Patent Publication Number: US-9836916-B2

Title: Player-controlled volatility in gaming equipment

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION DATA 
     This application claims priority from Provisional U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 62/001,130, filed 21 May 2015. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to the field of table games and especially to table games with electronic components enabling wager resolutions within the gaming table. 
     2. Background of the Art 
     Gaming technology has advanced significantly over the years, and especially within the past two decades since the introduction and allowance of intelligent systems into the field. The use of processors, video displays, electronic accounting, and general processor control over gaming systems has provided much greater breadth in the types and controls of games used within the gaming industry. 
     The biggest impact that artificial intelligence and processor technology has had on the gaming industry has been in the video gaming segment of the industry and with respect to the potential for on-line gaming. 
     The use of video displays and processors in the design of slot type gaming apparatus (generally referred to as slot machines or video machines) has provided significant types of entertainment value and game play and images not previously available on the predominantly mechanical systems. Virtual images provide better artistic input into designs, and the processor technology allows for complex wagers and complex paylines to be resolved quickly and accurately. 
     The electronic technology has been less significant within the table game segment of the gaming industry. The technology has provided for some cardless gaming tables (virtual playing cards are randomly provided by a processor), electronic wagering (with physical cards, bonus wagers and/or virtual playing cards) and some available signage on the table. Roulette and dice wagering has also been implemented, which also allows for easier resolution of complex wagering. 
     In analyzing the underlying mathematics of gambling games, several statistical parameters are used. In particular, every wager made has a house advantage, which is the average percentage of such wager that the house expects to win on each play of the game. So, for a game with a two percent house advantage, the house expects, in the long run, to win an average of two cents for every dollar wagered. Of course, this is an average over a large number of plays. In the short term, the actual results for the player will vary to some degree from this average. The degree to which the short-term results vary from the long-term average expected house win is referred to as the volatility index, or more succinctly, the volatility of the game. 
     The volatility of any game of chance is calculated as the standard deviation for one round, betting one unit. Generally, the greater the short-term swings of wins and losses, the greater the volatility. Another way to view this is that games with a large number of small wins have lower volatility than games with a smaller number of large wins. 
     One feature that has been suggested for implementation on electronic video gaming apparatus includes an ability of players to alter paytables in such a way that they alter the volatility in the games being played. Such proposed technology exclusively for video gaming equipment is described in the following exemplary references. 
     U.S. Published Patent Application Document No. 20080081688 (Plowman) describes a gaming machine that provides a wagering game, including a user interface in communication with a game controller, through the operation of which a player selects one of a plurality of wager options that determine a number of symbols to be active and inactive in the wagering game. For at least one said wager option at least one, but not all of the plurality of symbols that define a possible said winning combination are rendered inactive for forming the winning combination. The gaming machine includes a console having a display on which is displayed representations of a game that can be played by a player. 
     U.S. Published Patent Application Document No. 20070060252 (Taylor) describes a gaming device in which a player may select from several mathematical bias settings of volatility. Each setting results in different volatility, the mathematical parameter of statistical dispersion of results between fewer numbers of lower rewards and larger numbers of greater rewards. The player may receive indicia of the settings of volatility and may alter volatility settings during various stages of play. The player may alter reel strips in order to accomplish volatility changes or other methods of change of the volatility of the game may be provided. 
     U.S. Published Patent Application Document No. 20050282610 (Palmer) describes a processor controlled gaming device having a display device in communication with the processor. When the display device receives an input from the player, gaming device randomly generates an outcome, the display device displays an event having the outcome and the gaming device provides the player with a payout in association with the outcome and the selected input. The inputs have paytables that vary in range. One input has a large, risky payout range with big and small payouts. One input has a small, conservative payout range with intermediate payouts. Other inputs have ranges that fall in between the risky and conservative ranges. Each of the ranges has the same overall expected value, so that the gaming device does not favor the player&#39;s choice of a risky or conservative input. 
     U.S. Published Patent Application Document No. 20150087377 (Yee) discloses methods of administering games of roulette may involve accepting a wager may from a player on numerous different structural platforms. A multiplier may be randomly selected from a group of fixed multipliers for a payout on the wager. A number and associated color may be randomly generated from within a range of numbers and associated colors. The wager may be resolved by determining whether the randomly generated number is identical to a randomly generated number from an immediately preceding round. A payout may be paid to the player when the randomly generated number is identical to the randomly generated number from the immediately preceding round, an amount of the payout being equal to an amount of the wager multiplied by the randomly selected multiplier. The amount of the wager may be collected for the house when the randomly generated number is different from the randomly generated number from the immediately preceding round. 
     Electronic gaming tables or intelligent gaming tables are known in the gaming art for simulated play of table games, including playing card games. These systems may be entirely electronic, without any physical game elements except for the electronic apparatus itself, or may blend in physical gaming components in a hybrid system where dice are tossed or read (in a confined enclosure or on a gaming table), a roulette ball is dropped into a spinning wheel (in a read or enclosed system) or where physical playing cards are randomly provided to players with electronic reading and identification of cards and ranks or counts at individual player positions. Examples of these systems are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,529,345 (Nguyen); 8,506,376 (Kuhn); 8,376,362 (Nicely); 8,348,747 (Arezina); 8,333,6752 (Nguyen); 8,287,380 (Nguyen); 8,277,314 (Wolf); 8,272,958 (Smith); 8,272,945 (Kelly); 8,262,475 (Snow); 8,147,316 (Arezin); 8,142,271 (Kuhn); 8,087,903 (Longway); 7,661,676 (Smith); 7,309,065 (Yoseloff); and a series of patents to Soltys (U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,517,435; 6,517,436; 6,519,283; 6,520,857; 6,527,271; 6,530,836; 6,530,837; 6,532,297; 6,533,276; 6,533,661 among other). All cited references are incorporated herein in their entirety. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A method of controlling volatility in gaming environments is enabled on an intelligent gaming table having multiple player positions and individual player input positions having:
         a) a gaming table surface;   b) individual player input positions on the table, each player input position comprising an individual player display screen area and individual player input controls;   c) a game processor executing code to perform a wagering game at the electronic gaming table;   d) a random event generator that provides a random event outcome for the wagering game and which provides information used by the processor to determine wagering game outcomes at each individual player input position where a wager has been placed in the wagering game;   e) each individual player input position having a control that provides information to the processor of an individual player position selection of one of a multiple number of available paytables and related volatility levels on which player position wagers at that individual player input position are made for a single wagering game; and   f) the processor configured to resolve player position wagers at each individual player input position based upon the selected paytable and volatility level for each individual player input position based on a single random event outcome for the wagering game.       

