JP7543372B2 - GAME AWARD METHOD AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM FOR EMBODYING THE METHOD - Patent application - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates generally to games of chance, and more particularly to novel variations on roulette wheels and bets that can be placed thereon. The invention includes a roulette wheel containing letters of the alphabet and colors of the rainbow, and a number of balls. The balls can come to rest on at least two of the letters to form letter dips, triplets, etc. Combinations of letters can form hierarchical names or words, and these formations can be linked to sounds to elicit an enhanced gaming experience.

Games are ancient. Over time, the core game themes and rules have evolved and continue to enjoy widespread popularity. To bring new elements to ancient games, game enthusiasts continue to strive to expand the gaming experience through inventive play approaches. Roulette, for example, has its origins in many ancient sources, including Chinese and Roman origins.

Whatever its origins, roulette has evolved into a casino gambling game in which a house spins a round roulette wheel with 37 or 38 individually numbered pockets until a ball lands in one of the pockets. A traditional roulette wheel has pockets or wheel sectors numbered 1 through 36 in random order with an alternating red and black background. Most modern roulette wheels also have at least one green pocket marked with the number "0". Additionally, in the United States (unlike Europe), most roulette wheels have a second green pocket marked with a nominal "00" to increase the house advantage in the United States compared to the house advantage in European play.

In US-based games, if a player bets on a single number and wins, the payout ratio is 35:1. Naturally, several other betting options are given to the gamer, including betting on multiple numbers in various combinations or ranges, betting on all odd or even numbers, or betting on a color, which offer lower payout percentages. Over time, variations on the basic roulette theme have evolved, including electronic betting through computer stations, fully electronic simulation of the ball spin/wheel, standalone games on slot machines or through internet games, multiple balls, and characters other than numbers (such as zodiac symbols).

Indeed, the prior art on roulette game devices and the like is well developed, and a survey of the prior art reveals that several inventive roulette-based game devices are known in the prior art. Some of the more pertinent prior art on roulette-type game devices that the inventors are aware of are briefly described and presented below.

U.S. Patent No. 3,853,324 (the '324 patent) to Reiner et al. discloses a game of chance and skill. The '324 patent teaches a game of chance and skill that is a variation of the popular game known as bingo. The game includes a circular playing field, a longitudinal array extending therefrom, and a ball propulsion mechanism mounted at one end of the array for propelling large and small indicator balls along the array and onto the playing field. The playing field includes an outer member and an inner disk that are driven in rotation in opposite directions. The outer member includes a partition carrying a plurality of indicators that is spaced to capture the large indicator ball propelled onto the playing field and spaced to allow the small indicator balls to pass onto the inner disk. The inner disk includes a ball receiving pocket carrying a plurality of indicators configured to receive the small indicator balls that pass through the partition.

U.S. Patent No. 4,222,561 (the '561 patent) to Whitten discloses a gaming device. The '561 patent teaches a roulette-type device in which a player spins a roulette wheel to designate a first letter and randomly selects one at a time from a predetermined set of word category cards, thereby responding with a word that satisfies both the category and the first letter so selected. By reviewing the '561 patent, it can be seen that the roulette-type wheel has a series of Roman alphabet letters thereon. Whitten's wheel includes a total of 36 lettered positions thereon, with certain letters being duplicated. Whitten utilizes this device to designate the first letters of objects in a group of related objects (e.g., types of fruit, etc.) by enabling the roulette wheel to randomly select letters. To win a particular game or turn, the intended user or gamer must come up with an object having a name that begins with the letter selected on Whitten's roulette wheel.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,887,819 (the '819 patent) to Walker discloses a casino board game. The '819 patent teaches a relatively complex game that incorporates the use of a roulette wheel and combines aspects of several different traditional or conventional gambling games. In this regard, a player determines the number of spaces to move along a segmented path using either a card game similar to blackjack or a slot machine, with the particular game being selected by instructions contained in the segment the player arrived at on the previous move. Each segment also contains further instructions, some of which specify further gambling devices and give odds. These further devices are roulette games or dice games, and players arriving at that segment can gamble on these games at the specified odds. Other players can participate in gambling as the roulette and dice games are played. The object of the game is for the player to avoid the penalty specified on the game board and obtain the majority of the playing chips until either all other players are "bankrupt" or the casino bank is "bankrupt." Notably, the alphabet layout for the roulette wheel has not been disclosed.

U.S. Patent No. 5,259,616 (the '616 patent) to Bergmann discloses a roulette-type coin-operated gaming machine. The '616 patent discloses a process for operating a slot machine that acts as a roulette wheel. According to this process, a gambler determines the amount of a bet by inserting a coin and then pressing a selection key. The outcome of the game is determined by a microprocessor using a random algorithm. If the selected number is hit, the microprocessor instructs a coin dispensing unit to dispense a main prize. If the selected number is hit, the microprocessor activates another processor with a random generator. The random generator determines a gain multiplier according to a described algorithm, which is multiplied by the amount of the bet on the hit number. The payout unit then instructs the payout unit to dispense in coins an amount corresponding to the product of the bet on the hit number and the gain multiplier.

U.S. Patent No. 5,553,853 (the '853 patent) to Sackitey discloses a gaming device and method for teaching DNA-related technology. The '853 patent teaches a game that includes a selector for selecting nucleotides from a group of nucleotides normally associated with DNA. By randomly selecting nucleotides and recording the selected nucleotides, each player creates a unique DNA sequence. The DNA sequence is used in one of various game motifs to determine the winner of the game. By reviewing the '853 patent, it can be seen that a roulette-type wheel has a series of 71 positions with letters thereon, allowing for play. Certain alphabetical letters are repeated, but some (Roman) alphabetical letters are omitted from the wheel.

U.S. Patent No. 5,755,440 ('440 patent) to Sher discloses an enhanced roulette style game. The '440 patent teaches a new roulette machine with multiple balls and separate tracks for launching each of the balls. In a preferred embodiment, there are two balls and two tracks, as well as a special device for launching the balls. In one embodiment, the launching device is air driven, while in another embodiment, the device is mechanical, accelerating the balls by contact with a spinning wheel. In either case, the launching device can be hand held or mounted on a frame and positioned to propel the balls into the track. In another aspect of the invention, the wheel of the roulette machine is provided as a dynamic display, which may be of several different types, such as LCD and dynamic holographic displays, and an electronic player station is provided where players can place bets to their liking. In many embodiments, the game is enhanced with sound effects, including the sound of the balls being launched, the sound of the balls rolling in the roulette machine, thunder, and music.

