether to keep or discard the first draw card, the player may replace cards in the initial hand. If the player selects to discard the first draw card, this card is not used as a replacement card to form a final hand. In certain implementations, the player first selects cards in the initial hand to replace. If the player elects to keep the first draw card, the gaming system displays a second draw card and the player may keep or discard the second draw card. This process continues until all discarded cards in the initial hand have been replaced or the player elects to discard one of the draw cards.

Abstract: A gaming system which provides the player a plurality of playing cards to form an initial primary poker hand and also displays one or more other poker hands. The player selects one or more of the initially dealt cards in the primary poker 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 poker 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 poker game outcomes which would result in each payout amount and a table regarding which poker 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: The invention is directed to methods and gaming units for conducting a multi-player wagering game, such as a Bingo game, in which at least one of the players may win the occurrence of the wagering game by matching a predetermined game-winning pattern of game indicia on one or more game arrays having unique combinations of game indicia based on matching the game indicia on the game arrays to game indicia randomly selected for the occurrence of the wagering game. The outcome of the multi-player wagering game may be displayed to the player at the gaming unit, along with an alternate outcome display at two or more alternate outcome display devices at the gaming unit. In one embodiment, an outcome of a Bingo game may be mapped to an outcome of a slot machine having a bonus feature such as a wheel. Outcomes of the Bingo game may then be displayed on the plurality of alternate display devices as outcomes of the slot game and accompanying bonus feature.

Abstract: The invention is directed to methods and gaming units for conducting a wagering game and an associated progressive jackpot. Players may win the wagering game, interim pattern awards and/or progressive jackpot awards by matching predetermined patterns with patterns formed on their unique game array with indicia matching selected indicia. The players may optionally participate and be eligible to win all or a portion of the progressive jackpot. In one embodiment, the player may be eligible for the progressive jackpot by wagering at least a minimum wager amount, and perhaps the maximum bet for the wagering game. In another embodiment, the player may affirmatively elect to be eligible for the progressive jackpot by placing a wager or fee in addition to a wager on the wagering game. Graphics corresponding to the progressive jackpot may be optionally displayed only to players eligible to win the progressive jackpot.

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: 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: 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.