Wager games with bonus play promotions, bonus play game mode, and pay table

Abstract

A promotion for inducing players to play wager games takes the form of bonus play. The bonus play, in one form, takes the form of “free” turns of play in which a player credit account is not debited by such turns of play. Winnings from bonus play can take the form of cashable credit, bonus credit, or additional bonus play, as dictated by the pay table of the wager game. In other embodiments, the operator exercises control over the utilization and features of the bonus play, such as by fixing the wagering for the bonus play in advance and limiting the availability of the bonus play to a particular time period. Bonus play is played in a bonus mode of operation and the player may switch between bonus mode and a regular mode. A pay table featuring bonus play as one of the awards for a winning result of a wager game is also described. A pay table featuring an award of bonus credit is also described. Bonus credit is credit which is not subject to immediate withdrawal by the player. Bonus credit can be withdrawn, if at all, provided conditions set by the operator of the game are met.

1 . A method for promoting play of a wager game by a player using a game playing workstation, comprising: 
 providing a promotion for playing the wager game on the user interface of the workstation, wherein the promotion comprises bonus play of the wager game, the bonus play comprising one or more turns of play of the wager game wherein a player credit account is not debited by such one or more turns of play.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the bonus play is awarded to the player as a sign-up bonus for registering with an operator of the wager game.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the wager game is presented to the player of the workstation in two modes, namely a regular mode and a bonus mode, wherein in the bonus mode turns of the play of the wager game are charged against the number of turns of play awarded in the bonus play.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the wager game is presented on the user interface of the workstation in a manner wherein the player may switch between the bonus mode and the regular mode.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the wager game is presented in a manner wherein the user may enter the bonus mode, play one or more turns of the wager game in the bonus mode, and switch to regular mode, and wherein the operator of the wager game limits the ability of the player switch between the bonus mode and regular mode.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a time limit is set for the player to exercise the bonus play.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein an operator of the wager game exercises control over the utilization and features of the bonus play.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the control comprises (a) enabling a bonus mode of the wager game, (b) when the player plays the wager game in bonus mode, the player utilizes bonus plays that were awarded in the promotion; and (c) the wager amounts for the play in the bonus mode are set by the operator and cannot be changed by the player.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the wager game comprises a slots-type game with one or more pay lines, and wherein the operator controls the wager amount for play in the bonus mode by setting (a) a unit of wager, (b) a number of pay lines and (c) a number of units of wager per pay line  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the number of pay lines is greater than or equal to 5.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the control comprises setting a start time and duration of the availability of the bonus play.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the control comprises making the bonus play available upon the player accessing the game with the workstation and setting a limit to the number of times the player can switch between a regular mode of play and a bonus mode of play.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the wager game comprises a slots game, and wherein the bonus play comprises one or more spins of the slots game.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the wager game comprises a Roulette game having a Roulette wheel and wherein the bonus play comprises one or more spins of the Roulette wheel and a predetermined amount of credit to place on one or more places in the Roulette wheel.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the wager game comprises a card game and wherein the bonus play comprises one or more hands of play and a predetermined amount of credit with which to wager on the one or more hands of play, and wherein the one or more hands of played are played in a bonus mode of the card game.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises the step of providing data to the workstation in the form of a pay table, wherein the pay table comprises a pay table in which two or more types of payout are possible, one type comprising a credit payout and a second type comprising one or more turns of bonus play.  
   
   
       17 . In a gaming server system for facilitating play of a wager game by a workstation over a communications network, the improvement comprising: 
 (a) provides a facility to the operator of the wager game whereby the operator may set controls for promotional awards of bonus play, the bonus play comprising one or more turns of play of the wager game wherein a player credit account is not debited by such one or more turns of play;    and wherein the gaming server system further    (b) provides datagrams to the workstation enabling the workstation to play the wager game in a bonus mode, wherein the player may make turns of bonus play, such turns of bonus play comprising turns of play awarded in the promotional award of bonus play.    
   
   
       18 . The improvement of  claim 17 , wherein the controls comprise (a) enabling a bonus mode of the wager game, (b) when the player plays the wager game in bonus mode, the player utilizes bonus plays that were awarded in the promotion; and (c) the wager amounts for the play in the bonus mode are set by the operator and cannot be changed by the player.  
   
   
       19 . The improvement of  claim 18 , wherein the wager game comprises a slots-type game with one or more pay lines, and wherein the operator controls the wager amount for play in the bonus mode by setting (a) a unit of wager, (b) a number of pay lines and (c) a number of units of wager per pay line  
   
   
       20 . The improvement of  claim 19 , wherein the number of pay lines is greater than 5.  
   
   
       21 . The improvement of  claim 17 , wherein the controls comprises setting a start date and duration of the availability of the bonus mode of play.  
   
   
       22 . The improvement of  claim 17 , wherein the controls comprise making the bonus mode play available upon the player accessing the game with the workstation and setting a limit to the number of times the player can switch between a regular mode of play and the bonus mode of play.  
   
   
       23 . The improvement of  claim 17 , wherein the facility provided to the operator of the wager game whereby the operator may set controls for promotional awards of bonus play comprises one or more user interface screen displays comprising fields for entry of parameters relating to 1) wagering properties for the wager game in the bonus mode; 2) availability of the bonus mode of play, 3) number of turns of bonus play for the wager game; and 4) assignment of winnings resulting from bonus play to a credit account.  
   
   
       24 . The improvement of  claim 23 , wherein the user interface screen displays further comprises a means for accessing multiple different wager games wherein parameters (1)-(4) may be set for such different wagers games.  
   