    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         FIG. 1  shows a schematic of certain embodiments that function in conjunction with a player monitoring system, 
         FIG. 2  shows a data input device as a touch-screen based icon or display figure that is movable to alter paytables and volatility. 
         FIG. 3  shows a single player position input panel having a first player input panel which may be a touchscreen or button array. 
         FIG. 4  is a rendition of an individual electronic gaming device configured for implementation of embodiments of wagering games according to the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is a rendition of a player-controlled rotating volatility control dial. 
         FIG. 6  is an example of a multiple-player, electronic table configured for implementation having a virtual dealer according to the present disclosure is shown. 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic block diagram of a gaming system for implementing embodiments of waging games in accordance with the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 8  is a block diagram of a computer for acting as a gaming system for implementing embodiments of wagering games in accordance with the present disclosure 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     A method of controlling volatility in gaming environments is enabled on an intelligent gaming table having multiple player positions and individual player input positions having:
         a) a gaming table surface.       

     The gaming table surface may be part of a wholly electronic gaming table or mixed electronic and physical gaming elements. In a wholly electronic gaming table, random events are provided via an electronic random number generator in a processor system where random outcomes are virtually simulated with visible displays of the events provided. For example, a random number generator provides naturally or artificially weighted outcomes for any of reels in a slot game, playing cards in a poker game or video poker game, a pair of dice in electronic craps, or provides naturally weighted outcomes for a candy wheel or roulette, and a visual display screen displays images of the randomly determined outcomes. The processor determines payouts for the results, and the payouts are based on selected paytables and related volatility rates for the game played.
         b) individual player input positions on the table, each player input position comprising an individual player display screen area and individual player input controls.       

     Electronic gaming terminals that are part of roulette tables, craps tables and card tables are well known in the art. Either a touch screen paytable and related volatility slide or a physical variable resistor or rheostat alters or controls the paytable according to the practices of the present technology. The touchscreen is merely an additional pressure sensitive control zone on a screen, and the switch/slide may be in the frame of the display or a separate component or element on the table.
         c) a game processor executing code to perform a wagering game at the electronic gaming table.       

     Any wagering game can be used, with the paytables and related volatility levels designed into the software design of the games. The style, content and nature of paytable adjustments is explained in greater detail herein.
         d) a random event generator that provides a random event outcome for the wagering game and which provides information used by the processor to determine wagering game outcomes at each individual player input position where a wager has been placed in the wagering game.       

     Random event generators, especially electronic random event generators as compared to physical random event generators (e.g., physical dice, physical playing cards, physical roulette wheels, physical candy wheels and the like) are well understood and generally enabled in the gaming arts.
         e) each individual player input position having a control that provides information to the processor of an individual player position selection of one of a multiple number of available volatility levels on which player position wagers at that individual player input position are made for a single wagering game.       

     The controls may be any acceptable control such as, but not limited to touchscreens, buttons, toggles, slides, knobs, joysticks and combinations thereof.
         f) the processor is configured to resolve player position wagers at each individual player input position based upon the selected volatility level for each individual player input position based on a single random event outcome for the wagering game.       

     For the purposes of illustration, a few differences between PC systems and gaming systems will be described. A first difference between intelligent gaming tables and common PC based computers systems is that some intelligent gaming tables may be designed to be state-based systems. In a state-based system, the system stores and maintains its current state in a non-volatile memory, such that, in the event of a power failure or other malfunction the intelligent gaming table will return to its current state when the power is restored. For instance, if a player was shown an award for a table game and, before the award could be provided to the player the power failed, the intelligent gaming table, upon the restoration of power, would return to the state where the award is indicated. As anyone who has used a PC, knows, PCs are not state machines and a majority of data is usually lost when a malfunction occurs. This requirement affects the software and hardware design on an intelligent gaming table. 
     A second important difference between intelligent gaming tables and common PC based computer systems is that for regulation purposes, various software which the intelligent gaming table uses to generate table game play activities (such as, for example, the electronic shuffling and dealing of cards) may be designed to be static and monolithic to prevent cheating by the operator of intelligent gaming table. For instance, one solution that has been employed in the gaming industry to prevent cheating and satisfy regulatory requirements has been to manufacture an intelligent gaming table that can use a proprietary processor running instructions to generate the game play activities from an EPROM or other form of non-volatile memory. The coding instructions on the EPROM are static (non-changeable) and must be approved by a gaming regulators in a particular jurisdiction and installed in the presence of a person representing the gaming jurisdiction. Any changes to any part of the software required to generate the game play activities, such as adding a new device driver used by the master table controller to operate a device during generation of the game play activities can require a new EPROM to be burnt, approved by the gaming jurisdiction and reinstalled on the intelligent gaming table in the presence of a gaming regulator. Regardless of whether the EPROM solution is used, to gain approval in most gaming jurisdictions, an intelligent gaming table must demonstrate sufficient safeguards that prevent an operator or player of an intelligent gaming table from manipulating hardware and software in a manner that gives them an unfair and some cases an illegal advantage. The intelligent gaming table should have a means to determine if the code it will execute is valid. If the code is not valid, the intelligent gaming table must have a means to prevent the code from being executed. The code validation requirements in the gaming industry affect both hardware and software designs on intelligent gaming tables. 
     A third important difference between intelligent gaming tables and common PC based computer systems is the number and kinds of peripheral devices used on an intelligent gaming table are not as great as on PC based computer systems. Traditionally, in the gaming industry, intelligent gaming tables have been relatively simple in the sense that the number of peripheral devices and the number of functions the intelligent gaming table has been limited. Further, in operation, the functionality of intelligent gaming tables were relatively constant once the intelligent gaming table was deployed, i.e., new peripherals devices and new gaming software were infrequently added to the intelligent gaming table. This differs from a PC where users will go out and buy different combinations of devices and software from different manufacturers and connect them to a PC to suit their needs depending on a desired application. Therefore, the types of devices connected to a PC may vary greatly from user to user depending in their individual requirements and may vary significantly over time. 
