Patent Publication Number: US-9412236-B2

Title: Player initiated multi-player games

Description:
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. Copyright 2013, WMS Gaming, Inc. 
     FIELD 
     Embodiments of the inventive subject matter relate generally to wagering game systems, and more particularly to configuring multiplayer games in land-based and online wagering game systems. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Wagering game machines, such as slot machines, video poker machines and the like, have been a cornerstone of the gaming industry for several years. Generally, the popularity of such machines depends on the likelihood (or perceived likelihood) of winning money at the machine and the intrinsic entertainment value of the machine relative to other available gaming options. Where the available gaming options include a number of competing wagering game machines and the expectation of winning at each machine is roughly the same (or believed to be the same), players are likely to be attracted to the most entertaining and exciting machines. Shrewd operators consequently strive to employ the most entertaining and exciting machines, features, and enhancements available because such machines attract frequent play and hence increase profitability to the operator. Therefore, there is a continuing need for wagering game machine manufacturers to continuously develop new games and gaming enhancements that will attract frequent play. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       Embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the Figures of the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic representation of a graphical user interface for selecting wagering games, and configuring wagering game options. 
         FIG. 2  is a diagrammatic representation of a graphical user interface for facilitating wagering game selection, according to some embodiments of the inventive subject matter. 
         FIG. 3  is a diagrammatic representation of GUI operations for configuring multiplayer wagering games. 
         FIG. 4  is a diagrammatic representation of a GUI showing confirmation that player has successfully configured a multiplayer wagering game. 
         FIG. 5  is a block diagram illustrating a wagering game network  500 , according to example embodiments of the invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a flow diagram illustrating operations for presenting a graphical user interface through which players can select single-player and multiplayer wagering games. 
         FIG. 7  is a flow diagram illustrating operations for conducting player-initiated and player-configured multiplayer wagering games. 
         FIG. 8  is a diagrammatic representation of a virtual casino, according to some embodiments of the inventive subject matter. 
         FIG. 9  is a flow diagram illustrating operations for enabling players to configure virtual casinos. 
         FIG. 10  is a flow diagram illustrating operations for advanced configuration of virtual casinos. 
         FIG. 11  is a block diagram illustrating a wagering game machine architecture, according to example embodiments of the invention. 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of a wagering game machine, according to example embodiments of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail preferred embodiments of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the broad aspect of the invention to the embodiments illustrated. For purposes of the present detailed description, the singular includes the plural and vice versa (unless specifically disclaimed); the words “and” and “or” shall be both conjunctive and disjunctive; the word “all” means “any and all”; the word “any” means “any and all”; and the word “including” means “including without limitation.” 
     Introduction 
     This section provides an introduction to some embodiments of the invention. 
     Traditionally, wagering game machines were available only at bricks-and-mortar casinos. However, with the advent of Internet technologies, some wagering game providers began offering online websites at which players could play wagering games. In both gaming venues (i.e., bricks-and-mortar and online), players typically have very little control over gaming options. Some embodiments of the inventive subject matter enable players to configure numerous options in both bricks-and-mortar wagering game machines and online games. In some embodiments, bricks-and-mortar casino operators give players control over wagering game machine settings, such as denominations, maximum bets, game type (e.g., five line electronic slots, 12 line electronic slots, etc.), thematic presentation (e.g., sports theme, movie theme, etc.), audio settings, video settings, etc. Therefore, some embodiments enable players to configure (and reconfigure) wagering game machines to their liking. As a result, players need not move about casinos in search of particular machine configurations. For example, instead of moving to a different machine, a player can significantly increase betting by changing his/her machine&#39;s denomination configuration. As another example, instead of moving to different machine, the player can change game types, such as changing from video slots to video poker. 
     Like machine configuration, players have had little control over multiplayer games. Typically, a player&#39;s game becomes part of a multiplayer bonus round after hitting a particular slot reel combination. After hitting the slot reel combination, the player&#39;s game becomes part of a multiplayer bonus round with other players who hit similar slot reel combinations. Some embodiments give players control over who participates in multiplayer games. Some embodiments allow players to initiate multiplayer games (e.g., without first having a particular reel combination), and invite particular players to play the multiplayer games. Some embodiments allow players to select multiplayer game participants from their social network contact lists (e.g., Facebook friends list, casino-based social network friends list, etc.). 
     For online gaming, some embodiments offer online casinos that enable players to configure various gaming options and multiplayer games, as described above. Additionally, some embodiments allow online players to configure and operate virtual casinos. The virtual casinos include virtual wagering game machines on which players can play online wagering games. As players build more attractive virtual casinos, their virtual casinos may attract more player traffic, and they may receive various awards for building popular virtual casinos. 