U.S. Patent No. 6,164,647 (the '647 patent) to Chee discloses a casino board gaming system. The '647 patent teaches a roulette assembly that includes a lower wheel divided into multiple sections, each of which represents at least one of a unique number and a unique color. Also included is an upper wheel rotatably mounted on the lower wheel and divided into multiple sections, each of which represents at least one of a unique number and a unique color. As the upper and lower wheels are spun, the upper wheel slows down and engages the lower wheel, revealing unique number and color combinations. Review of the '647 patent reveals that a mechanically complex roulette wheel is disclosed. By randomly combining the upper and lower wheels, a particular color and number outcome can be selected on the lower wheel. Notably, no alphabetical display on the roulette wheel is disclosed.

U.S. Patent No. 6,227,542 ('542 patent) and U.S. Patent No. 6,663,106 ('106 patent), both to Cosmi, disclose certain improved types of roulette and new gambling games involving the use of said improved roulette. The '542 patent and the '106 patent teach a new type of roulette that includes two bowls that are coaxial with each other and rotate around the same axis, and two small balls that each roll around one of the bowls, with data on each bowl being inscribed with data referring to independent events. In a first embodiment, the two independent events are the symbols of the twelve zodiac signs and numbers 0-31, with the symbols of the twelve zodiac signs being inscribed preferably on the outer ring-shaped bowl and the numbers 0-31 being inscribed preferably on the inner bowl. In a second embodiment, the events inscribed on the two bowls relate to one or more calendars used in Asian countries (China, Korea, Japan, etc.). Furthermore, new gambling games involving the use of the improved roulette are described.

U.S. Patent No. 6,406,022 (the '022 patent) to Nadibaidze discloses a method of playing a roulette-type popular entertainment game having a bet field with the symbols of the twelve zodiac signs. The '022 patent teaches a popular entertainment method using a stake field simulating a roulette-type bet field with stake squares of various colors having information marks of various colors from 1 to 36 formed thereon, and with the symbols of the twelve zodiac signs within the stake squares having numerical information marks 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, and 31. Also formed is a flat image of a fixed roulette wheel with 36 main sectors and one or two additional sectors, each main sector firstly including images of numbers 1 to 36 with images of zodiac symbols at the prime numbers 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, and 31 positions, and secondly including two images of six-sided dice with information marks of various numbers of dots from 1 to 6. Then follows a procedure in which the player places a bet on the stake square of the stake field and selects two pairs of random gambling indices by means of simultaneously rolling two sets of two six-sided dice.

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0285336 to Ilievski discloses an alphabet roulette game with a roulette wheel having 25 positions, including the 26 letters of the Roman alphabet and positions with two letters. Bets are placed on the betting face or table on the likelihood of a single letter (or two letters) or any letter in a group of letters appearing when the wheel is spun. The game also includes bets on the likelihood of a given letter appearing when the wheel is spun two or more times in succession. In addition, players are provided with the opportunity to bet on the likelihood of letters in a given word or words appearing when the wheel is spun. If desired, the alphabet positions on the wheel and the corresponding positions on the table can be colored to allow players to place bets on one or more colors.

However, by further reviewing the above referenced patents and other prior art generally known to exist, it can be seen that the prior art does not disclose a roulette type game utilizing a plurality of dice and alphabetic letters to form hierarchical letter diplets or words, where such diplets and/or words, when formed by a roulette type ball, can be operatively linked to specific means for providing sounds, all of which act to stimulate the gamer's senses and enhance the overall gaming experience.

Any discussion of documents, statutes, materials, devices, articles or the like which has been included in this specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the invention. It is not to be construed as an admission that any or all of them form part of the prior art body or were common general knowledge in the relevant field of the invention existing in Australia or elsewhere prior to the priority date of this application.

To this end, some embodiments of the present invention provide a vibrant rainbow themed roulette game that expands on the rainbow theme to allow for one or more levels of so-called mystery jackpot prizes. As a means to allow for various jackpot prizes, some embodiments of the present invention provide a tiered roulette game to elicit an enhanced winning experience that is achieved by visually and/or aurally stimulating the user of the roulette game.

Embodiments of a roulette game of rank or alphabet essentially comprise a roulette medium, a layout enabling betting, and a number of balls. Of note, the roulette medium can preferably be defined by a wheel or a simulated wheel and can comprise a number of ball-receiving sectors and a particular sound providing means for providing auditory sounds. Each ball-receiving sector comprises an upper sector surface carrying a selected alphabetic letter based on the wheel or medium and a rainbow type of selected color scheme, preferably selected from the group of colors consisting of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and purple. In some embodiments, the multiple selected ball-receiving sectors are cooperatively coordinated with the sound providing means for providing the selected auditory sounds.

To facilitate placing a bet on the bet object, a bet object support surface is preferably disposed adjacent to the roulette wheel, the bet object support surface including a plurality of bet object receiving sections, each having an upper section surface carrying a selected alphabetic character based on the bet object, the character based on the wheel and the character based on the bet object may have a paired character correspondence. The sector stimuli or character identifying balls are preferably each capable of being received in one of the ball receiving sectors. The selected ball receiving sectors may cooperate to provide a selected auditory sound when the sector stimulating ball is received in them. In some embodiments, the paired character correspondence and the selected auditory sound act together to visually and audibly stimulate the user's senses to enhance the gaming experience.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic gaming device having a central processing means, a bet object input means, and a visual display unit, the electronic gaming device being configured to play a game or method as described herein.

The device preferably takes the form of a slot machine, a handheld device, a personal computer, a touch screen monitor, a handheld data input/output device, a mobile phone, a tablet, a kiosk, a digital television, or a personal digital assistant.

In some contemplated embodiments, the device may include a communication means, which may include the use of any one or more of a wireless connection, an Internet connection, a cellular connection, a local area network connection, or a wide area network connection.

The central processing means is preferably configured to cause the visual display unit to selectively display at least one board and at least one ball. In one possible embodiment, the board and ball may be simulated and the outcome of the game may depend at least in part on the output of a random number generator. In another possible embodiment, the board and ball may be real and the outcome of the game may depend at least in part on the board and ball.

