Abstract: A gaming system includes a display mounted to a cabinet and configured to display an outcome of a wagering game, the outcome being randomly selected from a plurality of outcomes in response to receiving a wager. The gaming system further includes an armrest panel mounted to the cabinet and including a support padding having a wall thickness defined by an exterior surface and an interior surface. The wall thickness varies along a cross-section of the support padding. The armrest panel further includes a plurality of buttons integrated in the support padding for receiving inputs from a player, the plurality of buttons including a first button mounted on a first elevation of the support padding and a second button mounted on a second elevation of the support padding. The first elevation is higher than the second elevation relative to the interior surface.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes receiving an input indicative of a wager to play a wagering game. The method also includes displaying a play counter, a win condition, and an award for achieving the win condition in the wagering game. The play counter indicates a possible number of plays of the wagering game for which the award can be won by achieving the win condition. The method further includes, for each play of the wagering game, using a processor(s) to determine an outcome of the wagering game, advance the play counter in the absence of a reset condition, and provide the award if the win condition occurs in the wagering game. The method still further includes, in response to the reset condition, using a processor(s) to reset the play counter, modify the win condition, and modify the award for achieving the modified win condition in the wagering game.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method is conducted in a gaming system including a plurality of gaming terminals that participate in a community event. The method includes providing, by at least one of one or more processors, individual enhancements at one or more of the plurality of gaming terminals. Each of the individual enhancements has an initial value prior to the community event being triggered. If the initial value exceeds a predetermined value upon the community event being triggered, the initial value is modified to a modified value based on the initial value. The modified value is awarded upon the community event being triggered.

Abstract: A gaming machine for playing a card-based wagering game. The gaming machine includes a wager input device for receiving inputs from a player during the wagering game. The inputs include a wager amount. At least one display is also included in the gaming machine. The display displays a plurality of cards, such that the plurality of cards is arranged in a hand. The hand indicates a randomly selected outcome selected from the plurality of outcomes, which include a qualifying-hand outcome corresponding to a qualifying hand and a plurality of winning hand outcomes corresponding to winning hands. The plurality of winning hands range from a lowest winning hand to a highest winning hand and the qualifying hand is greater than the lowest winning hand. In response to the randomly selected outcome being the qualifying-hand outcome, the gaming machine awards a player a bonus hand.

Abstract: Systems and operations for a distributed bonus game feature for wagering game systems are disclosed. In one example, a wagering game may award a bonus game to a player. A delay period is set for the bonus game. The delay period and other details regarding the bonus game are persistently stored on a paper ticket or in a database on a wagering game server. The bonus game may be initiated (after the delay period) on a different wagering game machine than the machine that awarded the bonus game. In a second example, funding for a bonus game for a player may be determined in accordance with a random number generator on a wagering game machine currently occupied by a player. If the player moves to a different machine, output from a random number generator on the new machine may be used to determine continued funding for the bonus game.

Abstract: A gaming system includes a wagering game initiated by a wager. The wagering game further includes an ascending-feature game outcome that triggers an ascending feature in which symbols displayed in a symbol array are changed into different symbols, including higher-value symbols, that may be subsequently evaluated for winning symbol combinations.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method is conducted in a gaming system including a plurality of gaming terminals that participate in a community event. The method includes associating, by at least one of one or more processors, sets of one or more individual preferences with respective players at the respective gaming terminals. The method further include determining by at least one of the one or more processors, based on the sets of individual preferences, a set of one or more community preferences that govern the community event.

Abstract: Gaming devices, gaming systems, methods of conducting a wagering game, and computer programs for executing a wagering game are presented herein. A gaming system for conducting a wagering game is disclosed which includes a memory device that stores instructions which, when executed by a processor, causes the gaming system to: display a symbol array at a first position of a three-dimensional (3D) space; display a 3D object at a second position of the 3D space, the 3D object having two or more surfaces each lying in a respective plane of the 3D space and each having a respective symbol modifier; display the 3D object and/or symbol array moving towards each other; display, in the symbol array, symbols indicative of a wagering-game outcome; and, in response to the 3D object engaging the array, modify each of the symbol-array symbols by the symbol modifier of the 3D object which engages that symbol.

Abstract: Gaming devices, gaming systems, methods of conducting wagering games, and computer programs for executing wagering games are disclosed. A gaming system for playing a wagering game is disclosed which includes at least one memory device which stores instructions that cause at least one processor to operate with at least one display device and at least one input device to: display a randomly determined partial outcome of the wagering game to a first player; transmit the randomly determined partial outcome to at least one second player; randomly determine a first final outcome of the wagering game for the first player; randomly determine a second final outcome of the wagering game for the second player(s), both of the first and second final outcomes including the partial outcome; and, if at least one of the final outcomes is a winning outcome, award an award associated with the winning outcome.