     The following sections describe many other features and embodiments. 
     Configuration Interfaces 
     This section describes graphical user interfaces that enable players to configure wagering game machines, and online wagering games. Some of the interfaces allow players to configure and initiate multiplayer wagering games. 
       FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic representation of a graphical user interface for selecting wagering games, and configuring wagering game options. As shown, a graphical user interface (GUI)  100  presents a list of a player&#39;s favorite games  102 , a list of selectable gaming options, and newsfeeds  106 . The GUI  100  can appear on a touch screen display or other suitable display device. Using the graphical user interface, the player  108  can initiate a wagering game by selecting an icon from the list of the player&#39;s favorite games. Additionally, the player  108  can view the newsfeeds. In some instances, the newsfeeds are relevant to the player  108 , as they describe activities of the player&#39;s social contacts (e.g. from Facebook, from a casino-based social network, etc.). For example, the newsfeeds  106  indicate that the player&#39;s friend “Steve-Oh” recently won an award playing a “TopGun” slots game. 
     In the GUI  100 , the selectable gaming options are denominations for wagering games. Denominations represent an amount of money for each gaming credit associated with a wagering game. If the denominations are $0.10, when the player bets one gaming credit, the player is betting $0.10. The GUI  100  enables the player  108  to select a desired denomination. For example,  FIG. 1  shows the player  108  selecting a “$1 denomination” icon  110 . As a result of the selection, the player will bet at least $1 on each wagering game. 
     Although  FIG. 1  shows only denominations, the GUI  100  can allow players to configure any suitable gaming options, such as maximum bets, theme, audio settings, video settings, etc. As another example, players may adjust a machine&#39;s volatility, which adjusts frequency and amount of jackpots. High volatility may be characterized by infrequent jackpots that are relatively large. Low volatility may be characterized by more frequent jackpots that are relatively small. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the GUI  100  shows two rows of icons—the player&#39;s favorite game icons  102  and denomination icons  104 . The player  108  can move through the denomination icons  104  by dragging them horizontally across the interface (see arrow  112 ). For the row of denomination icons  104 , the icons can shift left-to-right or right-to-left, depending player input. As the icons shift, some icons move out of the GUI  100 , while new game icons enter the GUI. For example, if the denomination icons shift left, the icon  114  will disappear from the GUI  100  and the icon  116  will move into the position formerly occupied by icon  316 . Additionally, the icon  118  will move into the position formerly occupied by the icon  116 , and so on until all the icons shift. At some point, the denomination icons  104  may “wrap-around” and appear again in the GUI  104 . The same mechanics apply to the favorite game icons  102 . 
     Although the icons  102  and  104  span the GUI horizontally (in  FIG. 1 ), they could also appear vertically. If the icons appear vertically, the icons could move vertically according to the mechanics described above. 
     As part of a process for initiating wagering games, some embodiments provide a GUI through which players can select wagering games, such as: games their friends have played, their own favorite games, multiplayer games to play with their friends. The discussion of  FIG. 2  describes this in more detail. 
       FIG. 2  is a diagrammatic representation of a graphical user interface for facilitating wagering game selection, according to some embodiments of the inventive subject matter. In  FIG. 2 , a GUI  200  presents several rows of player-selectable game icons including: icons representing the players favorite games (favorite game icons  204 ), icons representing games of the player&#39;s friends (friends&#39; games icons  208 ), icons representing newly released games (new games icons  210 ), icons representing multiplayer games (multiplayer game icons  212 ), and icons representing progressive games (progressive game icons  214 ). 
     The player  202  can initiate single-player wagering games by selecting an icon from the favorite game icons  204 , friends&#39; games icons  208 , new games icons  210 , and progressive game icons  214 . The player  202  can slide the icons left-to-right or right-to-left (see arrow  206 ), as described above. As the player  202  slides the icons, new icons may appear with more game choices (see discussion above). 
     The player  202  can initiate multiplayer games by dragging one or more of the friends&#39; games icons onto any one of the multiplayer game icons  212 . The discussion of  FIGS. 3 and 4  describe selecting multiplayer games in more detail (see below). 
     The GUI  200  also includes a newsfeed window  216 . The newsfeed window  216  presents information about events relevant to the player. For example, news items may indicate that the player&#39;s friend recently won a jackpot on a particular wagering game. Alternatively, the news items may indicate that the player&#39;s friends have played certain games, signed into the wagering game system (online or in a breaks-and-mortar casino), made particular configuration choices, etc. The newsfeed window  216  can publish any other events the player may find interesting. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , new news items appear at the bottom of the newsfeed window  216 , and move to the top as additional news items appear (see arrow  218 ). A news item occupying the top position will disappear from the newsfeed window  216  upon presentation of the next new news item. 