     Although the variety of devices available for a PC may be greater than on an intelligent gaming table, intelligent gaming tables still have unique device requirements that differ from a PC, such as device security requirements not usually addressed by PCs. For instance, monetary devices, such as coin dispensers, bill validators and ticket printers and computing devices that are used to govern the input and output of cash to an intelligent gaming table have security requirements that are not typically addressed in PCs. Therefore, many PC techniques and methods developed to facilitate device connectivity and device compatibility do not address the emphasis placed on security in the gaming industry. 
     To address some of the issues described above, a number of hardware/software components and architectures are utilized in intelligent gaming tables that are not typically found in general purpose computing devices, such as PCs. These hardware/software components and architectures, as described below in more detail, include but are not limited to watchdog timers, voltage monitoring systems, state-based software architecture and supporting hardware, specialized communication interfaces, security monitoring and trusted memory. 
     For example, a watchdog timer may be used in International Game Technology (IGT) intelligent gaming tables to provide a software failure detection mechanism. In a normally operating system, the operating software periodically accesses control registers in the watchdog timer subsystem to “re-trigger” the watchdog. Should the operating software fail to access the control registers within a preset timeframe, the watchdog timer will timeout and generate a system reset. Typical watchdog timer circuits include a loadable timeout counter register to allow the operating software to set the timeout interval within a certain range of time. A differentiating feature of the some preferred circuits is that the operating software cannot completely disable the function of the watchdog timer. In other words, the watchdog timer always functions from the time power is applied to the board. 
     Examples of specific configurations of software and apparatus on the gaming table that might be used in the practice of the present technology includes, by way of a non-limiting description: 
     An intelligent gaming table or electronic gaming table or hybrid electronic gaming table (with at least one physical random event generator such as dice, roulette wheel, candy wheel or big  6  wheel, or physical playing cards) having multiple player positions and individual player input positions comprising:
         a) a gaming table surface;   b) individual player input positions on or in the gaming table surface, each player input position comprising an individual player display screen area (the table top may be a single screen, tiled screens or separate screens) and individual player input controls. The individual player controls may be buttons, touchscreen, mouse, voice control, retinal controls, or other forms of entering simple selection information;   c) a game processor executing code to perform a wagering game at the electronic gaming table; The game processor may be in communication with the physical random event generator in a hybrid system (with RFID reading of results, visual reading of results, electronic reading of the results, etc.) and is in communication link with the individual player position input controls, and with a random event (rand outcome) generator in the system.   d) a random event generator that provides a random event outcome for the wagering game and which provides information used by the processor to determine wagering game outcomes at each individual player input position where a wager has been placed in the wagering game; As noted, this random event generator may be a random number generator in the processor or a sensing system that recognizes outcomes in a physically generated outcome system and transmits the random outcome information to the processor.   e) each individual player input position having a control that provides information to the processor of an individual player position selection of one of a multiple number of available paytable and related volatility levels on which player position wagers at that individual player input position are made for a single wagering game;   f) the processor configured to resolve player position wagers at each individual player input position based upon the selected paytable for each individual player input position based on a single random event outcome for the wagering game.       

     The intelligent gaming table may provide at least two or at least three distinct paytable and related volatility levels to be available for selection at each player position, or a pseudo continuous scale of paytables may be selectable. By “pseudo continuous” it is meant that as wagers and probabilities are digitized (1X, 2X, 3X, 5X, 10X etc.), the slide cannot easily progress between 1X and 2X in indeterminate quanta intervals of 0.1, 0.001, 0.0001 etc. and there must be a finite and real gap between available paytable changes as reflected by wagers. These might include intervals of 0.1, 0.2, 0.5 etc., with residues lost or stored in memory and accounted for in the wagering system. 
     The intelligent gaming table may provide a specific wagering input control at each individual player position that enables selection of only a single paytable and related volatility level on a wager for the wagering game. The wagering input may have a series of buttons or virtual buttons on a touchscreen, with each button or each virtual button indicating a specific paytable and related volatility level to be used for determination of a wager placed at that individual player input control or a sliding control or virtual sliding control on a touchscreen, with each sliding control or each virtual sliding control indicating a general paytable and related volatility level to be used for determination of a wager placed at that individual player input control. 
     Reference to the figures will assist in an understanding and appreciation of the present technology. 
       FIG. 1  (Prior Art) shows certain embodiments may function in conjunction with a player monitoring system, such as the prior art player monitoring system  1  implemented on a poker table  10  as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,672,589. This prior art system  1  being configured for tracking play of players at the gaming table  10 , as well as providing information pertaining to the players, and includes a card reader  12  located adjacent a dealer position  13 . The card reader  12  is coupled to a central computer  14  via a communication channel  15 . The central computer  14  keeps track of the various players&#39; accounts. Each player&#39;s account may include player information, such as, for example, the player&#39;s account number. System  1  includes a display monitor  20  that displays a representation of the blackjack table  10 , including all player positions  11  ( 11   a - 11   g ) while a game is being played. In operation, when a player sits down at the table, the player presents his or her player card to the dealer, who then enters or “swipes” the card into the card reader  12 . After a card is read by the card reader  12 , the dealer touches the respective player position on the display monitor  20  where the player whose card has just been read is seated, thus associating the table position of the new player with the new player. 
     Alternatively or in addition, certain embodiments operate in conjunction with a player monitoring system, such as the system show in  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram depicting a top view of a gaming table system  200  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the gaming table system  200  may be used for any table game including any card game, including poker and variants of poker, such as draw poker or stud poker against paytables. The table as shown includes seven player position input screens  208 ( 1 )- 208 ( 7 ). Alternative embodiments may provide for tables with any number of seating positions, or systems cable of tracking player activity at multiple tables. Each player position screen  208  will have individual player controls (not shown) such as the paytable and related volatility slide (not shown). 
