Abstract: An electronic gaming device includes a cabinet having a display for presenting a game to a player and a button deck configured to receive a player input for the game. The button deck includes a housing defining an internal cavity and an access door coupled to the housing. The access door is configured to move relative to the housing between open and closed positions. The housing defines an opening providing access to the internal cavity when the access door is opened. The electronic gaming device further includes a latch coupled to the housing that engages and locks the access door in the closed position. An actuator is coupled to the latch for controlling the latch to release the access door. The actuator extends within the internal cavity from the latch and is accessible at a position of the button deck that is spaced from the access door.

Abstract: A robot includes a secure storage area, a camera, a propulsion system, a memory device, and a processor. The processor is configured to receive a request for drop box services within a casino, the request including a pickup location and a requestor, control the propulsion system to navigate the robot to the pickup location within the casino, and authenticate an identity of the requestor in response to arriving at the pickup location. The processor is also configured to provide the requestor access to the secure storage area in response to authenticating the identity of the requestor, detect receipt, from the requestor, of at least one value instrument within the secure storage area, lock the secure storage area, and provide a receipt to the requestor in response to receiving the at least one value instrument within the secure storage area.

Abstract: A system includes a smart table configured to provide a wagering game. The smart table includes a plurality of player positions, and each player position is associated with at least one radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader of a plurality of RFID readers, each of which is configured to read data from one or more RFID chips on the smart table. The system is configured to identify a player at a player position of the plurality of player positions, and determine, using at least one RFID reader associated with the player position, a turnover accumulated by the player during a specified period, where the turnover is an aggregate amount wagered during the specified period. The system is further configured to compare the turnover accumulated by the player to a threshold turnover, and if the accumulated turnover at least meets the threshold turnover, to provide a bonus award to the player.

Abstract: An integrated active control system includes gaming devices, a server, and a network connecting the server and gaming devices. The gaming devices include gaming terminals and gaming tables. The integrated active control system aggregates gaming transaction information from the gaming devices and determines, for example, the effectiveness of the gaming establishment's floor configuration. Based on this effectiveness determination, at least one of the gaming devices are instructed to change their configuration. Staffing information may also be considered and reconfigured. The integrated active control system further monitors and configures gaming chips. The gaming chips are programmable, and may store monetary chip value and chip identification information. The programmable gaming chips are monitored for tracking the wagers made with the chips as well as for detecting their location.

Abstract: Systems and techniques for providing multilevel autonomous tournaments for wagering game are provided. In some implementations, players may earn entry into such a tournament by meeting one or more criteria and then be associated with a tournament entry for that tournament. Each tournament entry may be associated with a set of tournament entries and, after a requisite number of tournament entries for a given tournament entry set has been associated with players, a selection of a tournament entry, and thus at least implicitly a player, may be made. The players selected in such a selection event may then be associated with a tournament entry in a next-highest tournament tier. Such selections may occur until a single player is selected from the highest-ranked tournament tier of the tournament.

Abstract: An electronic gaming machine (EGM) that uses a feature symbol set and plurality of reel sets, where each feature symbol defines an inactive feature symbol and an activated feature symbol, and where each reel set includes reels that use an activated feature symbol. The EGM identifies a selected reel set that includes an activated feature symbol and initiates a spin. The EGM cause first and second reels to stop spinning and, in response to determining that at least one first activated symbol appears on each of the first and second reels, triggers a feature causing one or more overlay symbols with prize identifiers to be overlaid onto a play area. The EGM stop the spinning of the other reels, evaluates an outcome of the spin that includes at least one overlay symbol with an associated prize identifier, and awards a prize indicated by the prize identifier based on the evaluation.

Abstract: A symbol frame mechanic for a gaming device is described. The symbol frame mechanic generates a random based game outcome in a first game instance that includes a special symbol and determines that the special symbol lands within a symbol window position with a preexisting symbol frame. The symbol frame mechanic generates an upgraded symbol frame at the symbol window position. The symbol frame mechanic resets a count indicative of a number of remaining spins left before the preexisting symbol frame expires to a designated number of remaining spins. The symbol frame mechanic generates a random based game outcome in a second game instance that includes a credit symbol. The symbol frame mechanic determines that the credit symbol lands within the symbol window position with the upgraded symbol frame and triggers a payout for the credit symbol that lands in the upgraded symbol frame.