     This discussion will continue with a description of how the GUI enables players to configure and initiate multiplayer games. 
       FIG. 3  is a diagrammatic representation of GUI operations for configuring multiplayer wagering games.  FIG. 3  shows the GUI  200  after the player  202  has selected a multiplayer game icon  212  for a multiplayer Monopoly Cashtopia game. After the selection, the multiplayer game icon  212  expands to fill a large portion of the GUI  200 , overlaying the other multiplayer game icons and progressive game icons  214  (which were shown in  FIG. 2 ). After the multiplayer game icon  212  expands, the player can invite friends to play the selected multiplayer game by dragging-and-dropping icons onto the multiplayer game icon  212 . For example, as shown, the player  202  drags-and-drops an icon  310  onto the multiplayer game icon  212  (see arrow  314 ), where the icon  310  is associated with the player&#39;s friend “MaryAnne”  FIG. 3  shows a similar drag-and-drop operation for the player&#39;s friend “Gary20” (see arrow  312 ). After these drag-and-drop operations complete, the wagering game system invites the selected friends (i.e., MaryAnne and Gary20) to participate in the multiplayer Monopoly Cashtopia game. The discussion of  FIG. 8  (below) provides additional details about how embodiments of the wagering game system configured and conduct the multiplayer wagering game. 
     In some embodiments, the player  202  is not automatically included in a selected multiplayer game. In such embodiments, the player can select himself/herself by dragging-and-dropping a favorite games icon  204  onto a selected multiplayer game icon  212 . In other embodiments, dragging-and-dropping a favorite games icon  204  onto a multiplayer game icon constitutes both selection of the multiplayer game icon and selection of the player himself/herself to participate in the multiplayer game. That is, some embodiments of the GUI  200  do not require the player  202  initially select a multiplayer game icon before dragging-and-dropping a favorite games icon onto the multiplayer game icon.  FIG. 4  shows how the GUI confirms configuration of the multiplayer game. 
       FIG. 4  is a diagrammatic representation of a GUI showing confirmation that player has successfully configured a multiplayer wagering game.  FIG. 4  shows the GUI  200  after completion of the drag-and-drop operations shown in  FIG. 3 . In  FIG. 4 , the wagering game system presents a confirmation message  400  indicating the selected multiplayer game, and the players that will be invited to play it. 
     This discussion will continue with a description of the wagering game system components that provide the functionality described herein. 
     Operating Environment 
     This section describes an example operating environment and presents structural aspects of some embodiments. This section includes discussion about wagering game networks and wagering game machine architectures. 
     Wagering Game Networks 
       FIG. 5  is a block diagram illustrating a wagering game network  500 , according to example embodiments of the invention. As shown in  FIG. 5 , the wagering game network  500  includes a plurality of devices connected to a communications network  514 . The (bricks-and-mortar) casino  512  includes a local area network  516 , which includes an access point  504 , a wagering game server  506 , and wagering game machines  502 . The access point  504  provides wireless communication links  510  and wired communication links  508 . The wired and wireless communication links can employ any suitable connection technology, such as Bluetooth, 802.11, Ethernet, public switched telephone networks, SONET, etc. In some embodiments, the wagering game server  506  can host wagering games and distribute content (e.g., wagering game results) to devices located in the casino  512  or at other locations on the communications network  514 . 
     The communications network  514  is also connected to an online gaming server  519 , virtual community server  520 , and social networking server  512 . In some embodiments, the servers  506 ,  519 ,  520 , and  512  can exchange information to facilitate the functionality described herein. For example, the wagering game server  506  can access information on the social networking server  512  to determine a player&#39;s friends. 
     The social networking server  512  may be operated by an entity separate from the entity/entities who operate the other servers. For example, the servers  506 ,  519 ,  520 , and  512  may request data from Facebook, Twitter, 4Square, or social networking websites. As a result, the social networking server  512  may provide an application programming interface through which the other servers accessed social networking information. Likewise, any of the servers may provide a similar application programming interface for sharing information. 