   
       25 . The improvement of  claim 17 , wherein the wager game comprises a slots-type game.  
   
   
       26 . The improvement of  claim 23 , wherein the wager game comprises a slots-type game, and wherein the parameters for the wagering properties of the wager game comprise (a) a number of pay lines, (b) a unit of wager, and (c) a number of units of wager per pay line.  
   
   
       27 . The improvement of  claim 17 , wherein in aspect (b) the workstation may switch between the bonus mode of play and a regular mode of play, and wherein in aspect (a) the operator is provided with a feature whereby the ability to switch between the bonus mode and the regular mode is subject to restriction.  
   
   
       28 . The improvement of  claim 17 , wherein in aspect (b) the workstation is presented with a pay table in which two or more types of payout are possible, one type comprising a credit payout and a second type comprising one or more turns of bonus play.  
   
   
       29 . A wager game having a pay table, wherein: 
 the pay table comprises one in which two or more types of awards are provided for winning results of play of the wager game, one type comprising a credit award and a second type comprising one or more turns of bonus play, the bonus play characterized in that 
 a) one or more turns of play of the wager game are awarded to a player wherein a player credit account is not debited by such one or more turns of play,  
 b) wagering for such one or more turns of play of the wager game are set in advance by the operator of the wager game, and  
 c) wherein said bonus play is played in a bonus mode of play of the wager game, said bonus mode of play comprising a separate mode of play from a regular mode of play.  
   
   
   
       30 . The wager game of  claim 29 , wherein the wager game comprises a slots game wherein the pay table comprises a plurality of winning results of play of the slots game, and wherein at least one of the winning results is associated with an award of credit and wherein at least one of the winning results is associated with an award of bonus play.  
   
   
       31 . The wager game of  claim 30 , wherein the pay table comprises two or more winning results each associated with a credit award and two or more winning results each associated with an award of bonus play.  
   
   
       32 . The wager game of  claim 30 , wherein the wager game is played over a computer network.  
   
   
       33 . The wager game of  claim 29 , wherein said pay table further comprises a third type of award for a winning result comprising an award of bonus credit, such bonus credit comprising credit added to a player account but such credit not being immediately available for withdrawal by a player winning such bonus credit.  
   
   
       34 . The wager game of  claim 33 , wherein bonus credit is available for withdrawal provided restrictions placed on return of bonus credit to the player set by the operator of the wager game have been complied with.  
   
   
       35 . The wager game of  claim 33 , wherein the bonus credit is added to a bonus credit account for the player, such bonus credit account being separate from a cashable credit account for the player.  
   
   
       36 . A wager game having a pay table, wherein: 
 the pay table comprises one in which two or more types of awards are provided for winning results of play of the wager game, one type of award comprising an award of bonus credit, wherein the bonus credit comprises credit added to a player account but such credit not being immediately available for withdrawal by a player winning such bonus credit.    
   
   
       37 . The wager game of  claim 36 , wherein bonus credit is available for withdrawal to the player provided restrictions placed on return of bonus credit to the player set by the operator of the wager game have been complied with.  
   
   
       38 . The wager game of  claim 36 , wherein the bonus credit is added to a bonus credit account for the player, such bonus credit account being separate from a cashable credit account for the player.  
   
   
       39 . A casino comprising: 
 one or more game playing areas where a wager game is played, the wager game having a pay table, and wherein    the pay table comprises one in which two or more types of awards are provided for winning results of play of the wager game, one type comprising a credit award and a second type comprising one or more turns of bonus play; the bonus play characterized in that: 
 a) one or more turns of play of the wager game are awarded to a player wherein a player credit account is not debited by such one or more turns of play,  
 b) wagering for such one or more turns of play of the wager game are set in advance by the operator of the wager game, and  
 c) wherein said bonus play is played in a bonus mode of play of the wager game, said bonus mode of play comprising a separate mode of play from a regular mode of play.  
   
   
   
       40 . The casino of  claim 39 , wherein the casino comprises an electronic casino accessed over a computer network and wherein the game playing area comprises a virtual game room of the electronic casino where a player may access an electronic wager game.  
   
   
       41 . The casino of  claim 39 , wherein the pay table comprises one in which a third type of award is possible for a winning result of play, the third type comprising an award of bonus credit, wherein the bonus credit comprises credit added to a player account but such credit not being immediately available for withdrawal by a player winning such bonus credit.  
   
   
       42 . The casino of  claim 39 , wherein the game playing areas comprises terminals for playing the wager game.  
   
   
       43 . A casino comprising: 
 one or more game playing areas where a wager game is played, the wager game having a pay table, and wherein    the pay table comprises a plurality of winning results, each of which is associated with an award, and wherein at least one of the awards for a winning result comprises an award of bonus credit, wherein the bonus credit comprises a credit added to a player account but such credit is not immediately available for withdrawal by a player winning such bonus credit.    
   
   
       44 . The casino of  claim 43 , wherein the casino comprises an electronic casino accessed over a computer network and wherein the game playing area comprises a virtual game room of the electronic casino where a player may access an electronic wager game.  
   
   
       45 . The casino of  claim 43 , wherein the game playing areas comprises terminals for playing the wager game.  
   
   
       46 . The casino of  claim 43 , wherein the bonus credit is added to a bonus credit account for the player, such bonus credit account being separate from a cashable credit account for the player.  
   
   
       47 . The casino of  claim 43 , wherein bonus credit is available for withdrawal to the player provided restrictions placed on return of bonus credit to the player set by the operator of the casino have been complied with.