     System  200  can include or be linked to a processor  202  that is linked by appropriate communication link to a display  204 . System  200  can also be operatively linked to a data structure  206 , database, or other suitable computing or storage functionality (e.g., a slot accounting system, or “SAS” computer). The data structure  206  may be used to store player account information. System  200  may include an account access device  214 . 
     Account access device  214  may be used to access information related to a player&#39;s account. For example, the account access device  214  may be a card reader, wherein a player&#39;s identification card is inserted into the card reader. The card reader and/or a processor may determine a player&#39;s account number and provide it to the system  200 . The account access device  214  may also be used to authenticate a player&#39;s identity. Other embodiments may include an account access device  214  that utilizes a keypad, or a biometric identification device such as a fingerprint scanner. The player&#39;s identification information may be provided to the processor  202 . Access device  214  may be configured to accept an ID card input, e.g., as a card reader configured to read stored information on an ID card when a dealer “swipes” a player&#39;s ID card. A suitable card reader may be any type that is capable of reading or obtaining information from cards issued by the casino, such as, for example, a magnetic reader for reading magnetic stripes on cards, an electronic card reader for reading electronic cards, an RFID card reader, “smart card” reader and a data input device such as a keypad, touch screen or the like. While system  200  is described in relation to a typical poker table, one of skill in the art will appreciate that system  200  may be used in other gaming table applications, e.g., for draw poker, craps, roulette, etc. 
     Display  204  can any device enabled to display graphics supplied by a processor. For example, a computer monitor such as a CRT, plasma, LCD or other electronic display device. Display  204  can include a pointer  210  indicating a player location, e.g.,  208 ( 4 ) and a portion configured as data input device  212 . The data input device  212  portion of display  204  may be enabled to accept input from a user and provide the input to other components of the system  200 . The data input device  212  may be operative in tandem with pointer  210  to input a location on the display  204  that corresponds to a physical player position at the table. This pointer may be used where multiple players select different paytable and related volatility results, and the pointer can identify unique player positions and/or similar paytable and related volatility selections when same selections are made. In an example embodiment, the data input device  212  may be a touch-screen based icon or display figure that is movable as shown in  FIG. 2 . More specifically, a user may touch the portion of display  204  identified as data input device  212  to provide input. A user may drag or slide their fingers along the data input device  212  in order to move the pointer  210 , or equivalently a similar slider at each player position input device  208  may adjust paytable and related volatility. Alternatively, the data input device  212  may take the form of touch sensitive keys or icons. 
     In operation of system  200 , when a player having an identification/information (ID) card sits down or gains access to a particular gaming table, the table dealer can log the player into system  200 . Using the slider  212  the dealer may locate the seat position of the player by touching the slider  212  in a corresponding position. For this purpose the slider  212  may include along its length number icons corresponding to player positions, e.g., numbers  1 - 7  spaced along the length of the slider  212 . When a position is touched on the slider  212  the pointer  210  pivots to point toward the corresponding player position input devices  208 ( 1 )-( 7 ) which may also be highlighted, change color or brightness to indicate the correspondence. After position the player, the player&#39;s ID card data can be entered (e.g., read into, or swiped) at access device  214 , which can include a suitable card reader. Alternative embodiments may provide for other identification techniques, such as the use of biometric scanners or keypads. 
     In an additional embodiment, the pointer  210  may be dispensed with and the slider  212  may be directly used to highlight and designate player position input devices  208 ( 1 )- 208 ( 7 ). Further, other embodiments of the system  200  may provide for multiple betting positions corresponding to a single seating position. For example, a single player at a blackjack table may play  2  or more hands simultaneously. The system  200  provides for tracking information of multiple hands related to a single player. 
       FIG. 3  shows a single player position input panel  208 , having a first player input panel  302  which may be a touchscreen or button array. A game event and game status display panel  304  is shown within a support frame  306 . The paytable and related volatility slide component  310  is shown with a guidepath or slot  312  and a finger movement or position post  314   a . The paytable and related volatility slide component  310  may be a virtual slide (e.g., on a touchscreen), or the entire field of slide component  310 , slot  312 , finger post  314 , first player input panel  302  and game status panel  304  may be on a single touchscreen defining the entire area within the support frame  306 . 
       FIG. 4  is a rendition of an individual electronic gaming device  300  configured for implementation of embodiments of wagering games according to the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , illustrated is an example of an individual electronic gaming device  300  (e.g., an electronic gaming machine (hereinafter, an “EGM”) configured for implementation of embodiments of wagering games according to the present disclosure. The individual electronic gaming device  300  may include an individual player position  314  that includes a player input area  332  configured to enable a player to interact with the individual electronic gaming device  300  through various input devices. The individual electronic gaming device  300  may include a gaming screen  374  configured to display indicia for interacting with the individual electronic gaming device  300 , such as through processing one or more programs stored in memory  340  to implement the rules of game play at the individual electronic gaming device  300 . Accordingly, game play may be accommodated without involving a physical wheel, a physical ball or live personnel. The action may instead be simulated by a control processor  350  operably coupled to the memory  340  and interacting with and controlling the individual electronic gaming device  300 . The EGM may also function as a player terminal to participate in a multi-player game administered by a dealer, the system having a community game outcome determining device, such as a reel slot machine or other electronic gaming machine wagering event wheel. The system may have a community display for displaying game outcomes (not shown). An example of a suitable multi-player system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,659,866. 
     Although the figure has an outline of a traditional gaming cabinet, the individual electronic gaming device  300  may be implemented in any number of ways, including, but not limited to, client software downloaded to a portable device, such as a smart phone, tablet, or laptop personal computer. The individual electronic gaming device  300  may also be a non-portable personal computer (e.g., a desktop or all-in-one computer) or other computing device. In some embodiments, client software is not downloaded but is native to the device or is otherwise delivered with the device when distributed to a player. 
     A communication device  360  may be included and operably coupled to the processor such that information related to operation of the individual gaming device  300 , information related to the game play, or combinations thereof may be communicated between the individual gaming device  300  and other devices (not shown) through a suitable communication media, such, as, for example, wired networks, Wi-Fi networks, and cellular communication networks. 
