CA2448454A1

CA2448454A1 - Gaming machines and systems offering simultaneous play of multiple games and methods of gaming

Info

Publication number: CA2448454A1
Application number: CA002448454A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Lee E. Cannon; John P. O'donovan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: International Game Technology
Priority date: 2001-06-01
Filing date: 2002-05-24
Publication date: 2002-12-12
Also published as: US20130296023A1; US9189923B2; US9311783B2; EP1393268A2; US8414372B2; WO2002099760A3; US9824523B2; US20140004930A1; US20130344950A1; US9406200B2; US9311782B2; US9501903B2; US20130344957A1; US20040106446A1; US9501901B2; US9153100B2; US20170061728A1; US20140141883A1; US8715070B2; US20020183105A1

Abstract

Gaming apparatus and methods of conducting a wagering game of chance. A gaming machine is disclosed which is configured for mutually concurrent play of a plurality of games of chance on a single display screen. A method of conducting a wagering activity includes providing a player with a plurality of differing games of chance, at least some of which are mutually concurrently playable on a single screen display of a gaming device and enabling mutually concurrent play of the plurality of differing games of chance on the single screen display. Various other gaming machine configurations and methods of play related to multiple differing games of chance on a single display screen are also disclosed herein. Networked gaming machines are also disclosed.

Description

WO 02/099760 PCT/US02/16s1~
GAMING MACHINES AND SYSTEMS OFFERING SIMULTANEOUS PLAY OF
MULTIPLE GAMES AND METHODS OF GAMING
BACKGROUND OF TAiE INVENTION
(0001] Field of the Invention. The present invention relates to gaming devices, systems and methods for playing games of chance. More particularly, the present invention relates to apparatus, systems and methods for displaying and playing multiple games of .
chance of the same or varying types on a single display screen.

[0002] State of the Art. Gaming machines such as slot machines, keno machines and video poker machines are popular sources of entertainment that have been a cornerstone of the gam.ing~ industry for many years. Generally, the popularity of such gaming machines with players is dependent upon the entertainment value of the machine relative to other .
available gaming options, as well as the likelihood (or uerceived likelihood) of winning money at the :machine. As a result, casino operators axe constantly looking for ways to enhance the entet~tai~nnent value and perceived payoff values of the games of chance locaterJ
within their ostablishrr~ents.
[Ct4?U ~] Presently, factors contributi.y to increased entertaiixnxent v~hie of ralr.ing devices cc, linked to recent advances in :nicrcprocessor and colxuil;~~alc~ltl.On:~ technolrJgios that enal.;~';: new and .interesting variations in traditional games of c;ha.m~: and garving devic;s, including ~~mo in accessing and playing the various gal~.es. For e~~alvplo, g~unina devices .
have beer, i.etworked together for tournament play and linked to the Internet to allow play from remote locatiot2s. Today, players ir~ay opt to swipe their credit or debit cards in a gaming devic;;~ to initiate a game or a series of games, and video displays realistically simulate board ,>?,ames and the spin of mechanical reels on a slot maclxine.
'JVhi.le player=
enticing advances have been made, the available technology has not been utilized to the fullest eAtent possible.
[0004] Slot machines, while typically among the most lucrative sources of income for a casino, are one type of gaming machine that has not benefitted as much as possible from recent technological advances. Traditional slot machines commouy in use are typically stand-alone devices intended to be played by a single player. To initiate play, a player inserts WO 02/099760 PCT/US02/16s1~
one or more coins or bills therein (or swipes a credit ~or debit card) and either pushes a button or pulls a lever to begin play. Depending on the final position of the spinning wheels within the slot machine, the machine determines whether or not and how much the ,player has won.
[0005] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional gaming machine configured as a slot machine 20. Slot machine 20 comprises an exterior housing 22, a glass midsection 24, a main display 26, and an upper glass portion 28. Main display 26 includes windows 30, 32, and 34. In each of windows 30, 32, and 34 is a single reel 36, 38, 40 of the slot machine 20.
Spanning windows 30, 32, and 34 are various paylines, including horizontal paylines 42, 44, 46 and diagonal paylines 48, 50. Upon the deposit of an appropriate amoi.~nt of currency recognized by slot machine, 20, one or more of the payl.ines 42, 44, 46, 48, 50 may be selected by a player, thus allowing for multiple winning combinations.
[0006] The upper glass portion 28 and glass midsection 24 typically contain printed inforniation conveying various thematic, instructive, and informative details, such as a paytable display, relating to the operation of'slot machii.e 20. Upper glass portion 28 and glass midsection 24 arP also typically 'aacltlit so that ir~:farmation printed on them is readily visible to players of the slot machine 20. Play buttola:; ~8 are provided between glass axicisection 24 and main display 26 and allo:a- th~~ player to control operation of slot machine 20. A coin acceptor 60, bill acceptor/validator 62, and credit card/casino card input device G4 are provided .near play buttons 58 for operation o:P slot machine 20. A coin tray 66 is provided near the lower third of slot machine 20 to collect coin pay outs resulting from winning plays.
[0007] One feature in reel-type slot machines which has been successfully employed to enhance the perceived payoff value of a game is that of multiple paylines, scatter-pay wins or unusually-shaped paylines. To achieve these various winning configurations, the mechanical reels of traditional slot machines have been replaced with video simulations of reels whose available range of indicia (e.g., symbols) are expanded by use of a microprocessor. Such games allow the player to select the number of paylines and to vary the amount of credits wagered on one or more paylines. Winning combinations resulting in pay outs are deternlined as a result of matching the game's paytable with payline or other winning combination of indica selected by random number generation. Thus, such machines afford more opportunities to win with each activation of the reels. When placing bets on multiple paylines, the player increases his chances for achieving a winning combination while at the same time betting more money.
[0008] In further efforts to make slot play more attractive to casino patrons, systems have been disclosed which offer a plurality of slot machines which are electronically networked together and congregated about a common area. In TJ.S. Patent 4,805,907 to HagiTwara et al. ("Hagiwara"), a system is disclosed in which a plurality of subordinate slot machines have their outputs connected to a main machine for controlling the game and having a large display thereon. The laxge display or. the main machine is identical to the display shown on each subordinate machine, and allows the players and spectators. to observe the progress and results of a game.. Hagiwara teaches that.the "feeling of togetherness"
crated by' tn~ networked system attracts more playexs and consequently brings about more' profit to the owner of the slot machine.
[0009] To increase the t~ppox~tunit;~ to win, some ;~1a3~~rs prefer fo play several slot ma.cliin°~; (or gaming machines of other v~~ricus typaa) at once.
~~itv~ a higher nmmb er of spins t,er t:rr~: period of play, the odds of at least c.,re ,,pii~ tar: .ir.
up a v=,~i:~~nng corn?~i;iati'an ~.viil. be irnr~ased. Typically, a. player playing two or more g~aia;ry machines at once w~.il anon,., rack and forth between the machines to deposit money, ~;v3ger credits, and initiate ;flay:
Sine the player is playing multiple games at once; the amounts cumulatively wagered by the player will typically be greater. There are several disadvantages, however, to this mode of play. First, players may find moving between several m~~hine:~ inconvenient and ergonomically difficult, particularly wherna player desires to engage in an increased rate of play. Second, during peak hours, players on multiple machines may prohibit other casino patrons from partaking in and enjoying games of char!ce on those "partially"
occupied machines.' Third, from a casino operator's point of view, multiple machines used for concurrent, but naturally slower play by a single player may take up valuable floor space that could otherwise be used to optimize revenues.

[0010] U.S. Patent 5,890,962 to Takemoto ("Takemoto") attempts to solve certain of the aforementioned disadvantages by disclosing a video slot machine display having multiple individual display parts which each make up a 3 x 3 display of indicia (each display part have nine symbols arranged to simulate three reels). In one exemplary embodiment, each of the display parts has five available paylines. Takemoto discloses that a player can select one or more individual display parts and any number of available paylines for simultaneous play.
Takemoto also discloses betting lines extending to symbols spanning across two or more selected individual display. In a further embodiment, Takemoto discloses a method of play that may result in a "big win," wherein each of a predetermined number of continuous display parts in the horizontal, vertical; or diagonal direction are determined to have individual wins.
While advantageously providing new types of games and reducing floor space that might otherwise be used for multiple play by a single player the disclosure of Takemoto is somewhat limited in terms of display options, player options, and in methods of play. For example, the device of 'Takemoto is restricted to slot machine play; all simulated reels are taught to be activated simultaneously; and the individual display parts arL
taught to be in flied pcsitiolls ill an array on tile gamin .mavhin~: d'~s73.ay.
[OflI1] .1n U.S. :?ater~t 6,159,095 to i'rohn3 et al. (''Froizrl"), s11~1111tar3eoaS m~iltiplo g~np plry~ is extended to a variety of casino games, including video poker, l;~il~go, keno, and reel.slot.-~x~~i~ines. In cne embodiment, multiple gal'nes of the same type are electronically shown on game boards arranged in a stack and.dispinyed on a touch screed. Tl3e number of game boards to be played in tile stack is selectable by ~a player, and winning game boards appear to pop-up from the stack in "cash-register-like fashion." Frohm teaches that the face of any particular game board is viewable by a player upon touching the game board on the touch screen display; when the game board is touched, it slides out from the suck to expose its face.
[0012] In another embodiment taught by Frohm, gaming machines for playing reel-type slots or video poker are disclosed which include multiple visual display sections (i.e., multiple areas on the gaming machine each display a game of chance). In the slot machine device of this embodiment, Frohm teaches that each visual display section includes its own set of rotatable reels and that each of the reel sets are simultaneously placed in motion upon pushing a "play" button or pulling a lever. A microprocessor then selects game outcomes for the reels and determines whether a winning combination has been achieved.
Frohm further teaches that a primary set of reels on a first display may be stopped first in time and that a winning outcome of less than five symbols from the primary reel set may be automatically carried over to a second or third set of reels, etc. to give a player the opportunity to improve on a winning combination. In this embodiment, Frohm teaches that symbols from a winning combination are applied to a second reel set and that the remaining reels of the second reel set are thereafter stopped and a game outcome determined from the combination of the carried-over symbols and the remaining symbols of the second reel.
[0013) A similar scheme of multiple displays and carried-over game elements is disclosed by Frohm for the play of video poker. Similarly to Takemoto, the electronic gaming devices of Frohm provide new types of games and multiplay enhancements while mating use of ~~. minimal mount of casino floor space. Frohm, however, is also somewhat limited in the :cope of dames offered and in available player and display options. In particular, Frohtn does .n:at dl sclose mutually concurrent play of a plurality of differing games::
of. chance on .:~ single s.cree:n display.
[11014 LJ.S. Patent 6,203,428 to Giobbi et ~;1. also teaches an electronic g~.~nin machine for playing multiple games of the same type substantially at th.e sar~ne time. Like one:
embodiment of Frohm, ~'riobbi et al. employs pop up game boards, each representing an individual game.
[0015) Various other electronic games and their methods and apparatus for use are also well-known in the art. Electronic games include games of chance, games of skill, and games involving both skill and chance. Examples of several patents describing games of chance include U.S. Patent 5,833,536 to Davids et al. (electronic card games), the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference, U.S. Patent 5,769,716 to Saffari et al.
("falling symbol" game), U.S. Patent 5,820,460 to Fulton (video poker game), and U.S. Patent 5,947,820 to Morro et al. (slot machine-puzzle game combination).

[0016] In order to maintain a casino patron's interest in games of chance, there is a continuing need for gaming machine manufacturers to produce interesting and exciting game variations and attractive enhancements. In addition, casino operators constantly strive to increase profits by maximizing available floor space. Accordingly, there exists a need in the art for new gaming machines permitting concurrent play of multiple games on a single gaming device.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0017] The present invention includes a gaming device configured for mutually coixout~rent play of a plurality of independently operable games of chance, the games of chance being mutually concurrently displayable on a single display screen. At least some of the itzdependently operable games of chance may be the same game or same type or class of games su~;h as, for example, different poker games.
[001$] In one aspect of the invention, at least some of the independently operable gatxtEa of Chance. ~~~re mutuall j= concurrently displayable in a plurality of graphically riistirct .;ri,:~slov-,; :, ~;n tl:~. singlo display screen. In accordance with anath~e:c aspect ~of tn~~ iuveriion, tlm gr~~7~17v3i~y iliStlllC't WlndOi'VS Catt be adjusted by a player in terms of window sic;: attr~
lnc~~ci~i;.In a..wordanoe with yet another aspect of the invet.~tion, the gaming ci~;vic~. i.:y ~confiviu~ed to be iinlced to a network of other gaming machines and f~.irther cortligvxed to play a toy trn~~tnen t game of chance mutually concurrently with at least one of the inclope~tdentiy operable games of chance. In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, the gaming device is configured for play of at least one of the independently operable games of chance while mutually concutTently displaying play of a game of chance occurring at a remotely located gaming device. A Sports Book event may also be wagered on and viewed mutually concurrently with play of at least one of the independently operable games of chance. In an additional aspect of the invention, the gaming device is configured for mutually concurrent play by two or more players of a plurality of independently operable games of chance displayable on the single display, screen. The gaming device of the present WO 02/099760 PCT/US02/16s1~
invention may also include a master start button configured for simultaneously initiating a plurality of the independently operable games of chance.
[0019] In another embodiment, a gaming machine configured for playing a plurality of games of chance is disclosed. The gaming machine includes a single display screen configured for mutually concurrent display of a plurality of gaming windows wherein each of the plurality of gaming windows is configured for displaying an independently operable game of chance, the independently operable games of chance selectable from a plurality of differing garner of chance playable on the gaming machine. In the embodiment, at least one of the plurality of gaming windows is configured fox displaying at least one independently operable game of chance which differs from an independently operable game of chance displayable in at least one other gaming window of the plurality of gaming windows. The gaming machine includes at least one microprocessor in electrical communication wwith the plurality of gaming windows, the at least one microprocessor configured for concurren4 play of at least some ;yf the plurality of games of chance displayable concurrently on ih~ singh, dispiny scrcLn. In a currently preferred aspecu of the ernbodiment. tlm amina~ma~:hine uu~ er iric;u~jes an embe:ideci wen server confivured to facilitate rern.o_~:;
acc-ess to thF: g~r:i.:~g ,uar..lu:o~. :~:u :-is%;:~rdrnc~ with ar~othe; aspect of the emL,odiment. tln~
y ,.o~.y; zr_ac>c:ir~e is .
~'..4~ ~ti~ Cti'°C: fer r.~vtnally concurrent play of respective games of chan.cn lay at least one ro:noE~t~u linced player and a player directly activating external player controls on tree ga~z?i~ib machine.
[002i~] The :present invention also includes a method of conducting a wagering activity. The method includes providing a player with a plurality of games of chance mutually concurrently playable on a single screen display of a gaming device.
accepting at least one wager for initiating play of at least two of the plurality of games of chance via the gaming device and enabling mutually concurrent play of the at least two of the plurality of games of chance on the single screen display. In accordance with various aspects of the embodiment, the method also includes activating a bonus game of chance in response to a specific outcome from the mutually concurrent play of the at least two of the plurality of games of chance on the single screen display and playing the bonus game of chance mutually concurrently with at least one of the plurality of games of chance. Specific outcomes occurring from play of the plurality of games of chance may also activate a game outcome award multiplier or other enhancement and/or qualify the player for entry into a tournament game of chance. Preferably, a numerical value of the multiplier is tied to the number of substantially simultaneous wins resulting from play of the plurality of games of chance. .
[0021] In a still further embodiment, a method of playing an electronic gaming device is disclosed. According to the subject method, the electronic gaming device is configured .for playing a plurality of games of chance on a single screen display. The method includes initially providing a player with a first game of chance of the plurality of games of chance, playing the f rst game of chance to a specific game outcome;
responsive to the specific game outcome, providing the player with a second game of chance of the plurality of . - ga:xries of chance and playing the first game of chance mutually concurrently with the second gamy of chance. In currently preferred aspects of the embodiment, a third game of chance is p:ov;decl for mutually concurrent play with the first and second games, and~the first, second and third Qatnes of chance may differ from one another. ' .
[~~?22] In another embodiment of the present inv otition, Pt method of cflnrluctittg a 4~nc F~.czzy~ ~;axno of chance on a gaining device is l~rovi:leci. rfhc ~n~thud inchvtie~~ prow iding a ~~l~iYc'.'-v'~,~.~th a. plurality of games of chance displayed on a single 5ereen displ;~:j~ ofthe banzin~::
d~~~~:ry; faro;~iding the player with a first round of play it! which to achie~:e a spe~~if c outcome=
irz at ir~ast ene of the plurality of games of chance, mutually cotzc-arrently playing. t<~Ze plurality of games of chance by the player to a specific outcome in at least one of the phtrality of games of chance, freezing play of the at least one of the plurality of mutually differing games of chance, providing the player with a second round of play in which to achieve a specific outcome i:n the remaining games of chance and mutually concurrently playing the remaining games of chance by the player to a specific outcome in at least one of the remaining games of chance. As an alternative to eliminate idle time with respect to play of any games, a game having a winning outcome during a first round of play may be reenabled for play in the second round, with the previous win being logged and retained in memory of the gaming device. In accordance with a currently preferred aspect of the embodiment, each of the first and second rounds of play comprise a predetermined number of plays or a predetermined time period in which to achieve a specific outcome in at least one of the plurality of games of Chance. The method may also include resetting play of the gaming device if the player does not achieve a specific outcome in at least one of the plurality of games of chance during the first or second rounds of play.
[0023] The present invention affords an opportunity to substantially concurrently play ana display a plurality of games. It is contemplated that at bast soma of the games so played and displayed may be of differing types, although this is not required.
The present invention also encompasses the play and display of games which may be played either :~ubsta.ntially simultaneously, sequentially, randomly or in a manner wherein an outcome of a first game moves play to a successor game or multiple successor games.
Further, the present inverltioci includes beneficial cooperation of selected outcomes of nxultiplE
games so that, for exa~uple, some or all winning outcomes of a plurality of games being played substantially r conGU~Tentl~ result in an increased, or bonus" av~ard.
F~l~iEF DESCP.IPThOi~1 CF'rHE SE.yIE~.AE~"v'IEt?~ > C~ T:~It:
l~frt~~~t'IJN~U~~
il,0y~; The foregoing and other advanta<_;cs-oftac; i~Yv~~.rn:am -,.~rili become ap~areat.
yo;~~i ~~-~sidin~; the following description of the preferred ~~xr'oosimein':A
and upon xe.:~er; ~.c~ to .
.thr; dr,wiings in s~rhiCh:
[t?02~j FIG. 1 is a schematic of a conventional. prio3 .art e'eotrcnic gaming rnacbine;
[0025] FIG.2 is a schematic diagram of a preferred coniiguratic~n of a ,gaming device according to the present invention; ' [002'7] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an exemplary architecture of a gaming device according to the present invention;
[0023] Fits. 4A-4C are schematic diagrams ilhastrating various gaming window configurations for gaming devices according to the present invention;
[002] FIGS. 4D-4F are schematic diagrams illustrating the present invention in various networked configurations and including various gaming window configurations for use in the networked configurations;

