System architecture for wide-area wagering game and methods for conducting wide-area wagering games

摘要

A gaming system for conducting a wagering game includes a wide-area central gaming controller and a communication system configured to communicatively couple the wide-area central gaming controller to one or more local central gaming controllers. The wide-area central gaming controller is operatively configured to (i) determine a threshold trigger for awarding a wide-area award, (ii) divide a condition prerequisite for the threshold trigger into a set of discrete threshold units, one of the threshold units being associated with the threshold trigger, and (iii) distribute to each local central gaming controller a block of the threshold units selected from the set of threshold units for evaluation against an outcome or a wager from each eligible wagering game machine connected thereto. The wide-area central gaming controller is also operatively configured to (iv) subtract the distributed block of the threshold units from the set of threshold units, (v) continue distributing to each local central gaming controller a block of the threshold units selected from the set of threshold units for evaluation against at least one of an outcome or a wager from each eligible wagering game machine connected thereto and subtracting the distributed block of the threshold units from the set of threshold units until one local central gaming controller confirms to the wide-area central gaming controller that a wagering game machine satisfied the threshold trigger associated with a threshold unit allocated to the relevant local central gaming controller, and (vi) award the wide-area award following to the wagering game machine satisfying the threshold trigger. 5 of 6 WIDE-AREA CENTRAL GAMING CONTROLLER 500 DETERMINES THRESHOLD TRIGGER CONDITION LOCAL CENTRAL GAMING CONTROLLER OBTAINS ALLOCATION OF THRESHOLD UNITS FROM WIDE-AREA 510 CENTRAL GAMING CONTROLLER ELIGIBLE GAMING MACHINE WAGER OUTCOME IS 520 COMPARED TO DESIGNATED THRESilOLD UNIT(S) DOES ELIGIBLE GAMING MACHINE EQUAL OR SURPASS THRESHOLD TRIGGER? No YES Do LOCAL CENTR AL GAMING YES THRESHOLD UNITS CONTROLLER NOTIFIES WIDE REMAIN? AREA CENTRAL GAM ING 540 CONTROLLER No| 570 UNUSED THRESHOLD UNITS RECALLED * PROGRESSIVE AWARE DD WIDE-AREA CENTRAL GAMING CONTROLLER -58 DETERMINES THRESHOLD TRIGGER CONDITION LOCAL CENTRAL GAMING CONTROLLER OBTAINS f590 .- ALLOCATION OF NEW THRESHOLD UNITS FROM WIDE AREA CENTRAL GAMING CONTROLLER