     The virtual gaming community server  520  can include a website and other facilities through which community members interact with each other. In some embodiments, the virtual community server  520  hosts a wagering-game-related virtual community in which gamers can interact. Virtual community members can use the computing devices  518  to access the virtual community server&#39;s web site and other facilities. The wagering game machines  502  can exchange information with the virtual community server  520  and workstations  518 . As a result, community members who are online (i.e., who are using the workstations  518 ) can interact with community members who are in the casino  512 . For example, online members can monitor wagering games and other activities occurring on the wagering game machines  502  in the casino  512 . In some instances, community members at the devices  518  can participate in wagering games occurring in the casino  104 , exchange messages with community members who are at the wagering game machines  502 , and much more. In some embodiments, the virtual community server can facilitate one or more of the following:
         Create Social Networks—Members can become “social contacts” or “friends” with other members of the virtual community. When creating social networks, members can create electronic associations that inform network members when selected members are: 1) online, 2) performing activities, 3) reaching milestones, 4) etc.   Establish a Reputation—Community members can establish reputations based on feedback from other community members, based on accomplishments in the community, based on who is in their social network, etc.   Provide Content—Community members can provide content by uploading media, designing wagering games, maintaining blogs, etc.   Filter Content—Community members can filter content by rating content, commenting on content, or otherwise distinguishing content.   Interact with Other Members—Community members can interact via newsgroups, e-mail, discussion boards, instant messaging, etc.   Participate in Community Activities—Community members can participate in community activities, such as multi-player games, interactive meetings, discussion groups, real-life meetings, etc.       

     The online gaming server  519  can host a website on which players play wagering games. The online gaming server  519  can host any suitable online wagering games, such as video poker, video black jack, video roulette, video slots, etc. In some embodiments, the online gaming server  519  enables players to create their own virtual casinos at which other players can play wagering games. The operator of the online gaming server  519  may provide incentives to players who have popular casinos. For example, the operator may award virtual goods, points (redeemable for merchandise etc.), money, etc. to players with popular virtual casinos. The operator may require players to satisfy certain conditions before granting them access to various supplies for their virtual casino. For example, the operator may require players to play real-life versions of wagering games at breaks-and-mortar casinos before making the games available for the players&#39; virtual casinos. As another example, the operator may reserve certain casino supplies (e.g., certain virtual wagering game machines) for those whose betting exceeds given thresholds. The discussion of  FIGS. 8-10  provides more details about virtual casinos and online gaming servers. 
     The wagering game machines  502  described herein can take any suitable form, such as floor standing models, handheld mobile units, bartop models, workstation-type console models, etc. Further, the wagering game machines  502  can be primarily dedicated for use in conducting wagering games, or can include non-dedicated devices, such as mobile phones (see  503 ), personal digital assistants, personal computers, etc. In one embodiment, the wagering game network  500  can include other network devices, such as accounting servers, wide area progressive servers, player tracking servers, and/or other devices suitable for use in connection with embodiments of the invention. 
     In some embodiments, wagering game machines  502  and wagering game servers  506  work together such that a wagering game machine  502  can be operated as a thin, thick, or intermediate client. For example, one or more elements of game play may be controlled by the wagering game machine  502  (client) or the wagering game server  506  (server). Game play elements can include executable game code, lookup tables, configuration files, game outcome, audio or visual representations of the game, game assets or the like. In a thin-client example, the wagering game server  506  can perform functions such as determining game outcome or managing assets, while the wagering game machine  502  can present a graphical representation of such outcome or asset modification to the user (e.g., player). In a thick-client example, the wagering game machines  502  can determine game outcomes and communicate the outcomes to the wagering game server  506  for recording or managing a player&#39;s account. 
     In some embodiments, either the wagering game machines  502  (client) or the wagering game server  506  can provide functionality that is not directly related to game play. For example, account transactions and account rules may be managed centrally (e.g., by the wagering game server  506 ) or locally (e.g., by the wagering game machine  502 ). Other functionality not directly related to game play may include power management, presentation of advertising, software or firmware updates, system quality or security checks, etc. 
     Any of the wagering game network components (e.g., the wagering game machines  502 ) can include hardware and machine-readable media including instructions for performing the operations described herein. 
     While  FIG. 11  describes an example wagering game machine architecture, this section continues with a discussion wagering game networks. 
     Operations 
     This section describes operations performed by some embodiments of the inventive subject matter. More specifically, the section will describe operations that enable players to configure and initiate multiplayer games, and operations that enable players to configure virtual casinos. In the discussion below, the flow diagrams will be described with reference to the block diagrams presented above. However, in some embodiments, the operations can be performed by logic not described in the block diagrams. 
     In certain embodiments, the operations can be performed by executing instructions residing on computer readable storage media (e.g., software), while in other embodiments, the operations can be performed by hardware and/or other components (e.g., firmware). In some embodiments, the operations can be performed in series, while in other embodiments, one or more of the operations can be performed in parallel. Moreover, some embodiments can perform less than all the operations shown in any flow diagram. 