According to another aspect of the present invention, an electronically readable medium is provided that includes executable code for instructing an electronic gaming device to play a game or method described herein.

Throughout this specification, the word "comprise" or variations thereof (such as "comprises" or "comprising") should be understood to imply the inclusion of stated elements, integers, or steps, or groups of elements, integers, or steps, but not the exclusion of any other elements, integers, or steps, or groups of elements, integers, or steps.

Other non-essential features and specific elements of the present invention, as well as its advantages, will be elucidated or become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, given by way of non-limiting example.

Embodiments of the present invention will become more apparent from consideration of the brief description of the patent drawings below.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a first roulette wheel of the present invention showing a plurality of ball-receiving sectors each bearing a selected Roman alphabet letter and one of a series of seven colors of the rainbow. FIG. 2 is a plan view of a second roulette wheel of the present invention, showing a plurality of ball-receiving sectors each bearing a selected Roman alphabet letter, and two letter identification balls disposed in the "D" and "O" (i.e., "D.O.") letter sectors. FIG. 11 is a plan view of a third roulette wheel of the present invention, showing a plurality of ball-receiving sectors each bearing a selected Roman alphabet letter, and three letter-identifying balls located in the letter sectors "W," "I," and "N" (i.e., "WIN."). FIG. 11 is a plan view of a fourth roulette wheel of the present invention, showing a plurality of ball-receiving sectors each bearing a selected Roman alphabet letter, and four letter identifying balls disposed in the letter sectors: "P," "L," "A," and "Y" (i.e., "P.L.A.Y."). FIG. 2 is a partial side cross-sectional view of a portion of a second roulette wheel of the present invention, showing two letter identification balls in two ball launch track rings. FIG. 13 is a partial side cross-sectional view of a portion of a third roulette wheel of the present invention, showing three letter identification balls in three ball launch track rings. FIG. 11 is a partial side cross-sectional view of a portion of a fourth roulette wheel of the present invention, showing four letter identification balls in four ball launching track rings. FIG. 2 is a diagram of a first betting object layout table of the present invention showing the Roman alphabet character set with color removed for clarity. 1 is a first payout rate table of the present invention, showing a first bet name column, a first number column, a first payout rate column, and a first expected value column. 1 is a diagram of a three level "Mystery Jackpot" table showing a Mystery Jackpot Minimum Value column, a Mystery Jackpot Maximum Value column, and a Mystery Jackpot Percentage column. FIG. 2 is a diagram of a second payout table for a second roulette wheel of the present invention, showing a second bet name column, a second number column, a second payout rate column, and a second expected value column. FIG. 1 is a diagram of a first betting object layout table along with a sample second betting object layout table showing thirteen table sheets, each sheet having its own unique three letter word with color removed for clarity. FIG. 11 is a diagram of a third payout table for a third roulette wheel of the present invention, showing a third bet name column, a third number column, a third payout rate column, and a third expected value column. FIG. 11 is a diagram of a fourth payout table for a fourth roulette wheel of the present invention, showing a fourth bet name column, a fourth number column, a fourth payout percentage column, and a fourth expected value column. FIG. 11 is a diagram of a third betting object layout table of the present invention showing the Russian alphabet character set with color removed for clarity. FIG. 5 is a diagram of a fifth payout table for the third bet object layout table of the present invention, showing a fifth bet name column, a fifth number column, a fifth payout rate column, and a fifth expected value column. FIG. 4 is a diagram of a fourth betting object layout table of the present invention showing the Russian alphabet character set with color removed for clarity. FIG. 11 is a diagram of a sixth payout table for the fourth bet object layout table of the present invention, showing a sixth bet name column, a sixth number column, a sixth payout rate column, and a sixth expected value column. 1 is a diagram of a two-level "Mystery Jackpot" table showing Mystery Jackpot Minimum Value, Mystery Jackpot Maximum Value, and Mystery Jackpot Percentage columns. FIG. 2 is an expanded view of the first betting object layout table of the present invention, showing the Roman alphabet character set with seven representative colors included for clarity. Illustrates various electronic gaming devices in the form of a handheld unit (shown in the upper left of the figure), a cell phone (shown in the lower left of the figure), a slot machine (shown in the center of the figure), a touch screen LCD display unit (shown in the upper right of the figure), and a notebook computer (shown in the lower right of the figure).

With reference now to the drawings, a preferred implementation of the present invention generally relates to an alphabet rainbow roulette game using music or sounds with at least two balls that are spun and two alphabet letters that are selected or identified when the balls come to rest. For purposes of the present invention, it is believed that it is preferable to include rainbow type colors as a visually stimulating background for the alphabet letters, which may include red, 30, orange, 31, yellow, 32, green, 33, blue, 34, indigo, 35, and purple, 36, in FIG. 1. The colors red 30, orange 31, yellow 32, blue 34, indigo, 35, and purple 36 are further referenced in FIG. 20. It is believed that the preferred rainbow colors red 30, orange 31, yellow 32, green 33, blue 34, indigo, 35, and purple 36 can be incorporated into the design of the present invention by the well-known ROY G. REV mnemonic used to memorize traditional optical spectra. It is contemplated that any number of other different colors and electromagnetic wavelengths may be incorporated into the design of the present invention at the designer's preference or choice.

A first odds table 20 (for use in conjunction with the one-ball roulette wheel of the present invention) is shown in FIG. 9, which shows different odds of winning for the first embodiment of the present invention. A second odds table 21 (for use in conjunction with the two-ball roulette wheel of the present invention) is shown in FIG. 11, which shows different odds of winning for the second embodiment of the present invention.

By comparatively inspecting the payout percentage column in FIG. 9 against FIG. 11, it can be seen that in FIG. 11, two payout percentages are shown, representing different payout percentages for hitting one or both of the selected numbers, given the selected betting criteria. For example, if a user or player selects the rainbow color yellow 32, and one of the balls lands on yellow 32, he/she will be paid "same amount". However, if both balls 12 land on yellow 32, the user or player will be paid 19:1.

It should be noted that the primary objective of some embodiments of the present invention is to spell out a trigger word or scale with a single "spin" of the roulette, and in this regard, multiple balls 12 allow the player to spell or form said trigger word or scale. The inclusion of an additional betting option using music called "scales" allows the player to be awarded a progressive or jackpot prize if any of the following solfege dipeptides or scales of the diatonic scale occur: "DO", "RE", "MI", "FA", "SO", "LA", "TI". This jackpot is expected to occur approximately every 46 games. This allows room for low to medium jackpot prize amounts depending on how the jackpot parameters are set, the means of betting on the jackpot, and the division of the prize.