[0030] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a gaming machine configuration according to the present invention wherein the gaming machine is linked to a web-based.
device through a network; and [003i] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a mutiplayer gaming machine configuration according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS _ [0032] Generally, the present invention provides new and enhanced gaming machines and methods of using such gaming machines. While the invention is described in teems of certain specif c embodiments, it is by no means so limited. Numerous specific details of these embodiments axe set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the presort invention..It will be apparent, however, that the present invention may be practiced without limitation to many of the specific details presented herein.
[0033] 'The present invention may be ~haracteri:~ed as a, gaming system which allovas Mayors tc~ concurrently play iT~altiple games on a single display screen. As used herein, the terms "gaming," ''gaming devices'' and ''laming r~mehines" are cued to indi4ate.
.a t~:~at soar_z. icrn of wagering rnay be inve~i~ed and that slayers ma~.y ina~;~ ~~yvrs of value., wheth:~r ac,ttuai currency or some ~~~r:oxaoy equivalent, e.g., token or cy~edst. .
[f,:0 3:~] As used herein, the ver.,r~~ "independently opewblo" as applied to play o:E' a .
phu.~ality of games according to the present invention does r~or eYCiude one ~r more games ~ .
enabling play of one or more other games, or outcomes or partial outcomes of one or more games interacting with outcomes or partial outcomes of one or more other games to, for example, provide an enhanced award or jackpot, a potential for such enhanced award or jackpot, or even to provide an award in a subsequent game related in part to an outcome or partial outcome of a prior game. Instead, "independently operable'' merely refers to a game architecture wherein, once a game is in play, the play proceeds to an outcome which, during play, is unaffected by play or an outcome of another game. The outcome, however, of an individual game may be modified by subsequent interaction with another game.
to [0035] A first embodiment of the invention is described in relation to the illustration in FIG. 2. FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a gaming machine 70 having a single display screen 72 supported by an exterior housing 74. Single display screen 72 may typically comprise a high resolution cathode ray tube (CRT) display, although other types of displays such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs), plasma displays, field emission displays {FEDs), digital micro-mirror displays, LCD touch screens, etc. are also contemplated for use with the invention. Single display screen 72 is a physically contiguous screen of a size that allows the simultaneous display of multiple games of chance, and thus may be configured to be xelati vely larger than the display screen of most conventional gaming machines. Preferably, single display screen 72 is a high resolution screen configured for graphics intensive viewing.
By "high resolution" it is meant that the screen has a pixel count of about 90 pixels per square inch or greater ~ Preferably, single display screen 72 may have a pixel count ranging from about 100 to about 200 pixels per square inch or higher.
[0036; The exterior housing 74 of gaming machine 70 is configured with a console 75 having a aariet<,~ of player input devices 76 thereon which relate to the operation and clis_play c~;~i i~~e.i,a=-ion of gaming machine 7~ ifs the conduct of a variety is Jaan~;s ofcl:an~~.~.
yt:cl: plr~,cr i,~y.t device s 76 may include. for example; Jaru~; sc~hctioti 1~' ttons 77, play .
buttora:~ '.8, w;z;oxing buttons 79, master star: button 80, and keyl;oard 81;
a s ,~,rei? as otl~pr types of ~ievxc~s xllou~iz~g the gaming macrina user tc select various g~a~nes antl/~r game .
opticns, fhe pla..y~r inp~.~t de vices 76. may also iwlude other separate player input devices {generically indicat~:d by reference character 76), such as a mouse, touchpad, joystick, rollerball, keypad, or other mechanical or electrical, electronic, magnetic or optical switching .q or control elements, to facilitate player interaction with gaming machine 70.
Single display screen 72 may have a plurality of tcuch sensitive locations thereon (not shown) as an alternate means for operating and interacting with gaming machine 70 (see U.S.
Patent 5,951,397 to Dickinson, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein).
[003 7] Gaming machine 70 also includes one or more wagering input components 82 of known types, such as a coin acceptor/validator, bill acceptor/validator, and a credit card/debit card/smart card reader, to permit a player to activate and wager on various games of chance to be played. One or more credit meters 84 are also provided to keep track of currency available for wagering. The credit meters 84 may be electronically displayed on a portion of the single screen display 72 or incorporated in an appropriate but sepaxate area on exterior housing 74 as shown. A wager indicator (not shown) is provided in an area of gaming machine 70 clearly visible to a player. A coin tray 86 or other payout component as is known in the art is also included as an element of gaming machine 70. Of course, information relating to the play of the gaming device, such as game play instructions and thematic infomnation, :may be displayed on one or more exterior surfaces of gaming machine 70. ~'~ loos audio and lighting output devices (not shown) may also typically b~~ incorporated into gaming machine 7 0. Preferably, gaming machine 7Q may be configured v~ith network interlace apparatus (nut shown) such as ports, cable corrections, and/or network cards for linkizrg gamizy machine 70 to a casino intranet and/or other network (e.g., 'a local. area network I~~AN), a wide area network (WAN), the Internet (~.lso referrecl to as the World Wide Welx,xy etc.).
~~:~03Rj ~'zamsrzg nLachinP '~0 may be configured for simultaneoz~.s, e~tuPntirxl, an~l''ox r~rzc:cr? p~~,y c3yz v~ rier;~ of ga:rws of chanco at the s~urLe time.
~~~lr~:~j ~~ "SlT~l~.ili;anPJLIS play" It is meant. khat a plurality r~f sc.'L.ttt~ ~i'...?:ll'.l r;?-."':V ~1E7 11.~:~:L,%r~~~~ '12.'l.i~ t~"7i.3j Lf ~tllC) Sa 77,e l:lr.2e ~ai;Ld wherein tle image zeprasontations TO~ t'.af>hr ti;t i.i!f:
ole~,ts;~~ games a;~~ ;ub;~tantia~ly mutually conczzrrently dl splayed on single disyia~z. ~.~:,~.:...~r '?~.
"~axL~Itauoous ~iay°' is rovemed to irLterchangea'aly herein as "mutually com~urr~rt plvY."
After irLiti Lion of simultaneous play, game outcomes may be simultaneously, s~quenti.ahy; or randomly displayed on single display screen 72. Preferably, however, game outcomes for a "sim.uitaL:eous play" mode are revealed on single display screen 72 in a synchronous fashion (e.g., the game outcomes are displayed one at a time and according to predetermined intervals).
]004fl] By "mutually concurrently displayed" it is meant that one or morn players on gaming machine 70 may view the images of all selected games at once and at a single point in 'time.

[0041] By "sequential play" it is typically meant that a plurality of games initially "mutually concurrently displayed" on single display screen 72 in the manner described above may be initiated for play in an ordered sequence. Preferably, games selected for sequential play have their game outcomes revealed in the same order in which the games were initiated for play. Thas, games selected for "sequential" play may typically initially result in the image representations of the games being displayed mutually concurrently on single display screen 72 an.rl may hare ony the game outcomes revealed in sequential fashion.
[0042) ' By "random play" it is meant that multiple games selected for play are initiated ar:d/or have their outcomes randomly determined by a microprocessor of gaming ma~:lzino 70. h1 "random play," the game images of a plurality of games of chance may typically be mutually concurrently displayed.
" , [004] Examples of games which may be simultaneously, sequentially, and/or ralidolaly pla3-Pd on gaming machine 70 include, but are not limited to: video spirlrling reel w sLa~t r:~aol~li~a.~:, v°.ideo poker Card games, video blackjack games, video keno game;, vicloo . .
binc> ~;s=~r?.t~s, :~id~o roulette games, etc. Gaming Tnachine 7d~ i~:a~y r~ref~rwfllv.l'~~.~:hHr ~;, oo,-,f'~ ,~:-,t~; fir pray of a iarg~ numoer of variations of eaci~ ui ~h;,A
:a;~fs~"~ed--~E;~eyC~i':~.'.:i ;C~c:~S~s).
y~'.r~?777f:;y)i i'..r:.'vilr~;.. ~-~'Or I~-5t.anCe, aSSOrreU reel Slot machine ~~lniPS ilc. Vl.i?r~ ~V::.C jr~':~' , :,c~x~~~ k,t~rGy ~ora.s r.~,an be selectF~d as having, fur example, differing i::dicia (~r~l!~;~tl~au ~ze . .~~racl:~.;.~~~.~.1 ''jY~.7-7~" cherries, baxs; bells, ~tc.~; different nmnhers andi'«~~;,o!'~Iig<<rati~.zn~ o.1 pay 1~~:.es, a~fllox vasrying cumbers of xeeis. As a comprehensi=ve iilustratu'~ o~:~r~pi:A, g,lrxl.ing -~nacl:ri:ue ''/0 may :be adapted for play of any type of game of chance loLat~d in the casino in . which g.~rning machine 70 resides or which rnay be otherwise provided by the property or another site for remote gaming. Of course, the arrangement and function of player input devices 7~ are configured appropriately fox the types of games that can he played on gaining ::zlachine 70, l~Tew game play variations may also be provided on gaming machine 70, as is descried in more detail below.
[0044] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an exemplary system architecture 108 for gaming machine 70. Central to the operation of gaming machine 70 is at least one digital microprocessor 110; digital microprocessor 110 containing logic circuits for executing and operating a plurality of differing games of chance. In a currently preferred aspect of the invention, digital microprocessor 110 is configured to display and operate a plurality of mutually concurrently displayed games simultaneously, sequentially, and/or randomly.
Digital microprocessor I 10 thus contains logic circuits fox a variety of functions, including, but not limited to: controlling graphics on single display screen 72, interacting with players, determining game outcomes, sending and processing network information, and the like.
Digital microprocessor 110 may preferably support a variety of Internet protocols; such as Si=nple Mail. T ransfer Protocol (SMTP), rIyper Text Transfer Protocol (HT'fP) File Transfer Protocol (F TP), and the like.
[OaaS~ Programs relating to the operation of gaming machine 70 may typically be stored in ROM (read-only memory) 112. The ROM 112 may be detachable ~or an erasable ayd programmable read-only memory (EPROM), or an electrically erasable and .
proz r~,mrn able read-only memory (EEPROM) may be used as the ROM. The ystem ~
' ~chitoc~turo 108 also contains random-act.ess-zr~omo~y (RAl~rZ) 11~, a pc~~,-ion of twhich may I.~elcrabl3.~ b~ dedicated as graphRcs memo's 1 ? 5. ~~idec~ ,vndokn-w~c~ss~-ifje:nrr~~~ ~i~~A~.~I) ,, ; Li; 4nay also b~~ pr:~vid°d for storing kr~d ~'r~ndr~ir.Q.~,mhgrcun~l pi~Wws to 1;v :~~.~i:vla y~-~tl rn, S:T-::;?C; ~.,~l.apxa j'- S~.".r: ~~T! ,~~ ~Se~ FIG. y'.). A Stoxa~;f rti~:ciia..a..m 11.~ (;,.~;, z Ma;:':.t ~';1~ i~.~1' ~,.~.D ~,~~ri't .
:~:;~~~~";cur;;a~;~.~rig appropriate operat:Ilg syaen~ SC1~1:V'~e. program sofc~vza;:, =tnd :i~oa'.-x~e ' -;,~~r~a;;ity is prelvwably included to supper~t the various enn~.nred capaL~ilifiic~; c~f gr~mi~~L
machine 70" Stoiage medium :118 may°be utilized in additian to, ~r :~.nsteacl ,a~; chi; ROM 1 i2 f~rmzvar~ for storing the vaxious gaming programs. In this regard, digital microprocessor 110 zr~ay be configured. for cooperative processing of software from ROM 1 I2, storage medi~uri -.
118, and any external sources of software (e.g., JavaT"' programs or other executable software .
downloaded fiom an external file server or computing cJevice linked to a network interface, as heroina:ftea~ described).
[Od146~ Digital microprocessor 110 is further linked to a network interface awhich provides external bidirectional communication capabilities for gaming machine 70.
Network interface 120 may be linked to a casino intranet (i.e., a LAN), a (WAN) and/or the Internet through devices (e.g., servers and routers) and communication links 122 well-known in the art, including, without limitation, twisted-pair wire, coaxial cables, fiber optics, and/or radio wave or other wireless transmission.
[0047] In a preferred embodiment, a web server 124 is incorporated into the hardware of gaming device 70 and linked to digital microprocessor 110 and network interface i20 to allow access to gaming machine 70 by romote users through communication links known in the art. Preferably, web server 124 is contained within the exterior housing 74 of .
g~aning machine 70 (see FIG. 2). Of coarse, web sower 124 may be assigned a unique "address" on the intranet, WAN, and/or Web, such as a T uniform Resource locator (IJRL) address.
[004] With reference to FIGs. 2 and 3, digital microprocessor 11 C is in electrical communicatio:a with a CRT 126 of single display screen 72, player input devices 76 (such as garnc~ selection. buttons 7 7, play buttons 78, wagering buttons 79, keyboard 81, and wagering W put coinponents 82), P.OM 112, RAM i 14, graplucs p.emory 11 S, and storage medium 118.
. i4or sn~pli,,it;~ and ease ofrefe_rence, the term ''gaming clove:'' may be used hec:eir frc~n1 time tc~ iint~to designate some or dal of the other aompcsa~~r~~t .. ol~:meaas anal' f~~taxPs of a darning nAar,;lin~~~. 7iy ocher tha~nsingle display svroer~~72. . ~ ~ .
' . 1004~j t~gaiIl I'E',fl~I'Cj~lg to Fits. 2 ai~u 3, c: sh.5~:~~tt~aa,~a ;:=p~cr~tiorz of gunlin:::
,~r:,'.~:.;:;e'(? by input ef a recognizod form of currea~~y ~t~ ~:~of a°~,a~;rnt; in!art ci~i~r~po~~e~.tsY-:~w ~ t~sx,-,,~ l~n~ ~r more of game selection buttons '7?., a Is~~:.::y;.' asa=,r ~.hoa;,e to lilay ane c!s ~r=_om s;~~nes,t~f chance cf the same type aud/af 2 ~~rn~~ia~~ t j~p°, :3i CIuSS, ~:vitn the nz~rnb~x of a~eal.l~blY- ames primarily dependent upon the amount of ~crociit~ owing to tho player. For n~~plo, a. player may choose to mutually concurrently play .one instance of a~reel slot machine game, one instance of a video poker game, one instance of a keno game and one.
instt~.nce of a black3ack game by selecting those games usiaxg player input devices 76 on console 75 or touch screen locations of single display screen 72. As a second example, a player rnay use the available player input controls to choose to play one or more instances of the same game type or class (e.g., a player may select several reel slot machine games having the same or varying payline configurations).
is X0050] Upon selection of the games, a video representation (image) of the various games preferably appears, with each image appearing in an individual game window 88 (Fig.
2) on single display screen 72. Preferably, the video representation of the selected games may be a full (rather than, for example, merely icons or text symbolic of a given game) image representation of the particular game. Thus, the games in individual game windows 88 on single display screen 72 appear to the player in a conventional game form. In other words, t1? game images of the present invention may be recognized by the player as conventional gL~zno irr.~ages of various games of chance. Therefore, various numbers of slot reels with.
in':licia may be displayed in an individual game window 88 for a video slot machine game, a deck of caxds or one or more dealt cards may be displayed far a ~-idoo blackjack game, the appropriate "boards" may be displayed for video bingo and keno, etc.
~005y.] fps used heroin. the term "gamy; window"or ''gaming window'' refers to an -intlividual area on single display screon 72 which contains an electronic image of a single gai~zo of change supposed by gaming machine 70. . ~ucli gaining windows may be~of differing sizes ~~~d bord.ered or unbordor~~ta to d~;:~vx~o a va.diticr~al."zvindcw~e'" . .
E00'~~~_~ .. ~~~eforably, each indi~%xdr~al gan.~.~. ~ri~,c~ _ a~, 8~, ~:;y:,al-~~u;::.cJ:~~b~;ln~~ controlled a~,d ~,;e,:~tf.~~.1 indo~endontly of ;~th.,r irruivi dual ~;arr..e ~~~s;:-i;w;;58. ~'~~3 s;:eh; each individt:.av.
,~,;~,~1~,: ~v:~dc~w 1;8 can be gener,~lly ref~:rrcd ~or~a iudepovransk~<<
ope~ab!~-.:~:d ~,rapi~ioall« v a ~li~~i:~.c: fronx anie portions of oach othLr. indivi;iuzi 'g~~Tt;:~
'~=,~ntl::vJ Rl>, ~y "~~,aphically.
;i,s;;inct'' it'is n~ear~.t that the garnos ;,~vthin the i~:oivdual gaame windows 88 may be visually .
- distinguishod from one anothor by, for example, varying degrees of screom illurtiination iriter~sity. 'Various interactions between, the individual game windows 88 arc contemplated, ~.
however, by exemplary embodiments described in detail below. f1 conventional CRT screen n:ay ~o omploy ed to display a multiplicity of garr~os on single display screon 72 by actuation of digital microprocessor 110 to conduct the games in rapid sequence and then cause the visually perceptible manifestations of the games to rastor loan on single display screen 72.
For some games, such as card games, game action is in pa.~-t dependent upon a hand or partial hard dealt by microprocessor 110 and in part on discards and replacement cards dealt responsive to player input. Therefore, a number of concurrently played card games may be in ' a virtual state of partially played suspension while a player focuses on a particular game requiring his or her input. However, with the high speed of state of the art microprocessors and memory, transitioning from one game to another appears virtually instantaneous to a player, and playing different types of games (i.e., card, reel type and board type games) in a perceptibly mutually concurrent manner is easily. effected.
[0053 One alternative employing CRT technology is a so-called "picture in picture"
CRT display, wherein ~. smaller and independently-driven picture is caused to .appear within the larger display. By using picture in picture technology, the game requiring player inteiv~otion is caczsed to appear on the smaller, picture in picture .display while other games not requiring player interaction or which are in a partially played, suspended state are displayed on the rr~ajor portion of the screen. As a specific example, one portion of a picture in pzcture . . . screen znay tie used to display axi image generated locally at the gaming machine with which tlos display is physically associated, while the other portion ray be used to stream a video . , Seed, for exanple, from a. rezzaot~ location such as a 'sSpoi~s ~ooic" event:
[~DO~~.j Another klwrr~.~tiv ~:~ gage .l;.spl:~,~ with multiple urir~dows ~~rv display.
,r~grnen~~, o~a~ rc pro~ridE!f.rzsin~ ~s ~3~t ~.~ay~~,l ,~~sp lay wish uisrrets~, e.~.4_~ai.~l, coma piled shC7:li.C3'%~'s ~aCWrc tt'.d OTl a. ~e;ni~;oac~mto~~ w::>~,stratE~ vf.:1 fa1111c1El.ty T~f ~31~u'~.y.-',t.;. ~rillCOnd~.lctGr..
. sj~3:;sv~ies, empltyin u, fo:~ e~;~.nip~~r, te~hroloy.ctweloped t'y Micron TF~Fmolc;~gy, Inc..c~f Boise, Iayo: .W3>~ inco.~~~raciz~n>>,zltiple wir~.dovvs. or. display segments in a singl; dispria:,~ ., through subaxra:ys at predetez~niuoca locatioim; ~SaCI~~, ofthe rlifierent sabaarrays may be.
activated simultaneously using different signals For each individual gaming window 88. This . approach allows gaming machine 70 to display multiple distinct images responsive to distinct-signals on a single display, to easily integrate images from multiple sources, and to manipulate one or more of those images without affecting the others.
[0t155] Preferably, each individual game window 88 is arranged on the screen so as to occupy a predetermined area, wherein the displayed games may proportionally span across the substantial majority of single display screen 72 in a nonoverlapping array fashion, as shown in FIG. 4A. In the situation of a single game selected for play, the single game image may occupy a relatively large portion of single display screen 72. If multiple games are selected for simultaneous play, the mutually concurrently displayed game images may be relatively smaller than would be the displayed image for a single game on single display screen 72. Thus, higher numbers of selected games may typically result in the images of those games being of relatively smaller proportion in relation to images for lesser numbers of selected games. Background pictures andlor video outputs may also appear andlor be selected to appear on single display~ screen 72.
X0056] The skilled artisan will recognize that gaming machine 70 may also be -~:
con figured to play i~ ultiple instances of only a single class of game (e.g., the class of video ., .
p ok4games), or a single type of game within a game class (a 7-card stud game of video poker game ). For e:ca~I;I~~, gaming inaclline 70 may be configured for the play of'multiple games of video poker, the video poker games each being th.e same type of video poker game -. (i.e:, each vitieo.pokei g2.iro h3=ping the same play parameters and rules).
Alternativel;~,~ -gan:~i~.g, in acili.r.:~.70 ir_::~y be ~;~nfigur.:;d to play a wide vari~~ty of video poker garner, the video ~ .
f;~,I;~, ~~~~in~s b eiilg sui:.:ct d froJli the asserted types of poker game s within the class of all ' -~'~.it'~'4~'~ r.iC,~O Y~:.~~~~r ~~.,c~~..Jlc.~S. ~l.~l.~.. plwt~:'c' iylpl'j' v',la.en Selt.'~:'.t ~i~~ Jl'C3ixlber t?f g'::t111e"a tlWbF' ~1~.'sz,~':~.
~?'t".
1'1 ~ ?~i ~ (~ .f+ ~ .>,~'jr,,u.p , y ~ ~ , .c:r i~ . --w. r~_ . j.. - ri, y .
' ~ i., i-rys~
J ...aJ ~:(, pr(5 v~tW .. W. ~h _. ~)Il.,~.. t,..~.11:1,~~Cf ~It1,11'i~~~,~ O_ ,s-J'c'iilx,..~-~~:i~~: ,_~p~.~i. U:ia Stiif'.:L C JS .)~.T..;' ...~ . ....~
~~-~~'~tJ wia:iii7_li' Q:~ tl:l:.~ :,11.;;!:13F'.ili'..' ~:i7aSr.~'31l'~-~'lli9oth:.~r :y;illi~5 ~f C~'ta77~~2 it~.~., I,aa.S~~IC, ~
t-i~i:..~~.:".~ ~,tl:~luSj ~JIC~ ~C~ ~r~;~.l~'~;T;~::1,~E':~
lS,'1'~i'tliblltlJ~ SLO-~'w U~tft~ i112e23t?()ri.° .~tU., ii~i3 .r;j~tvi3.ylatm' tl:;~t ~a~nisv.~; macn.; r~N iv in::.w be ~:oniig~.~ryd Fr~r optional play of':! sit. gl~; ~;~ino "
(;J3$~~~~,,y,(:~.~I'1 ~'iilgii'-rrai..~.~Lllily SG'I'.v~P'17 7.7 (y~ c:.~'i rI1'~~tipl'c.,' g'd~;Il'!~oS~, aS ~leSJr~°.d, S~ t~i'~it-~atniillT, machine 70 will not ait idlo whew ;patTUJ~s i~ot interested in multip?e, concurrent gaining are .
not r~resert.
X0057] A player may also,request gaming maclun~;.70 to randomly seiect a variety of gairies to b;; played in vimultaneous, sequential, or random fashion. in this embodiment, a player r~~ay preselect a number of games to 'ue played, then select a player inpui device 76 ii~.stn~oting a microprocessor associated witl'1 gaming machine 70 to randomly determine the class andlor types of games offered for play in individual gaming windows 88.
[0058] In one currently preferred aspect of the embodiment as shown in FIG.
4A, a player is provided with the option to arrange and adjust the size of one or more individual is game windows 88 in a desired fashion. For instance, a player primarily interested in viewing the results of a video poker game may choose to have the displayed individual game .wil~dow 88 of that particular game sized substantially or somewhat larger than other games mutually concurrently displayed. As shown in FIG. ~A, a video poker game wir_dow 9~ has been increased ir; size in relation to several (twos reel slot machine game windows 92. Silzl.ilariy, if nul~°bero~zs gali~es are chosen, a player rn. ay selectively adjust the size of one or more i:~divid~a:~l. game windows 88 larger or smaller than the size initially displayed, in accordance r with tile player's preference. The individual game window 88 may be sized or relocated, for c,.x_rxrLplo, by ~~.ray o f player input devices 76 located on console 75 and/or by touch screen ~ , locations oly sil:sgle display scleeu 72.
[0(:~~9; In.a second aspect of this embodiments a~player may be prompted by :oft~av:~.re a,s,",;ot~;d ~:s=ita gamin g machine 7U to select t~'~e size and loca~iolr of ea~:h 2ndiv~r~ua?.
gaxna wi~:aov~ 8 ~ aiteyr game selection has occurred. The 'available adjustments to the :~izo ef,' - ,. iz~clivictua.l ta~~_~~ v,~~inde:vs 88 may be preset in relatior-to a default settinU cs.f ;~.cll.shhyab~u 1?lC~,lYkdi'.3?:~ ~;'t3.t. ~' ,,:~1Il~~Jy~', c~ ~ . fOr C,9,,::e ~? i' pls"i Ct &C1W t10:1. ~' Clx e~ al'31t31~G, i! p~~:~W.T' il?.~ y1 :~~'ll~-~ i . ., lr%ti2'r lC~;,l~a~ > "gin y v."~y1'itl0'~~' S1 ACS 'r~ l'' " y'f:~o,~
,:"~c';>' :';,~-oF , of ~.>._... . h 1..~. '~~~...~.. /u; ....7i 7, r v /Q, 12J /0, ~~ ~..~"1,~L1 17,.
s_ 1.:~ vi~> j~La 1#s~' t~A:.~Cl~~:;vS:;.'~ ", l.iTa~:: >r;ill~C»V Slzv. ~iN,fl'L~:;;.11~1'" c~
~:i:'':''Ci I?luy S~~Ik',(;t a..C~z,3lr':'it _ .' 1.~7.i~ Vi~aLl.'1 l;ai v '~tJlll~~aSsJ~ iu~ 4:~i ~~it> des:r~u 3lZe, foT CXalTl~)1':,' ft~~
lCe~.~C?a1'd:'t~. .! entry o'r i?tl"W i~ ~li'~ L:~ 1111a:S'C
. t~~;Yi','.G5 / i. ;~i'C'i Z "iY'h ,yi~~,'CT1P 1.U tilt', Q.!'i~rl'iFll ld~fal}ltl gaS,Ile.vwlndoVJ Sl?:e, s'1 ~lr~f f'i .l~l:~y lir', ' ~lTnyldGC.~ y'~;1~':1 d .il~~o~~ al~'111~ L~~1L'ii1 U tl:e UpfiUl'tillllty ~O~cwLtCh tU "Clefalllt" SC~,tII~~Sa,~ '.
Aut;:~m~'tic enlargement flf individual ,game windows. 88 containing wnlmng game outc~3l::ros is also cir~t:lnplat etl by the invention. . . .
[~O~II; Tn yet another aspect of the embodifnent (shown in FIG. ~.B), a plurality of indivicluai g?a:nin' s~~indows 88 may be provided with one or morn selected individual ga.nung .
windows 8da r~coupying substantially an. of~the display axea on single display screen 72, with ..
other°' selecte;l il;dividuai gaming windows 88~ appearing as relatively smaller individual windows within the larger individual gaming windows 88a. The display of this embodiment would thus comprise a relatively smaller individual gaming window 88b image located within a relatively larger individual gaming window 88a image. Preferably, these "image v~rithin an image" or "picture in picture" individual gaming windows 88a and 88b may be adjusted by a player to match personal preferences. In an alternative aspect of the embodiments in FIGs. 4A and 4B, images of selected games of chance may be mutually concurrently displayed and played in individual game windows 88 having a fixed size and arranged in a.fixed predetermined array pattern on single display screen 72.
In this embodiment, single display screen 72 may be subdivided in a predetermined fashion for optimal display of the number of games elected. For example, if four games of chance were , selected for play, single display screen 72 can be subdivided into quadrants of equal size with W °' selected individual games displayed in each quadrant, as is shown in relation to FIG. 2.
Simi.lariy, two games may occupy proportional halves of single display screen 72 and three gaar..es may be arranged; for example, in a horizontal linear mamer, or in a "pyramid" fashion. .
~~I~l o~t;f~. oot preferred, separate individual game windows 88 may also be fc~rmetl on ' n:~uuipi~ sep~iate disp-l.ay screens using ono or more ~R'fs.
~~~~J j I~~. a~~ arldit?c!~ai aspect of the onzbodiment, a player rna~;~ tip!:
tc.xv;.loc;ao sir ..~
~lCt'r~; :3~tt'.' nr ~'l:Jx'~. llld?,v3Ciils'.~l ganli: V13l1dOWS.B~ tai ~~c:S~~ed lV~;at33I1S i~I'~.Slrt~ti~' ~~:>~.?lay .~~Cr'.E.r, ~,s,if.; .-~pr' ~7=L;~ayr~. ",;,i"i.3''~~ttifT" ti'...e iildiviG al vartl:,-'VS'73'?C~O\~VS fb LiClilf-irJUC .i::rt,'E:.~: <;:?_,.'x'~~1.5.
' ~ , . . ,~ r s L.ta .. ~ ~ ~,, l _x~~;?'_. , ~:~~~ ~~~a;.r~a ic,f~,zt d:-.~.~.t;;~~.~;s 7~:(eg., by "~lifiki~r~; a.ttd ~iraggirg» with ti :.,.a~ .' c>.~ ~ML~,.:~c:l~~~
'. 'F. ~ ~ ~. ~a::.'. ~. I~~ .{ I~~. ~~C, oho ~u,:'.rged vid3 ~o~ poker .ga~rre window .90 of L rr .. ':, ~ ,.t_; sioe~~~;.-=a .,; , .. C..~'cll:':~'i~j ~.. ~l.;,l:i..v"..C~''C~~~3 .'olia~rl.~'. ciisptay SCre~n 72; tenth-srnaher individual. g;:~n~~'.'~'~~rz.~.~zv::-88'. .
. rvl;~; ~tl~d ~o-ano~-~, p,rrip:~~Pral areas of single display screen 72. , .
; .
~~G52~ - :fn a still further aspect of the embodiment, single display .scre;en 72 may includf: one ox more "infobmationa.l" windows 9~ (FIG. 4D) for displaying informatiopi ass ociated with the gaming machine or with the casino, such as information regarding .
impei.ding gaming tournaments, entertainment events, special events, and the like, and/or advertisin; or promotional information from other vendors. Preferably, gaming machine.70 m;~y include an informational window 94 which pravides a recent play history for fihat machine. Far example, one or more of the following may be displayed: length of ti-me since last jackpot, size of last jackpot, frequency of jackpots, jackpot trends, or other win information. Depending upon a given player's personality and preferences, a player might be drawn to a given gaming machine because it has not recently paid out and is thus "due to hit,"
or has paid out in the recent past and is thus on a "hot streak."
[0063] Informational windows 94 may be configured to provide a constant stream of information or may be configured to "pop up" to alert a player, for example, of an impending gaming to~.umamer_t or other special event.
[0064] ~lith further reference to FIG. 4D and FIG. 3, one or more "player progress" ~::, windows 96 may also be provided in which various gz~ming statistics related to the ~~uTent , _.
play~,r':~ gaming play are displayed, incluc?.ing,.but not limited toy a ,layer's average: number °-~;~-:
~f ir-ins per in~~iviciual gaming window 88, total amo~mts won, amounts won in credit meter f~.sl~on per individual gaming window 88, number of plays per time ir_terval, the player's ~,vinnin~ percentage in relation to a casino average for a particular cla.ss.or type of game,.and ' the like. In this embodiment, casino-based gaining statistic, cGn b~,; r ~trieved from a server :'~-'e on t-t .r..asrno xntranet 130 using commands from digit,.at 3nicroprocess-or 11'0 through -.s..x;t~'ar~; n~ter~~?,~:e 120 az~d associated comirir>nicatior. lin~~a 122 (yen ~ .s{::'~IC'r~ 4F). , j~il~b'9~ . '~~Ini~ ~i:,'.LChIn~-'' 70.n1's3 aiSO 7.nChIG' : C!li ai LalOs.'0 4.:.f;.:ii.lc ,~,t~,~,G~' ~J:i:'~.~k~~~lf,'.5- ;s Y
~';i s;u~. ~ y '~. ~ ° r. ,~r.,i.'.. ~".' ~. ._~r. ; i ~ ,;..y. :.~
~.t,...:;A t.$..
;,,... ~.. ~.~~,:, 'f~~) Ct3_iY-.''Llil~xl~ e'~,.1_ 1l"_rCr2.t;t7Vt; ~lSpla~
fC_ct.~.it?z~ (r .tee-:: ,l.t..~:_~ t i .,.,i. ,. I,i,~:aw ,,,r~.o'71 :7,~.:,.
.,.,._ ._ i;;Ot,lii(:.'C'~ v:~~~l'1:'fi?v La.S:nO'lfJ. IvflCh the aal:l'..n4~
i?tw?CII;.:'. ~ i:._.in ..>~ ..~.':;,~si.~ f.i::> ' ,.;, ~ "'" ~ a j' W:.'~ t ~ . ~'VC'f3t Ct~':.
.'.t:~.~. :s..r.:.~:.u~1' _r~:f ';r~70CtS ~(?Ok . Or.. Race I300k -type v~'ao~'''~'.'.5. rtl ,. '~ ~~ ' ~ ~' ::.r_.>'. t3 3 y~3~:.~ ~ :K.'.! v:IE;V.':eS J~t1 ,:c~iJW player interaction with t.'YiC:
~.a'iix.:', r:~.~.~ ; ;;... ;.LSC'a'vltTl.aiVt'~t ' , .. '.
;.xi~l~clu~~:ys; 9° o~~ single display screen 72.- .~"~s a rmrtlimitiu~; Ea,=itnpy ,~. play~x tn~yt bo ~: ~~coviuerl r menri displayed on a special event window 98, the men,a allowing the player to . ' r::;viev~r ava.i?~able casino gaming eventsa viewv the betting odds associated zwtla each evont, ands.
to select one or more gaming events in which to wager.
[OOci~] ~pe~cial event window 98 may also display ~'i~al-time" video streams, :~iyper text. or othe..r infoiynation associated with a gaming event. Preferably, a player may b~ able to . view ono or snore special events, such as a sporting events, live (o.g.~ in "real~tirne" thrMough cable or satellite reception), or at a later time by a video recording of the event, through a video feed. displayed on a special event window 98. Video recordings of an event may prefera'oly be stored on, or accessed by, a server 128 on a casino intrannet 130, which may in turn be accessed by a microprocessor 110 of gaming machine 70 through a network interface (not shown). News summaries (e.g., wire reports, casino-generated reports, etc.) regarding the events) may also be provided through a special event window 9$ by means of network communications links known in the art. .
j006.7] To wager on the various gaming events offered through special event window 98, a player may deposit the appropriate sums with tile casino using wagging input eol'nponents c".? (~I~. 4E) or by dedicating available credits on ga~-ning machine '70 using appropriate player input: devices 76. In this aspect o~f'the inventic.~n, a network server 13~ ~:~.i lil-~?:ed. to s.;arlling machine 70 through a communication link 11.2 ~~f a ~~asino intranet 130 may ~::
veriy de;pusited anioullts and register the player's wager agair~s~t tJle particular event(s). Ar.
ernb~d~ed web server ? 24 on gaming machirie 70 (.F.IC~. 3) play be..used to receive, request, a~a;,, iiit,-~,~,l~a~t with ganlin~ events sponsored by ths~ r.,asil;o. :hor example, special event window . , ~~~ nia'E~ I:.~. dissociated ~vitll embedded web sower 12~ and cori:(igurecl ~v3ah a'grapl~ical user :, ,.
11'..i:i'.ix'1~° (w.~,., aS a.;:?~~es~;ntation layer) having.a'~il.Z~~-b~S~f~ yl~w:.i'1'~J! vl'~~'r113 ~8'.g.,':.1~;s12~ L~~II- .
5r.'J.'lhs~',~:1'i' .~,t:i~i:'~1'iig ali(i ''W'elgerlng lJn a V'ai e'fy,yJy.:"'.,;aC'~3n~.r,'i'.','':;:al~.s ~i.'.~~.f~?_i:<.',ii Ely 4'hi'~~:.aGi%1(3 Or. ' rL.''.C ~~ .a b " '1i, C~ the i5 '.'.lda ~a; :u..-s;'. ,.. ~ ~''~:."1 '~4e~i'.str~'tr' iY,IT
R< <4-~~~,n..~ ectablisl;r_.'lent. Furtla"r r~pr~~~.: ~ . ~ ~~ : a ~~,';y1-~ ;' ~:~tr;. ~ ,,' 1. t. ~ ~ T wa. ~..,~~ ~..f, ~'p.';.1 'in s~. ' Itu:~~~<~1~ ~.:~'.
r.. . .rc~m.~.it.r.~ r'llt.t.D.ti.. /0 lIl ~l.,coraance bZ'lth t~_., ~iilLCli.iv,~. v ..tiff. tl.r..:~ ~;..,. _ ,5 ,1: rE. ( , ' b , :;'.! o ,':~ tv , th t r' garc~ tn ~; h , : ~ alld 5 .
~~~' i'~-a '~~Ii.a~nings may be paid in a vz~~i~~t;~ ~:~~'T~~ ~,s 4~~te~re~l,~~ ,~.:i- ~:3~ ly~,~,~:.5 ,., i~~~ludin g 7ay'out:, fro:.~l gaming machil~~e 7fl~in fil~.e:lu~~l of ca ~l~:t,t ,;"x~!lry r.~;sT~licy.5 curren cyr w-.
~xe~lite;.~t to ia~~ accoallt piovided. by the player (e.g., a credit card, cle'uat card, smart card ~ccoi~nt or other p~rsoi~al~ account), or by casino operator, Pte. . ..
~OOti9] In an additional aspect of the invention shown in Flt~r. ~E, ~ gamiilg machine 70 is provided with one or more "taurname~lt" windows 100 on single screen display 72 for play i=1 one or more casino-sponsored or sanctioned toui-.latl~ent g~llles of chance of tine same or of varrying types ar._dfor classes. For example, a player may eledt to open two tournament windows l OD for concurrent play in rivo different toul'naments of tvvo different game classes which are scheduled to occur within the same or a similar time frame (e.g., a keno tournament .
and a reel slot machine tournament). Depending on the tournament rules, a player may also concurrently open two or more tournament windows 100 for multiple entries and concurrent play within the same gaming tournament (e.g., a reel slot machine tournament).
The multiple simultaneous tournament games may be mutually concurrently displayed in tournament windows 100 as smaller versions of a standard tournament game,.each smaller version operating independently of the other versions. h this regard, a digital microprocessor of gaming machine 70 may be configured .for tournament play of a wide variety of tournament games and may be supported with game software stored on ROM or hard storage media on the gaming machine 70, and/or by game softwal'o. .found on a remote file server to which g;~ln~irlg machine 70 is operably linked. ' [0070] In another aspect of the inve_rrtion,~ a player may initiate a tournament (e.g., a casino-wide tournament or a tourriament among players in a number of different casinos) by ha:vin.g jarring lnaohh~e 70 direct a message to other networ'~ced machines ~of the player's 'tourna::nent interests. Likewise; players on other gaming machines o:f the same or assorted w.
ry;~e > xnay "poll" z~ player on gaming machivl~ '7J ~a_r the rlayer'j potential interest alld entry . i1 l a player-ilzi trix;ed tournameru.
],s~ 0 ; ! ] " ~tlll r°i:erring tC~ ~~' rCi. ~~~, r,~ r''arrli~Tl,J
'vJ:,ilVi::~,i:~'YV~;~ t L ~~ ::1. °~ ~itl~C.:C~ V?e -a .
t3':iC!'~~';O.Ca7'C:SSC~,." ('~~i ~fit7. 3)s cornr.:l.llliC:lii'~ri i1r'a' ;;
i,''?~w" zti.t il:a::.'Z'41~..~!'=:: l.iY'.~_i'~"'d.'~G iG:~'(~r'll.lr 3) ~;(y,~j ~,aSiliCf llei vcrk 130 WIIICh 1S .~1C)Strng C~;f ~y~itll.~~?:~~1n5 7C. ~,'il~.tU;ltl~lC'lClli'!i.~lS:l1'O ili~flS'OT
.~~~ ~t;~.y ft? ii ClylnOvmtr'sl?.let,. iTI~~N (.~.,~a, ll;,iiV~ll!C
~~~~i.~'aS~Cia'teCl ,~,~',11105 GIItI :.153CCla'~t~d r.. .
gGrrling ma~;hine~ to whiot~~gaming rnacliir~e 7~ is ~iidYr~ctiorially intercaln~l~cted), crr even a. .
l.ationwid~:,~ or international grouping of ca;~inos linked together, for example, by the Iliternet.
In each of the casino intranet i30 embodiments, ~ linked, centralized network server~133 preferably initiates tournaments, collects gaming data from each gaming machine 70, aversees winning game outcomes, and determines tournament wir~rlors.
[0072] In a related aspect of the embodiment, the centralized network server functions as an application server and database Aver in a two-tier architecture. Here, ~a player electing to participate in a tournarr~ent would receive tournament software downloaded from centralized network server 133, with the centralized network servex 133 then monitoring the tournament results from participating gaming machines. The centralized network server 133 may also provide various intelligent functions associated with tournament play, such as providing software and monitoring functions in furtherance of bonus rounds for players with certain game outcomes or certain levels of winning.
[0073] In a preferred aspect of the embodiment, a player is provided with information regarding impending tournaments through informational window 94 or through an otherwise inactive tournament window 100. The tournament information can be provided, :for example, by HTML (e.g., hypertext), email, or other communication protocol ::
transmitted to a network interface on gaming machine 70. An embedded web server 124 on gaming machine 70 (FIB. 3) may ~be used to receive tournament information, request tournament information, anti intu!'~ct with centralized netw<'rk server i33 (acting as an information server) in the rr~anner previously described with regard to the informational windows disclosed in FI~'r. 4P. ~ . , ~ . - , , [00 74] Still refE~Ting to 3'IG. 4F, tournament windows 100 are preferably conf Lured for mutually coaicuxrent operation with c,x~.o i~r. more of ind.i ~i~inal garnin~; winMows 88, irtf~~~atrz~a1'~JLrI~O-V~7S ~4. playa' pro~;r~ss =.rindaws ~6. antl special went ;~~indows ~8. . .
'~~~t~<~~,..f-'or ~xar~~:~l~, a ply~er rnrry w~r.tiaiuv t<v:~'..ay r~r~e or.~r_~.~r~.:of a variety.of gamesvf ~i~mce i1',1 .?1,.:2~'1~~'t".ul ,.'G,'~:f'Ixl', ~'l~iri~UW.S i~i~. aI'it'!lt?i ~v:~y.'.' 0.21 '17:~,1.V4',;,ttGh ~:i~'3 ~~~'~CUm4J Of i);C701'tS l~JOlC
.; ymtb 4r~ a. special ~:ve:.r~t window ~~, ;4~,:1~,,~autuall.~ concur:'P~~tly paxticip~~tirg in ono. ~~r rt?n-r~; tt;ur7i~.urt averts ire a tU3,lr:5,~,:tYl,~s~.t ~ ~.Ir.~l,~wv i00., [0~7~] To join in.on~ cr n7ore garnin~ toun~anuwnts offered to gaming machine 70" a-play~~' may ~.hoose to.enter thw obit; or snore tournaments using player input devices 76 (e.g., v key'ccs r~~'i 81), and/cr by responding to prompts rebar4ling tournament entry appearing on a '' tournament window 100 of single.display screen 72. A microprocessor of gaming machine 70 may them send appropriate comr~~ands to network: server 133 linleed to gaming device 70 to e~ter.thk player in the reduested tournament. Preferably, but not necessarily, at least one of player input devices 76 may be dedicated fog' operation of tournament games during tournament play. Tournament play buttons of player input devices 76 may also be assigned for tournament play by a microprocessor 110 of gaming machine 70. Tournament play buttons assigned to a player may blinlc on and off, or be otherwise brought to the player's attention through instructions on single display screen 72, and the like.
Thus, while remaining on gaming machine 70, a player may opt to participate in one or more gaming tournaments, and may further concurrently play any of a variety of selected games o~ chance on single screen display 72. In this regard, tournament windows 100 may be cor~gured to. be graphically distinct, for example, in size, shape, color, illumination, and the like, from other windows mutually concurrently appearing on single display screen 72.
[0076] During tournament play, the player's tournament points are displayed on single display screen 72, preferably within a tournament window or meter (not shovm) . . . , sepaavte ft'olsl the toaxl-nament window(sl 100 in which the tournament games are played. .. At the end ~~1' a given toul-nament, tile wimler or winners are determir_eel whereafter a player's wilulings or_ gaming machine 70 may be posted back to credit meter $4~ unless a progressive jackljot ir-~ ~ft~l~ed, in whiclvast t13.~ award may be paid by an attendant.
. [OQ~°77] fn another exezr~pi.ary ombodilnent of the present inventiolx as shown. i~x FIB.
%1F,'Lalzun g m.aLbine 70 in~~lwades one or,rrlcre "companiondisplay" window i02 o~z .srri;.ie .. ~~i,;play scr Ary"i.%....~~Ial~y s;°~sfno matrons arLive at the casino v~ith one cwx mcsre iri~rids. ~ _ , 1,.y ; lr~"' :;I W Ti ~''"'' ~+~, r. ~., ;.yt, af. ~ ~~aplt?:n l'' ~Nlt~i ~'11s1IIl t~l'~-'VrNra~l f.~ Shi!Yw.. ~,.~..~F,.i:,. ..f~1?,.a ,,.
r- .~r l . ~ :t,i, ~~t.~~ ~; ~ i,~, ~,~,i~, ;~~'-i w 102 a ~la~ ~r ors na~x~in~ Cilu~.;::I": r;{.
.,.~~ .~,.. ,.:3 ~~~.. . 1>: a;h,a C,..ll~c.i'1~._~1 .....~.a.15' ..l C10 , ~
.~ ,~ ~ ~, n,~x~~~,:' rc> ~,~: -~~~'.rrx;~,~;: ctltr ~;~.rriin~ ~naPlrines.Olt Whlch olTe aT .CiIG!rE: cilnp~~fi!.'.ir, ~~
i;r~r~.~:ai.c':lr ~~r w?~:,,~y,:.;~~W 1i3 ~%~r.,'~~ :~1"t',f~-iably,, SL1C~'1 lllilClng may take plaC(. 1~5311g l~.~o~w:~~~ . . ..
at?:ft!fi i~..'_'y-~i~0i:. S'~'lG4Vn'~ v~n,i;~t.~1111r,!.r!'laC~L114~7Q
4ViTTCh ~111kS t0 a reSpllnSlVC lnteC~Ea.C<J ~~.b:, yi~.~''.
server ;~ 0~) assooi~t~;d with the rolnpanicin's g-alning machine 103 using protocols and oon~,J:r~;~:,~iovti on iilll< s :122: ~well-known in the art. By linking to a companioxi's gaming: --machine 103, the player may view the companion's gaming experience on a companion display winnow 102 of sinble screen display 72 in real-time as the companion plays.
~T'ypically, viewing a ooml~anion's gaming experience on companion display window 102 may involve being presented with a game image of the companion's game as that image appears to the companion on the companion's gaming machine 103.
[007g] Preferably, an exact, but smaller, image of the companion's concurrently played game may be displayed in companion display window 102. Thus, companion display 2s .