     The gaming screen  374  may be carried by a generally vertically extending cabinet  376  of the individual electronic gaming device  300 . The individual electronic gaming device  300  may further include banners (not shown) configured to communicate rules of game play and/or the like, such as along a top portion  378  of the cabinet  376  of the individual electronic gaming device  300 . The individual electronic gaming device  300  may further include additional decorative lights (not shown), and speakers (not shown) for transmitting and/or receiving sounds during game play. Further detail of an example of an individual electronic gaming device  300  (as well as other embodiments of tables and devices) is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/215,156, filed Aug. 22, 2011, published as U.S. Patent Publication No. 2013/0053117 on Feb. 28, 2013, and titled “METHODS OF MANAGING PLAY OF WAGERING GAMES AND SYSTEMS FOR MANAGING PLAY OF WAGERING GAMES,” the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference. 
     Some embodiments may be implemented at locations that include a plurality of player stations. Such player stations may include an electronic display screen for display of game information, such as displaying a virtual roulette wheel, virtual chips, credit meters, win amounts, wagers made and game instructions, and for accepting wagers and facilitating credit balance adjustments. Such player stations may, optionally, be integrated in a table format, may be distributed throughout a casino or other gaming site, or may include both grouped and distributed player stations. While some features may be automated through electronic interfaces (e.g., virtual roulette wheel, virtual chips, etc.), some features may remain in the physical domain. As such, the game play may be administered by a live dealer, a virtual dealer, or a combination of both. 
       FIG. 5  is a rendition of a player-controlled rotating volatility control dial  400 . The dial  400  is shown with four distinct regions  408 ,  410 ,  412  and  416  each of which may be separately aligned with a volatility setter  414 . Each of the four distinct regions  408 ,  410 ,  412  and  416  may further have a range of variability within them. For example, with the setter  414  aligned with the third volatility range selection  416 , the dial  400  may be further adjusted by gripping or virtually gripping dial control  402  to rotate the range selection  416  with respect to the setter  414  to increase the volatility by rotation direction  404  or lower the volatility within the range selection  416  by rotation in direction  406 . 
       FIG. 6  is an example of a multiple-player, electronic table configured for implementation having a virtual dealer according to the present disclosure is shown. 
     Wagering games in accordance with embodiments of the disclosure may be administered over the Internet, or otherwise online, in one embodiment using a gaming system employing a client server architecture. Referring to  FIG. 7 , illustrated is a schematic block diagram of a gaming system  600  for implementing wagering games according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The gaming system  600  enables end users to access proprietary and/or non-proprietary game content through an online casino client  622  (“the client  622 ”). Such game content may include, without limitation, various types of wagering games such as card games, dice games, big wheel games, roulette, scratch off games (“scratchers”), and any other wagering game where the game outcome is determined, in whole or in part, by one or more random events. 
     The client  622  may be an online casino that handles user funds, and enables play of a wide variety of casino-style games, such as roulette, card games, dice games, slot games, and EGM games. A player accesses the client  622  with a user device  620  such as a personal computer, tablet, cell phone or other mobile device over a network, such as the internet or a closed casino network. Players are able to make real money wagers through the user device  620  and the client  622  delivers game results to the player over a network (not shown). Losses are taken by the online casino, and wins are paid out to the player. The client  622  handles client funds, and interacts with financial service providers to transfer funds in and out of the casino accounts. The server architecture of the client  622  can take many forms. In one example, the client  622  is operably connected to a separate remote gaming system  600  that administers and delivers game results for one or more games, but in other embodiments, all of the online game play is administered in the client  622 . Exemplary gaming systems  600  deliver game results, administer game rules, and confirm wagers are made and that funds are available, but such systems do not interact directly with users and do not handle player funds. 
     The wagering games supported by the gaming system  600  may track player account balances and may use this information to confirm a game result can be delivered. The same system could be used to administer play-for-fun games in which account balances are tracked but do not represent real currency. 
     The virtual credits option may be used with wagering games in which credits (or other symbols) may be issued to a player to be used for the wagers. A player may be credited with credits in any way allowed, including, but not limited to, a player purchasing credits; being awarded credits as part of a contest or a win event in this or another game (including non-wagering games); being awarded credits as a reward for use of a product, casino, or other enterprise, time played in one session, or games played; or may be as simple as being awarded virtual credits upon logging in at a particular time or with a particular frequency, etc. Although credits may be won or lost, the ability of the player to cash out credits may be controlled or prevented. In one example, credits acquired (e.g., purchased or awarded) for use in a play-for-fun game may be limited to non-monetary redemption items, awards, or credits usable in the future or for another game or gaming session. The same credit redemption restrictions may be applied to some or all of credits won in a wagering game as well. 
     An additional variation includes web-based sites having both play-for-fun and wagering games, including issuance of free (non-monetary) credits usable to play the play-for-fun games. This may attract players to the site and to the games before they engage in wagering. In some embodiments, a limited number of free or promotional credits may be issued to entice players to play the games. Another method of issuing credits includes issuing free credits in exchange for identifying friends who may want to play. In another embodiment, additional credits may be issued after a period of time has elapsed to encourage the player to resume playing the game. The gaming system  600  may enable players to buy additional game credits to allow the player to resume play. Objects of value may be awarded to play-for-fun players, which may or may not be in a direct exchange for credits. For example, a prize may be awarded or won for a highest scoring play-for-fun player during a defined time interval. All variations of credit redemption are contemplated, as desired by game designers and game hosts (the person or entity controlling the hosting systems). 
     The gaming system  600  may include a gaming platform that establishes a portal for an end user to access via a user device  620  to a wagering game hosted by a game server  606  through a user interaction server  602 . The user device  620  may communicate with a user interaction server  602  of the gaming system  600  using a network  630  (e.g., the Internet). The user interaction server  602  may communicate with the game server  606  and provide game information, such as graphical displays and game interactions to the user. In some embodiments, the functionality of the gaming system may be incorporated into the online casino client  622 . In some embodiments, a single user device  620  communicates with a game provided by the game server  606 , while other embodiments may include a plurality of user devices  620  configured to communicate and provide end users with access to the same game provided by the game server  606 . In addition, a plurality of end users may be permitted to access a single user interaction server  602 , or a plurality of user interaction servers  602 , to access the game server  606 . 