It is contemplated that the above jackpot scheme can be easily adapted to operate on an electronic slot machine type version of the roulette game, or on an online, network, or Internet-based medium, linking individual player-based machines into a chain of several similar machines, all linked to a common jackpot. In this scenario, winners will occur relatively frequently. If there is a "scale" winner, the "DO, RE, MI" music or scale will be played by the jackpot controller. In an alternative implementation on a slot machine, the jackpot could have seven different slots, each with a different "scale" station name. Thus, the probability of each station hitting on any given spin is reduced by a factor of seven, resulting in a higher prize. For more information regarding the "scale" betting options contemplated by some embodiments of the present invention, see FIG. 11.

It is contemplated that another extension or implementation of the present invention could utilize three balls 12. In this case, it is contemplated that an additional progressive jackpot could be included based on whether the balls land in such a way that a win occurs if a three-letter word from a predefined list is formed. For example, the formation of the word "WIN" (shown diagrammatically in FIG. 3) could represent the winning of a progressive prize. By inspecting FIG. 12, it can be seen that thirteen "seats" 40 could be positioned on the table, with each seat 40 having its own unique three-letter word 41.

It is contemplated that for electronic slot machines (or online game slot halls, etc.) that participate in linked progressives, each slot may have its own unique three-letter word/code. If that word/code appears on the machine the player is playing on, the progressive jackpot is won. The probability of any given three-letter word 41 appearing in a single spin is 0.00038, or once every 2600 games. If the entire table, i.e., all thirteen seats 40 or stations, are active, the progressive jackpot is expected to be won on average once every 200 games. Of note, by further inspection of FIG. 13, it can be seen that there are different payout percentages depending on how many balls 12 in a category are hit. For example, if a column bet is selected, there is no payout if one ball 12 is hit, a payout percentage of 2:1 if two balls 12 are hit, and a payout percentage of 15:1 if all three balls 12 are hit.

For table games or linked electronic slots-type or online porthole-type roulette games, it is conceivable that each "seat" 40 in the alphabet rainbow roulette table has its own unique word 41 for which the progressive jackpot applies only to that seat 40. Thus, as shown diagrammatically in FIG. 12, one sheet 40 may be assigned the word "WIN", another "NOW", another "RED", and so on. This structure solves the problem of the extremely low payout rate when multiple patrons win simultaneously for the only word 41 that wins the progressive jackpot. For gaming machines where each player is independent of all other players participating in the progressive jackpot, the electronic table game (EGM) (hybridized table game with slots) may automatically and randomly assign the word 41 or allow the player to select the word 41 from a predefined list. In the former scenario, it is contemplated that the means for assigning words 41 may include the step of assigning a word 41 to each slot station as directed by a "scale" jackpot or a "WIN" jackpot.

It is believed that participation in the jackpot may include one of three options summarized below: (1) the player may place a bet on the jackpot word. This option may result in a higher payout ratio; (2) players who have placed any other bets are automatically entitled to the progressive if the words appear; and (3) players who have bet at least the minimum bet amount (which may be a system configuration parameter) are automatically entitled to the progressive if the words appear. A further option to this variation is to spin or introduce four balls 12 instead of three balls 12. Players may then be assigned a four-letter word and if all four letters of the word appear, they will win the progressive jackpot. The advantage of this structure is that a larger progressive prize may be won. It is notable that any of the participation options presented above may be chosen.

Additionally, it is contemplated that a mystery jackpot option can be built into the structure. In this aspect of the invention, for a three-ball game or version, there is one and only one winning word combination, "WIN." The difficulty with being unique is that many players share the jackpot, so the prize is not very large and not unique. This problem can be easily remedied. In the situation where a jackpot win trigger occurs (e.g., three balls 12 are drawn and the word "WIN" is spelled), a secondary jackpot winner selection process occurs. Each player is preferably valued by all money, credits, or other similar assets wagered on the game.

For example, assume that there are only two players (player A and player B) in a game where a WIN event occurs. Player A has bet 10 credits on the game, and player B has bet 90 credits. Each player is given a rating of 10 and 90, respectively, which means that player A is assigned a probability of 0.1 and player B a probability of 0.9. The jackpot controller determines which player will win by drawing a random number. For example, assuming that the random number ranges from 0.01 to 1, if the random number drawn is 0.05, player A wins, and if it is 0.75, player B wins. This is highly beneficial for the game operator running the game, because when the jackpot starts to become relatively large, players are encouraged to bet larger on a regular basis in order to increase their chances of being selected as the winner when the WIN jackpot occurs. The same principle can also be applied to the scale jackpots mentioned above.

Above, a specific game awarding method inherently taught by the present invention has been described. In this regard, the game awarding method may well act to enhance the gaming experience and includes the steps of accepting a plurality of targeted predictions, which predict the outcome of an event, preferably definable by the formation of alphabetic characters or a meaningful string of characters that may be formed by a roulette game. Notably, the targeted predictions may necessarily include specific targeted sums of different magnitudes. After accepting the predictions, they are assigned a probability rating corresponding to the magnitude of the targeted sum. A random number (in percentage form) selected from a numerical range of 0.01 (1%) to 1 (100%) is then subtracted from the award controller. After subtracting the random number, it is compared to a probability rating representing the difference between the various probability ratings corresponding to the initially provided targeted sums. The difference is then evaluated, and the highest-valued targeted sum is awarded an asset, such as credits, tokens, or cash.

To indicate a sound in any game using two or more balls 12, it is believed that a hit of a scale word or scale name can provide a musical sound in scale name singing (corresponding to the scale name of the letter dipair ("DO", "RE", "MI", "FA", "SO", "LA", "TI")). In this regard, the selected auditory sound preferably has a diatonic scale and is adjusted to the scale name letter dipair group in scale name singing, which is composed of "DO", "RE", "MI", "FA", "SO", "LA", and "TI", and the scale name letter dipair "DO" is believed to correspond to the tonic note in the diatonic scale. Please review the DO trigger event shown diagrammatically in FIG. 2.