window 102 may allow a player on gaming machine 70 to view the companion's game outcomes as well as various play decisions made by the companion that also appear on the companion's display. Play decisions that may be viewed include, for example, the selection of "lucky" numbers for electronic Keno or roulette, decisions to "hold" a particular card during play of electronic card games, particular paylines selected for spins of electronuc slot machine games, etc.
~1~d75~J A portion of a first companion display window 102 or a separate second colzspanior. display window (not sho~.w) may also contain various information relating to the hlaly rrf thp oampa~-~.ion's game of chance. The information displayed. in this window or w~:zidc)v~~ portion rnay include, for example, the lumber of credits wagered, number of credits available, cumularive winnings earned, etc. In another aspect of the embodiment, a . ' . : elatl~a,-~.ion <~iJlaa3~ zvindow 102 or window portion thereof may display various. inforznati.on, . suc:il as staiistical play information associated with ongoing tournamexlt play engaged in by . ~a:, play; r's '~cai~anion. ~~~ a nonlimiting example. in this regard, a rtlicioproces:,or~ (not ~i;.'~.Owi3) s~.'W :~;;1.41i-~~"i wlth the UOmparitOn'S ganllng nla.chllle 103 1S prov3d~(~ 1I. ~isl.lilltt~'_lC~tlOl:i '.~i:i~l t:'~.iL. T.'.: i~~~ ~illd ~~e~~S l.llL
~~Sx~edgaTllirig.lnfC51111~11011t0.W4i3 ~~C~s:: ~~'U.j ;(:e' ' _ .
;,~..'..:;1.~ ~........la .~ '.:'C1t?ipa111i;:11 display wiiiu~ot~u In~ On g2.1111n~.Inci(:Flinf: ~~~. ~c:,Wi'E'.~, J~t~,~:;.~l~li.p:l.7 S..~3'" ~,~ ~~-; ~n ~'.'t;;l.: .~r~~rn tliE companion"S gam111~.lllarhlnP.
10~" by, fOr.exe2I23~:~~.k'..ell? :1~9?j~'(,''~;. .
ar=:~i~~l 't.~, ca> ;ov:~~aoa<xed ITv, the compani-~ms gami~ig maohine 103.
~~~Ol~~:~, In adc:ition to viewing a companion's Game Image, a player nla;y pref~rubly .
f?~ ~rovsci~;l. vvifil a comrnunication Iink in the foam of email software, and audio~and~or video ayp~=~~ra; l~s fo:r c~,mmullication with a comptulion on a linked gaming machine. . in this . ' enbodirr.~ellt, gaming machine 70 may be conf gored with telecommunications apparatus l:llo ~vli in tl~.o art, such as a microphone, video camera, speakers, etc., suitable for such audio . . , ~and,'n~- visual c,~nlr~mulication. ~f course, the companion's gaming machine 103 operated by -the companion rnay also be reciprocally configured with suitable telecommunications apparatus of a type for interactive communication with gaming machine 70.
Thlls, in accordance with the subject embodiment, a player on gaming machine 70 may both observe a companion's play and communicate with that player. at the same time.

X0081] Still referring to FIG. 4F, a player may initiate a "link" between gaming machine 70 and a companion's gaming machine 103 by a variety of means. For example, players may indicate their identity, or the companion's identity, to gaming machine 70, such as through a unique identifier, so gaming machine 70 can facilitate the link.
There are many methods of'indicating a player's or a companion's unique identities' including, but not limited to, bar codes, magnetic encoded data strips, "smart"cards with essi'~edded mlcrochsps, persena.l i~len~itication numbers ("PIN numbexs"), and any othea' form of identity veriFcation " 71'1C123r~ ~.11~, alphanumeric, magnetic, physical (i.e., thumb print, retinal scan, etc), digitah vlectrol:~:~'. or upticai. Bar cods, magnetic encoded data strips and "smart"
cards xrlay be read !-'~y c~~'d reaclers as;:ociated with wagering input components W on gaming lna:.hine 70, (~,10~2] PIN entry may be accomplished within a portion of a window provided as'a ia»iul~acre;~n -or through an external PIN entry device ol'vplayer input controls 7f; wuch as '~,~~~bn;~3~t~ ~? or a keypad or cursor manipulating device sues-,'.-as a.tos.~'chpud; roller'eall or ~3:W tusk>. ., , ..
" ~'S,':~;~,~'"'y'~ . ~:il i'1 ,~1!E<ft:T3'~'ii c°.nbotllmen t" tIIL' piny ~:C'~:'id~5"i~i'~~1' Tit::C~Uf. !~ t' ,:'.i)5 t!~.'.~.s::s.''1?':~
;!.,~~:'va'R~..~n ;,~.y..~.~y "y~,f !.ft,Y s~y'~.~1 , ;,..C-~.._v .. 3~,, ,~~:; ,-k,~. .y.. ..,~~ t,~,~....
,.1~..~.v,..~_ ,>
i,~,::..tt~.~.!r,il_~..(1.1..;_.aA»~i~.d.l~S~''I''7.nt.,1'g.,!_...v12::~~"y~...
...\r.9.l;t~iC)i'...f),...v. hire. t...~::J~::,~', ' 3 fiv ~t-;i,ti,i(".73~JSt;,O' j;itCCf3re iTl:.i :ic iil:,t,l~,,°~t'f:l :F'..~r ~..~L:a~2.. ~r. ,.:'_.~i;, k.. _;.?:a ~,c~ ~' . . . .: ~ ~ . . . ,., r Y i ~ ~ _ . .
'j ~ ~i ',°r rz'~,'t:'.~Sli'~~ [t'-_ ~<~11I?'TII~.C".1'tlrl': 70.
I?t'i:hlS E.;l~'': f'..':' rll~~ ::. ..itir!:?';> U. ~",'.i'~~
,t~..'.'.,, ..,_~~, . , i f. ,~ v , r ~. 'a'_°, .t-,'~~ ti3s.1?~.L~l~:~'. ~~ ~?~~Y3:littf.d tt) a VW.~ server ~ ~r~ LnibtC~o..f's lq: i:~:ii!ii.~'y :~il~Cr1'_?..:° ,i~t~, ~;~'.:_ ~ri~l,~~a the, p:~T r~usr~b~;zs o:r orherper sonal idonti~ers Tire trar~.rtai*led b~rrv~'~ s~s-~~Fr '1:~4 ~~,.lc~s,. y) ~c a li~nk~.~i casino file server 13a. - ' ~~0~=~] ~ r~u 'use and function of readers and extes'nai~ PWT entry devz~ces arc ~%v~ll~- v knowl'~ ~c~ ahe axt,. Preferably, in each of the various above-described embodiments, an ''~s~tes':il'' l ~~.ir~ye ider~ti~~r is transmitted to a linked casiro !'ile server 135 configured to .
"r~;g~ ~to.r" play ors with v arious gaming machines and to serf and route various i'~quest;~ to ' cos'~~1,: t (lick) to a specified companion. . " -~OOr'S] In a further aspect of the embodiment, "Bluetooth" technology electronic cotnmurlicators may be used to register the player's identity. The Bluetooth technology, such as the t offered by Motorola of Phoenix, Arizona, comprises a small, short range, low-power, unlicensed, wireless transmitter or transceiver capable of transmitting data to a corresponding receiver or transceiver within a gaming macnine. Using Pluetooth technology, a player need only approach a game and the game may automatically submit the player's unique identity to the gaming machine's microprocessor for communication purposes and other processing, as will be described hereafter.
(OOfib] Once the player's identity has been specified, one embodiment of the present ._~.
in~Jention allows a player to request gaming machine 70 to ''search" for a gaming machine in wbi.cla a c;~li~paniola. has similarly specified his or her id°ntifying infol~natio~. Per example, o~~~?rpanzow display window 102 may prompt a player lo enter a con~panie.l'~
name, a player's paasvard, a cn~ztual password, or the like, using touch screen controls andJcr player input dPVices 7~. j?referably, such prompts may occur by way of a graphical user interface rlispla,.y~~ci by vFa~~,~b browser. software.residing in ~;aming~machi~:e 70.
pruning machine 70. may ~:~ ii~.~.a~ , w~a, E er~terefl illformation to send a.request for a "lir~.'~"
i~.casino file serveh :Ifs or.
~'r.~r pro.essirvg device associated with the casino. T'ie (:~ 3~riii :flc r,e~r~,~e!v i35rri.ay then .
l -~ ? >.~ - ~ . a z ~,m r~x ~ y , ..,N:~r.,.~.'w t~ '..'v...l~~r'.a,St,againstk~th~: roJzst~,l~ed.u~sc.zsjxzii.;
t~.~c~i'~'u:,<., :.Jl- 3: :'!i~';~C;IZl'I~
y;li''r~- .~.u,f,,~:y a'~-~'~1-! L~~~ ~ ,.. .>c~..,i'~ ,n.....,.x -y"~1-'.....3 .-:.v. ,.~~~,~. ,~S' ~'..~y~''..
-.~.~t~.a~wsa...~...~~c,ul,c.f',.~. WLila ti3t, re3Jy'i...xt tr:.,~T,., p~i4,,l~r,t;,.(t _,.a..C.i..,~,.t.,.i.~~. .:. (.,."..r:~. ."i' 1;L.,y,..,,1' .
.. ;t F.. ~i ' if, 1 .c~- , .~.. , ytn~ ~ l (!!'..p.~ ',..' ra. ~R' ~ a or A .
~ _ ~ ..~,.. ..-(..'. , :~~,:~~~... . b...~.~t.,. t~~aa"ovnrn~tnicat~~oai>~t~~:rz,~..,a, mc..,..~f~~a . . ..., ,.~.. . . ,.
~ .,... :.n>.,1t1,.,~c,l~J., ll.llr>
'y , ,..ltr...' 'fl~' ; y'w 't-, " 1 ~' ' ~L. > ~ yr. y F a t;,~ ~ ~,...y.1 l :t. ,;.., ,,..~ Y.ti~JT' ~i:i..~~~ '". ...
>e:.,~>r~ .~A~ ~, ., ., ~,.~.l~z, rt ono e. tabll,.hc d bct'~. c,~,_... ~1~~.
,,~.~~_.r_~., _ ,~... .. , . ..0 5. .
a~x ~1:~,;,~,_I~. ~ITG','~.3:~'~JU~.a.Id rf:SUlt In a 4G~tT11Ja111oi1'S"dal=1.' ilTl~?~; u'.t'~t.: ~~ ~_~ lj'.;t'.Cl~lrr~'':11CI'.'~
'~_5y:~tu~a?', ~~I?1G~~~:-V .9 n2, uS ~lVeli aS Video all'tuOr alkt~i0 ~,~'3~C'O':,:~ri.'Lr as~a~i.f.f,iS ';af'~~l~Jl,lit~ ; ai!C:~~G~' -~otlu; i.nforrnaticn related to the companion's gamilig cxpel~ien'ck:.. r;~xm .;,icill~d ila the a.~t will re;;ogliia~ tjl;~t ga~n.e image links between players in casinos reln.c~tc _s~rol~z ono another can ~e established using WANs or the World Wide Web.
[ft0137] in another aspect of the embodilr~ent,, ra link between "colnp~nio~ls" may 'be accor~lplisheri by way of an email messaging system. For example, a player entering a casino rnay be provided with a unique email address which may be shared with tile player's colrpaniolls. Preferably, a player may opt to have the companions' email addresses preprogrammed into a casino smart card which may trigger gaming rnachirle 70 to actomatically initiate the desired links. The player may also manually enter a companion's 2s email address into gaming machine 70 using, for example, a graphical user interface configured to receive player-initiated data from player input devices 76 on gaming machine 70. The game image link may be established, for example, by automatic association of gaming machine 70's network address and the companion's gaming machine network address .
as derived from the email address specified by the player on gaming machine 70. For example, a file server receiving the email may combine the email information and stored ir~forrrlation regarding the companion's whereabouts to route the comm~.~.~'lication request appropriately, initiate an open communications channel between the gaming machines, and . oversee axld/ar facilitate data transmissions betwfen the two locations (e.g., by specifying the appropriate network protoce~l.s for data transmission). .
[00$8 Gale skilled ir~ the art will, recognized that the. use of personal identifiers may . also b~; us.d to facilitate entry into a. touln~unent or >pecial ev(~rLt alld to provide'payofPs or l~ewards.for the.tournament or event at some later tlr.-.le. 'FGi ~z~arnpl~, a player trlay use a ~ .
uiliq;z~ i~i~.rttitier to enter a tournaxr_ent with llo l~i:drth~x re~;istratiun reqslired. mince ihe:.
'ICi~'7?tlflf.:r 111?.y (jt, "rLglStered".W:lth a.pa:rtlC'11F(~
~.;~,r"rill'D..','T, ~'iluf51112:is., ~:~1' i;:~atlli?xf,:f(11" p''t'17a5GsS
of tGl:Tnar.'t1'u ii l~ia'y, a ~JilayiP,r i'TtQy alSty'i3SF_' thk. L~~el~if1f1C1 r!1:1~.'.'~,'.t,;?:.v(3.~ii:,',.~G:~i:? t1L' ~C'.vh~'.,r~~~ :~()'i 94'1~1:'~
,', y1;, ~rat-~;s~rf?.l~ 327af~1t1T1E°at a tlnlp Uf the 1~<~v~t'"riS' ~'~llGCwtl3~,,..: ...
~, ,' . .[~i ~9. I~Pferi~iilg r.ow to FhGs. 2 '- 4tr~-F)..m.e: or nnL~it~ or all of.xvli~l(lcaa~:~ ~:'~+, 9&:. 9.8 ICiO; anci. 10'~ may be selected by a player for display and'c~l;er,iticyrc>Lr sin:~l.E~ ;'zi;~-.l.~lay.,~4.r~en ::
72 i;sirg appro:Priate player input devices. 76 col~~ga e~,ed for that purpos~.:-':~.acla, of wi;:i.(:Lows , ~9~r9~, 9 l, 100, and 102 may be of fixed location and size;, or 1'rlay be relocated-and adjusted ill size as previously described in relation t~ irrdivid1,3a1 gamillg'wiildows 88. It is understood, of course, that each of windows 88, 94; 96, 9A, 100, and 102 will be capable of operating independently from each of the other windows 88, 9~.,.)6, 98, 100 and 102.
Certain interaction between the windows 88, 94, 96, 98, 100, ~,..nd 102 is contemplated, however. For ' example, certain game outcomes on one or more individual gaming windows 88 may trigger "bonus games" on other individual game windows 88, as is discussed in more detail later herein.

[0090] Game outcomes may also trigger the opportunity to participate in tournaments or in casino special events, such as Sports Book events, scheduled to appear or appearing in special event window 98. Additionally, particular information display in informational window 94 may be provided with an interactive link (e.g., a hyperlinlc) to, for example, a particular gaming tournament available on tournament window 100, or to a casino-sanctioned gaming event appearing, or soon to appear, on special event window 98.
[0091] ~ vVith reference to ~'IG. 5, the inclusion of an embedded web server (shown in outline form) on a gaming machine 70 of the present invention allows access of a gaming machine by a rerrloteiy located inci.ividual, as well as various other functionalities. As described herein, the "access" provided by weh server:124 may allow remote operation of gaming m-uchine ?0, suo.l! as in games of chance, or may rl.lova the remote user to simply: view tlle.-salving eYpera,encc; of mother il.dividual. A~: eked herein, the term "web server" . .
r:.7eomr~asse: ally type ofn~t<~:flrl: sclvcr wrd.~h may u~ incorporated in gaming machine 70 of t:l,e xDr~Sel?t Ti'2e'entlt3.n. , ' .. ' '. , .
. ~~l~u''~.~~~ : J'C lt'~lt~'u'C8 ?l. Ilnli v1'Ii~'~ "c-'t'..15!1?1<_:' rr",~~.jAl?,~ ,"'J :~: ?.':.':li0i:~.. tISCC IT~II' ~ fC;i L~i~~'12 ~ :.., -,-.
a ,::.tl.'vc'~W . 't'1 lx~el?
l?r:3~%Sf:!'.(f;Yt'ti?fllC'al'Tl:il',r.::lt~~,.ft~lv:~: ) ~?.~;~
'.'~.GII'?i~Vll Oi' ~~l'.''.vlai~V ~!f'$i~ n~:ii i.~"~l:
~,?~.~iyC~ Ull 2 VYebw''Ja3CC1 ti~wl:',t ~.,rr50 ~f'.g.~.'l. ~.~Orl~Sf~tl~~.ri Sll~.11 ~5.a pC 'SSJnli Cf.'T:1~,''l2~tf:~.e3'; . ~ IiC,. ., ..,,.
a'~~naote user l:~ay when spe'~ify a~~JRL, ass~,ciatev witl~l z=,~~1~ sower 1_!l ,o11 gaming rnu.~.liirre'~~ 0. r Ill eve aspect ef the elnbodiner~t; tl~le rez~.ot~~ use.~'W lay au'tol~.ati~allygahl acC~ss.i:o the ~:~~~, of tile ~veb server 124 by surf.rlg t:o a vyeb site operated by the casino and clicking on appropriate hyperlinks to establish a web-based connertic~n with web server 124: Of course, a.
remote user may be required to preregister with the casino before initiating such remote user services and may have to undergo a log-in or, other security routir_o before the connection is established.
[0093] Once the link between web-based device 150 and web server 124 has been established, the web browser of the remote user may, for example, then transmit appropriate commands via HTTP to web server 124, which, in turn, processes the commands and generates a web page providing interactive operating or display options back to web-based device 150. The generated web page is then displayed on a web browser associated with web-based device 150. As previously discussed, web server 124 is linked to digital microprocessor 110 (FIG. 3), allowing for web server 124 to support one or more control operations that relate to the function of gaming machine 70. A casino-based player. ~~n a gaming machine 70 may also use player input control devices 76 to authorize or terminate one or more "links."
~t7094~ A web page generated by web server 124 may preferably contain Java scz'ipt, or other executable software, that allows remote operation of gaming machine 70. The geneated web paL,e may a ~sa preferably provide executable software that allows real-time gaming .images appearing on gaming, machine 70 to be simultaneously transmitted and displayed to web-based device 150. Preferably, the executable software allowing operation' ark lrrtabF:: transri~issiorz may '~e tribt;erod by the relnote user clicking on an appropriate' i.co~l disp iayed by the genorated web page. . , , y0~,9~~ .. Pref.°,rably, a. c~gital anir~roproccss~z~ l,10 of gaming rrta~11~11e 70 (FIG. 3) 5uppo: 's ~.i~~1'.fl~.l~t;~toonand~ i~:~snciat~;~. with. ~~%ob :arv:a~ 124, ~~la.~:irg ;Far:b. server 1 ~~'~
2r ~ a. ~~ '~ ~~Y"~a!' .1~ ' Cl' 'l, ;~w.. l , ,.y< ~~ ~Znry'~~JJ.1 ~ 'S ~~
~..~ w y~ =~t,,~~'"'y. '1.~ 1 atrZ.<.5,....,.zt.. .lta. 'y.a .,.il3~y the:it _., ~. .G:T_Ct>,...,~
wC,t.ux.:~t .i;,(;1' i)11 ~7v,IJ .ra....d at ...b. ~~ ,,. .rt il'.~ .
r:rra,outr,r~.ru lzF~ ~rna=L cIi~rrnt~a:~u v,wt,.~s;t~a t.'.'_i,z:a-,,.,~,z.n~,riw cur:~~ati;o4 sox~t~,v~ac~~
.~ . I .
'' ai~C)~~;:jl~ ~'.:'' il.lte!'aCaiVe cO111tI1;il:ctiS 1t1 fii'1~ ~~'illl~ tG
~'t~,,fi'f:CJnrllZLC~ il~d~ ~W°.C.'IrC;C~4T~~iv'f'~'1 ,~~L:.iV'a' .
~': c~,, .3~, f)i7~ ~.irt:Ct ~C~r~ the: C:rnb(1!~.1:"a'v Iu,: ~2~I
irl,il.S,:r2i f0 ;.'1 L~,,,n.SlgnatGC~ ~C~r' ~~rl (J~ a l;aSl~t> , bar~~~si~:g, ga.~niry ma~l~les 7~ au:~~z~~ati~; ~?'n~ establishes a link bL~~vcen.3:hc remote user'.s;
- w~~-based device 150 and a ~%ucb server 124 by routing the web-based device 150 to an avaiiab9.e gas°ning machine:70, yr a g,.zming machin a 70 occupied by a companion of the remote user, when, fot exarnpie, the remote user clicks on an email reply from the casino which contains embedded conunands for establishing a .connection.
~i3096j In the embodiment providing for real-time display of game imag~s,~a player on gaming machine 70 may manually provide the remote user with the web address (e.g., the URL) of web server 124. For example, the player may use an email feature on gaming machine 70 to transmit the web address of web server 124 or the player may simply place a telephone call with the remote user to reveal the address. The remote user's email address could also be automatically messaged in the situation where the email address has been programmed into the player's smart card or player preferences.
[0097] A remote user may also search for a particular player using a webaelver-hosted by the casino, with the casino web server 152 identifying the player through player tracking systems (e.g., unique identif ers) as previously discussed. Once the player has been located, the casino server 152 may facilitate the connection automatically (e.g., by acting as a conduit to web server 124) or 'may provide the remote user with the LTRL of web seraer 124.
[009~~ laming machine 70 may also be. conf gored to allow remote users to participate i13 play with a player physically present at gaming machine 70.
For example, a casino player may "autrlori?e" a remote user linked to gaming machine 70 to play one or rnorP
games o.i chance. Preferably, the remote user's game may be displayed in a companion winr~osv i 02 pan singly display screen 72and is thus vie~vable by the player in th o casino c>n .
~- galmirlt; lnacnn~~7Ø Tl-se remote user may concurrently vi~v~ and control thenemote aser's w.
:. ga~~n:e ~f c~~~~lco on z;~;~b=~~.sec~ deviate '150, aor ox~lnple, through web-basedvi~trraction with :vex r~x ~~~~ 1 L4. '~~lagexs an;:~ ~,ua~;er irlp~.xts may 't~~ made indepN~ldontiy tlao-:~gh r~per,~:i,ion, of Vo~f:17-L'~ilSft.~t (~C;irl'~:; ~f.~~i~~y ~iiv. ~'~.'1'1'_Oie la;;i':uE' ~.,'ti?.'!'(:.itglL r:rf;ult Lard 2s1'.'t11.G1'ii:iiti~il j,~Ji I:f.<.~.G:t~, ;.
CL'ltlLi.C G~' t~f: ~'t~u'~Jz;r (ill n~rilF.l?J T3IC111I1,~'~, wlthcr 1i7,~.,lTL:u~.ly Or.~llxC='1,~~JI1 :~,I7. ail~~'ii77t1~~~ilC!3'~ 'ICS'?15F.
f;:,;:l:~aW~ =,~ ~aS., ~TurioUi ir~teraLtioy?et~~'i:i:.'tl';thG gc~.a.m2'S Of L'tiilUte u.~.~x':o a.ll~ plixy~~.t~,i (~~f W',i":~: , . eat gllxaili;nlr~ ~~;L~;e-7C~ is ~Wl~te~riplated~ as wall k:~e~ dese.~ibed.
il~ more d~t~iil P,eao;~~.
~~,9'.~,'~~ - : za~heu ~ ~.~t in ~s~ by a player, singio display screen 12. of gaxuing machine 70;
lay preferably concm~~~~ltly display a phlrality of game images representative of the wide .
vaxiety of~ games of chaure that i~~ay be played on gaming machi~ae~ 70.
° To attract potential .
players, a plurality of gurllas of chance may 'ne simultaneously displayed in individual garrie wind.owv 88, and/or tl~.e g; ones may "pop-up" in individual game windows 88 of varying sizes aYld locations in a manner ~ihat demonstrates the versatility of gaining machine 70.
. .: Informational window 94 and special event window 98 will also preferably be displayed to pique player interest in the capabilities of gaming machine 70 and to foster participation in casino-sponsored or sanctioned events. Demonstrations of the various capabilities of gaming machine 70 are contemplated, with a microprocessor of gaming machine 70 simulating simultaneous play on single display screen 72 of a variety of games; including tournament games, videos of Sports Book and Racing Book events, and/or simultaneous play .a;f..differing games of chance.
[O1Q30j Referring again to FIGs. 2, 3 and 4(A-F), after one or more games have been selected for play, instructive information regarding the execution of available wagering option:, is preferably displayed or otherwise conveyed, for example, in an individual gaming wilido~cv 8~ err single display screen 72, andlor by posted information on or around wagering buttons 7 Vii. A parxicular individual gaming window ~8 may flash, blink, become intensely illuln~nat~~l, ~cr grcyuJ in sire, for example, as a prompt for a player to change or enter a ~~mg~r.
. . R;.sfor~srvwpreprograa2vrned instnzctions may also be broad.ast either automatically or at the player's option.
' i!~~il3L! ., hl z cLaxrer~tiy prefel~'zd~embodimont of the invention, a.
predetermined :: .. "d~~f:~uit"'a;taount oftx°~~ player's a'-~ailabio credits is automatically wagered iil each, select~erl -.
gala of o.~mrqc~. ,.1n lc~ci;ton, a player mar choose to input a. customized r?Pfault wag~:~~ zox ., . _ ,:,..:, . ()Y:~: t'~'!'fa?~'' :':~,.~~~:;~ L'=~~y~G.~. )~;ill~~ l~ll:~lyC,-'i' lllput devlt;CS 7~ :~3.1Ci1 aS 4Vag's''rlil.'n., i~ii~i0i3~ %~~, 'fir) s.E:~3.
>a:1~~..i~.': tarv_.5..~ ~ '!'.' uirl~%',::. tilj la'':u~vr~t'"'1'i 72 'v''r kv 1)1');lrd c~..'i~.' l~4 "L1' l'1'x.'l.v .dl~:.~ t3i'nt.tiS .~,',i:,.;
. r.~ ~' ~' ~ Y p .r . . . 1 , 11~ rJ~:.'.,.~?, 4°.;e:~ irrw astxe orlrlc)x: ~~~~:'.:, ~.~fi:h_~;a~
i.; v,a uf:Kva.~~ezir;~j ~:ll~t~7,'.~4;'?tl.a7:"~ 1".: tnty!,,, ~, ~ y n. ~, -~,: :~~,,, i ,y.': ;a-:~.:;?? ~ 1 ~:;TCC1 "".'y~Cl,; h?."ir aie C'tl:' la screen 72, ~'llailfr~ntT v~t::l~%'I:ru ~:)i!~
. , .~ ~,.~ ~ , _ . c3 . . ~ w., . o . ~. 15 ,p. y t, o d ,, ll;i~~'l'r)~'t'';'~ "~.i'!23~":.~~'i21 ~'. .'. ~f':>~tE:~.:.:-(DC exu'1"i"~1:
.~~1~ 111C11v1C~.llal In llt C 111TijDf"rit8 ~~ .C'v;riC~t;v .
,;~'~J:'. ~".,34i'i ~ t'~c,s ~ .'.~t ~,~,i~'lt",, ~i)'" ~. vt'agCrlrd~
j~~t).tta.il ~~ ~~)r .4'<.-'~".Ch C~ilSB ~'2L~Oi' type'. Uf ~T~niC:' (L, ~.ci .: '.
wager ing mutton ~~s~.d Ibr wager_ng in aiI reel slot machine games), by touch screen con~~rol;~
. , ~ on sirsyh~ clisrl.w~.s~xe~r,~.72a~~.;l/or a ~by a: master wagering button 79u,wTith~one ox more functionalities. A' mater wagering button'79a may be used, for example, for wagerinu a , cor~lmol~ arnoul~~t for e~:ul~ game or fo:r "cycling" to each individual game for. the purpose of selecting mciividuai wagers.
. ~~:1~2 j A 'credit meter i;4 in.colporated into console 75 of gaming machine dis151ays credits availabl o for play. information regarding available credits may also proferabl~' be displayed in one or more areas of single display screen 72. In this regard, games selected for play may have separate or common crediting displays. Since many players enjoy the display of independent, cumulative crediting for individual games, separate crediting may be preferred. In this embodiment of the invention, players may elect to have such crediting for one or more games displayed in an image in or adjacent to individual game windows 8~, or on. other conspicuous areas of single display screen 72.
Alterltatively, ~)r in addition to she separate credit displays, a player could elect to view the credits ac~uir~u ~oz~~
play of all gallles as a single cumulative amount, such as an amount di.splayeci on creclit meie~r .:' ls~. . .
~~J~.~3:~~ ~n~e wagering is complete, a player initiatesplay of the selected, g~Illes, .for example; asilg play acti~.ration buttons 7~ ("play buttons") or touch screen controls on :jingle clisylay sct~en '.2. For certaul games, such as keno or roulette, a player may first be prompted to' pick "h~cky" numbers using touch screen controls over the location.,s of the desired n~irxll~~,.rs~ a,c.'by asira othor player input devices '76 (e.g:, l~oyboard iI I, a ~'IOUSe, ~tc.) -which ~, ::~i.:~,~ be corxia,,zr~:d to all~~v for.selection of paaticular elements of a gatrle, -~ ne of skill yl tii~ ., :Irt -,~tl ~ ifv' , i.~.{l thai ~i~~cr bnttous 78 may re adapted to have varia:IS i~:~,~ ,ti or~:~litio:.°~~I~i.
. ~r t ~i7 ; . ~ ,.~x .wn o , a '~ ~,rv ~. i 'il~i?...t,_ ...~,.. ..r.,~)'W:L.~ ~Uiv1~siGUm, .~,,~(lld~.iitlal ~IIdIOr SII'?Liltilll~~?~.S ~1;.'.'i ~I 5>:.:V.~~~,c'~.;J~T1_i.;jt'.'z~716 :;, t, ,_, , ,_~ . , . . . , . .
t ~#' '.,~" ~;.'1 v~l°. .v::lliU~J~Ii'lilt.iit U~~ ~iie ilivc:n~iUll, e'u'(:ilvir~i:Y.':'li;'t' LT'wJ:.. ;~'i~lC~.'JGJ ~'~:' t~i .,:°. .
,? :~.i. 1:.r ~ ~,!, ~-~., !~a~i lll~l.,:?. ,~~au ?U~ivfla~On ~'ltittUa ~~~
~Gr tc)ra.cli s~i;Tew'1 l.Ull~'v~ ~. ''f ~ ' 'at'e. tn.f _ . J l ~ ; . .<
''s~~"..! r.~IV:L'.,_au,.~,e ~ ~ .lG~t'~'7:~:.:.i? t~ltl, ztUI1 7u' fOr ULtC
'~ ~1 a ~ ' ( t h scr"en cor~tavl) u~ssiyze~ t~ '~Lci«:2au in~i1 tzl~;i, s,.~rr~~.: ~~'~~i~~do;rr ~:~, ~~eh m~xtually cancurr~ntly disp4lay~d~gar~e ~r~~.:,~ ?~.~ st:~rt~ ~t in;~i~~i.cl'~ially. for eYarr~ple, a player serecting four individual laming ~v~indovs fig,. is prow ded with. fo~~~~ pl,~y h'uttcan'7afor ~nchwof those individ:aal gaming window: ~~.
r~.:play~'rvr:~ay be o.~ade aware ui a ~Iesignation of a play button 78 for a particular individual. gaming w-indow~
~~~ by tnPans ic..no~~u in t;ze at~t, inrludilng instntctive labeling and messaging within ilzdividaal . qgarrling ~h-inclov~r 8r. To start play in any individual gaming window BY, the appr~priatE play buttc)n 7$ :may tlm~: be activated. Individual play buttons 7~ may preferably be activated in any order, and any single game preferably may be activated any number of times by a play button 7R before activating any other selected game. Therefore, play in this embodiment is much like play on separate conventional gaming machines.