Abstract: A gaming system and method for conducting a wagering game includes providing a first event eligibility-based equity relative to a first wagering game and converting the first event eligibility-based equity to an exchange medium. The exchange medium may be cash or a second event eligibility-based equity relative to a second wagering game. The first event eligibility-equity may be stored for later use on the first wagering game.

Abstract: A gaming system for conducting a wagering game includes a display for displaying a base game of the wagering game in response to receiving a wager input from a player and a controller coupled to the display. The controller is programmed to randomly increment during game play a bonus-time eligibility counter for a community bonus game, decrement the bonus-time eligibility counter as real time progresses, and render a player eligible to play the community bonus game if the bonus-time eligibility counter is greater than zero when a community bonus game is triggered.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for detecting abnormal behavior of a wagering game machine are described herein. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving an operating characteristic value, wherein the operating characteristic value indicates a value of an operating characteristic of a wagering game machine and based on a set of previous operating characteristic values of the operating characteristic, determining whether the operating characteristic value is within a normal operating range. In the embodiment the method also includes performing a fault operation if the operating characteristic value is not within the normal operating range.

Abstract: Gaming terminals, gaming machines, gaming systems, and methods of reconfiguring a display device are presented herein. A gaming terminal for playing a wagering game is disclosed, which includes an input device configured to receive a wager to play the wagering game, a cabinet, and a display device operatively mounted to the cabinet. The display device has an electronic graphical display screen that is operable to dynamically display information related to the wagering game. The display screen is configured to physically change shape and/or size.

Abstract: A method for conducting a computer-implemented wagering game includes using a processor to execute a plurality of plays of the wagering game, each play having an expected value. A plurality of randomly selected symbols, which are associated with each play, are displayed on a display. The processor is used to randomly assign a plurality of attributes across the plurality of plays. Each attribute increases an expected value of the play to which the attribute is assigned, from a first value to a second value. The first value is in the absence of the attribute and the second value is in the presence of the attribute.

Abstract: Described herein are processes and devices that integrate social contact identifiers into wagering games. Some embodiments include providing game play elements configured for use in presentation of possible outcomes for a wagering game, wherein the wagering game is associated with a first player account stored on an account server. Some embodiments further include selecting, via one or more processors, a second player account indicated in the first player account as a social contact of a player associated with the first player account. Some embodiments further include, via at least one of the one or more processors, providing a social contact identifier of the second player account for use in the wagering game to represent at least a portion of at least one of the game play elements.

Abstract: A gaming system for conducting a wagering game includes an input device, a display device, a processor, and a memory device for storing instructions that cause the processor to operate the gaming system. The gaming system receives an input to play the wagering game and randomly determines a plurality of symbols to populate symbol positions in one or more symbol arrays. The gaming system displays dynamic content in the symbol positions concluding with the randomly determined symbols while the one or more symbol arrays are moved with respect to an indicator region. The gaming system displays an indication of an outcome of the wagering game determined based on any of the one or more symbol arrays appearing in the indicator region after the one or more symbol arrays are moved.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a computerized method includes: creating a number of frames of images for displaying on a monitor of a wagering game machine; and selecting at least a subset of the number of frames. The method can also include performing pixel encoding in the images of the subset of the number of frames, where the pixel encoding is used to identify at least one of adding third party content to the images. The method can also include replacing the images with the third party content, where the adding of the third party content and replacing with the third party content occurs after creating the frame but prior to the displaying the frame on the monitor of the wagering game machine. The method can also include transmitting the number of frames of images to the monitor of the wagering game machine.

Abstract: A wagering game system and its operations are described herein. In some embodiments, the operations can include receiving emotive light presentation data from a variety of emotive light control sources and determining presentation priorities for the emotive light presentation data. The operations can further include controlling the emotive light presentation data, from the variety of emotive light control sources, based on prioritization of the presentation priorities. In some embodiments, the operations can include controlling priorities based on locations of emotive lighting devices on a wagering game machine. In other embodiments, the operations can include assigning priorities based on wagering game types and other classifications. In yet other embodiments, the operations can utilize priority values to determine lighting prominence, which in conjunction with transparency values, can generate blended, or composite lighting effects.

Abstract: A wagering game system and its operations are described herein. In embodiments, the operations can include detecting characteristics of at least one environmental condition in an external environment that is external to a wagering game machine in a casino (e.g., detect activity that occurs in the casino, detect appearance of people and objects in the casino, detect light and sound events, etc.). The operations can further include generating an animated wagering game effect in a wagering game animation, using the detected characteristics of the environmental condition. The animated wagering game effect can affect one or more wagering game objects within the wagering game animation in a way that emulates the environmental condition.

Abstract: This document discusses, among other things, systems and methods for managing the contents of NVRAM in a wagering game machine. A method copies a first data of an NVRAM module to a storage device, wherein the NVRAM module is associated with a wagering game machine and then copies a second data to the NVRAM module.