It is believed that the layout of the bets could be ingeniously designed to encompass three types of bets, including (1) group notes, which are exactly the same concept as field bets in dice gambling (where a hit on "DO" pays roughly double the payout for the other six notes), (2) individual side bets on each of the seven notes of the diatonic scale, and (3) triggers for progressive/mystery jackpot combinations. Note that the dipeptide "DO" in the scale name is pronounced "dough," a common slang word for money, the traditional prize in games of chance such as roulette. This play on scale names and sound content is believed to be just one feature that augments or enhances the gaming experience.

Utilizing a mechanical roulette device that spins two balls 12, the group or field bet would pay out 36:1 if "RE", "MI", "FA", "SO", "LA", or "TI" appears, and 73:1 if "DO" appears. The overall return for this type of bet would be 91.08%. Each individual side bet would pay out 295:1, making the overall return for this type of bet 91.08%. A match of any of the seven scale letter dipairs (or scale names) would trigger the jackpot, which would occur approximately every 46.5 games. With three balls 12 spinning, the group or field bet would pay out 12:1 if "RE", "MI", "FA", "SO", "LA", or "TI" appears, and 29:1 if "DO" appears. The overall return for this type of bet would be 91.85%. Each individual side bet pays out at 99:1, making the overall return on this type of bet 91.38%. Matching any of the seven scale words triggers the jackpot, which occurs approximately every 15.75 games. It is believed that the payouts could be manipulated so that an increased sum is paid out when two scale words are formed from three balls (e.g., "FAL," "SOD," or "MIT"). It should be noted that some gaming organizations may wish to limit liability for large bets. For example, it is believed that the maximum payout could be $10,000.

It is believed that the side bets can be summarized as follows: (1) Each color of the rainbow, red 30, orange 31, yellow 32, blue 34, indigo 35, and purple 36, acts like the traditional red and black to allow for six different bets. (2) Notably, green 33 is not needed as it can represent a small street bet on the top line. (3) Columns. (4) First 12 and Last 12. (5) Street, Double Street. (6) Scale "field" bets. (7) Scale individual side bets (7), (Pairs, Corners (group of 4).)

Therefore, it is believed that the preferred embodiment of the present invention generally relates to a colorful tier roulette game designed to provide prizes for the formation of meaningful strings (including monosyllabic words). The formed strings can further be operatively linked to specific means for providing sounds when triggered by an event. Thus, the tier roulette game can work well to elicit an enhanced winning experience through visual and auditory tier-based cues. The tier roulette game of the present invention preferably includes a roulette wheel 10 as shown and referenced in Figures 1 to 7, a betting object layout, i.e., a structure or surface 11 that allows betting, as shown and referenced in Figures 8, 12, 15, 17, and 20, and a plurality of sector cues, i.e., letter-identifying spheres or balls 12, as shown and referenced in Figures 2 to 7.

The roulette wheel 10 comprises a plurality of evenly spaced radially inner ball-receiving sectors 13 as shown and described in FIGS. 1-4, a plurality of radially outer ball-launching track rings 14 as shown and described in FIGS. 1-7, and a specific means for providing an auditory sound, i.e., a sound providing means, shown generally in FIG. 2 at 15 (as a speaker in circuit with the roulette wheel 10). A comparative review of FIGS. 1-4 with FIGS. 5-7 shows that the track rings 14 are preferably stepped in order to guide the initially radially outer balls 12 (radially inward) into the sectors 13, thereby making the placement of the rings 14 into the various sectors 13 more random. Furthermore, depending on the number of balls 12 or characters 18 to be identified that are utilized, it is believed that the number of track rings 14 is preferably equal to the number of balls 12 as a means of making the placement more random, as can be seen from a general review of FIGS. 5-7.

As mentioned above, it is believed that each sphere-containing sector 13 preferably includes a colored upper sector surface, each of which further preferably bears a selected alphabetic character 18 based on the board. As can be seen from inspection of Figures 1 and 20, the colors are represented by various types of hatching marks. For example, the Roman alphabetic characters Y and Z shown in Figure 1 are preferably colored green 33, as represented by hatching marks designated as green under the United States Patent and Trademark Office rules for color representation. Similarly, the Roman alphabet letters A, H, O, and V are preferably colored red 30, the Roman alphabet letters B, I, M, and W are preferably colored orange 31, the Roman alphabet letters C, J, Q, and X are preferably colored yellow 32, the Roman alphabet letters E, L, R, and S are preferably colored blue 34, the Roman alphabet letters D, K, P, and U are preferably colored indigo 35, and the Roman alphabet letters F, G, N, and T are preferably colored purple 36. As presented above, the above colors include or represent the commonly used mnemonic ROY(G.)BIV for each color of the optical spectrum or rainbow.

For a mechanical version of the roulette game, it is contemplated that the multiple selection sphere-containing sectors 13 may be equipped with specific pressure-sensitive portions (not specifically shown) for emitting sounds. It is therefore contemplated that the pressure-sensitive portions of the selection sphere-containing sectors 13 (i.e., sectors that enable the provision of sounds) may in part constitute the sound-providing means. For example, it is contemplated that when the ball 12 comes to rest on the selection sector 13, a pressure-sensitive switch may be activated to close a circuit that operates to provide the selection sound. For an electronic (slot type or online game type) version of the roulette game, it is contemplated that the selection sectors 13 may be preprogrammed to sound sounds as dictated by the letter-identifying ball 12.

It is believed that the betting object surface or layout 11 of the present invention, i.e., betting enabling structure, is preferably disposed adjacent to the roulette wheel 10 to facilitate placing betting objects. In this regard, please refer to Figs. 8, 12, 15, 17, and 20. By examining the above figures, it can be seen that the gamer can place betting objects on a number of betting object receiving sections, i.e., betting enabling sections 16, before placing the ball. Each of the betting object receiving sections 16 has an upper section surface, each of which has a betting object-based selected alphabet character 17 having a one-to-one correspondence with the wheel-based character 18. It should be understood that the wheel-based character 18 and the betting object-based character 17 have a pairwise character correspondence, and therefore the section 16 also preferably has a rainbow background corresponding to the breakdown shown above. By inspecting FIG. 20, it can be seen, for example, that A is colored red 30, C is colored yellow 32, G is colored purple 36, I is colored orange 31, K is colored indigo 35, and S is colored blue 34. For ease of visual interpretation, the remaining sections 16 shown in FIG. 20 are shown purposely without coloring (which would otherwise be present).

