Abstract: A gaming system includes an input mechanism for initiating a game and one or more displays providing a plurality of reels. The gaming system also includes a controller coupled to the one or more displays and the input mechanism. The controller is configured to: detect a win involving a combination of the symbol instances across two or more of the reels; determine that at least one of the symbol instances involved in the win is a wild symbol, the wild symbol able to assume the identity of at least one other symbol when detecting the win; and in response to determining that at least one of the symbol instances involved in the win is a wild symbol, updating at least one of the other of the symbol instances involved in the win to include a wild symbol for at least the next iteration of the game.

Abstract: A gaming system, and method of controlling a gaming system, having a touchscreen, that simulates a game of skill by showing a graphical object and detecting a pair of spaced-apart user input touch points on the touchscreen. An increase in distance between the touch points corresponds to an increase in stress upon the object, which is animated on the touchscreen, and scaling of an associated reward. A failure threshold is selected and the increase in stress is tested against the failure threshold. The failure threshold may be at least partly randomized. If the stress exceeds the threshold, then a failure event is shown. If the touch input ceases, the user may elect to accept then current reward value or to continue. The object may be a bubble and the stress may be expansion of the bubble, leading to popping of the bubble if the expansion exceeds the failure threshold.

Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus for providing a gesture input interface. In some embodiments, a 3-dimensional display of a game is rendered by a gaming system, where at least one game component is projected out of a screen of a display device and into a 3-dimensional space between the screen and a player. The gaming system may receive, from at least one contactless sensor device, location information indicative of a location of at least one anatomical feature of the player. The gaming system may analyze the location information indicative of the location of the at least one anatomical feature of the player in conjunction with a state of the game to identify an input command associated with the at least one game component, and may cause an action to be taken in the game, the action being determined based on the input command associated with the at least one game component.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for preventing near-concurrent wins in a progressive gaming system controlled by Jackpot Controller are disclosed. A VLT player may send a “win” combination to the Jackpot Controller to determine whether the “win” awards the accumulating progressive jackpot. The Jackpot Controller may evaluate the “win” message. If the “win” message is valid, the “win” of the accumulating progressive jackpot may be confirmed. Other VLTs may be blocked from submitting “win” messages for that same progressive jackpot. The VLT may then distribute the proceeds to the player. The Jackpot Controller may initiate other progressive jackpot status communications to insure against a loss of data should an interruption event occur. Individual VLTs may initiate status messages to the Jackpot Controller should they remain inactive for a predetermined period.

Abstract: An electronic gaming machine for providing a game to a player includes a camera configured to generate camera data. The electronic gaming machine further includes a display configured to provide auto stereoscopic 3D viewing of at least a portion of the game and a processor coupled with the display and the camera. The processor is configured to: determine a location of the player relative to the electronic gaming machine from camera data; adjust the display based on the determined location of the player to provide auto stereoscopic three dimensional viewing by the player; responsive to movement of the player indicated by the camera data, update the display to account for a change in location of the player; and determine that the movement of the player corresponds to a predetermined gesture and, in response, update a game state of the game based on the predetermined gesture.

Abstract: An electronic gaming machine (EGM) includes a display having a display surface configured to provide stereoscopic 3D viewing of at least a portion of the game. The portion of the game includes a 3D interface element. The EGM further includes a locating sensor that generates an electronic signal based on a player's location in a sensing space. The EGM includes an ultrasonic emitter configured to emit an ultrasonic field. At least a portion of the ultrasonic field is located in the sensing space. The EGM also includes one or more processors configured to: identify a location of one or more player features based on the electrical signal from the locating sensor; determine that the location of the player features is associated with the 3D interface element; and control one or more of the ultrasonic emitters based on the identified location to provide tactile feedback to the player.

Abstract: According to some aspects, a method of operating a casino game is provided comprising obtaining indications of communication latency from the server to at least a first gaming device and a second gaming device, receiving first user input data from the first gaming device, the first user input data being indicative of a wager, determining an outcome for the first instance of the casino game based at least in part on the wager, and, based at least in part on the indications of communication latency from the server to the first and second gaming devices, sending first image data to the first gaming device through wired communication channels, the first image data including one or more visual indications of the outcome, and sending second image data to the second gaming device through at least one wireless communication channel.