Abstract: Nested frenzy modes for games of chance are disclosed. When a first frenzy mode is activated, opportunities are provided to obtain first frenzy item symbols as part of game outcomes. Each first frenzy item symbol that is obtained in an outcome may cause a number of obtained frenzy items of a featured set of frenzy items to be incremented by a first value. When all frenzy items in the featured set of frenzy items are obtained, a featured set prize is awarded and a new set of frenzy items presented. Additionally, there are opportunities within the first frenzy mode to trigger a second frenzy mode in which second frenzy item symbols are potentially obtainable. Should a second frenzy item symbol be obtained, then the number of obtained frenzy items of the featured set of frenzy items may be incremented by a second value that is greater than the first value.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a gaming system, method, and device may have a memory having a plurality of power management rules and a processor configured to receive a power status information from another device, retrieve at least one power management rule from the memory, and configure a power state of the gaming device or its peripheral device based on the power status information and the at least one power management rule.

Abstract: Disclosed are gaming systems, methods and machines for a gaming cabinet configuration. In particular, the gaming systems, methods and machines may incorporate gaming cabinets that include one or more curved or arcuate screens, one or more candles integrated into the gaming cabinet, and/or one or more diffuse lighting elements to provide lighting features or effects.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide an electronic gaming machine, systems and methods with a wheel feature mode dependent on base game outcomes. Specifically, a gaming machine comprises a user interface, a display device, and a game controller. The wheel feature mode is triggered during a base game based on wheel feature mode trigger conditions. The wheel feature mode animates a graphical user interface to present a spinning feature wheel that provides credit value awards, dependent on base game outcomes (e.g., one or more base game bingo pattern outcomes), through a sequence of player-initiated feature wheel spins. If one or more winning base game outcomes remain in the base game, the wheel feature mode continues with each wheel slice value reset, such that the minimum wheel slice value is equal to or greater than the previous spinning feature wheel credit value award which continues until no winning base game outcomes remain.

Abstract: A centralized gaming system is provided. The centralized gaming system includes a thin gaming device providing game play in a communal game and a central gaming server configured to: store a ball call for the communal game on behalf of the thin gaming device and at least one legacy gaming device; receive an outcome request message from the thin gaming device; allocate a bingo card to the game instance associated with the outcome request message from a card pool of predetermined bingo cards; evaluate the allocated bingo card based on a current state of the ball call of the communal game; determine a reward value based on the evaluation of the allocated bingo card; and transmit an outcome results message to the thin gaming device in response to the outcome request message.

Abstract: An electronic gaming machine for providing player access to a higher return to player (RTP) wagering games is provided. The electronic gaming machine includes at least one memory device and at least one processor in communication with the at least one memory device. The at least one processor executes instructions to store a plurality of wagering games, including a first wagering game with a first RTP and a second wagering game with a second RTP. The first RTP and the second RTP are different. The at least one processor also executes instructions to execute the first wagering game, receive a player identifier from a player, determine that the player has access to the second wagering game based, at least in part, on the player identifier, and execute the second wagering game for the player.

Abstract: A gaming monetary instrument tracking system is configured to track sources for the monetary value of a monetary instrument across multiple previous gaming transactions. The system can include a plurality of system nodes in communication with a system server. The system nodes can be electronic gaming devices, which can generate data with respect to gaming monetary instruments that each have a monetary value, and some of the system nodes can also issue new gaming monetary instruments. The system server can receive data generated by the system nodes and create data structures that link multiple gaming monetary instruments with each other according to multiple different transactions regarding the instruments at different times and across multiple different nodes. A historical record for each instrument can provide data regarding related previous transactions and instruments.

Abstract: A multi-game package environment for a gaming device includes at least a first and second game. The first game is eligible to trigger a payout of one or more first progressive feature prizes associated with the first game and ineligible to trigger a payout of one or more second progressive feature prizes associated with the second game. A first set of random-based game outcomes are generated for a round of play of the first game to randomly determine a bulk progressive feature prize update operation across at least one progressive feature prize of each of the games in the multi-game package. A second set of random-based game outcomes is generated to randomly determine whether one of the one or more first progressive feature prizes in the first game is triggered. Concurrently, an amount by which to update a visual meter associated with each updated progressive feature prize may be determined.

Abstract: A gaming machine and method, in which a multiple option trigger condition present in a game instance outcome results in a further determination of possible awarding of one or more prizes from multiple hierarchical tiers of prizes. Determinations as to awarding prizes from one or more of the hierarchical tiers can result automatically from the multiple option trigger condition; and different multiple option trigger conditions can be present in the outcome which can result in different methods of determining what prizes, if any, will be awarded from the multiple hierarchical tiers of prizes.