The sector stimulus or letter recognition sphere or ball 12 can be launched from the sphere launching track ring 14 and can be accommodated in one of the sphere accommodation sectors 13, as shown diagrammatically in Figs. 2-4. Upon the occurrence of a trigger event, such as the formation of a scale name (e.g., "DO") in scale name singing, a sound (reference numeral 19 in Fig. 2) is provided by the sound providing means 15. In other words, the selection sphere accommodation sector 13 acts in cooperation to provide a selection auditory sound 19 when the sector stimulus sphere 12 is accommodated in the sector. The paired letter correspondence between the board 10 and the layout 11 and the selection auditory sound 19 together act to visually and audibly stimulate the user's senses to elicit an enhanced gaming experience.

The above description includes a great deal of specificity, but this specificity should not be construed as a limitation on the scope of the present invention, but as an example of the present invention. For example, as described above, the present invention essentially discloses a tiered roulette game for visually and audibly stimulating a game user, and such a tiered roulette game is considered to include a particular roulette medium, such as a wheel, and a number of sector stimulating balls. If it is desired to bet on the outcome of the placement of the balls, a betting support surface or layout may further be provided.

The roulette medium preferably comprises a plurality of ball-containing sectors, each of which preferably comprises a sector surface carrying selected alphabetic characters based on the medium enabling solfege. In this last respect, it should be noted that the Roman alphabetic characters are only one form of alphabetic characters. By examining FIGS. 15 and 17, it can be seen that other alphabetic characters, such as the Russian alphabetic character set, can also be incorporated into the game and still be included in the teachings presented herein. It should be noted that the payout structure and winning odds can be somewhat modified depending on the alphabetic character set, as can be seen by examining FIGS. 9, 11, 13, and 14 in comparison with FIGS. 16 and 18. It should be noted that other types of alphabetic character sets can be used, such as Greek, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and other similar alphabetic character sets, and that the syllable system is not limited to scales associated with meaningful strings described by the Roman alphabetic character strings or the like.

The sector stimulus ball or character identifier can be accommodated in one of the ball-accommodating sectors to cooperate to allow the formation of a word or rank with a single spin. It is believed that the formation of a word or rank with a single spin, enhanced by paired character correspondences, can act well to visually stimulate the user and elicit an enhanced gaming experience. Notably, the roulette medium can have a rainbow type selection color scheme to allow for variable payout schemes, including but not limited to mystery jackpots and the like. Additionally, the roulette game preferably includes a specific sound providing means for providing auditory sounds having a one-to-one correspondence with the significant character string formed.

Furthermore, it is believed that a specific roulette game method is taught according to the concept of the present invention. In this regard, it is believed that the roulette game method of the present invention can act well to enhance the roulette game experience. The roulette game method preferably includes the steps of: arranging visually perceptible alphabetic characters in a radial neighborhood with respect to the (spinning) axis of a central roulette wheel; randomly placing character identifiers (such as ball 12) in a radial neighborhood with respect to the spin axis, such as ball-containing sectors 13; identifying a plurality of alphabetic characters by the placed character identifiers; forming one or more significant character strings with the identified alphabetic characters; and comparing the formed significant character strings with predefined significant character strings, such as the significant character strings presented in FIG. 12, i.e., WIN, NOW, RED, SHE, FOR, HUG, MAN, BAR, YES, DOG, AXE, SUN, and CA, or the solfège-enabling character strings DO, RE, MI, FA, SO, LA, and TI.

Other steps may include organizing the rainbow-type colors in a radial neighborhood about the axis of rotation before randomly placing the character identifiers in a radial neighborhood about the axis of rotation. Of note, in the case of electronic (slot or online game type) roulette formats, the organization of colors may be randomly assigned or periodically changed. Furthermore, a step of predicting the formation of a particular significant character string may be performed before randomly placing the ball or character identifiers in a radial neighborhood about the axis of rotation, similar to when a gamer selects a selected alphabetic letter, color, or character string before a roulette spin is performed. Typically, a step of betting an asset, such as money, credits, or other similar asset, is performed during the prediction step.

Further, the roulette gaming method may include the step of awarding an asset, such as money, credits, or other similar asset, after comparing the formed significant string with the selected default string. The awarding may take the form of a mystery jackpot and any number of other payout structures. Notably, the method may also include the step of sounding a selection tone during the formation of the significant string, where the formed significant string preferably corresponds to a selection tone in a syllable system.

It is contemplated that some preferred embodiments of the present invention may be played on one or more electronic gaming devices, such as electronic slot machines 52, or via a multi-terminal electronic gaming device. It is also contemplated that some preferred embodiments of the present invention may be played on one or more portable devices, such as a handheld data input/output device, such as a personal digital assistant (PDA) 50, generally shown and referenced in FIG. 21, a mobile phone 51, a touch screen liquid crystal display (LCD) unit 53, each having a display screen 56, a tablet, a kiosk, a digital television, or other such electronic device.

In some contemplated embodiments, a combination of various electronic devices interact together to facilitate game play among multiple players. Such coordinated interaction may occur via communication means available to the devices, including the use of an Internet connection, a cellular connection, a local area network connection, or a wide area network connection. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, many such electronic devices include transmitting and receiving means, such as an antenna, for transmitting and receiving radio waves 55 for communication purposes. In addition, many such electronic devices include a card reader or the like configured to read information from a credit card 57 to facilitate betting transactions.

It should be noted that a touch screen LCD unit 53, such as the type shown diagrammatically in FIG. 21, is a more feasible option for a casino or gaming operator to define a preferred interface for the player. It should also be noted that due to doubts about the results obtained through random number-symbol generators, players often wish to visualize how winning combinations occur in a game. While a random number or symbol generator may be central to some electronic embodiments, it is believed that certain aspects of the present teachings may be well implemented in fully or partially electronic versions.

In one electronically implemented embodiment, it is contemplated that a player selects a betting option using an input means such as a button or touch screen. When "play" begins, the central processing means simulates the spinning of a simulated wheel on the display screen 56. The central processing means also causes at least one simulated ball to be shown on the display screen 56 as it spins around the simulated wheel and comes to rest in a simulated sector. As the results of each spin are displayed, the central processing means calculates the prizes to be distributed to the players.

In another possible embodiment, a real (not simulated) board and the spin of at least one ball may be shown on the display screen 56 of the electronic gaming device, and the outcome of the game may depend on the physical sector in which the ball rests. In yet another possible embodiment, the outcome may depend on a combination of one or more physical resting positions of the ball and the output of a random number generator.