Abstract: A method for synchronizing a casino game playable at a plurality of gaming devices is provided. The method includes receiving, by a server having at least one processor, an indication of a wager from at least one of the plurality of gaming devices, determining, by the server, a schedule for at least one jackpot of the casino game based at least in part on the received indication of the wager, and sending, by the server, the schedule for the at least one jackpot of the casino game to at least a first gaming device and a second gaming device, the sending including sending the schedule to the first gaming device through wired communication channels, and sending the schedule to the second gaming device through at least one wireless communication channel.

Abstract: A method for synchronizing a casino game playable at a plurality of gaming devices is provided. The method includes receiving, by a server having at least one processor, an indication of a wager from at least one of the plurality of gaming devices, obtaining, by the server, indications of communication latency from the server to at least a first gaming device and a second gaming device of the plurality of gaming devices, and sending, by the server, game outcome determinations to at least the first and second gaming devices, the sending including sending a first game outcome determination to the first gaming device through wired communication channels, and sending a second game outcome determination to the second gaming device through at least one wireless communication channel, wherein sending the first and second game outcome determinations is based at least in part on the indications of communication latency.

Abstract: A community gaming system including a central controller and a plurality of gaming terminals each with a graphical user interface operating. The system determines that a bonus event is triggered and which of the terminals qualify. The central controller transmits a trigger signal to each of the qualified gaming terminals in the sequence in turn, in response to which each qualified gaming terminal initiates scrolling of a bonus event graphic across its respective graphical user interface such that as the bonus event graphic scrolls across the graphical user interface of one of the qualified gaming terminals to reach an edge of that graphical user interface a next one of the qualified gaming terminals in the sequence then initiates scrolling of that bonus event graphic across its graphical user interface. The bonus event graphic appears to scroll across successive graphical user interfaces of the sequence of terminals.

Abstract: Three-dimensional displays and related techniques are provided. A method of generating a stereoscopic 3D image of a casino game apparatus is provided. A first static 2D image may be applied to a surface in a virtual 3D environment as a first texture of the surface in a first view of the virtual 3D environment. A second static 2D image may be applied to the surface in the virtual 3D environment as a second texture of the surface in a second view of the virtual 3D environment. A stereoscopic 3D image of the casino game apparatus may be generated, the stereoscopic 3D image comprising the first view of the virtual 3D environment with the first static 2D image applied as the first texture to the surface and the second view of the virtual 3D environment with the second static 2D image applied as the second texture to the surface.

Abstract: A method of displaying stereoscopic 3D images of a casino game apparatus is provided. Positions of heads of two or more viewers of a display device are determined. Viewpoints of the two or more viewers are determined based, at least in part, on the head positions. Stereoscopic 3D images depicting the casino game apparatus from approximately the viewpoints of the two or more viewers are generated. A first stereoscopic image of the game apparatus from the first viewpoint is displayed with a set of pixels configured to be visible to the first viewer. A second stereoscopic image of the game apparatus from the second viewpoint is displayed with a set of pixels configured to be visible to the second viewer. The first and second stereoscopic images of the game apparatus are displayed simultaneously to the first and second viewers based, at least in part, on the first and second viewpoints.

Abstract: A wagering gaming apparatus is provided, comprising a 3-dimensional (3D) display device configured to create for a player a visual illusion of a 3D scene for a wagering game, the 3D scene having perceived depth in a z-direction perpendicular to a physical screen having width in an x-direction and height in a y-direction; one or more sensor devices configured to sense a physical location of one or more anatomical features of the player; at least one processor; and at least one non-transitory processor-readable storage medium storing processor-executable instructions. The processor-executable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform various adjustments regarding the 3D scene based on the sensed physical location of an anatomical feature of the player.

