Abstract: A progressive jackpot slot machine, or group of slot machines, is described herein. A plurality of progressive jackpots are accumulated as the slot machine is played. In one preferred embodiment, a first progressive jackpot is accumulated at a first rate, and a second progressive jackpot is accumulated at a rate higher than the first rate. Additional jackpots accumulate at higher rates. The betting of additional monetary amounts enables the player to win additional jackpots. This provides added incentive for the player to bet additional monetary amounts.

Abstract: Gaming methods, apparatus, and program products prompt players to move between different gaming machines or player stations included in a gaming system. One preferred method includes receiving a player input at a first player station in a network gaming system. Upon receiving the player input at the first player station, a station changing prompt is produced at the first player station. A multi-station game result for the player is then awarded to the player after the player makes some input at a second player station in the system.

Abstract: A convertible in-revenue and out-of-revenue gaming system is disclosed that includes a server connected to automatically convert operating modes and control in-revenue and out-of-revenue operation of one or more banks of gaming machines wherein each of the gaming machines includes a video camera connected to capture live player video feed during competition or tournament operating mode, and each of the gaming machines is operable to display a tournament game presentation simultaneously with a player dashboard. The player dashboard includes a display of the live player video, the player position, the player score, and remaining time in the competition or tournament.

Abstract: A game server communicates game record groups to a site controller associated with a gaming site, and the site controller stores the game record groups in associated data storage. The site controller selects one of the stored game record groups in response to a game availability request associated with a respective game presentation, and communicates the selected game record group from the site controller to a player station services controller associated with the gaming site. The player station services controller stores that respective game record group in its associated data storage device and communicates data from a respective game record to a player station in response to a game play request from the player station, thereby allowing the player station to present a player with a lottery game result for the game play request.

Abstract: A reveal request is initiated through a result reveal station by a person (user) who has previously been assigned a number of sweepstakes entries in an assignment order from a set of available sweepstakes entries for a sweepstakes game. This reveal request represents a request to reveal one or more of the results associated with the assigned sweepstakes entries. The reveal station employs a game presentation including various graphics and audio effects to show sweepstakes results in an entertaining fashion. In response to the reveal request, or perhaps even prior to the reveal request, one or more sweepstakes entries are selected to be revealed for the reveal request. The sweepstakes entries are selected in an order different from the order in which the sweepstakes entries were assigned to the user based on a set of game characteristics associated with the game presentation provided at the reveal station.

Abstract: A lottery gaming system utilizes one or more distribution groups of game play records. The gaming system preferably distributes a distribution group of game play records to each of a number of assignment components in the gaming system. Various ones of the play records are assigned from a distribution group in response to game play requests from respective players. The game play records that remain unassigned after a collection condition is met are collected and used to form a new distribution group available for re-distributing to an assignment component in the gaming system.

Abstract: A promotion index value is produced for a player in a bingo game. This promotion index value is then used in assigning a prize to the player for their participation in the bingo game. In one embodiment, a particular bingo pattern achieved in a bingo game is associated with an initial index value. The promotion index value is then produced and added to the initial index value to produce a final index value. This final index value is then used to look up an associated bingo game prize which is assigned to the player.

Abstract: A gaming result system is provided with program products, methods, and apparatus to implement an updatable prize result structure. The result structure having several first level result identifiers and an additional second level result. First level results are each associated with an expected number of plays per game. As with each first result level, the additional second result levels are each associated with a respective number of results per given number of plays. In contrast to first level results, the second level results correlate to a game operator assigned value which may be modified during game play to change results provided in subsequent games.

Abstract: Each bingo card representation matched with a game designation set in a given bingo game (a “matched bingo card representation”) represents a respective game play record providing a result in the bingo game. The result represented by a matched bingo card representation is displayed to a player in the bingo-type game through a result representation provided at a suitable player station. Each result representation is correlated to one or more game results in the bingo-type game so that each game result in the bingo-type game is associated with a result representation. According to the invention, each result representation includes a graphical representation unrelated to the bingo-type game.

Abstract: Players participate in bingo-type games through player stations each having a suitable player interface. Once a player is assigned a bingo card representation and a game designation set is associated with the bingo card representation, daubing the bingo card representation may be performed manually by the player at the player's respective player station using a suitable interface at the player station. Alternatively to manual daubing, the present invention includes automatically daubing one or more bingo card representations in response to an automatic daub input made by the player at the player station using a suitable input device.