[0105] In another embodiment of the invention, the game activation functions of play buttons 78 may be included in a single, and preferably multifunctional, player input elerrlent such as "master start button" 80, such term including associated responsive circuitry of the gaming device. Master start button 80 is preferably conf gztred for various modes of starting play of the selected games, which games, as previously described, may be of varyin#T
classes ~~~d t<,~pes. In one aspect of. the embodiment, activation ef master start button 80 start~~rr:..
alI selected names simultaneously. In a related aspect, games started simultaneously by n~ast~r staa-t button 80 may have their playing times deterunined and coordinated by digital . a i~~ro~ro.w.,~sor 1 ? 0 (Fife. 3~ such that each game outcome i.s displayed in ali ord.or~cl (~.g.
c.lr~~ywi~~,.P. le:f-t to right, etc:) or random sequence within predel.ermined intewal.s.of clie ' .
another. Altcrhatively, games started simultaneously by master start button 80 may L~e~timed air; or~r~rrlinatacl by digital .microprocessor 110 such that each game outcomc~.is cjisplayed si1z1Z31tW lgously. ' . , i~; ~f~] ' . ~!Iast~r stair battton 80 may also bP cola: lgtxrei~i to st:~rt ~4~F:h o~° tl~~~ m;leetod .
('.'!i'~ ',1. ~ '!~"~1 . .~,..., !' '" y 11 ' *~ yt-' y- y- 1 ('ltYr! ,.
k,rrttrr 't''~'~il:.r.~ ~~.y~ryT Y o . ~...; :~..,. . s -Lx 1.,, '.i.~..t y ..Ii an llr.lf,ieCl "r r~'~rldOm ~cL~lslCin. Ill tlll" ,.,l..zl: C) ~"~ ".~1!2v,,. .~_" sic C L...~ 3 )t , 1 .~ r ', :7~,!''.~t 11 ~ t. .'1 F' ~p 1~° ~~ ~ iv -. n-r ar~r C !.
,t~-i... j' ~"!~y. i-.i., ao~ y4~r~~.r z~.;,f.r ~. s:
y i ti:.- ... i.tr.ya..W.. . ..s..,._ ..lilt ~~.~(.' gs..rfl.. .. Lit~On_.,5 ..rt, d.~.~~..~'ii L.1 .,~.~,>:..al,.la. t I '~3.. .~..:W ,.1.:. _.. >.s .r;.:
v.i : .l, t~~ ~ . .y, ~;~:~ ~a_~....~;s~,d., ~aaile;~ str:rted aEi~~IC~IIiiall~y'o~~
snzsr,,~r ,-va.rt !o'~tt;4:,rz.u~ 'i;::1 ~',;; ,~,,.
'.
.,.~,.._, =.,~:c'r. ~.n:i~-~~rliy or ire a spe~iflc order, ~h:l ii7] : T~~ a.still fm ~:h."r: aspeot o3 the embodi:nert, a rrrasx~;~
,tar°c '~r~~ l~~~t. 0 *~~,v ~,:,.
C;~::it~l~e!,E:;C~:t~.prt;vlde ;~.~;pluyE,'r tl?.2~Opt1011'o~simaltal~eom,~Zlay O:~ t!;>1,7,;.fihl7C~'1:~. ~.'lila~5 :1e 'e~.~i.thø,xmn.r -mindows 100 and of other 'games of change in individual gan7irj.g:3rr'~x~dov>s.I3f.
'I:~:T;s;,.foo pi;z;~el~~ entered into a tournament who d~,~sire.ta play gaz~o ~ o:c chanee.aa'r:he sami tilne.as the tournament games, master start button 80 may provide the player the oj~~ortunity to f-~ Bali a single buttan to start both categories of gatnos~ ~ ' . COI O~y - Preferably, a player will be provided with player input devices 76 (e.g., . ?~oyboard 8i, touchscreen locations on single display screen 72, play buttons 78,~a mouse, ' etc.) allowing the player to select the various options for starting and finishing assorted modes of play.