     Operations for Wagering Game Selection GUI 
       FIG. 6  is a flow diagram illustrating operations for presenting a graphical user interface through which players can select single-player and multiplayer wagering games. In  FIG. 6 , a flow  600  begins at block  602 , where a wagering game server determines a player&#39;s social contacts. In some embodiments, after a player logs-in the wagering game server via a wagering game machine  512 , the wagering game server polls the virtual community server  520  and social networking server  512  to determine the player&#39;s social contacts. In some instances, the wagering game server can connect with Facebook via Facebook Connect. As noted above, some embodiments of the virtual community server and social networking server offer an application programming interface for sharing information. The flow continues at block  604 . 
     At block  604 , the wagering game server determines wagering games associated with the player&#39;s social contacts. For example, the wagering game server may have access to player tracking information (e.g., via a player tracking system hosted by the wagering game server itself or another device), where the player tracking information indicates games frequently played by the player&#39;s social contacts. In some embodiments, the social contacts can mark particular wagering games as “favorites”, or otherwise show an affinity for certain wagering games. The wagering game server will present this information in a graphical user interface, as described below (see discussion of block  612 ). The flow continues at block  606 . 
     At block  606 , the wagering game server determines the player&#39;s favorite games. As similarly noted above, the wagering game server may store this information locally, or may access it from a remote player tracking system. The wagering game server will present this information in a graphical user interface, as described below (see discussion of block  612 ). The flow continues at block  607 . 
     At block  608 , the wagering game server determines a list of new games that are available for play. The wagering game server will present this information in a graphical user interface. 
     At block  610 , the wagering game server determines news events relevant to the player. In some embodiments, news events indicate various events in the wagering game system, such as the player&#39;s social contacts logging into the system, playing games, winning awards, making interesting configuration choices, etc. Because the wagering game server controls all wagering game activities (game results, configuration changes, etc.), it can publish the news events relevant to the player. News events may be relevant if they describe events associated with the player or the player&#39;s social contacts. The flow continues at block  612 . 
     At block  612 , the wagering game server presents graphics indicating the player&#39;s favorite games, favorite game of the player&#39;s social contacts, new games, and news events. In some embodiments, the result of block  612  is the graphical user interface  200 , shown in  FIG. 2 . The flow continues at block  614 . 
     At block  614 , the wagering game server receives input via the graphical user interface presented via the operation of block  612 . For example, the server may receive input indicating that the player has selected a single-player game or a multiplayer game. At block  616 , the wagering game server responds to the player input, such as by initiating a single-player or multiplayer game. From block  616 , the flow ends. 
     In the discussion above, the wagering game server performs operations for presenting the graphical user interface. However, in some embodiments, an online gaming server can perform the flow  600 , thereby presenting the GUI to online players. As a result, both online players and bricks-and-mortar casino players can utilize the GUI for selecting single-player and multiplayer wagering games, and for receiving news items. 
     As discussed vis-à-vis the graphical user interface shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , some embodiments enable players to configure and initiate multiplayer wagering games. This discussion will continue with a more detailed description of operations for conducting player-configured and player-initiated multiplayer wagering games. 
       FIG. 7  is a flow diagram illustrating operations for conducting player-initiated and player-configured multiplayer wagering games. In  FIG. 7 , a flow  700  begins at block  702 , where a wagering game server detects a player&#39;s selection of a multiplayer wagering game. For example, referring to  FIG. 2 , the wagering game server may detect input indicating the player has selected a multiplayer game icon  212  (e.g., Monopoly Cashtopia). After selection of the multiplayer game icon  212 , the icon  212  may expand, as shown in  FIG. 2 . The flow  700  continues at block  704 . 
     At block  704 , the wagering game server detects selection of other players to invite multiplayer wagering game. For example, refer to  FIG. 2 , the wagering game server may detect input indicating that the player dragged-and-dropped, onto the multiplayer game icon  212 , icons associated with the player&#39;s friends. In  FIG. 2 , the friends&#39; games icons  208  are associated with the player&#39;s friends (e.g., social contacts from one or more social networking websites). The flow continues at block  706 . 
     At block  706 , the wagering game server invites the selected players to play the multiplayer wagering game. The wagering game server can send instant messages or the like to players who are currently logged-in on the wagering game server. For players that are not currently logged in the wagering game server, the wagering game server can use other means for contacting the players, such as short messaging service (SMS) text messages, telephone calls, and messages, etc. the flow continues at block  708 . 
     At block  708 , the wagering game server determines whether one or more of the players accepted the invitation to play the multiplayer game. If none of the players accepted the invitation, the flow ends. Otherwise, the flow continues at block  710 , where the wagering game server establishes communications with gaming devices associated with players who accepted invitations. For example, the wagering game server may establish communications with wagering game machines at bricks-and-mortar casinos and devices logged-in the online gaming server. As a result, some embodiments can conduct multiplayer games involving players at bricks-and-mortar casinos and players at the online casino. The flow continues at block  712 . 