Abstract: A decision field is displayed having a number of result tokens spaced apart at different locations about the decision field, with each result token displaying a respective potential result. A decision point is also displayed within the decision field. This decision point is associated with two or more direction options which are preferably graphically depicted along with the decision point, and the player is enabled to make a direction input to select one of the direction options. Once the player has made their direction input to select one of the direction options associated with the decision point, a graphically depicted player token is caused to traverse the decision field along a player token path that includes a path portion associated with the selected direction option. The player token path may eventually intersect one or more result tokens of the decision field and the player is then awarded the potential result displayed by the respective result token or tokens intersected by the player token path.

Abstract: A method for detecting potential money-laundering activities or other illegal activities in the use of a gaming accounting system includes collecting data regarding a player's activity in a gaming system. The gaming system activity data is collected in terms of a gaming activity network, that is, a series of linked activities or events, and/or objects associated with activities or events. In response to a predefined event such as a cash out or credit redemption transaction request initiated by the player, the method includes evaluating the collected data to identify potentially illegal or prohibited activity. In the event illegal activity is indicated, the method includes taking some corrective action such as producing an operator alert to the potential illegal activity.

Abstract: A method includes issuing a physical bingo card. This physical bingo card is associated with a layout of spots or locations and bingo designations representing a bingo card or “card bingo structure.” The method also includes identifying the card bingo structure through a player station and collecting a game play request entered from the player station with at least one additional game play request to form a game group. The game play request is associated with the card bingo structure and each additional game play request in the game group is associated with a respective additional bingo structure. Once the game group is formed, a bingo game may be conducted between the card bingo structure and each additional bingo structure to identify a bingo game result for the card bingo structure and preferably each additional bingo structure. The bingo game result for the card bingo structure is then displayed at the player station.

Abstract: A pattern probability (302) is determined for each of a number of target patterns (301) achievable in a bingo-type game. Each pattern probability (302) comprises a probability of achieving the respective target pattern (301) in the bingo-type game. Different pattern sets are then associated with each different prize level in a desired prize distribution. The target patterns (301) and their respective pattern probabilities (302) are assigned or mapped to the different pattern sets so that the probability of achieving any target pattern included in a pattern set comprises a value approximating the desired probability of the prize level with which the pattern set is associated.

Abstract: Players participate in bingo-type games through player stations each having a suitable player interface. The player may manually select between multiple modes in which the player's bingo card representations are daubed. In one daub mode, once a player is assigned a bingo card representation and a game designation set is associated with the bingo card representation, daubing the bingo card representation must be performed manually by the player at the player's respective player station using a suitable interface at the player station. In a card daub mode, one or more of the player's bingo card representations is automatically daubed in response to a card daub input made by the player at the player station using a suitable input device. In a game daub mode, one or more of the player's bingo card representations are daubed without any action by the player other than the player's selection of the game daub mode and the player's submission of a request to enter a bingo game offered by the system.

Abstract: A gaming system (10) utilizes a game designation generating component (16), a gaming establishment component (11), and a set of predefined bingo card representations. Each bingo card representation is stored in electronic format as a data structure or data record defining a predefined pattern of game designations chosen from a pool of available designations. The game designation generating component (16) generates sets of game designations from a pool of available designations. The method employed in the gaming system (10) includes pre-matching the bingo card representations to a given set of game designations to produce a matched card set. This pre-matching occurs prior to the sale, distribution, or assignment of card representations to players in the game.

Abstract: A computer system includes a plurality of installation code elements (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47). Each installation code element is associated with a particular system connector (11, 12, 13, 14, 19, 24, 25a, 25b) and the respective external connector (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36a, 36b, 37) which connects with the particular system connector. The installation code element marks both the respective system connector and associated external connector, and also marks the installation documentation (51) included with the system. This installation documentation contains a plurality of information sections (52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59), with each information section providing information relating to making the connection between a particular system connector and its corresponding external connector. Each information section is marked with the same installation code element which also marks the system connector and external connector to which the information section pertains.

Abstract: A capacitor structure (10) is implemented in an integrated circuit chip (11) along with other devices at the device level in the chip structure. The method of manufacturing the capacitor includes forming an elongated device body (17) on a semiconductor substrate from a first semiconductor material. Fabrication also includes forming lateral regions (20, 22) on both lateral sides of this device body (17). These lateral regions (20, 22) are formed from a second semiconductor material. A dielectric layer (28) is formed over both lateral regions (20, 22) and the device body (17), while an anode layer (30) is formed over the dielectric layer in an area defined by the device body. Each lateral region (20, 22) is coupled to ground at a first end (25) of the elongated device body (17). The anode (30) is coupled to the chip supply voltage at a second end (33) of the device body opposite to the first end. The entire structure is designed and dimensioned to form an area-efficient and high-frequency capacitor.