US 11,657,671 B2
Gaming machine and method with group gaming mode
Jason R. Wydra, Forest Park, IL (US); Jason Y. Chan, Chicago, IL (US); Juan Mariscal, Chicago, IL (US); Brent A. Walker, Chicago, IL (US); Michael Stephen Cook, Chicago, IL (US); Lynn H. Wang, Escondido, CA (US); and Jeremy Wright, Chicago, IL (US)
Assigned to Everi Games, Inc., Austin, TX (US)
Filed by Everi Games, Inc., Austin, TX (US)
Filed on Oct. 11, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/600,357.
Prior Publication US 2021/0110647 A1, Apr. 15, 2021
Int. Cl. G07F 17/32 (2006.01); G07F 17/34 (2006.01)
CPC G07F 17/3225 (2013.01) [G07F 17/3209 (2013.01); G07F 17/3213 (2013.01); G07F 17/3244 (2013.01); G07F 17/3267 (2013.01); G07F 17/3258 (2013.01); G07F 17/34 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method performed with a group of gaming machines, each including one or more displays, a wager input device, and at least one electronic controller operatively coupled to the wager input device and the one or more displays and configured to execute instructions for providing a wagering game, the method comprising:
(a) operating the gaming machines in a first mode in which wager results of a primary game are presented in a primary display area, and wager results have a chance of including bonus events including a presentation on a secondary display area of the one or displays;
(b) in response to a game mode change event, operating a set of two or more of the gaming machines in a second group gaming mode in which the secondary display areas of the set of gaming machines include a common, persistent game board with a plurality of prize objects, the second group gaming mode comprising:
obtaining primary game results for wager activations at the set of gaming machines, the primary game results having a chance to include a prize amount;
providing selected primary game results at least partially in the game board by awarding at least one of the prize objects and an associated prize amount to one of a group of gaming machines to provide the primary game result prize amount in order to appear as if the prize amount were won from a game in the secondary display area;
for each prize object awarded, causing a message to be sent to the other gaming machines of the set that the at least one prize object has been taken, displaying an indication at the other gaming machines of the set that the at least one prize object is no longer available, and removing it from the game board in order to appear as if prize opportunities are being reduced as prize objects are removed from the secondary display area; and
when a prize object is awarded, maintaining available prize distributions of the primary game for all gaming machines in the set.