     At block  712 , wagering game server initiates the multiplayer wagering game. As part of initiating multiplayer game, the wagering game server may determine initial game elements (e.g., playing cards), and communicate those elements to the players. Additionally, in some embodiments, wagering game server may provide content for representing the initial game elements. However, in other embodiments, content is stored remotely on the wagering game machines and other gaming device. The flow continues at block  714 . 
     At block  714 , wagering game server receives player inputs associated with the multiplayer wagering game. The player inputs can represent selection of game elements, wagers, and other input associated with playing the multiplayer game. At block  716 , the wagering game server determines and presents results for the multiplayer wagering game. For some multiplayer games, the wagering game server loops through block  714  and  716  until the game is complete. 
     Operations for Virtual Casino Configuration 
     In addition to the configurability described above, some embodiments enable players to configure virtual casinos. Virtual casinos are computerized renditions of real-world casinos. Virtual casinos may have a multitude of virtual rooms (e.g., restaurants, lounges, etc.), virtual wagering game machines, and other various virtual objects (bars, tables, chairs, etc.). In the virtual casinos, players are represented by online personas known as avatars. Avatars can move about the virtual casinos, as they would similarly move about real-world casinos. For example, avatars may move about a virtual casino playing virtual wagering game machines. In some instances, avatars playing virtual wagering game machines correspond to real-life players who are playing online wagering games on the online gaming server. Embodiments of the inventive subject matter enable players to create and configure virtual casinos at which avatars play virtual wagering game machines.  FIGS. 8-10  describe this in more detail. 
       FIG. 8  is a diagrammatic representation of a virtual casino, according to some embodiments of the inventive subject matter. As shown in  FIG. 8 , a virtual casino  800  can includes banks  802  of wagering game machines  811 . In some instances, all virtual wagering game machines in a bank have the same configuration (e.g., theme, denominations, game type, etc.). For example, in  FIG. 8 , the virtual machines in each bank have the same theme and configuration. However, in other instances, banks may include virtual machines of different configurations. 
     In  FIG. 8 , avatars  810  are moving about the virtual casino  800 . Some embodiments offer facilities by which avatars can interact with each other, such as chat, text, voice, etc. If an avatar is associated with a real-world online player, the avatar may move to a particular virtual wagering game machine and begin playing wagering games. In some embodiments, the virtual casino  800  may be “owned” by a real-world online player. That is, a real-world player may create and maintain a virtual casino using configuration tools offered on the online gaming server. In some embodiments, the player may purchase or otherwise earn virtual currency needed to acquire supplies for the virtual casino. In turn, the player may earn virtual currency for building casinos that attract frequent play by real-world players on the online gaming server. The discussion of  FIGS. 9 and 10  provide more details about how players can configure virtual casinos.  FIG. 9  describes configuring virtual casinos, whereas  FIG. 10  describes setting-up tournaments, multiplayer games, incentives, etc. in the virtual casinos. 
       FIG. 9  is a flow diagram illustrating operations for enabling players to configure virtual casinos. In  FIG. 9 , a flow  900  begins at block  902 , where the online gaming server determines which virtual casino options will be available for a player. Factors affecting availability of virtual casino options can include the player&#39;s coin-in (i.e., amount wagered), play frequency, social contacts, winnings, losses, etc. Casino configuration options may allow the player to:
         Add virtual wagering game machines to a virtual casino   Configure one or more virtual wagering game machines with particular content, such as themes, game types, audio tracks, video tracks, special graphics, etc.   Configure pay mechanics (e.g., volatility, denominations, pay tables, etc.) of one or more wagering game machines   Choose an architectural layout for the casino, where such layout can created by the player or chosen from templates based on real-life casinos   Choose floor placement of virtual wagering game machines   Choose the decor, lighting, ambient audio, etc.   Etc.       

     After determining virtual casino options, at block  904 , the online gaming server presents the options in a virtual casino configuration GUI. The virtual casino configuration GUI can offer drag-and-drop tools for configuring the options available to the player. The flow continues at block  906 . 
     At block  906 , the online gaming server receives user input indicating selection of one or more options for configuring a virtual casino. For example, the online gaming server may receive selections of floor layouts, decor choices, etc. Additionally, the online gaming server may receive user input indicating selection of configuration options for a particular virtual wagering game machine (e.g., choosing denominations for virtual wagering game machine). As yet another example, the online gaming server may receive user input indicating that a player chooses to add more wagering game machines to a virtual casino. The flow continues at block  908 . 
