Patent ID: 7963839

Claim:
A method of developing and distributing a game, comprising the steps of: developing a first outcome-free game portion; developing a first outcome-bearing game portion that is configured to be played without wagering or that is configured to enable wagering using only virtual money, that is associated with the developed first outcome-free game portion and that is configured to show an outcome of the unregulated first version of the game; merging the first outcome-free game portion and the first outcome-bearing game portion to obtain an unregulated first version of the game such that at least a portion of the first outcome-bearing game portion is shown during game play in synchronism with and superimposed on or under the first outcome-free game portion; providing at least one server and carrying out a first making step to make the unregulated first version of the game available for download from the at least one server to at least one home computing device; developing a second outcome-free game portion that is substantially identical to the first outcome-free game portion; developing a second outcome-bearing game portion that is configured to enable wagering using real money, that is associated with the developed second outcome-free game portion and that is configured to show an outcome of the regulated second version of the game; merging the second outcome-free game portion and the second outcome-bearing game portion to obtain a regulated second version of the game to be submitted to a gaming software certification laboratory, the merging being carried out such that at least a portion of the second outcome-bearing game portion is shown during game play in synchronism with and superimposed on or under the second outcome-free game portion; obtaining certification of the regulated second version of the game from the gaming software certification laboratory, and a second making step to make the regulated second version of the game available for download from the at least one server into at least one regulated gaming machine.