[0109] In a further related embodiment, games activated by play buttons 78 or a master start button 80 may have "play times" determinable by the player wherein one. or more game outcomes are displayed "prematurely," or in a delayed manner, on single display screen 72. For example, a player may be provided witli one or more player input control devices 76 gong play buttons 78 'with which to selectively stop "play'' at= one or more particular games such that the one or more game outcomes are immediately displayed. This embodiment is loarticula.rly saitable for providing a player with.a "feeling of control"
over the spizzning reels of : gel slot Inachzne games, but may also be applied to any of fhe various games available in garuing n1aC12131e 70. In the event a player does not "stop play" within a predetermined period of. time, a iirner knot shown) associated with digital micropzocessor l 10 wild automatically trigLer digital microprocessor 110 to display the game outcom~(s).
[~:ILtJj :°. TJVith reference to rIG. 3, during' 'play" of:~:he selcs~.tr~il gameu; digital ~: ZT!3C1.'U~iC)~.,CS~CT 110 of gaming machine 70 randomly genextlt~s nun~hers representing the gayzvireg iz'.dicia appropriate for each selected game ofchiume.. ~':3x~i'taf .'ri~:ro~ror~,'~so:':110.
-,t;lrn f'E.S~'~i3~'';i ai'1~' ganl'' CrlltCOnle lndlCla C.1't sirl~it;
'_'CxeCt2 d!:il:~u'~e ~,: o!l.Sr: tl.'..~:,',Ii~G.'t2lF;.v ~I%'t!'_tr~'a'.i~' ,').I?1wh "l 1~t°:~'Sr " ; ' ~f ~-,.1~. .,.R~(~~s' 1Lr+ ,n ~.x~) ,.~
y(ert~,. :..1~~~;y.:~~!7r' ~f,.,,~:~~..'.t~~'.
r ..i~.. t..l,.._..,.._Wa t.>r eacn Ox tllC ~;~n1(..~ y iL.~s,._~LL,_'v ~.h-,.
' _.. ~. ~,~~.. . .. . 11t3,. .. .~ 1'i iay..~t~;!.:a Y; I.;~;',_ l12 or.in..t._ra~e me,li~i~;i : >,.. ~~s;r, ~~ _ . .
. .~ ;i.~L~ -.=.s.l~!:l'iita, :, 't °.~l~il't'." VJ:I~Y : ~.:t~i .LTlOre. WIll.nlng game ~7iltCflIIS.PS
till ~~Cllx.'i~ til.. ,.~~!..:: 7~ rl:~,j r::C.:lV:' 1 ~1.1'f:~x;~, ti)!' iraCl? ~~%.Il .izi'the foz~n of additional ~~2ITt-Civt;jlTe, ;L:~r .V,:a,,.~;C~~ r'Y 3i~,Cr.dF Slb!2c~tCQ
s, , . ,. ., ' , , , . " . ~ .
.:,~.u,4.,~...
~Ola:l j ~7Vith reference to FIG. 2, individual gazing windov.~;~ 88 which have ;. un,.z~izzg outcomes may have those particular outcomes revealed to a ~~lay er through various , means. including those winning windows Pnlargizig, expanding and contracting in size, and/or wing sub,~~;_ted to distinctive illumination schemes, such as an incz~eus~ in intensity for ~- .
'~riz~nino oL~t coming windows 88, or a flashing surroundizy border.
~'~Iarious distinctive audio soLmds may also typically accompany one or more winning outcomes.
[0l? 2~ One of skill in the art will recognize that the multiple gaming capabilities of the gaming machine of the present invention allow for new and interesting variations of traditional games of chance. In one embodiment, of a method of play according to the present invention, a particular outcome or level of winlung on one or more games selected; for simultaneous, sequential, or random play triggers a microprocessor in gaming machine 70.;to activate one or more "bonus" games, in which a player is permitted the opportunity to attempt to achieve winning game outcomes at no additional cost to the player (i.e., without the input of additional currency or the wagering of available credits). Refel~rir_g again to FTG. ;~, thP~
bonus games are played in one or more individual ,gaming windows 88 on single display screen 72 and may be displayed and played 3nu~.lally concurrently with other games of chance: .Typically, each winning bonus gar~ze outcorri-a has an associated pay value repr;,sento~. by an amount of coins, credits or c'xher designated pri:~es awarded to the player.
~011~~ The bonus games xrlay be of the; same., similar or corrlpieteiy different class or type a s the games in which the winning outcomes) were achieved. For example, a reel .alet r~~~~~,chilae game on gaming machine ?0 nia~ llav~;.~.~~1 outcolr~e characteriz;,d c'y the display .-,_. oFthr~~ of th:: sair~e symbols on adjacent reels;
:,~au.sin~;.a:xticroprocessor within the gaming -nla~:~..in~ i:o uatomatica.llj> Easter the player 1I1 c~~c~ c~:~ xno.~~ bonus ga.~-nY s.ol yiele;3 poker (or. =
.~Jlih ~:,'~tr~r ~-~T w:Clf (S> oI C;lr.~rli.t°.~: -, , ' ' ' . . , y~f ~ i-~,, i.,°~ W[n i)il: Onf: bOI:tLl'3 gat':[ '.'~a=~' t...'e :1~",>;,).':,.<: ...at!,',',~ ti[cT~i ;:~~lt~ i~:i iSh~r~ . ., ..
,~:,oi.~c~ hc~;.i:~, .~;~-sw.of f.he samc;.or v~~l~ ,1<.T ~,~~.._ i v: a,..
J'. g::'i!~.',~3 of y;:..Ta:.:c,'.. .is~i r f [IJ ilz~,I' ! .
'Y ~y , . A _, .:
. . a~u~l c u.~''i the C'.n'hl''.UCh.:nl:.ilt, a play ~r achia;'ill~~ 1 ~'t,.L't;t.~~ %- .~CT'i~: (~~.ufJlj'i'~. ~ <i,'.~.i~'i ',i !J.r.
~.':.LDi'1r11~'L"~
[J:x,:')viC,~. ~ ~';~Y7 t~1 E7. 1?illr'slli.'t~r of bonus: gaxlie: C~ITTi~!"ln .:"~.;:~ R'.'.rt ic;r li1!1'>il s,~ ',: Ci;t ~,..atl'I:~ i3 -i.I F
C~'lc'lllC;v.:, F-or ~=;maple., a specific game r~utconle ~n one ~r lncr: ~.~xn.~:r r~~:~~'E*igc.e.~~,oale bonus gave of : each oL an elo:~troluc reel clot m:~chine, a,~-~.elecl5-oni~ video~oi~er gasm.~, an el~~tronio w bl;:~~:lr~acli game, an electronic keno game, ete:. . , .
iOI~S; Further, games according to the invention relay be set at varying levels on a la drier, so ti ~, term "bonus" games is not to be interpreted,as restrictive but ratr~or enabling.
~peciFcally, an additional wager may or may nit be required to play games at one level enabled by winning (or play rates, or accumulated wins, etc.) at one or rroa~e games in a preceding level. The higher level games may provide a more lolerative paytable, for example, ' or an opportunity to win greater awards.