     The user interaction server  602  may communicate with the user device  620  through the client  622  to enable access to the gaming system  600 . The user may be unaware that the game is being administered by gaming system  600  and not the client  622 . In embodiments, the user device  620  includes a user display that includes game assets delivered from the asset server  604  from gaming system  600 , as well as casino assets (such as the casino name, logo and other distinctive graphics) delivered by the client  622 . The user interaction server  602  may enable a user to create and access a user account and interact with gaming server  606 . The user interaction server  602  may enable users to initiate new games, join existing games, and interface with games being played by the user. 
     In some embodiments, the user interaction server  602  may also provide the client  622  for execution on the user device  620  for accessing the gaming system  600 . The client  622  provided by the gaming system  600  for execution on the user device  620  can comprise a variety of implementations according to the user device  620  and method of communication with the gaming system  600 . In one embodiment, the user device  620  connects to the gaming system  600  using a web browser, and the client  622  executes within a browser window or frame of the web browser. In another embodiment, the client  622  is a stand-alone executable on the user device  620 . 
     In one embodiment, the client  622  may comprise a relatively small amount of script (e.g., JAVASCRIPT®), also referred to as a “script driver,” including scripting language that controls an interface of the client  622 . The script driver may include simple function calls requesting information from the gaming system  600 . In other words, the script driver stored in the client  622  may merely include calls to functions that are externally defined by, and executed by, the gaming system  600 . As a result, the client  622  may be characterized as a “thin client.” As that term is used herein, the client  622  may be little more than a script player. The client  622  may simply send requests to the gaming system  600  rather than performing logic itself for the games administered by gaming system  600 . The client  622  may perform logic for other games that are not administered by gaming system  600 . For example, gaming system  600  may administer an online casino&#39;s card games while all other games are administered by the client  622 . The client  622  receives player inputs, and the player inputs are passed to the gaming system  600  for processing and executing the wagering game. In one embodiment, this includes providing specific graphical display information to the client  622  as well as game outcomes. 
     In other embodiments, the client  622  comprises an executable file rather than a script. In that case, the client  622  may do more local processing than does a script driver, such as calculating where to show what game symbols upon receiving a game outcome from game server  606  through user interaction server  602 . In one embodiment, it may be that portions of an asset server  604  are loaded onto the client  622  and are used by the client  622  in processing and updating graphical displays. Due to security and integrity concerns, most embodiments will have the bulk of the processing of the game play performed in the gaming system  600 . However, some embodiments may include significant game processing by the client  622  when the client and user device  620  are considered trustworthy or when there is reduced concern for security and integrity in the displayed game outcome. In most embodiments, it is expected that some form of data protection, such as end-to-end encryption, will be used when data is transported over network  630 . Network  630  may be any network, including, but not limited to, the Internet. 
     In an embodiment where the client  622  implements further logic and game control methodology beyond the thin client, the client  622  may parse and define player interactions prior to passing the player interactions to the gaming system  600 . Likewise, when the client  622  receives a gaming interaction from the gaming system  600 , the client  622  may be configured to determine how to modify the display as a result of the gaming interaction. The client  622  may also allow the player to change a perspective or otherwise interact with elements of the display that do not change aspects of the game. 
     The gaming system  600  may include an asset server  604 , which may host various media assets (e.g., audio, video, and image files) that may be sent to the client  622  for presenting the various wagering games to the end user. In other words, in this embodiment, the assets presented to the end user may be stored separately from the client  622 . In one embodiment, the client  622  requests the assets appropriate for the game played by the user; in other embodiments, especially those using thin clients, just those assets that are needed for a particular display event will be sent by game server  606  when the game server  606  determines they are needed, including as few as one asset. In one example, the client  622  may call a function defined at the user interaction server  602  or asset server  604 , which may determine which assets are to be delivered to the client  622  as well as how the assets are to be presented by the client  622  to the end user. Different assets may correspond to the various clients that may have access to the game server  606  or to different games to be played. 
     The game server  606  is configured to perform game play methods and determine game play outcomes that are provided to the user interaction server  602  to be transmitted to the user device  620  for display on the end user&#39;s computer. For example, the game server  606  may include game rules for one or more wagering games, such that the game server  606  controls some or all of the game flow for a selected wagering game as well as the determined game outcomes. The game server  606  may include pay tables and other game logic. The game server  606  also performs random number generation for determining random game elements of the wagering game. In one embodiment, the game server  606  is separated from the user interaction server  602  by a firewall or other method of preventing unauthorized access to the game server  606  from the general members of the network  630 . 
     The user device  620  may present a gaming interface to the player and communicate the user interaction to the gaming system  600 . The user device  620  may be any electronic system capable of displaying gaming information, receiving user input, and communicating the user input to the gaming system  600 . As such, the user device  620  can be a desktop computer, a laptop, a tablet computer, a set-top box, a mobile device (including, but not limited to, a smartphone), a kiosk, a terminal, or another computing device. The user device  620  operating the client  622  may comprise an interactive electronic gaming system  300  (see  FIG. 4 ), as described above. The client  622  may be a specialized application or may be executed within a generalized application capable of interpreting instructions from an interactive gaming system, such as a web browser. 
     The client  622  may interface with an end user through a web page or an application that runs on a device including, but not limited to, a smartphone, a tablet, or a general computer, or the client  622  may be any other computer program configurable to access the gaming system  600 . The client  622  may be illustrated within a casino webpage (or other interface) indicating that the client  622  is embedded into a webpage, which is supported by a web browser executing on the user device  620 . 
     In one embodiment, the gaming system  600  may be operated by a different entity than the operator of the client  622 . The hardware of gaming system  600  may be located remotely from the client  622 . The user device  620  may be operated by a third party, such as a casino or an individual, that links to the gaming system  600 , which may be operated, for example, by a wagering game service provider. Therefore, in some embodiments, the user device  620  and the client  622  may be operated by a different administrator than the operator of the game server  606 , and the user device  620  and the client  622  may also be operated by separate administrators. In other words, the user device  620  may be part of a third-party system that does not administer or otherwise control the gaming system  600  or game server  606 . 