     At block  908 , the online gaming server configures the player&#39;s virtual casino based on the input received at block  906 . 
     After a player is configured a virtual casino, the player may want to offer tournaments, multiplayer games, and other incentives to attract players into the virtual casino. For example, a player may want to offer multiplayer wagering game tournaments to attract players into the virtual casino. Such a tournament may require a buy-in, and award the tournament winner all buy-in proceeds. Additionally, the virtual casino owner may provide a given amount of virtual currency to each tournament participant, thereby incentivizing participation. In some embodiments, sponsors or other entities (e.g., real-world casinos, wagering game manufacturers, the operator of the online gaming server, etc.) may reward virtual casino owners for posting popular and lucrative wagering game tournaments. Such awards may include virtual currency, monetary value, wagering game credits, virtual goods, etc. The following discussion refers to offering tournaments, multiplayer games, incentives, etc. as “advanced” configuration. 
       FIG. 10  is a flow diagram illustrating operations for advanced configuration of virtual casinos.  FIG. 10  is similar to  FIG. 9 , but the flow in  FIG. 10  includes “advanced configuration” options and an “advanced configuration interface.” As noted above, the advanced configuration options can include tournament play, multiplayer games, and other options (e.g., incentives to attract players). In some embodiments, the advanced configuration interface can presents options for tournament-style play. The interface may also provide various tournament types, such as round robin, elimination tournaments, etc. Additionally, the advanced options may include different award schemes for the tournaments, such as winner-take-all, awards for top three, etc. The tournament-style play can work with all suitable wagering games types, including video slots, video poker, and video blackjack. 
     The advanced configuration interface can present options for defining conditions for establishing multiplayer games (e.g., when players achieve specific game events). Also, the advanced configuration interface may allow the virtual casino owner to give players control over multiplayer games, as described above. 
     In some embodiments, the online gaming server enables virtual casino owners to provide incentives to virtual casino players. The incentives may be in the form of virtual currency, virtual goods, money, gift certificates, merchandise, or any other suitable incentive. The advanced configuration interface may provide options that enable virtual casino owners to configure how players can earn incentives in the virtual casino. The online gaming server may provide accounting services that distribute incentives when specified conditions are met. For example, a virtual casino owner may purchase virtual currency, and set configuration options indicating conditions for distributing the virtual currency to players. The online gaming server can hold the virtual currency in an account. As players meet conditions for earning the virtual currency, the online gaming server can distribute virtual currency to player accounts. The online gaming server can perform similar operations for other incentive types, such as gift certificates, virtual goods, etc. 
     Example Wagering Game Machines 
     Wagering Game Machine Architectures 
       FIG. 11  is a block diagram illustrating a wagering game machine architecture, according to example embodiments of the invention. As shown in  FIG. 11 , the wagering game machine architecture  1100  includes a wagering game machine  1106 , which includes a central processing unit (CPU)  1126  connected to main memory  1128 . The CPU  1126  can include one or more processors, such as one or more Intel® Pentium processors, Intel® Core 2 Duo processors, AMD Opteron™ processors, or UltraSPARC processors. The main memory  1128  includes a wagering game unit  1132 . In one embodiment, the wagering game unit  1132  can present wagering games, such as video poker, video black jack, video slots, video lottery, etc., in whole or part. 
     The CPU  1126  is also connected to an input/output (I/O) bus  1122 , which can include any suitable bus technologies, such as an AGTL+ frontside bus and a PCI backside bus. The I/O bus  1122  is connected to a payout mechanism  1108 , primary display  1110 , secondary display  1112 , value input device  1114 , player input device  1116 , information reader  1118 , and storage unit  1130 . The player input device  1116  can include the value input device  1114  to the extent the player input device  1116  is used to place wagers. The I/O bus  1122  is also connected to an external system interface  1124 , which is connected to external systems  1104  (e.g., wagering game networks). 
     In one embodiment, the wagering game machine  1106  can include additional peripheral devices and/or more than one of each component shown in  FIG. 11 . For example, in one embodiment, the wagering game machine  1106  can include multiple external system interfaces  1124  and/or multiple CPUs  1126 . In one embodiment, any of the components can be integrated or subdivided. 
     All embodiments described herein my include instructions stored on one or more computer readable mediums. The one or more computer readable mediums may include a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium. A computer readable storage medium may be an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the computer readable storage medium would include the following: a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In the context of this document, a computer readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that can contain, or store a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. 
     A computer readable signal medium may include a propagated data signal with computer readable program code embodied therein, for example, in baseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a propagated signal may take any of a variety of forms, including, but not limited to, electro-magnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. A computer readable signal medium may be any computer readable medium that is not a computer readable storage medium and that can communicate, propagate, or transport a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. 