While the present invention has been described with reference to a preferred roulette game and certain methods related thereto, no limitation to novel games or gaming methods is intended, and variations thereof are intended to fall within the broad scope and spirit of the above disclosure, the following claims, and the accompanying drawings.

Several aspects will be described.
[Aspect 1]
1. A tier name roulette game for visually and audibly stimulating a game user, comprising:
a roulette wheel comprising a plurality of evenly spaced radially inner ball-receiving sectors, a plurality of radially outer ball-launching rings, and sound providing means for providing an audible sound, each ball-receiving sector having an upper sector surface each bearing a selected alphabetical board letter, the plurality of selected ball-receiving sectors being cooperatively coordinated with the sound providing means for providing a selected audible sound;
a plurality of betting object receiving sections, each of the betting object receiving sections having an upper section surface bearing a selected alphabet betting object character, the alphabet characters and the betting object characters having a pairwise character correspondence relationship;
a plurality of sector stimulation spheres, each of which is launchable from the sphere launch ring and can be accommodated in one of the sphere accommodation sectors, the selection sphere accommodation sectors cooperatively providing the selection auditory sound when the sector stimulation sphere is accommodated in the selection sphere accommodation sector, and visually and audibly stimulating a user with the paired letter correspondences and the selection auditory sound.
[Aspect 2]
2. The tier roulette game of claim 1, wherein the upper sector face and the upper section face have a selected color scheme, the selected color scheme being selected from a group of colors consisting of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and purple.
[Aspect 3]
3. The tier roulette game of claim 2, wherein the upper sector face and the upper section face bear Roman alphabet letters.
[Aspect 4]
4. The roulette game of claim 3, wherein the selected auditory sounds have a diatonic scale.
[Aspect 5]
The selected auditory sounds are adjusted to a group of syllables in the syllable singing method, and the group of syllables is composed of "DO", "RE", "MI", "FA", "SO", "LA", and "TI".
[Aspect 6]
1. A tiered roulette game for stimulating game users, comprising:
A roulette game comprising: a roulette medium comprising a plurality of ball-receiving sectors and a plurality of balls, each ball-receiving sector having an upper sector surface each carrying a selected alphabetical letter, each of the balls being receivable in one of the ball-receiving sectors, the selected ball-receiving sectors cooperating to enable the formation of words when the balls are received therein, the formation of the words providing a visual stimulus to a user.
[Aspect 7]
The tier roulette game of aspect 6, wherein the upper sector face has a selection color scheme, the selection color scheme being selected from a group of colors consisting of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and purple, and the selection color scheme allows for a change in the payout structure.
[Aspect 8]
The roulette game of claim 7, further comprising a plurality of betting object receiving sections, each of the betting object receiving sections having an upper section surface carrying a selected alphabet betting object letter, the dial letters and the betting object letters having a pairwise character correspondence relationship.
Aspect 9
The roulette game of claim 8, wherein the roulette medium comprises a sound providing means for providing an auditory sound, the selected ball receiving sectors are cooperatively adjusted to the sound providing means for providing a selected auditory sound, the selected ball receiving sectors cooperatively provide the selected auditory sound when the ball is received therein, and the paired letter correspondences and the selected auditory sound visually and auditorily stimulate a user.
[Aspect 10]
10. The roulette game of claim 9, wherein the selection ball-containing sectors bear letters enabling solfege.
[Aspect 11]
11. The tier roulette game of aspect 10, wherein the upper sector face and the upper section face bear Roman alphabet letters.
[Aspect 12]
The alphabet roulette game according to aspect 11, wherein the selected auditory sounds are adjusted to a group of syllables in a syllable singing method, and the group of syllables is composed of "DO", "RE", "MI", "FA", "SO", "LA", and "TI".
[Aspect 13]
1. A roulette gaming method for enhancing a roulette gaming experience, comprising:
Organizing visually perceptible alphabetic characters in radial neighborhood about a central axis;
randomly distributing character identifiers in radial proximity to the central axis;
identifying a plurality of alphabetical characters according to said arranged character identifiers;
forming a meaningful string of characters from the identified alphabetic characters;
comparing the formed significant string with a predefined significant string.
[Aspect 14]
14. The method of gaming roulette according to aspect 13, wherein the central axis is an axis of rotation, and the arrangement of alphabetical characters is rotatable about the axis of rotation to facilitate random placement of character identifiers.
Aspect 15
A method of gaming roulette according to aspect 14, comprising predicting the formation of the significant character string before randomly placing character identifiers in radial vicinity to the axis of rotation.
Aspect 16
A method of gaming roulette according to aspect 14, comprising organizing each color of the rainbow in a radial neighborhood about the axis of rotation before randomly placing the letter identifiers in a radial neighborhood about the axis of rotation.
Aspect 17
16. A roulette gaming method according to aspect 15, comprising a step of betting assets while predicting the formation of a significant string of characters.
Aspect 18
20. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of awarding an asset after comparing the formed significant string with the selected default string.
Aspect 19:
15. The roulette gaming method according to aspect 14, further comprising the step of sounding a selection sound during formation of a significant character string.
[Aspect 20]
15. The roulette gaming method according to claim 14, wherein the formed significant character string corresponds to the selected note in a scale.
Aspect 21
1. A game award method for enhancing a gaming experience, comprising:
accepting a plurality of betting predictions, the betting predictions predicting event outcomes and including betting totals of differing magnitudes;
assigning a probability rating to the betting target prediction, the probability rating corresponding to a magnitude of the total betting target;
drawing a random number from an award controller, said random number being selected from a numerical range of 0.01 to 1;
comparing the probability estimate to the random number;
estimating a difference between said probability estimate and said random number, said difference corresponding to said total bet;
awarding the asset to the highest awarded total.
Aspect 22
22. The method of claim 21, wherein the gaming experience is a roulette-based gaming experience.
Aspect 23
23. The method of claim 22, wherein prior to receiving the betting predictions, visually perceptible alphabetic characters are organized in radial neighborhood relative to a central axis.
Aspect 24
24. The method of claim 23, wherein the event outcome is defined by the formation of a significant character string, the significant character string being formable by the visually perceptible alphabetic characters.
Aspect 25
13. An electronic gaming device having a central processing means, a bet object input means, and a visual display unit, said device configured to play a game according to any one of aspects 1 to 12.
Aspect 26
25. An electronic gaming device having a central processing means, a bet object input means, and a visual display unit, said device configured to perform the method of any one of aspects 13 to 24.
Aspect 27
27. The electronic gaming device of aspect 25 or 26, wherein the device is one of a slot machine, a handheld device, a personal computer, a touch screen monitor, a handheld data input/output device, a mobile phone, a tablet, a kiosk, a digital television, or a personal digital assistant.
Aspect 28:
Aspects 25-27, wherein the electronic gaming device includes a communication means.
Aspect 29:
30. The electronic gaming device of aspect 28, wherein the communication means includes the use of any one or more of a wireless connection, an Internet connection, a cellular connection, a local area network connection, or a wide area network connection.
[Aspect 30]
Aspect 30. The electronic gaming apparatus of any one of aspects 25 to 29, wherein the central processing means is configured to cause the visual display unit to selectively display at least one board and at least one ball.
Aspect 31
31. The electronic gaming device of aspect 30, wherein the at least one board and the at least one ball are simulated.
Aspect 32
31. The electronic gaming device of aspect 30, wherein the at least one board and the at least one ball are real.
Aspect 33
Aspects 25-32. An electronic gaming device according to any one of aspects 25 to 32, wherein the outcome of the game depends at least in part on the output of a random number generator.
Aspect 34
Aspects 25-33, wherein the outcome of the game depends at least in part on at least one real board and at least one real ball.
Aspect 35
13. An electronically readable medium comprising executable code for instructing an electronic gaming device to play a game according to any one of aspects 1-12.
Aspect 36
An electronically readable medium comprising executable code for instructing an electronic gaming device to perform the method of any one of aspects 13-24.