[0116] The number of bonus games may also be multiplied by a predetermined multiplier, for example, in the case where there are simultaneous winning outcomes resulting from play of the same and/or differing games of chance. In this aspect of the embodiment, the multiplier provided to the play er may be the same as the number of games simultaneously won. For example, two simuhaneous vrins may reault in a multiplier of "x2,"
while three simultaneous wins may result in a. multiplier of ''x3", etc.
[03.17] The multipliers may also be applied to wagers in primary games of chance in individual. gaming window; 88 of single display screen 72., and/or the multipliers may be applied to potential ~,wilulings in one or more bonus games. In one aspect of the embodiment, a video imago of a plurality of potential multipliers may be displayed on the periphery of a simulated rotatable wheel in an individual.gamirsg window 88 on single display screen 72.
The wheel could .start spinriir~g automatioaliy or upon player ~;ctivation by use of touch screen r:c~ntrola or player input uevices 76. .A: simulltted indicator may indicate the area of the rotatabie wlleil cor2esponding to tlle-mriltipliyx .~-,,af~h will be supplied to thvylayer,..
F , [i1138] I11 a fiartr:~x er_'lbor;~.ilr~r~t ~f ~h~; vr.~r~;ritiou, large atvards Or ~a.~lpots 11-s.ay b _~
~-1;ZW.~.i'OZE r~'Ak;'~;.~3~~;4Gn~en-t.'fSl~flii~~~tairOC~3'~':C°Ic!S
~:!: !11':Eil:lpl~ ~;ltnt.',o O~th-: 3di~lol'varyiI)~ ' t;%~lr.y :.11'.41 ~ ~r _:, ;'j~l:. ~3' "" '~ ,('-- t- "' ~'; h'-LZ: ~ p L1 ' '~~T,' j,afCl:' s~lttl;CS'tT:,F.' . ..c:r ,i, . (3r C'xa i .. ia"1 C. fr ii ..l's .~.,.~ si'11i~ ' ~:~3 d i.e..
~.Illi'z'd "'!v'Jvl(~E: u:l'1'li~ltl hed Ot' ~:JtilE.'!'~V:~,f:.
~';1'3ii~.l~.r:~~Cs ~'slC:i~'10t'OL.'..1:' I't~'C~vi~:rx.?1111~~t.~.i~allS.'ltlut 1~1'!iCt3~t .~ ~
h~,~h~~~r than the a.troullt pair'' frr trvo i~~z~~y~rc;~n.tly aG'lieve~' ~arkrots f~r.ti~e. sazl~~.;~7.atc~?n~le5:
~~irr~~ltaa?cus wires .~~':vtYy tl~ce gz~rn~s re'la'y ,day a hyhvr amount thao..that ef a.:~y rwo simu.haxleous wins, and so on, wz-tlrprusgressively lligher.ja~:~~ot:;
resulting from higher nrunb~; rs of simultaneous wins. Sixnuliane~u s ~mins on two or snore differing gazno~ of chanc (e.g, siinulianeocis wins on a reel. machine game and a video poi~or game) may also pay a jackpot which varies (e.g., is increas;,d) from an amo~clnt paid for a sinluitarleous iviil on two or more of the same games of chance (e.g., two simultaneous wins on reel slot machine games).
[119] In an additional aspect of the embodiment, a gaining machine 70 is configured ~avith a payout scheme that uses an internal progressive based on simultaneous, sequential or random play of multiple games displayed on single screen display 72.

[0120] In another aspect of the embodiment, simultaneous wins on multiple games may automatically qualify a player for entry into a gaming tournament sponsored ox sanctioned by the casino. In this embodiment (see FIG. 4E), a tournament window 100 may be displayed on s-~rigle display screen.72 in addition to one or more individual gaming windows 88. Tlle player may theta opt to enter into the tournament using player input devices 76 and begin play on tournament window 1 U0 at any time during which the tournament is being conducted. ~s previously described, a player may continue play on one or morn individual gaming windows 88 while playing in the tournament.
[0121] In a ~c~arrer~tly preferred embodiment of tile present invention (see FIG. 2);. a plays°r achieving winning outcomes on a predetermined number of differing games within a predetermined time period is provided with a multiplied jackpot or high award not otherwise . ~, off~i'ed'oy g3:millg rr.aojain~ 70. For example, relatively large jackpots cr awards co~zld be . , urovided to =~ player ~~.tll ore or lilore wits on each of the various game's of cliance iffer~d ~n .. _ gur.~ing rx~aLx3la.~~ '713 Freferably, tho l,olatively larL; jackpc)ts or awards would-be:pai.d imtl'~e:
~aitLlvl.l.c~rl l ht;~~'Ct=r~,,. 5~if-1i13 CjCi:llr la,'il..~ITi %1 ~?'~~Li,~al'n3.ln~t~, ~Nan U> h~i'.:'S Or v:1%el2.Cla3T~ (11>lil!.,Tj.
''ii "C'~;a~~:'1i7;,~'il~.l~~':.i..d(~t'n~l~~C3lt?~3 1:?':,~?1'O'c.~t~f 1!~i:~!~ C'>t.i:li'::yd ')lt:'~%.1C~'L7:ilV~. , ;
_ l . ,,, ø , ) , . ' 7~~..~'~'.i:~ ~, 1 :Ilpl,t~r F Li?isOi.~.:11:1C.rl~ t)'i~i~Ti, 5211'G,1!~1f~3: a i71~! pi's c3b"dl:2.ii'fl~i: C,'slfa.Cx75 F<):i t 3 ~ , , y Y.
;pf?yil'y'&: Vc r;l~tj'' '3r gr3i11eJ'?:l.?v.~' ii!: 'il'.Cf'.°..aSCel ChJOn t~'3E pl:3yer'S aC:hlE'r-lI?L,Olh; GYn'1:.'~.1'~'~ ~;5t'~i':~Zw,'.' gr~alv'~t)?~~~G.!I'..øS :_l one Or nl~).Ct; "priniac~" g~fITi~S tl:~

4.'li't?rie:l.'.: F~1.' ~;?~.'~.l.Tl'll~le, .~~;alT!111~; ni3~liii:e J
. ny5° be cant.;, gl.~recl t;l initially ~proqricte. a. placer only wlimited Lheic~ in vypes of, gargles available #br pl~.y {e.g., two primary games are initially provided consisting of a reel slot ~naohir~e game and a lreno~g:lme). I~pon~achioving a specified game outoorne'in one ormor~' °;, of the primary games, tlla player may consequently be offered one or more new types of games of chance in which tc) pla;~ in addition to, or instead of, the prirriary games. specified ga_m.; outcomes in this expanded mode of play may result in the addition of still .further new games of chance becoming available to tile player and so on, [0123] . ~'he above concept may also be applied in terms of the number of games .
offered to a player. For example, a player may initially be provided with the opportunity to wager on only two games of chance of the same or a varying type. Upon achieving a specific outcome in one or more of the available games, the player could be rewarded, in part, by notification to the player of the opportunity to play and wager in an increased number of games, also of the.same or a varying type.
[012~~ At some predetermined high level of wagering, which may consider the number of games played per time period and/or number. of dollars wagered per time period, a player may also r)e provided with one or more "complimentary games" in one or more i.nclividual gnrning :~~.ndav=~s 88 whioh provide a player a chance to win at r_o additional cost for a predetermined period of time, or for a predetermined number of spins. In this em bo:lixt~er t, t:h.e p:irayer must continue to wager. on and play at least one other game of chance i~3 order to ta~:e r~dvz~rtage ot~the complirnent~ry games. Thus, a complimentary game is displayed simt"ltan~ously with the at least one other game of chance on single display screen 7?,_ : ', . . .,_ , .. ; _ : . ..:
[~!: ~~~ ''he complimentary game m.~.ly be caused to play automatically in r~~spcins~'tci.
r.°i p~.ayP':"~ ltli '.;i;SJ:rI Ot i:~i~y ail Bile or nlQ:~: (?thW
games of chance in ~Vv'!ic~l. thlagerS ~1:!V'e'l7C~rl esla.cv:i. r',~ . _~ ~..:~L.,', ';~~~; gape outcomes; of th=:
~;un;pli~r2~ntar~~~;;fu~l.(s) ,i~'w _'.' ~e;~lc~
st~.~~,~~~za~;a~., ..Lv~~. ,Y,~~.l~eu~~'iy. tvith:vh~;
~~aYne~outconm(s).r.~fthe.at lrrast :,~-t:: oi~.~r. l;,~i,;w:.,f ;
r , fN~.tm. "i~ ~, . _. ~a'r XI:F;')T'.'.I ~"i'l.i ZV~gCI'e'.~.: ~.lSi?
~ir°.ie7'ab'y,.el SrZE.CIfIC'Wlnrln:(il?~:;L.T:It,, lr;t?,,' ,.~).C:_ 'E.~ti.~.'.. ;. .. ' ~ _~'..~ l0 :l'J' aj~; ltUltritl:enteli bj :11i nlC.iedS~ ill tllP lr~ er'S .':V.'.1.~r ~b'i.t'..Lf: ~~. I;'~W
-. . ..r ,~., , L> . l ~ y . c .
rvi3~ ct?~~~,:. ~,~...t .: c:~~.~~,::. j~L c~.c.~. ~LSp~Lt ez the enzbod.iment, the ioighe~t (ar ic~~~~~;~;t~.'a:;~rw :atnoan t p~a~;cf: tat ,'~~.~ ~um~ ~-,~~Ye of game as alze con:lplimentary gaz23~ wil t ~;, attr7toa~~~°~_ r~ tru:~
co:npii~~i~W ar;r ~;rrn~. : er e~~.tnple, an eligible player v~~ageri~a a dollar on a reel slc~v.
machine ga~ro tna;~ :~iso'ntyv that v~ager amount (a dollar) applied to play of. tjie caznplimenraa-y gazre. 'flues, in the exainple.provided, any winning outcomes on the.
oomplinc~~:tary game ix~ c;uld pay as if a dollar liad been wagered by a player. In an additional aspect of the erlzbodiment, a player may be provided with tlhe opportunity to increa5e.t',he .
~F~agor on a ~.omplirnenta~~y game beyond that of the player's wager on the at least one other . ' game of'chance.
[l)l2tS~ Cane skilled in the art will recognize that the complimentary game of the present invention differs frexn conventional bonus games in that the complimentary game is displayed and played mutually concurrently with games in which wagers are made.
Furthe_rxnore, the wagered amounts on a complimentary game may be tied to wagers made by the player on other concurrently displayed games of chance.
[017] Again refelTing to FIG. 2, a wide variety of.other interaction is contemplated between multiple games displayed on individual gaining windows 88. In a preferred Pmbodiment of the invention, a player is allowed to play a plurality of games (preferably :lifforent games ) until one game achieves a specific outcome. The game with the specific outcome play tllen ue then "looked up" (i.e., is frozen and lulavailable for play) and the playex is given a i~av~'~etern ~.ine~d nu~~llber of plays ( for example., ten) or predetermi:!~ed l me period (for.exampi;,, t~~~o r:.inutes) in which to achieve a specific. outcome ila.
at last zone of th° .
remaining. games. If the player achieves the specific outcome on at least one of the remaining.
game's, zl:~:r~ iha;t gal3ie nay' also be locked up and the player again gi=ion u. pre.de.tex'lrlin~r~
z~~~tai~er of I3lzy.s or rr~rdetennined time pexiod in which to achieve a spee,if o o~atoome i.n. at g;"..~~4 ~,nw;~d~Ii~(. ,?:al ~;iie. ref tire remailung games alxd so on. "~
player able t ~. ,,,-~.cv~ r~~iaix~d :x 5,.;,°. rrjt ~'~>. ~=~~t~,:; iiC all i)ftll~: i(ll~lall~ displayed, ga~-rles a~ i~~t~vvic~na~, 'a.r~ ; ~~t, ~.1. ~'.,.v,:, ?,;y t::.:t.'' w' . ~.~_u"...:i ~s~tt1'1. ii, n 1'itld ~ilZLt' ~T Otl"x~Twi '7rC
r2:.lt~::'J.~~~~1'C~. ;.'~~ l ~.~;ti> > G. .'t..~t:;~~~i.;..~~.11'1:.-?
g I . p. p ~'v~11' ~ l .'f ~o;v.e ~t'i ~ 1l~ o., ' t~,:~ x.",., ~i '~~ c I ' :r ~ >i~ s ,: .,°zW ~y ' -~rt ~ w..v , , . .a,,...'~ . . _~'_ .... iCxlU'..fi0a~. 'it?11e 211......Rf~ti~J27 _m,2,' x.IVJ..v;'ItJ_,g1t7.7 ._t 1_1 :..t,.J., .., : '~,.'~,ll,ll..:
,: ~;~~:isty:_..'c-.: :k~! ''~7''_'.lf l' '1'rh' ' ~- ':lhl ~ 1' ''tl V 'Ti c:l~'.iC~ Z' ~i~t 1 7~:~: ', , ';:.' -.: ,t _ le cu cc .' c,I ~ g, c wh>c 11 a~ Y l, r . _I . ~. .z,...._.~. .' :~~~~:~'x.r.~ ~'~.r.!~n~s~. them rt-'r~t~aSlxl~ the ~~n.lt.' in V'111Gh tl7.E
S~E:C:ifl.~ Oht(;vmC l 'f:.'y.'',,, '~ <,': .
w~.~~r'~~.:r:~ila.~ ~~~ ;;hat ~a~u~: eila.~led by an:additionalwwager.~ -'Thus, a,.portior~ r~:~ pua~~os;, r,iv;I2c;.
~;a~:ning wapa;wllty oI galnlzg l~raaoi~ine 70 will net be removed from service who: sp~~ci~o:
oLaco~nes ar-, ac1-~ieveci: ~'Jhen pla y of X11 of the potentially intoraotive games haa, .ool~oludoti, .
the gaxrW ~,T machine will: award a bonus related to the number of specific, interactive o=_yar.o~lzos .~oi~ove<l during play of the various games.
~~1?°) A.s an. illustrative example, a player may be ihitially provided witFt a reel slot .machine gamy;, a video poker game, an electronic blackjack game, and a keno game in four mutually eoncul~ently displayed individual gaining windows 88. Upon a player achieving, ' for example, three of. a kind on the reel slot machine game, that game will look up, leaving the player with the three remaining games. The player may then be given, for example i0 spins or plays in which to achieve some specific outcome in the remaining games of video poker, blackjack, and keno. If, for example, the player receives a "21" in blackjack within the l0 spins, that game will lock up, leaving two mutually concurrently displayed games for play.
A specific outcome, for example, of a full house or a higher ranking outcome in video poker (e.g., four of a kind) within 10 more spins will lock that game, thus leaving the player mt?? a f nal opporhuuty to "win" on the remaining game of l~eno.
X01293 Many variations of this type of game are possible and are contemplated .~aa3tldl~ the scope of the invention. For example, the number of spins or plays could be varied l~,',v ~1'C)VidlTl~ the player with more or less spins or plays in which to achieve the specific .
o~at~;o.~nea leading vo the next ''level" ofthe game. The same time period, or various graduated time periods, could be offered in lieu of a number of spins or plays in which to achieve the sl.~ci.f.o t)'at~;Omes..'~larious payoffs are preferably proV~ded a,..~tPr ea~~r: Spos~lfic'o~ltoorrie zs at,:hiwi:d;~t?~:e layoffs increasing in value with each. successive specific o~:~tcome. In audition, .
some: or arl of he games could be fhe same game, or all of the games cou3.:1 be:differ4~nt.
'y~~i ;'~: ' aL3 C': Stlil turtl~cr.E:.llbOdim~nt~ ~'dn?Eng,:~fl~l~~lT_zi7.C'.
.~~~ '''~:.)i' ~'e:. i.:Jl:tfl~.L~t:E~i.~ JJ:it~l a ' ..~.t. ~.."..1~ t', ~.'1 .~i'~t~.,n ~ , r~t.~,. w ~ ~i.~ n '., .f'1 v~ t't~. 7 l?'nr5 .. a~.'.., ,~ ,.-,. ~.t.i~r ', _ ~....A_,~~, u~.,cs~> x~.. v,i;.t,.l..~..ke.~.vv,~ ~tarts.cmt.., ar:aiaitial tyj_e t~~..,.c~~,,~ _.,. ~. : ...~.. t. . ~,t~:j..,~':,. ~..i 1..:
t'..h~..r'' TP ~~,, ' : ' ~ ., ,>,:y.I' ' ,.. 1 . f..: t.'rllnJT, 'ta,t~~
u:'~'i,~:~': r~frliw ~~lt i=~'~ ' .~~i~.a ~Jm t.arl~"~ .
.. .. ; ~ , . ~ ,. ~ are . t t~ti,i r,~.,. ~ _ 1 ~ a o ~r_~~. . .. ,u .z, .. Y
~ , r 7 ~ »r .,r',.. .. c 'T w~~'.. Y ' ~.(' . :> Li. . n ~~y..,., r,, ~~i~ ~ .
!"f fib. -a 4 t: .,i.
.:,~;~. ._ ... -...,' ~.~ or cLa..ses o~ ":~_.~~s ~1 .,h~.n~c,., . oa c~~._.rple, .. pla.,,. .. .,,...~u.y,..,,~~~ .,.:v,e,~~~
~.~,~',y )_~ ~ ~, ir~~~ ~ ..T~1'cl.~l b.','tnrtl ills' provided Z'Wth C)~l~ Ur lIQC~L lFiSt'iJa.C~~~.. .~Jf r~~ ~1 ~ t ~.; ,t'ly",, ti'~tlF' , J,,L~,~ s ;;fz siszgl; ~:iisplay s~rEOn )2~ witYi the nurxl:~er.of ga.~n~a I~e;t~:~:ably c~~p .r~~jn~~; -anon tl:r::
..iunbW ef Lredits ~th~ playei desires to wager per play. Upon the player receiving one or gore vl.~ ~~;i.ii~:.d "game. outcomes, or attaining a predeterminefl level of winning or a specif ed :rate of play. a'a.ming machine 70 automatically changes the. displayed games) of chance (reel ~:lca xa-!;~:~hino games) to that of a differing tr,~pe or class of a game ofchanc~, for example, a vi~~~:, ~JlGckja~k game, In this manner, a player at gaming machine 70 could a~ktempt: to go . "arozun +,he world" by senuentially going through each game type or class available on gaming machine 70. Frefera'oly, prizes and/or awards of increasing value are provided when the riayer successfully advances through each level (e.g., the player successfizlly achieves specif ed game outcomes in each game type or class).