     In another embodiment, the user interaction server  602  and asset server  604  are provided by a third-party system. For example, a gaming entity (e.g., a casino) may operate the user interaction server  602  or user device  620  to provide its customers access to game content managed by a different entity that may control game server  606 , amongst other functionality. In some embodiments, these functions are operated by the same administrator. For example, a gaming entity (e.g., a casino) may elect to perform each of these functions in-house, such as providing both the access to the user device  620  and the actual game content and providing administration of the gaming system  600 . 
     The gaming system  600  may communicate with one or more external account servers  610 , optionally through another firewall. For example, the gaming system  600  itself may not directly accept wagers or issue payouts. That is, the gaming system  600  may facilitate online casino gaming but may not be part of a self-contained online casino itself. Instead, the gaming system  600  may facilitate the play of wagering games owned and controlled by a company offering games and gaming products and services, such as SHFL entertainment, Inc. Another entity (e.g., a casino or any account holder or financial system of record) may operate and maintain its external account servers  610  to accept bets and make payout distributions. The gaming system  600  may communicate with the account servers  610  to verify the existence of funds for wagering and to instruct the account server  610  to execute debits and credits. 
     In some embodiments, the gaming system  600  may directly accept bets and make payout distributions, such as in the case where an administrator of the gaming system  600  operates as the client  622 . As discussed above, the gaming system  600  may be integrated within the operations of a casino rather than separating out functionality (e.g., game content, game play, credits, debits, etc.) among different entities. In addition, for play-for-fun wagering games, the gaming system  600  may issue credits, take bets, and manage the balance of the credits according to the game outcomes, but the gaming system  600  may not permit payout distributions or be linked to an account server  610  that permits payout distributions. Such credits may be issued for free, through purchase, or for other reasons, without the ability for the player to cash out. Such play-for-fun wagering games may be administered on platforms that do not permit traditional gambling, such as to comply with jurisdictions that do not permit online gambling. In embodiments where a user device  620  accesses games administered by gaming system  600  through the client  622 , the account server  610  contains “minor accounts” that track account balances to confirm wagers have been made and there are funds to support the wagers before delivering game results. In this embodiment, no actual player funds are handled by the account server  610 . 
     The gaming system  600  may be configured in many ways, from a fully integrated single system to a distributed server architecture. The asset server  604 , the user interaction server  602 , the game server  606 , and the account server  610  may be configured as a single, integrated system of code modules running on a single server or machine, where each of the servers is functionally implemented on a single machine. In such a case, the functionality described herein may not be implemented as separate code modules. The asset server  604 , the user interaction server  602 , the game server  606 , and the account server  610  may also be implemented as a plurality of independent servers, each using its own code modules running on a separate physical machine, and may further include one or more firewalls between selected servers (depending on security needs). Each server could communicate over some kind of networked connection, potentially as varied as that described for network  630 . Further, each single server shown in  FIG. 7  may be implemented as a plurality of servers with load balancing and scalability factors built into the embodiment. All such embodiments and variations are fully contemplated. 
     Additional features may be supported by the game server  606 , such as hacking and cheating detection, data storage and archival, metrics generation, messages generation, output formatting for different end user devices, as well as other features and operations. For example, the gaming system  600  may include additional features and configurations as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/353,194, filed Jan. 18, 2012, and application Ser. No. 13/609,031, filed Sep. 10, 2012, both titled “NETWORK GAMING ARCHITECTURE, GAMING SYSTEMS, AND RELATED METHODS,” the disclosures of which are incorporated herein in their entirety by this reference. 
     The network  630  may enable communications between the user device  620  and the gaming system  600 , and the user device  620  and the online casino client  622 . A network may also connect the gaming system  600  and account server  610 , and, further, one or more networks may interconnect one or more of the other servers shown collectively as the game system  600 . In one embodiment, the network  630  uses standard communications technologies and/or protocols. Thus, the network  630  can include links using technologies such as Ethernet, 802.11, worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WIMAX®), 3G, digital subscriber line (DSL), asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), INFINIBAND®, PCI Express Advanced Switching, etc. Similarly, the networking protocols used on the network  630  can include multiprotocol label switching (MPLS), the transmission control protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP), the User Datagram Protocol (UDP), the hypertext transport protocol (HTTP), the simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP), the file transfer protocol (FTP), etc. The data exchanged over the network  630  can be represented using technologies and/or formats including the hypertext markup language (HTML), the extensible markup language (XML), etc. In addition, all or some of the links can be encrypted using conventional encryption technologies such as secure sockets layer (SSL), transport layer security (TLS), virtual private networks (VPNs), Internet Protocol security (IPsec), etc. In another embodiment, the entities can use custom and/or dedicated data communications technologies instead of, or in addition to, the ones described above. Depending upon the embodiment, the network  630  can include links comprising one or more networks such as the Internet. 
     Referring to  FIG. 8 , a high-level block diagram of a computer system  640  for acting as the gaming system  600  (see  FIG. 7 ) according to one embodiment is shown. Illustrated are at least one processor  642  coupled to a chipset  644 , as indicated in dashed lines. Also coupled to the chipset  644  are memory  646 , a storage device  648 , a keyboard  650 , a graphics adapter  652 , a pointing device  654 , and a network adapter  656 . A display  658  is coupled to the graphics adapter  652 . In one embodiment, the functionality of the chipset  644  is provided by a memory controller hub  660  and an I/O controller hub  662 . In another embodiment, the memory  646  is coupled directly to the processor  642  instead of to the chipset  644 . 
     The storage device  648  is any non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, such as a hard drive, a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a DVD, or a solid-state memory device (e.g., a flash drive). The memory  646  holds instructions and data used by the processor  642 . The pointing device  654  may be a mouse, a track pad, a track ball, or another type of pointing device, and it is used in combination with the keyboard  650  to input data into the computer system  640 . 
     The graphics adapter  652  displays images and other information on the display  658 . The network adapter  656  couples the computer system  640  to a local or wide area network. 
     As is known in the art, the computer system  640  can have different and/or other components than those shown in  FIG. 8 . In addition, the computer system  640  can lack certain illustrated components. In one embodiment, the computer system  640  acting as the gaming system  600  ( FIG. 7 ) lacks the keyboard  650 , pointing device  654 , graphics adapter  652 , and/or display  658 . Moreover, the storage device  648  can be local and/or remote from the computer system  640  (such as embodied within a storage area network (SAN)). Moreover, other input devices, such as, for example, touch screens may be included. 