     Program code embodied on a computer readable medium may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless, wireline, optical fiber cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of the foregoing. 
       FIG. 12  is a perspective view of a wagering game machine, according to example embodiments of the invention. Referring to  FIG. 12 , a wagering game machine  1200  is used in gaming establishments, such as casinos. According to embodiments, the wagering game machine  1200  can be any type of wagering game machine and can have varying structures and methods of operation. For example, the wagering game machine  1200  can be an electromechanical wagering game machine configured to play mechanical slots, or it can be an electronic wagering game machine configured to play video casino games, such as blackjack, slots, keno, poker, blackjack, roulette, etc. 
     The wagering game machine  1200  comprises a housing  1212  and includes input devices, including value input devices  1218  and a player input device  1224 . For output, the wagering game machine  1200  includes a primary display  1214  for displaying information about a basic wagering game. The primary display  1214  can also display information about a bonus wagering game and a progressive wagering game. The wagering game machine  1200  also includes a secondary display  1216  for displaying wagering game events, wagering game outcomes, and/or signage information. While some components of the wagering game machine  1200  are described herein, numerous other elements can exist and can be used in any number or combination to create varying forms of the wagering game machine  1200 . 
     The value input devices  1218  can take any suitable form and can be located on the front of the housing  1212 . The value input devices  1218  can receive currency and/or credits inserted by a player. The value input devices  1218  can include coin acceptors for receiving coin currency and bill acceptors for receiving paper currency. Furthermore, the value input devices  1218  can include ticket readers or barcode scanners for reading information stored on vouchers, cards, or other tangible portable storage devices. The vouchers or cards can authorize access to central accounts, which can transfer money to the wagering game machine  1200 . 
     The player input device  1224  comprises a plurality of push buttons on a button panel  1226  for operating the wagering game machine  1200 . In addition, or alternatively, the player input device  1224  can comprise a touch screen  1228  mounted over the primary display  1214  and/or secondary display  1216 . 
     The various components of the wagering game machine  1200  can be connected directly to, or contained within, the housing  1212 . Alternatively, some of the wagering game machine&#39;s components can be located outside of the housing  1212 , while being communicatively coupled with the wagering game machine  1200  using any suitable wired or wireless communication technology. 
     The operation of the basic wagering game can be displayed to the player on the primary display  1214 . The primary display  1214  can also display a bonus game associated with the basic wagering game. The primary display  1214  can include a cathode ray tube (CRT), a high resolution liquid crystal display (LCD), a plasma display, light emitting diodes (LEDs), or any other type of display suitable for use in the wagering game machine  1200 . Alternatively, the primary display  1214  can include a number of mechanical reels to display the outcome. In  FIG. 12 , the wagering game machine  1200  is an “upright” version in which the primary display  1214  is oriented vertically relative to the player. Alternatively, the wagering game machine can be a “slant-top” version in which the primary display  1214  is slanted at about a thirty-degree angle toward the player of the wagering game machine  1200 . In yet another embodiment, the wagering game machine  1200  can exhibit any suitable form factor, such as a free standing model, bartop model, mobile handheld model, or workstation console model. 
     A player begins playing a basic wagering game by making a wager via the value input device  1218 . The player can initiate play by using the player input device&#39;s buttons or touch screen  1228 . The basic game can include arranging a plurality of symbols along a payline  1232 , which indicates one or more outcomes of the basic game. Such outcomes can be randomly selected in response to player input. At least one of the outcomes, which can include any variation or combination of symbols, can trigger a bonus game. 
     In some embodiments, the wagering game machine  1200  can also include an information reader  1252 , which can include a card reader, ticket reader, bar code scanner, RFID transceiver, or computer readable storage medium interface. In some embodiments, the information reader  1252  can be used to award complimentary services, restore game assets, track player habits, etc. 
     General 
     This detailed description refers to specific examples in the drawings and illustrations. These examples are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the inventive subject matter. These examples also serve to illustrate how the inventive subject matter can be applied to various purposes or embodiments. Other embodiments are included within the inventive subject matter, as logical, mechanical, electrical, and other changes can be made to the example embodiments described herein. Features of various embodiments described herein, however essential to the example embodiments in which they are incorporated, do not limit the inventive subject matter as a whole, and any reference to the invention, its elements, operation, and application are not limiting as a whole, but serve only to define these example embodiments. This detailed description does not, therefore, limit embodiments of the invention, which are defined only by the appended claims. Each of the embodiments described herein are contemplated as falling within the inventive subject matter, which is set forth in the following claims.