[0131) In a related aspect of the embodiment, a gaming mode of gaming machine may be configured in a similar manner to permit a player the chance to go "around the world"
in various types of games offered in a specific game class. For example, the player may be initially provided with one or more three reel slot machine games, each game having three paylines. ~s the player achieves certain game outcomes, levels of winning, andlor specie°d play parameters are satisfied, the player would be provided vriih added paylines, added nz~rnbers ofreels, ald the like. Similarly, a player may seleci a gaming mode in which v~~rious types of poker are played in a sequential mannep. Fox example, a player may start ix~~.t~s olle .or more games of ~-card draw al2d th:,n rrlove on :irs a sequex~tia? ~nanr~.er to 7-card dram, Pt i-Cro~:v. ~;tc. after a specified gam;. autco~n.°., witming level., ain(1/or play parameter is satisfied. . ~ .
[013.) In order to facilitate°, play sn .this.n~:~.rner ~~-~d to preserve :z player': vinnin g pc;stion to ~:or~til~ue a. ''trip" around the ~vcrld, a locust ox smart card m.ay be employed tovave .,~i~ ~111iC?1'~ Stat;: ref game play (tine currerst state of Gcl~.i~w~;zr~:~nt in terrr3~ ~:~L~~=,'k3~' t7l;~tt;C,'i.~tLC~,:
a- wro 3. r ~ 7, z ', .'- "''~,' '~i~,l ~ 'fit ~ .~~/
~:'1~~..d..:~'fr~.aS'~.?~l.~r,~~,,, l,~c . . c'f.~~.z~:~in,~.al~d c;~r specif:;pla,: par~~~:~~stom;~r' i;.i.a (.;.:~,:~,th." r _ r ,. ~.
.''..~a( (..~...l..~r,t~ r~; -' ~. . .~~ . !J , ~.'...;- s,'~ty~(i: 1~~. .,.f.
' W: f~' 'yF~' 6'''.~('.:~~~~!~' ....'t (~ r,r~~.. ~~~a c. . .... ~.. ...'tL ,. . . .1 11'1 Sa..1C' galilinM i11~.;;11311C G. .1.~...
. .. t~~. ..,..1.. y~~. ... ~ .,..,. . a l y ,, h ., .a~. ~ ~.'~.
. a .~ _~ ~..~~: ~'~ :~i 1 ~., .. ~.; .,., ~, r ..":~ ,.j~.;~~ ~,u;.;.,~.; .' ., ~ . , ~..
iaZt'it:'.''a: '~~.'t,.;. Ut;.-.ctlllC. 1i:1: -,~7~7.1,~.C~l.l#'lCi~.(1C
ctaa.C?'r.. ,yet.~~xi3 v~1,13'-it r:L. r, m..t.~(. a r'JN, l'~
i)L,t(:;i1i1114.af,;~
. 1~ y t ..
(. ~ f~;-1~ ~ ~,a' a . .~~,. v.9< r aY.~...4t r ,vi -~,a...wr~' " h'....
.....:..:~~....r~~iso3ia;..~.c,.p~r~.~~ioftierne{su~h~s7:foA~:xa.~.a~te.~;.~~.4 ~, ..ry,~. ~~.:~:r.,..,._"~~~~.t::..~. yaent~r~.,:r ~n~.r:vh(~urz; to ~:<nai~:.ue the trip,.. , ~cs~.33] icy 3 still lur~'~er ;;lnbodirnent, a play~~~ ~~.~~:'~ ~ iniiu:l,~
jf~~L'S'?~'fi'c;f~ Wit~:7; onhT a ~, S't2:~~1C ti.3Stai.Ce (~l a. first player-selected or gaming machine-sele:;te~l gatry of chance: LTpor~ - -th ~ ,play e,r achieving certain game outcomes, levels of winning , and/or satisfying specified play parameters, the player lnay be provided the option of playing v-~
second~:;ame of chance,,.
iviicli!n~~y include one or more additional instances ofihs:~me or a.
difiexing game of chas~c~ at thp same time as the first game of chance. .Attaiaung further sp ~aifi~d outcom~;s, ~~,rins~~ings, or play parameters would result in still further instal~c~s o.~f he same or differing games of chances for play at the same time as the first and se cond games of chance and so on.
in t_hrs manner, a player is challenged to end up playing as many simultaneous games of chances as gaming machine 70 is configured to allow: Of course, with each additional game of chance added to single display screen 72 of gaming device 70, the odds of winning-for the player go up, thus making continuous play in this manner more attractive to the player.
Additionally, multipliers may optionally be activated as the player achieves various levels of numbers of games to further increase the player's ~willingness to engage in continuous play.
~0134j Referring again to FIG. 4E, t~ IG. 4F arid FIG. 5, gaming machine 70 is particularly adapted to games involving cooperative play between players at gaming machines reraote from one another. Fol: example, one or more players on gaming machines ,~70 may enter a gaming tournament as a team, ~~th~the combined outcomes of the players assessP;I In deteJ~nining the winders of tha tournament. Totu~Jaament windows 100 may be used for to~.~nament play, anew. a player ptwgrus~ ~~;.indov~ 96 may be used to display inlb:nnation related to the player's statistics ixl=tlle tournament. . . .
. ~' ~0:13~] «:LTSiuD mutually iol2~cliri~'n~iy disp~layvc~w~9mp;~.niarudisplay windows102 on gar:lina machines 70; the players.may ct~:s~~rv~~.o~ach ot~mr's rciurnamer~t game outcomes in r~,alrtit~.e and thus mere fully :;hare in the clr~~c~ing o:~c;iteme~lt ofteanl pla:~r. A.separate:. .
Ci~~:a:r izYilOn. dlSpl.ay ~~rl(~Q'94 ).02 ntcly l~U L,i~C~(1'~..~ (7i ~~21i't~' p.rtay ln~" StiLtIStIC':S :0f,;1" E'aCi'1''~~',i'~111T1:7.',.., ,~~ ...~" -..t ~ ~ ,.. fl .~'i,,~E. ,~ ~ ~, ~ 7~r ~~;, -~,~ ;, r1 j, ' l .-' '02i- W .z'rkt9iu.,~~. o:atiStl~C. IfJI tl..e te'dlr:.. v..... ...C t31!L'~. .
.,.._.2(i . .Iv.~ .I1 ~~ii"Il:rrls,, I?1<l.C.tT.T_~ f ~1.I?),";V..'-tl:ill..
. a.. , ..~., ~;.;~ _ , ~r V . ~'" ~~~ ..a . -~ ~;C -y.y, '..'. 1, :, Fm t~,~;~,,YY ~
~,s. ,~.~c vxa,~d.far the vlispaa, of stL~ti.,h.,., ,,. .c,~.t.I_. ,.t~_rs ,Ylt;hin,_;". ~~,.I_..w_..L.rlt:' ..
? y:
~01~ ~, ] . ~ t g t-. .., .xd a . 1- ~ . ,~
j - mbtn ~1° a' i~ iillt~~'~.lC~'i .r~'.~.1!'tJc~T~~Fnt.3'~r~'C~1LJ'i'x~~~s ~el"~Cl'~fE~ ~j~'LT:i?f!.t~
111~'C'>j~llieS' r;, 2 '$ P y ~ '1 'j I 9' ' v ~..l 7 t~_ ";s;.i,~ - 1. - lLccifcd players may also colli~n~~:i:r%f~ai~ ~r~ t~i or~~: a~~.other tw c~cr~r;l,n<t~ ~, ~,tlti~ ilai.c~. . a ;t i:o-::~la ment, to r~iscuss play dut"ixlg zh~ to~~n~rl ~eixt; a;~ct th~.li'ce. =5in'ce ~~~~;,h ~~ruing . . .
mac?line 70 i.s configured witlx individual :~rt~ing ',vkllalO vs 8~~
whi~lrmpeiaW in~3epend~ntly , . #Icon, tourr..ament windows 100 and ~oxnpa~nicth display-;avirdo~~vry~
102,'a player.oil gaming machine 70 inlay choose to play other gar_les o.f'chance at the salve time as the tournament ' garr_es. . . .
00137) Using companion displal v~~rid,~svs :102, new types of games in which remotely located players cooperate in play alv contemplated. In this embodiment, players may link their gaming machines together in a nlaluler previously described and opt to have various games of chance commonly mutually concurrently displayed for play in individual gaming windows 88 of separate gaming machines 70. For ease of discussion, gaming machines 70 linked together in such fashion are referred to herein as "cooperatively linked"
gaming machines 70. For example, players at different gaming machines 70 may mutually participate in gaming decisions during one or more jointly played games of chance. Players participating in this embodiment may, for example, use wagering input components 82 and wagering buttons 79 to place wagers on arty ofthe mutually concurrently displayed games.
Player input devices 76 on any of the participating gaming machines 70 may operate alJ., or ' onl y a selected or randomly assigned nurriber, of the displayed games of chance on each of .tile cooperatively lin;~t=d gaming machines 70. Preferably, the outcomes on each of the jointly pia;~e~~ games. are mutually displayed simnltalleously on each ofthe ceoperativeiy lillkeai gaming machines 70.
[v;i~8] Players may also be assigned particular games on another player's ~~.~operativ~iy ?ink;.d gaming, n~achill~ ~0 folwwhich th;;~iayer is ac:ountable and/or primarily . ~!-~sponsil-;l~- for play. For example; games selected for. lnut~:ial play could be assigned to each _. -. :of fozzr l~lly~rs (e.g., with ttn~eu oCthe players s,eing ..~motely located on linked gamihg.
-~nacl_:.n:a ~?~~1.'-.,-ye diiTid:ng ti.~.:'.irlgie displ2y ~rr~e»s 72 inr~~
:le~adr6snt~s ~.ozxtainillg :roz~~hlr = " ,t , Z iT 1 ~ Y n' ~ ' ,r-, n ' ~ ~ fi Y
C~...u.. l')~ :3"t~'3f!'~ :.T ~,aill~S, '1~~1 ~.c'ts;. ~ 1?.i~~ .._C r:.
S~:C>2:: l~u.~c !?1' i1 , :2rviCRli' 3.' C~Ll;3S..r~i.1'1~:. . ~ v .
.. . . , , ,l.i~. tl'il:~,i,IVC'11~ l'llir: Ja 'eC Ci>AE~tl fr: 'f~,.J'''()i%81i)x~:
?'v'.. K~Y.,~'~, ?' ~ iii i:~iLS~ Of.~r.Z2T?w:.(E:.~T. U:I': :i:.t ::1 .
r 7 .~ ~ Y ~~ .. U ~ b ? .~ y L~,'li:~ bG rf .ii'i't!1!~1~'~.~'. fOi ~Tl,dCO'°~t'.k~'.'~.' :,vlll~t':
a:Cloille5.' '~.S 1'e5~'~Ui~Si ~h~ ~fnr :!if'110, .a': ::, ' . . ~0:1~9j v~t~~dits or.othes.:; w:;xd~~ ~,vc~:lvli~rai~g.ah~ jointly pla,,ved ~zl~.~les ~au?~l be .alapo.~l:zi~nedvfor c~xa~mple, with all willllirl;s .o tll~; nlawx.~who a4hi:wrr'd the: w=.'mii.ay o~ztcome :zr~d wltll 1'O w1n13ll1gS posted to tbL. joint players. Wore preferably, a specific higher' perc~~lrtabw is posted to the-piayer wha pxoduced tll~ winning outcome with -lesser percentages posted to the otlier joint playexs (f;.g., a wilming player.in a threesome engaged.in joint play :rnay receive 50°/a of'the winnings while the other two players receive 25°~o each). ' Alternatively; wixizling credits could be diJtributed evenly or in some other fashion deterinined'oy the players. A. microprocessor of a server or other computing device linking each of the games may calculate the apportioannertts and send. signals to the linked gan'ling machines directing the payment of the appropriate amount of credits.

[014Q~ ~s previously described, various forms of interaction may also take place between the mutually played games on cooperatively linked gaming machines 70.
For example, the players may jointly participate in multiplayer variations of th~
games previously described herein. Thus, specific outcorr~es achieved by one or more of the jointly playing players may result in bonus games or complimentary games for one, some, or all of the jointly playing players. Various jackpots may be awarded for simultaneous winning outcomes of thc; sane or of differing game: of chance, with the laxgest awards paid for " sirrm"ttanoous wi~~lning outcomes achieved by each of the jointly participating~players.
[Ql4r] Ivlultiple players on cooperativ4.ly linked gaining machines 70 may also jointly palic%zt~ate il:~ the previously described game ill which specific outcomes or winrnng levels are ataen ~pt~d in each of a plurality of games within a certain'number of plays or .
r ~with!z ;z «ot<~ iz_ ielxvc perio~i;l.- In a prefer°r~.cl.vrrhodiment of i:he jointly played gamy, .players '.
act:_ng as a i~~~in-liay e~ci~'ne.cornlnorlly assigned aplurality oftypes and/or classes ofgames cf c' i:~;n~~% :~,~:c y~ l<~ ; . .
~0=,~~:.~ .lir,r ~x~:~~l~, ea~.v °of the ~lalrors on ~~parat~~ qua ~~oop~rltivel.y lil~l~~,~'. v hr ~~i~ ~ ! ° ~r' ~ ."'~!; Ia'!'.'. ~!: c~. '~ ~ "' : ~ x ~' 131~,C1C~'iG~r ~ ~ F'. .7~ t ~ Y. . t.,, 1 ; it ~
r.r. ,~, Ju Ly(ti~..y..vll.L..U~~.i~~l~~i~l' gal 1C:.,. iu:. ,St it.
L:~.l.l,x.«, .l,. i",.alt.., . / _ S$. 118(1 ~lic.~ . r'a, ~
nr;i ', ~,~..., ~~~ . <a.,.,. l 1~ ~l,S-1" 1'', ' »~ '' o rJ' ,.'~T ~ r. ~'.
~.lr.'~ ,i,'~ " _. Tt~f~ a~.y ~;:.~..
:Gx..".,.W .C ~t.,C4 ... . ;~.~lt xWn_ ~,~i~1_L Utl't~~i~li it.a~3..Ctlv~.
~dlTllil~,.31'riivrlt:~;~. .~~f..~~.yeayt,~". ;'vl~U...:,..~ ~;."i_ .
Di~!' :l i.i~ ~.ii"ti, ~';: i1'~;.~''.:a; G~1.TIC'.~ f:.:a: .ll'~.til1 .c~esir~~d order. ox siln~.~ltalh:~~asl~x7 ~llliti't?I~i: ~~'f''' l ~ ( ~, y ,,.
ti~~ j~ia~!!_t'. aAa',1~:;~r~;lp u.:.311eVVS fip~C3:~t': UlltCUnle in at least typE of JGrlle ~.(;,j,~ y;'3lc;,t;;jy?v%~C.~,>..
~x].~ c.,~~I'~~.'. ~;,lc~:iS iir i~r~r:f' .~'13:r1 ~i?C 3~~ClfiC t3~>'iC'JmF
tllell '~IOCl::S upn fUY.eaC~l Gf~:Ii.~'. i0~_?y~.fu, al?(~ v::.
the playera w.~ rherl givan a pred~tel~liined number of plays or a psedete~-mined iin~le period in vh:ich tG:liC111s'.'VC'. a speci~tzo ~autc:olno in at least one of the relnainimg games. The achievement-.
of a specitic outcoln~: by ariy jointly playing player in any of the remaining three games will .
cause that ga!nL to <!ock up for all the players, and the players are again given a pre'determirled .number of playa or predetermined time period in whi.h to achieve a specific outcome in at . , least one of the remaining games, and so on. If the players are able to jointly achieve required specifac outcomes in all of the initially displayed games, the players may jointly share in a "grand prise" or other appropriate award.

[0143] ~~Vith further regard to joint play, one skilled in the art will recognize that the gaming machines of the present invention may be adapted for simultaneous play by more than one player physically present at the machine. As shown in FIG. 6, a gaming machine 170 may be configured with a single display screen 17~ as previously described, except that two or more sets of player input controls 176a and 176b are provided. While two sets of-player input controls l 76a and 176b are shown in FIG. 6, the provision of more than two sets t>f player controls are v~ithin the scope of the present invention.
[Oly4,...y'layer input. ontrols 176a and i76b allow two players to contral and access gam,, ox ol~no~,yetmir~g i?aforznation, gaming: events, ans. other gaming functions available en. gaming ma4hine 170. T:-~e oper:~tion and functionality of player input controls i76a a..nd ? 76b inay be configured in a variety of ways. For example, there may be a hierarchy of ' contwo.9 .a.~mz~sg th :. pl.aw°or irnot controls 176a and.176b,Y oar the controls may Have ed~aa:. .
pr~~rit~T ~.na.at>c;..,;5 to ~;~:r~iing machine 1.70. ' ~ . . .
Zfya.a~ 3] ' v:~Te~~ul~T,.prvyor input c;ontrc~ls 176x. and 176~ ~w:il prnvita'e ~ri~r~;:: ~ ~~~~~ti'1 ra h < .~ r H ,;, ':~ ,.-. _"~s . ~ ~, n+,d.,o~~" ~, ~>l~rnA~4~c1 ~ ~;s~»
.tn~~e: a~~ezs.v ~:, . ,~1 ~, ...x_ ,a ...,_~ _. ,...,.r .~ 3.t .S .,s~ W ii?di>wa t_ be ,~70W ..G
, jOr~.ctll., . .. A . fJC._ .~;::7 ~''1~t ~'4I;.~,~ . " ,y,., . lT~r~.a'., ...~.~.»~- ~%r! .'h;r..t:1' a.'" t y~ ..;f ,. -..k yi,al.y.~,~, ~_3,y...~~, .. > _~:. :. t.: ~~i?3t1;_1~IG, Slil~~~ u.l~i~lay Sv..t,t:.i :. r.s..t)lelj~ u.., L;r,.»,'Jm ~ ~lt',i..r; ?.,...::~,;I;.~,,(, ',, . . tZl~(. s.,~i_ : .. l ~..:»;:~ z.....~ ~.a.... s...f, -.. 1_t17. ;~,ia.~-e~
ir~.,~.at :..fj'):lti'L'~..x .. :l ~a0.' d.?2cY., :: . rJt< W ~~:~(;.~.C7,. m ~..,ts3'. i.__ . , ,,t ~:~),ta?T% Via: r.;l .,~.ll:'.t Ctf ~;fai~t~5 OT Ot~lel"vJindO\?VS a.S
SPI~Cted fQr llisplav' r. ~'~:IX ,!,.c~::. . ;~:~
1'f.'.~rl".C~'C't:'l'~hni.Z ~.,: s ', 7~=i x1..9. ~~ 7~i1; separate ~wab~ri.ng lCl'1'~?.lt CO1T'y71~L2entS ( yr 7 ii_~ 'l ~. l '.L _ :~af'..'~!~~;
i:,~t~rs ! e. rci r~~e~ '. ~;. ~L~, '.:oi~~,+ra;.~s -iv~rs and,186Lz, gam"
sol;.ctiori ~!~~at:ons 1':7a a~~~c: v 7 ~~.~., ll~~y ~:
;:uttotls 178x. and. .'t l 8~~, wagering buttons 179a and l'79b, master start buttons 180;2 a~~d l 8t'i~r',.:, uncl key b:~~xd v 81 a und.~ ~, 3. b; etc.. ar_e contemplated in this embodiment.
[t) i~tb j Si:ill referring to FIG. 6, the games of chance selected fur simultaneou5~play uy each pa~~ycr in ~! ai~u'tin.l~yer configuration of gaming machine 170 may be of any of ~~hr~
variety of ar1'zes i..r~wie~~sly described .for play herein. 'The games of ohan~e played by one .
player on gaming riaciiive 170 may be,played completely independently from gai-nes played by other players on gaming machine 170, or #Yle games may be configured'to be interactive with one another.

