Concurrent, combinational, interactive games played on electronic gaming devices

Abstract

A distributed gaming system includes a host device and at least one peripheral device in communication with the host device. The peripheral device executes at least two games simultaneously. The outcome of at least one of the at least two games is dependent on aspects of another of the at least two games. A method of distributed gaming is also disclosed.

1 . A distributed gaming system comprising: 
 a host device;    a plurality of peripheral devices in communication with the host device, each peripheral device executing at least a bingo game based on random bingo numbers received from the host device, and at least some peripheral devices executing another game simultaneously with the bingo game, the outcome of the other game also being dependent upon the random bingo numbers received from the host device, the host device dynamically determining aspects of the other game prior to commencement of the bingo game based on a number of players playing the other game.    
   
   
       2 . The distributed gaming system as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the other game is E-tabs.  
   
   
       3 . The distributed gaming system as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein the host device dynamically predetermines aspects of the E-tab game including at least one pre-determined winning configuration to produce at least one of a predetermined percentage of payouts and a predetermined payout amount.  
   
   
       4 . The distributed gaming system as set forth in  claim 3 , wherein the E-tab game has one result if at least one of the pre-determined winning configurations falls entirely within a bingo winning configuration, and another, different, result if the pre-determined winning configuration falls partially or entirely outside of the bingo winning configuration.  
   
   
       5 . The distributed gaming system as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein the bingo game includes numbers that when selected, are daubed with one of a palette of images, each daubing image having a like effect on the bingo game.  
   
   
       6 . The distributed gaming system as set forth in  claim 5 , wherein the palette includes a square, a non-square rectangle, a diamond, a triangle, and a circle.  
   
   
       7 . The distributed gaming system as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the other game is Blackjack.  
   
   
       8 . The distributed gaming system as set forth in  claim 7 , wherein at least one square on a bingo face is daubed with an icon representative of a single card from a standard deck of 52 playing cards.  
   
   
       9 . The distributed gaming system as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein a plurality of the icons are placed within a viewable area of the device concurrently as bingo numbers are revealed.  
   
   
       10 . The distributed gaming system as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein the outcome of the Blackjack game is dependent on the position of the icons within the viewable area.  
   
   
       11 . A method of distributed gaming including: 
 providing a host device and a plurality of peripheral device devices;    initiating a combined game session with the host device, the session comprising at least a bingo game and another game played simultaneously, the other game having aspects dependent on the bingo game;    receiving game data from the host device with the peripheral devices, each peripheral device having a human viewable display and at least one user input device, aspects of the display being dynamically configured by the host computer based on a number of players; and    displaying the bingo game and the other game concurrently on the display.    
   
   
       12 . The method as set forth in  claim 11 , further including: 
 receiving input from at least one of the peripheral devices; and    transmitting the received input to the host device, the input influencing an outcome of the bingo game and the other game.    
   
   
       13 . The method as set forth in  claim 11 , further including: 
 using indicator images that hold one meaning for the bingo game and another meaning for the other game.    
   
   
       14 . The method as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the aspects of the display that are dynamically configured by the host computer based on the number of players limit at least one of a predetermined percentage of payouts and a predetermined payout amount.  
   
   
       15 . The method as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the at least one user input device includes at least one device selected from a group consisting of a touch screen and a keypad.  
   
   
       16 . A distributed gaming apparatus including: 
 a host device;    a plurality of peripheral device devices;    means for initiating a combined game session with the host device, the session comprising at least a bingo game and another game played simultaneously, the other game having aspects dependent on the bingo game;    means for receiving game data from the host device with the peripheral devices, each peripheral device having a human viewable display and an input means, aspects of the display being dynamically configured by the host computer based on a number of players; and    means for displaying the bingo game and the other game concurrently on the display.    
   
   
       17 . The distributed gaming apparatus as set forth in  claim 16 , further including: 
 means for receiving input from at least one of the peripheral devices; and    means for transmitting the received input to the host device, the input influencing an outcome of the bingo game and the other game.    
   
   
       18 . The distributed gaming apparatus as set forth in  claim 16 , further including: 
 means for using indicator images that hold one meaning for the bingo game and another meaning for the other game.    
   
   
       19 . The distributed gaming apparatus as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the aspects of the display that are dynamically configured by the host computer based on the number of players limit at least one of a predetermined percentage of payouts and a predetermined payout amount.