Claims (16)

A method for awarding a game, comprising:
a processor accepting a first bet of a first amount from a first player, the first bet predicting a particular outcome of an event from among a plurality of possible outcomes of the event, the occurrence of the particular outcome resulting in a progressive jackpot payout;
accepting , by the processor, a second bet of a second amount from a second player, the second bet also predicting the particular outcome of the event;
When the particular outcome of the event occurs,
the processor assigning to the first player outcomes of a first set of random events distinct from the event, the probabilities of the first set of outcomes being based at least in part on the first amount;
the processor assigning outcomes of a second set of the random events to the second player, the probabilities of the second set of outcomes being based at least in part on the second amount;
the processor determining an outcome of the random event;
the processor awarding the progressive jackpot to the first player if the outcome of the random event is among the first set of outcomes of the random event;
the processor awarding the progressive jackpot to the second player if the outcome of the random event is among the second set of outcomes of the random event;
the event is a roulette-based gaming event;
the particular outcome is defined by a plurality of selections of slots of a roulette wheel, the plurality of selected slots corresponding to selected character strings, the selected character strings forming particular words;
The method of awarding the game. The method of claim 1, wherein the random event is the selection of a random number within a predetermined range. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first set of outcomes is associated with a first range of the predetermined ranges and the second set of outcomes is associated with a second range of the predetermined ranges. the processor determining whether the random number is within the first range;
4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising the step of: the processor determining whether the random number is within the second range. The method for awarding a prize in a game according to claim 4 , wherein the first range does not include the second range. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the ratio of the first range to the predetermined range is based at least in part on the ratio of the first amount to the total amount of bets predicting the particular outcome of the event, and the ratio of the second range to the predetermined range is based at least in part on the ratio of the second amount to the total amount of bets predicting the particular outcome of the event. The method of claim 1, wherein the probabilities of the first set of outcomes are based at least in part on a ratio of the first amount to a total amount of bets predicting the outcome of the event, and the probabilities of the second set of outcomes are based at least in part on a ratio of the second amount to a total amount of bets predicting the outcome of the event. said processor accepting a third bet of a third amount from a third player, said third bet also predicting said particular outcome of said event;
the processor assigning outcomes of a third set of the random events to a third player, the probabilities of the third set of outcomes being based at least in part on the third amount;
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: the processor awarding the progressive jackpot to the third player if the particular outcome of the random event is among the third set of outcomes of the random event. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform a plurality of operations, including:
accepting a first bet of a first amount from a first player, the first bet predicting a particular outcome of an event from among a plurality of possible outcomes of the event, the occurrence of the particular outcome resulting in a progressive jackpot payout;
accepting a second bet of a second amount from a second player, said second bet also predicting said particular outcome of said event;
When the particular outcome of the event occurs,
assigning to a first player outcomes of a first set of random events distinct from the event, the probabilities of the first set of outcomes being based at least in part on the first amount;
assigning outcomes of a second set of the random events to the second player, the probabilities of the second set of outcomes being based at least in part on the second amount; and
determining an outcome of the random event; and
awarding the progressive jackpot to the first player if the outcome of the random event is within the first set of outcomes of the random event;
awarding the progressive jackpot to the second player if the outcome of the random event is among the second set of outcomes of the random event ;
the event is an electronic roulette based gaming event;
the particular outcome being defined by a plurality of selections of slots of an electronic roulette wheel, each of the plurality of selected slots corresponding to a selected character string, the selected character strings forming a particular word;
Non-transitory computer-readable medium. 10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the random event is a selection of a random number within a predetermined range. 11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the first set of results is associated with a first range of the predetermined ranges and the second set of results is associated with a second range of the predetermined ranges. The plurality of operations include:
determining whether the random number is within the first range;
and determining whether the random number is within the second range . 13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the first range is exclusive of the second range. 13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the percentage of the first range to the predetermined range is based at least in part on a percentage of the first amount to a total amount of bets predicting the particular outcome of the event, and the percentage of the second range to the predetermined range is based at least in part on a percentage of the second amount to a total amount of bets predicting the particular outcome of the event. 10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the probabilities of the first set of outcomes are based at least in part on a ratio of the first amount to a total amount of bets predicting the outcome of the event, and the probabilities of the second set of outcomes are based at least in part on a ratio of the second amount to a total amount of bets predicting the outcome of the event. The plurality of operations include:
accepting a third bet of a third amount from a third player, said third bet also predicting said particular outcome of said event;
assigning outcomes of a third set of the random events to the third player, the probabilities of the third set of outcomes being based at least in part on the third amount; and
and awarding the progressive jackpot to the third player if the outcome of the random event is among the third set of outcomes of the random event.

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