[0147] In this regard, interactive methods of play as previously described are contemplated for use in this embodiment of the invention. In a gaming machine configured for two players, for example, one or more selected outcomes by both or either of the players may lead to bonus games for the other nonwinnillg player or fer both of the players. Further in this regard, the games played by both players rnay be contigurod to be played simultaneously or sequentially, with simultaneous or sequential winning outcoanes by either or both of the players triggering bonus games and/or randomly selected multipliers to he appliod to the vrinning outcomes of one or both players.
[i~I4~a In os~e preferred embodiment of a method of.'playing a.gaine of ~:han~;e according to the present invention. gaming machine 170 is coniigurer~.as hrcviovtsdy described for simultaneous play by two or more players who compete against each other on . tll~ same si~lgle display a~reen 172 (e.g., compete in a ".minito~~~~a~nelt"
against one :another).
r;<~ on~.F:a!mpl~, gj;tniing machine 170 may be activated for play of a "winner-~.~Ce=alI"_ mini-..
r tr~~w~a ~?<aar~~rt, x~%he:rein the players will simultaneously play one or lns~re of a v:ari~.c~~ r_:f-;~amos~~~
J.n~< 1~ .~~v~ iL~~':1~'riyYt'.d t:n?i~ ~G'.i.'l~d, at tl'lv eI?.d C~:f W~'llCh tilt;' ~~lftl'1C1 'v'lly. ~J'~ iit, ~ ~, !"~'u;' ,'iJi~t:l .i.l2a ~~,~' .,~..m i,'f ~ '.'v°~ ~ . -L,"~..~ i r-.1. '~La t ~.' a s y., w ~E~. ~-~~. ~
.. ,...,, ..i...X'_m..i_C:iM6 v.w,tl_.S v:il.r?ilt,Cjt. , ~'ilF;:pl,3.yP.TS'inily., ..Il..er t~.l., R7xt._1.,.7~ ~..''.'C_. ~ ." .t.1,.;
.1.._... .1.t, ,1=-.~5_; ~ .'p ~~;t:l~~hlf3 E;2i.tf}~ f~'t:'.. ~.JT~ (?L~ Ct?iTi~l'Ctioil O:f the ta::lt:'llli:l:'~?_t t~itlt ?i::~ .~~ 1. _,Iy;.~ .;. a1~ yip .
~=a'i:~ar'; .edits w.~.ri io tiie game andlor tournamemt.entry fee x~ay b~~ ~t i :<~jv .~l'~~ ~.
t;~r ,f,rr~d vc~ tl:r> winning player: . .
ili;~ .:!.~ ] 'r_'he ganir~s of ~iianCe plagued. by' each pl:ayes 'isl the ~~
.~ v~; ~ _'.~. : ~., ~b ~:d n:.ioito~ullament may ~~;; the same games of char ce or different gargle:, of cll nce. :Foaw ew~:np?e, gam,ing.m;~chine 170 may be configured such that one player may choose ov~e typ".
or class ov'game of'chatlce, e.g., a reel slot machine game of chance, while a second player rr~ay choose a different type or class of a game of chance, e.g., video pokEr.
1'he players r~~ay then simultaneously compete against one mother, for example, witrY the player having the most overall ~,vins in their respective game being selected as the "winner,"
witb a tr~.nsfer of some or all of the other players credits or tournament entry fee. 'this embodiment of the invention adds to player excitement by fostering competition between players in very close proximity to one another, and by allowing competition between differing "favorite games" of the respective players.
[0150] Still referring to FIG. 6, players at a multiplayer configuration of gaming machine 170 may opt to share in the wins and losses of all games played on the single display screen 17 2. For example, all wins on gaming machine e 70 may inure to the mutual benefit of each of the players, with winning credits being evenly distribLlted to the credit meters e ~4a and ~~ 84'b an d/or coin bays 185c~ and 186b of each player. n this embodiment, the input of amourt,> of casino=recognized currency into gaming machine 170 r'za;~
sirnilarly.inure to tl:e l;~;ile:~it of.'.ear~h of~h~ players, and thus be subject to wa,gex.ing by any player playing gaining Cra%~~~hio° l 0. Players at gaming machine 17;! may simultar:;;ously play multiple galres of varying mutually concurrently displayed games of chance on single display screen 1.72, as has '~Pcn prcriollsly describedo . . , , < .
. ~ . [~lll:iy] ~'.Cimilarly., the players at a ~ie:ltipla5~er cnn~;iguration of ,a.~r~i~y macll:ne 17~._ nl7~j!' ~~t~,'";in t'.~w~oti~er" ln-regula~ totu-namen t play qtr slmtlltc~~W'.CtliS~~' i'~i~~ ~7'~F L Jrci(~i, ci17:i1~)Y '~~.:, ~'!t:,5 ~, ?y.. .> ral~ , - v. ~. . ~.I '? , c ~.. t9 y-. l.~ . ~.~..a.~-~er.,,~. '? :~-~-,. .', a . r~.. t( , ~ v='sP~i:
.,xt;.w~.~ ~..:rl'!,~ ~..~1.~X13a1T1~1Cit d~T_1~S .il~t~ii21~~7t YCStlli,. ~3_ ~_lA.rBT_~~Ll x.s_....~~...,, ....~, ~3~tty..C~. T:;.l~. ..xl..,., .c:., ~ '.iii<'(' ~ttn .s,P~+..~ o~ ~~~ ]77 j7 ~~ ~.'f ' p :,.y~j ~ ,,.. ~..R.
-: 1 ~. ~~._.: ~,-L~ ~ j..',~Si-Si ~ .
:..Mi. ,~,:..:..CT a'lS.yli,~E'.~3a.1'c~.~,r..l,! ri5 ._..~...bl't..a-7aa..:.
U~.?l:l::...m.:._~,~t., t- '!:.C_... : iJ., ...t:. tmc.i.:....2t...,,.:f .,.l.al.W
<. P
..,a,t~,~ f ..~ ~. ~. ~ t !~ ~ 1'~ +t~ ~. .I+..' , t . r ;'., .~ , , ~..;t~ .
'.~1 -'.y ;>;,t '.
. , .' .<.:.7Lr. .1.I~ i:1(,'J'i~i'i..a_Tb,,'i,u t.?13.:.t,,., 5i1~t11'~~~l.ttu~f:~ ':G,..ta.,,>, i3:i I.,t. c _ t_. '-;. .. ,~: le~v i.tt,.t~..~(~:~?.~ ..<. ~' t,v. ~ , .l, r ...a " ~T , r..5".. . ..~, ., 5r . .Y..jr~... ' ~'~~Y~,.....:
,~~t, , .'.xl, ~~~ . ~ v- t ~Ye f- s , s , y e .'~ , ' ',y>ra u. . ~. , ,..,>
. , .. ..:~..r.. t...~ ~ ,i..,ryC.rS .~..'..~ ilde-~, Slft~ u._d ..~llat, t~rl a.~.l a .r.:.,....<1,~_.?: yi.;,, or.,t , ,..:;,. ...i..~ tl..'t.<e,.u.....,m .
5::',r ~;,', ' =;i7 ' ~ r~ ~ :. . 'e ; ~~.. .y , t n .a ~ fit' 'a ~ s ;; .y, ,.~., , .~ : -~-; e fi t ~. ;~ ~u ; ~~..~' ' . 3'a.:"
llh_> ~.:, LQ:_a~t~_Ir~.t.t.7.dl..tTaJll~,t, tv lt'rnamen.. ~ 1T'~.1XL.~S
yC7lriw..:_.~~ t..r mr., ,..c~,.<.C_1. ,.u.l.~ .,.C~~, ~y ...Cl,..l, 'r~= r ~.,. ~ t!~: 5' t~'''~ t<~ (x ', e' ;I' ,_ ,y.,. t. .:
y~...',~.~.> .~x .~_ ~rpp..l.lon..m;~re of the.wimun~~, ~e.~"., t.~ ~n:;
rh..,er. ..~uh-mc~:e :o~zrlmn~na «'ins:< P
.- ~~ sirl::lar payo~zl: schcrne lnay xesult in an aspect of the present e~~(~odi.ment wherein the piay.ers plaice multiple~entries in ~ .to~;txnament as a "single: ;:ntity.''' ~nl~'~] it is specifically contemplated that play of il.e various gvrne5 offered on a ' g:~.iYi~.rl~; machine according to .~.he preserlt invention m.ay be Enabled i3y wagering the same or cliffc;rerlt amounts: . In other words, one game may be re s~onsivE to a f fty cant wager, while cmatller li~ay require a dollar per play: since wageri.~g in various denominations is facilitated ~ ' .
by statE of the art bill acceptors and credit, debit and smart card readers, the galrxing machine may Easily be programmed to permit a player to select a ur~aform denomination to be wagered on all of the games to be played, or different denominations for different games.

[0153] The various embodiments of the present invention are designed to provide added excitement in gaming machine play in order to increase the enjoyment of players and to serve as an additional attraction to potential casino patrons. Advantages of the present invention from a casino patron's perspective include: use of the latest screen and .
microprocessor technologies for large screen; iiigr~ resolution and sim~altmeous display of a ' niunber of differing games on a single display screen; the ergonomic appeal a_rd convenience of having a multiple number of games, which may be the same or different games, mutually a.
con:;~uTently caisplayed and mutually conc~u~'en ~tly playable on a single screen of a single y4:':' gaming rtiaCl'llnL; in:reased opportunities fcr wagering and winning on a variet~~ of games;
.. r~.ew types ~~f games and wagering strategies o~ffProd by w~~a~ of ntEractic.~n.of various game t<,~pes which may be played simultaneously on a single screen; new tournament and team play . ., p-ass;.bil.itic;s; ra.ew features for sha..ring in a gaming ox~peri~r!.~;e with. a rermoel.y situated .. ~c~~npanior~; a~xd larger jackpots are made practical through the higher odors made possible by ' .. s;x~z~;itar._eo~is or sequential or!teomes of t~:vo or nacre ~,arnus rnu~9ally c,o~xcr~~Tently playabl~=
;re ti~~; ::ingi,~ clisl~~iay s:.,ree~. ;. . , . , ..
~f~:_.":~ra~~ r'~.S'!V3nta eS ~TGi.Y2 aWaSdI- i:i~lli'..'.~' i 'J'° c., ,.~;:.i.7"I~: _~x~.".I.ZC~~' -n)tt.'~.'~S ~~1:"1T i . . '., 2 j - g . o ~ ..r p , b, f , a .,..y v' ' <<::~G~f:C::: c~si.lGL'atJQ7luiilizatioruSi:ls..e Clt~,'~~.r'.:
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do~c~:°ibed:uiith respec_ _.~ a pref~:~ocl P~rbodiments, variou;~ additions,; deleti-ons ~umi moclific,~~ticns~thaa~are obvious to a person skilled in the art to which the invention pertains, ev°n if not shown or specifically elescrib~d h~reir., are deerr~ed to Lie vv~ithin the scope of the invention as encompassed by the . follf~~,v°~ng claims. For example, the present a;~parati s~-axu ~rethcf,.s of the present invention may be f~,u~ther applied to a variety of electronically ~im2.~lated ga.=nec~
such .as video arcade ga~~nos or other games of skill or partially involving skill of a pa~ticipa~~t and, as used herein, the term "game of chance" includes those games which require or ~nvito some element of player sl~ll. One of skill in the art will also recogu~~e that many of the embodiments so disclosed herein are subject to implementation with electromechanical, rather than electronically implemented with video display, games of chance.
s1

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A gaming machine for playing games of chance, comprising:
a single display screen;
a gaming device configured for mutually concurrent play of a plurality of differing arid independently operable games of chance and to cause mutually concurrent display of a plurality of gaming activities on the single display screen.

2. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the gaming device is configured for mutually concurrent play of two or more games selected from the group consisting of blackjack games, poker games, reel slot machine games, keno games, bingo games, roulette games, craps, and combinations thereof, and wherein the two more games are concurrently mutually displayable on the single display screen.

3.The gaming machine of claim 1 further comprising player responsive controls configured for selecting and mutually concurrently playing the plurality of differing and independently operable games of chance.

4. (Amended) The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the gaming device is configured to effect the mutually concurrent display of at least some of the plurality of differing and independently operable games of chance in a plurality of differing and single display screen, each of the plurality of graphically distinct windows being in nonoverlapping relationship to another window.

5. The gaming machine of claim 4, further comprising player responsive controls on said gaming device configured for adjusting at least one of size and location on the single display screen of at least one of the plurality of graphically distinct windows.

6. The gaming machine of claim 4, wherein the plurality of graphically distinct windows are in fixed locations on the single display screen.

7. The gaming machine of claim 4, wherein the gaming device is configured to be operably linked to a network, the network including a plurality of other linked gaming devices.

8. The gaming machine of claim 7, wherein at least one of the plurality of differing and independently operable games of chance is a tournament game of chance conducted over the network with the gaming device and at least some of the plurality of other linked gaming devices.

9. The gaming machine of claim 8, wherein the gaming device is configured for mutually concurrent play of the tournament game of chance conducted over the network and at least one other game of chance of the plurality of differing and independently operable games of chance.

10. The gaming machine of claim 7, wherein the gaming device is configured for play of at least one of the plurality of differing and independently operable games of chance playable on said gaming device while mutually concurrently displaying play of at least one remotely played game of chance played by a player at a linked gaming location remote to the gaming device.

11. The gaming machine of claim 10, wherein the play of the at least one remotely played game of chance differs from play of the at least one of the plurality of differing and independently operable games of chance.

12. The gaming machine of claim 10, wherein the gaming device is configured for player input thereat to the at least one remotely played game of chance.

13. The gaming machine of claim 10, wherein the gaming device is configured to accept wagers for play of the at least one remotely played game of chance.

14. The gaming machine of claim 7, wherein the gaming device is configured to communicatively connect by an email protocol to a second gaming device linked to the gaming device.

15. The gaming machine of claim 7, wherein the gaming device is configured to interactively and mutually concurrently display at least one of a Sports Book event and a Race Book event while displaying play of at least one of the plurality of differing and independently operable games of chance.

16. The gaming machine of claim 7, wherein the gaming device is further configured to receive wagers on the at least one of a Sport Book event and Race Book event.

17. The gaming machine of claim 7, further comprising at least one informational window displayable on the single display screen, the at least one informational window linkable to a networked device, the at least one informational window configured to receive casino-related information from the networked device, the gaming device configured for mutually concurrently displaying the at least one informational window while displaying at least one of the plurality of differing and independently operable games of chance.

18. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the gaming device is configured for mutually concurrent play by two or more players of a plurality of independently operable games of chance displayable on the single display screen, and further comprising two or more independently operable sets of player input controls for playing respective games of chance of plurality of independently operable games of chance.

19. The gaming machine of claim 18, wherein the gaming device is configured for mutually concurrent play by two or more players of a plurality of differing and independently operable games of chance, each of the plurality of differing and independently operable games of chance displayable on the single display screen.

20. The gaming machine of claim 18, wherein the gaming device is configured for play of a gaming tournament between the two or more players.

21. The gaming machine of claim 18, wherein the gaming device is configured for play of one or more linked tournament games of chance by at least one of the two or more players, each of the one or more tournament games of chance displayable on the single display screen.

22. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the gaming device further comprises a master start player input element for simultaneously activating at least some of the plurality of different and independently operable games of chance displayable on the single display screen.

23. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the gaming device is configurable for activating at least some of the plurality of differing and independently operable games of chance randomly, or according to predetermined activation intervals.

24. The gaming machine of claim 22, wherein the master player input element is configured for activating at least one of the plurality of differing and independently operable games of chance simultaneously with a mutually concurrently displayed tournament game of chance.

25. (Amended) The gaming machine of claim 22, wherein the master player input element is configured for activating the at least some of the plurality of differing and independently operable games of chance in an order correlatable with at least some previous game outcomes of the at least some of the plurality of differing and independently operable games of chance.

26. (Amended) The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the gaming device is configured to sequentially display game outcomes from simultaneous play of at least some of the plurality of differing and independently operable games of chance.

27. A gaming machine configured for playing a plurality of differing games of chance, comprising:

a single display screen, configured for mutually concurrent display of a plurality of gaming windows;

each of the plurality of gaming windows configured for displaying an independently operable game of chance, the independently operable game of chance selectable from a plurality of differing games of chance playable on the gaming machine;
at least one of the plurality of gaming windows configured for displaying at least one independently operable game of chance which differs from an independently operable game of chance displayable in at least one other gamin window of the plurality of gaming windows; and at least one microprocessor in electrical communication with the plurality of gaming windows, the at least one microprocessor configured for concurrent play of at least some of the plurality of differing games of chance displayable on the single display screen.

28. The gaming machine of claim 27,further comprising a web server embedded in a portion of the gaming machine, the web server in electrical communication with the at least one microprocessor and linkable to a network.

29. The gaming machine of claim 28, wherein the web server is configured to facilitate remote access to at least one of the plurality of gaming windows for play of at least one of the plurality of differing games of chance.

30. The gaming machine of claim 28, wherein the network comprises the World Wide Web.

31. The gaming machine of claim 28, wherein the web server is configured to transmit data related to play on the gaming machine to a remotely situated user.

32. The gaming machine of claim 27, further comprising a network interface configured for bidirectional communication with a linked device.

33. The gaming machine of claim 32, further comprising software configured for accepting a unique identifier associated with a player, and wherein the gaming machine is further configured for using the player's unique identifier to establish the bidirectional communication between the gaming machine and a linked device operated by a companion of the player.

34. The gaming machine of claim 33, wherein the software comprises a graphical user interface.

35. The gaming machine of claim 27, further comprising a master wagering control configured for wagering a common amount for initiation of play of at least some of the plurality of differing games of chance displayable on the single display screen.

36. The gaming machine of claim 27, further comprising a separate credit meter configured for tracking available credits resulting from play on each of the plurality of gaming windows.

37. The gaming machine of claim 27, wherein the at least one microprocessor is configured to randomly select at least some of the plurality of different games of chance offered for mutually concurrent play.

38. The gaming machine of claim 27, wherein the gaming machine is configured for mutually concurrent play of respective games of chance of the plurality of of differing games of chance by at least one remotely linked player and a player directly activating external player controls on the gaming machine.

39. The gaming machine of claim 38, wherein the gaming machine is configured to receive a wager or apply a credit amount to initiate the mutually concurrent play by the at least one remotely linked player.

40. The gaming machine of claim 39, wherein the gaming machine as configured to evenly apportion winnings from winning game outcomes of mutually concurrently played games of chance on the gaming machine to the at least one remotely linked player and the player directly activating external player controls on the gaming machine.

41. The gaming machine of claim 40, wherein the gaming machine if configured for joint play of at least some of the plurality of differing games of chance by the at least one remotely linked player and the player directly activating external player controls on the gaming machine.

42. A method of conducting a wagering activity, comprising:
providing a player with a plurality of differing games of chance mutually concurrently playable on a single screen display associated with a gaming device;
accepting at least one wager for initiating play of at least two of the plurality of differing games of chance via the gaming device; and enabling mutually concurrent play of the at least two of the plurality of differing games of chance on the single screen display.

43. The method of claim 42, further comprising displaying the mutually concurrent play of each of the at least two of the plurality of differing games of chance in separate, graphically distinct gaming windows on the single screen display.

44. The method of claim 42, further comprising activating least one bonus game of chance responsive to a specific outcome from the mutually concurrent play of at least one of the at least two of the plurality of differing games of chance.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein activating the at least one bonus game of chance comprises activating the at least one bonus game of chance in response to a combination of specific outcomes of the at least two of the plurality of differing games of chance.

46. The method of claim 44, further comprising playing the at least one bonus game of chance mutually concurrently with at least one of the plurality of differing games of chance.

47. The method of claim 46, further comprising correlating an award amount resulting from a winning outcome from play of the at least one bonus game of chance with a wager amount placed on the mutually concurrently played at least one of the plurality of differing games of chance.

48. The method of claim 42, further comprising activating at least one bonus game of chance responsive to at least one of a predetermined rate of wagering or a predetermined level of winning resulting from play on the gaming device.

49. The method of claim 42, further comprising activating a multiplier configured for multiplying a winning game outcome on the gaming device responsive to a specific outcome from the mutually concurrent play of at least one of the at least two of the plurality of differing games of chance.

50. The method of claim 49, further comprising providing a numerical multiplier in an amount correlating to a number of winning game outcomes resulting from at least one episode of mutually concurrent play of the at least two of the plurality of differing games of chance.

51. The method of claim 42, wherein a simultaneous winning outcome from the mutually concurrently play of at least two of the at least two of the plurality of differing games of chance results in a relatively higher award than an award from a corresponding number of winning outcomes achieved nonsimultaneously from independent episodes of mutually concurrent play of at least two of the at least two of the plurality of differing games of chance.

52. The method of claim 42, further comprising automatically qualifying a player for entry into a tournament game of chance tournament upon the player achieving a predetermined number of simultaneous winning outcomes from the mutually concurrent play of at least two of the at least two of the plurality of differing games of chance.

53. The method of claim 52, further comprising playing the tournament game of chance mutually concurrently with at least one of the at least two of the plurality of differing games of chance.

54. A method of playing an electronic gaming device, the electronic gaming device configured for playing a plurality of differing games of chance and displaying visually perceptible representations of the plurality of differing games of chance played on a single screen display, comprising:
initially providing a player with a first game of chance of the plurality of differing games of chance;
playing the first game of chance to a specific, at least partial game outcome;
responsive to the specific at least partial game outcome, providing the player with a second game of the specific of the plurality of differing games of chance; and playing the first game of chance mutually concurrently with the second game of chance.

55. The method of claim 54, wherein the first game of chance differs from the second game of chance.

56. The method of claim 54, wherein the first game of chance is the same as the second game of chance.

57. The method of claim 54, further comprising providing the player with a third game of chance of the plurality of differing games of chance responsive to at least one specific, at least partial games outcome from playing the first game of chance mutually concurrently with the second game of chance.

58. The method of claim 57, further comprising playing the first game of chance mutually concurrently with the second game of chance and the third game of chance.

59. The method of claim 58, wherein the first game of chance, the second game of chance, and the third game of chance mutually differ from one another.

60. A method of conducting a wagering game of chance on a gaming device, comprising:

providing a player with a plurality of mutually differing games of chance displayed on a single screen display of the gaming device;
providing the player with a first round of play in which to achieve a specific outcome in at least one of the plurality of mutually differing games of chance;
mutually concurrently playing the plurality of mutually differing games of chance to a specific outcome in at least one of the plurality of mutually differing games of chance;
freezing play of the at least one of the plurality of mutually differing games of chance;
providing the player with a second round of play in which to achieve a specific outcome in the remaining mutually differing games of chance; and mutually concurrently playing the remaining mutually differing games of chance by the player to a specific outcome in at least one of the remaining mutually differing games of chance.

61. The method of claim 60 wherein each of the first and second rounds of play comprise a pre-determined member of plays or a predetermined time period in which to achieve a specific outcome in at least one of the plurality of mutually differing games of chance.

62. The method of claim 61, further comprising resetting play of the gaming device if the player does not achieve a specific outcome in at least one of the plurality of mutually differing games of chance during the first round of play.

63. The method of claim 61, further comprising resetting play of the gaming device if the player does not achieve a specific outcome in at least one of the remaining mutually differing games of chance during the second round of play.

64. The method of claim 60, further comprising paying an award for each of the specific outcomes.

65. The method of claim 64, wherein an award of an increasing amount is paid for each specific outcome achieved during play of the remaining mutually differing games of chance after the first round of play.

66. The method of claim 60, wherein said providing the player with the plurality of mutually differing games of chance comprises providing the player with at least four mutually differing games of chance, and further comprising providing the player with at least a third and fourth round of play until a specific outcome is achieved in each of the at least four mutually differing games of chance.

67. The method of claim 60, further comprising providing at least one other gaming device linked to the gaming device, the at least one other gaming device provided with the plurality of mutually differing games of chance displayable on a gaming screen thereof, and further comprising permitting a player at the at least one other gaming device to mutually concurrently participate in at least the first round of play.

68. The method of claim 67, further comprising paying an award for each of the specific outcomes to the player achieving the specific outcome.

69. The method of claim 60, wherein the plurality of mutually differing games of chance are selected from the group consisting of blackjack games, poker games, reel slot machine games, keno games, bingo games, roulette games, and craps games.