     The network adapter  656  (may also be referred to herein as a communication device) may include one or more devices for communicating using one or more of the communication media and protocols discussed above with respect to  FIG. 7 . 
     In addition, some or all of the components of this general computer system  640  of  FIG. 8  may be used as part of the processor and memory discussed above with respect to the systems of  FIGS. 4, 5, and 6 . 
     The gaming system  600  ( FIG. 7 ) may comprise several such computer systems  640 . The gaming system  600  may include load balancers, firewalls, and various other components for assisting the gaming system  600  to provide services to a variety of user devices. 
     As is known in the art, the computer system  640  is adapted to execute computer program modules for providing functionality described herein. As used herein, the term “module” refers to computer program logic utilized to provide the specified functionality. Thus, a module can be implemented in hardware, firmware, and/or software. In one embodiment, program modules are stored on the storage device  648 , loaded into the memory  646 , and executed by the processor  642 . 
     Embodiments of the entities described herein can include other and/or different modules than the ones described here. In addition, the functionality attributed to the modules can be performed by other or different modules in other embodiments. Moreover, this description occasionally omits the term “module” for purposes of clarity and convenience. 
     Some portions of the disclosure are presented in terms of algorithms (e.g., as represented in flowcharts, prose descriptions, or both) and symbolic representations of operations on data bits within a computer memory. These algorithmic descriptions and representations are the means used by those skilled in the data processing arts to most effectively convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art. An algorithm is here, and generally, conceived to be a self-consistent sequence of steps (instructions) leading to a desired result. The steps are those requiring physical manipulations of physical quantities. Usually, though not necessarily, these quantities take the form of electrical, magnetic, or optical signals capable of being stored, transferred, combined, compared, and otherwise manipulated. It is convenient at times, principally for reasons of common usage, to refer to these signals as bits, values, elements, symbols, characters, terms, numbers, or the like. Furthermore, it is also convenient at times to refer to certain arrangements of steps requiring physical manipulations or transformation of physical quantities or representations of physical quantities as modules or code devices, without loss of generality. 
     However, all of these and similar terms are to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels applied to these quantities. Unless specifically stated otherwise as apparent from the following discussion, it is appreciated that throughout the description, discussions utilizing terms such as “processing,” “computing,” “calculating,” “determining,” “displaying,” “determining,” or the like, refer to the action and processes of a computer system, or similar electronic computing device (such as a specific computing machine), that manipulates and transforms data represented as physical (electronic) quantities within the computer system memories or registers or other such information storage, transmission, or display devices. 
     Certain aspects of the embodiments include process steps and instructions described herein in the form of an algorithm. It should be noted that the process steps and instructions of the embodiments can be embodied in software, firmware, or hardware, and, when embodied in software, could be downloaded to reside on and be operated from different platforms used by a variety of operating systems. The embodiments can also be in a computer program product that can be executed on a computing system. 
     Some embodiments also relate to an apparatus for performing the operations herein. Such an apparatus may be specially constructed for the purposes, e.g., a specific computer, or it may comprise a general-purpose computer selectively activated or reconfigured by a computer program stored in the computer. Such a computer program may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, such as, but is not limited to, any type of disk including floppy disks, optical disks, CD-ROMs, magnetic-optical disks, read-only memories (ROMs), random access memories (RAMs), EPROMs, EEPROMs, magnetic or optical cards, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or any type of media suitable for storing electronic instructions, and each coupled to a computer system bus. Memory can include any of the above and/or other devices that can store information/data/programs and can be a transient or non-transient medium, where a non-transient or non-transitory medium can include memory/storage that stores information for more than a minimal duration. Furthermore, the computers referred to in the specification may include a single processor or may be architectures employing multiple processor designs for increased computing capability. 
     The algorithms and displays presented herein are not inherently related to any particular computer or other apparatus. Various general-purpose systems may also be used with programs in accordance with the teachings herein, or it may prove convenient to construct more specialized apparatus to perform the method steps. The structure for a variety of these systems will appear from the description herein. In addition, the embodiments are not described with reference to any particular programming language. It will be appreciated that a variety of programming languages may be used to implement the teachings of the embodiments as described herein, and any references herein to specific languages are provided for the purposes of enablement and best mode. 
     In some embodiments, wagering games may be administered over a network. For example, a method of administering a game of roulette over a network may involve receiving at a user interaction server authorization from a player to allocate funds to a wager. A multiplier may be randomly selected at a game server from a group of fixed multipliers for a payout on the wager. The game server may randomly generate a number and associated color within a range of numbers and associated colors. The wager may be resolved by determining at the game server whether the randomly generated number is identical to a randomly generated number from an immediately preceding round. The game server may authorize payment of a payout to the player within the paytable of the selected range of volatility. An amount of the payout may be equal to an amount of the wager multiplied by the randomly selected multiplier. The game server may authorize collection of the amount of the wager for the house when the randomly generated number is different from the randomly generated number from the immediately preceding round. 
     As another specific, nonlimiting example, a method of administering a play-for-free underlying game over a network may include sending from a user interaction server or the client  622  a quantity of valueless wagering elements usable within a predetermined time period to a player. Authorization from a player may be received at the user interaction server or the client  622  to allocate at least one valueless wagering element to a wager. When a gaming system  600  is utilized by the client  622 , a game server may randomly select a Range of volatility from a group of fixed or variable ranges for a payout on the wager. The game server may randomly generate a number and associated color within a range of numbers and associated colors. The wager may be resolved by determining at the beginning of any random outcome game server what will be therandomly generated range of volatility. The game server may authorize issuance of additional valueless wagering elements to the player when the randomly generated number is identical to the randomly generated number from the immediately preceding round. A quantity of the additional valueless wagering elements may be equal to the quantity of valueless wagering elements allocated to the wager multiplied by the randomly selected multiplier. Functions performed by the game server  606  may be performed by other components of the online gaming system  600  or the client  622  in other embodiments. 
     Although specific components, systems and games have been described, one skilled in the art will appreciate that options, alternatives and equivalents may be used.