Abstract: A wagering gaming apparatus is provided, comprising a 3-dimensional (3D) display device; at least one processor programmed to cause the 3D display device to display a 3D scene for a game, the 3D scene comprising a virtual 3D space in which a plurality of virtual game components are displayed; and at least one contactless sensor device configured to sense a location and shape of a physical object in a physical 3D space and generate 3D information indicative of the location and shape of the physical object in the physical 3D space. In some embodiments, the at least one processor is programmed to: update a 3D model for a virtual object in the 3D scene, the virtual object corresponding to the physical object; and detect an interaction between the virtual object and at least one virtual game component in the 3D scene.

Abstract: An electronic gaming machine, an electronic gaming system, and a computer-implemented method for providing three dimensional selection games in a gaming system are disclosed. The electronic gaming machines includes: at least one processor; at least one persistent data store; at least one receiver to receive game data for storage in the at least one persistent data store; and a display device configured with a user interface to display: 1) a multi-faceted gaming surface comprising at least two gaming surface representations; and 2) a portion of the game data as a first set of 3D game components on one or more of the at least two gaming surface representations in accordance with a set of game rules for a given game, each one of the 3D game components having a symbol associated thereto.

Abstract: Techniques for manipulating a display of reels in a reel-spinning wagering game include accessing data representing a plurality of reels of symbols in a starting set of reels, and one or more replacement reels of symbols. A depiction of at least a portion of each of the reels in the starting set may be displayed on a display screen. User input indicating a wager may be received via a machine-user interface, and a first reel spin may be executed. The depiction on the display screen of at least one reel in the starting set may be replaced with a depiction of at least a portion of at least one of the replacement reels to form a modified set of reels depicted on the display screen. A second reel spin may be executed, and a payout may be determined based on the stopping positions of the reels in the modified set.

Abstract: An electronic gaming machine, an electronic gaming system, and a computer-implemented method are disclosed. The electronic gaming machine comprises: at least one processor; at least one persistent data store; at least one receiver to receive game data for storage in the at least one persistent data store; and a display device configured with a user interface to display a portion of the game data as a first matrix of at least one of a row and a column of game components in accordance with a set of game rules for a given game, each one of the game components having an original symbol associated thereto, and at least a second matrix of at least one of a row and a column of game components in accordance with the set of game rules for the given game, each game components having an original symbol associated thereto.

Abstract: A computer device and method for moving game components are provided. The computer device comprises: at least one data storage device to store game data for a game; a display device to display at least one three-dimensional game component of the game; at least one data capture device to collect player movement data, wherein the player movement data defines movement of a player of the game, wherein the data capture device includes a camera, a sensor or other data capture electronic hardware; and at least one processor configured to: 1) transform the player movement data into data defining game movement for the at least one game component; and 2) generating movement on the display device of the at least one game component using the data defining game movement; wherein the at least one data capture device is configured to collect player movement data associated with movement of the player's eyes.

Abstract: A mobile gaming device may be a player's own personal tablet, smartphone, PDA, etc., with an application program installed via the internet for carrying out a remote gaming session. All gaming functions are carried out by a stationary gaming terminal communicating with the mobile device, such as by using WiFi. The mobile device operates as a user interface. If the communications link is temporarily broken during a game, the mobile device will create the appearance that the game is continuous, such as by continuing to spin reels, until communications are reestablished. The reels will stop once the mobile device receives the final outcome from the gaming terminal. The player may pause the game to temporarily suspend the minimum game frequency rules. The mobile device may switch between gaming terminals. For 3D video, the original format is adjusted for the mobile device. The gaming terminal may be a gaming machine.

Abstract: A mobile gaming device may be a player's own personal tablet, smartphone, PDA, etc., with an application program installed via the internet for carrying out a remote gaming session. All gaming functions are carried out by a stationary gaming terminal communicating with the mobile device, such as by using WiFi. The mobile device operates as a user interface. While the player is playing one game on the mobile device, the venue's system recommends other games to the player via the player's tablet either based on the player's past gaming history, if the player used a player tracking card, or based on real time game play, if the player is anonymous. Upon the player selecting a different game, the system automatically transfers communications to a different gaming terminal and transfers the player's credits. The gaming terminals may be gaming machines, where each gaming machine carries out a different game.