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| Summary / Description | This prior art is an issued patent, describing a gaming method that has an opt-in second round that determines a multiplier value which is in turn used to calculate the final award of a single game. The two-stage structure of the gameplay and the idea is very similar to the one described in the application, differing only in the actual game and the multiplier values. |
| Type of Prior Art | Issued Patents - US |
| Country | United States of America |
| Patent/Application # | 09/939001 |
| Kind Code | United States (US) - United STATES Patent - A |
| Patentee Name | Anchor Gaming |
| Relevant Pages, Columns, or Lines | |
| URL | http://www.freepatentsonline.co... |
| Filing Date | February 28, 2001 |
| Additional Information | |
| Notes | |
Excerpt A dual wagering game method for one or more players based on simultaneous participation in two mutually exclusive game components with a payoff being the product of the game component outcomes. Wagers are made in both a repeatable base game component and a nonrepeatable bonus game component which components are mutually exclusive. The outcome of the bonus game component results in a multiplier value. Winnings from repeated plays of the base game component are accumulated until a game ending event occurs and the player receives a payout of any accumulated winnings from the base game component multiplied by the multiplier value determined in the bonus game component. |
A gaming machine adapted to provide a main wagering game in response to a wager placed by a user, the main wagering game involving the selection and presentation of a plurality of symbols on a display and if a winning combination occurs, the gaming machine determines an award associated with the winning combination, the gaming machine further adapted to provide the user with the choice of gambling the determined award on a gamble game, wherein the expected return of the gamble game to the user is greater than 100%.
| Relevance | The system described is very similar to the one in the prior art. |
A gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein in the gamble game the gaming machine prompts the user to guess the value of a characteristic of a hidden symbol and if the guess is correct the user is awarded the award multiplied by a winning multiplier and if the guess is incorrect the user is awarded the award multiplied by a losing multiplier, wherein the winning multiplier is greater than one and the losing multiplier is greater than zero.
| Relevance | The game play of second stage described in this claimed is similar as described in the prior art, which the exception of the actual game used to determine outcome. |
A method for operating a gaming machine, the method including:
providing a main wagering game in response to a wager placed by a user, the main wagering game involving the selection and presentation of a plurality of symbols on a display and if a winning combination occurs, the gaming machine determines an award associated with the winning combination;
providing the user with the choice of gambling the determined award on a gamble game in which the user can gamble the award, wherein the expected return of the gamble game to the user is greater than 100%.
| Relevance | The system described is very similar to the one in the prior art. |
A method according to claim 8, wherein in the gamble game the gaming machine prompts the user to guess the value of a characteristic of a hidden symbol and if the guess is correct the gaming machine awards the user the award multiplied by a winning multiplier, and if the guess is incorrect the gaming machine awards the user the award multiplied by a losing multiplier, wherein the winning multiplier is greater than one and the losing multiplier is greater than zero.
| Relevance | The game play of second stage described in this claimed is similar as described in the prior art, which the exception of the actual game used to determine outcome. |





United States