Patent ID: 9626830
Date: 2017-04-18
CPC Classifications: G07F

Claim:
1. A method of operating a plurality of electronic gaming devices interconnected via a network, the method comprising: (a) receiving value from a player for wagering on one of the gaming devices via at least one of a bill acceptor, a ticket acceptor, and a coin acceptor operatively connected to each gaming device; (b) validating one of a bill and a ticket received at one of the acceptors; (c) applying at least some of the value to a credit meter associated with the one gaming device; (d) receiving a wager from the applied value in response to a player-actuated input; (e) permitting at least one player to play multiple rounds of a game on the one electronic gaming device; (f) generating a random outcome for each round played; (g) displaying an outcome of each round played; (h) collecting data related to wagers made by and awards received by the player via meters at the one gaming device for each play of the game; (i) transmitting at least some of the data over the network to a storage device in a player tracking system located on the network; (j) accessing the player tracking system via a programmed processor; (k) determining, via the programmed processor, from the data in the player tracking system if at least some of the stored wagers and awards, if any, are less than a predefined criterion that is a function of the wagers and awards; (l) sending a pay command over the network to the one electronic gaming device if the game awards are less than the predefined criterion; (m) applying a credit to a credit meter associated with the one electronic gaming device in response to the pay command; (n) preventing the applied credit from being cashed out; (o) permitting the player to use the applied credit to play a round of the game on the one electronic gaming device; (p) generating a random outcome for the game played using the applied credit; (q) determining, via the programmed processor, the value of an award, if any, resulting from the game played using the applied credit; (r) determining, via the programmed processor, whether the value of the award resulting from the game played using the applied credit is above a predefined value; (s) if the value of the award from the game played using the applied credit is above a predefined value, again receiving a wager from the applied value in response to a player-actuated input; (t) if the value of the award from the game played using the applied credit is below a predefined value, again: (u) periodically performing steps (j) through (t) while the player plays the game; and (v) cashing out any remaining value on the one gaming device by at least one of printing a ticket on a ticket printer operatively connected to each gaming device, returning coins from a hopper operatively connected to each gaming device, dispensing currency from the gaming device, and transferring value to an electronic account.