Gaming system including a player ranking function

Abstract

A gaming system comprising at least one gaming machine providing a wagering game; readable and writable computer memory; a monitor in electronic communication with the at least one gaming machine and the computer memory; a user interface through which a player can input identity information; wherein the monitor receives data relating to game play on said at least one gaming machine and compares the received data to at least one benchmark, wherein if the received data indicates that the at least one benchmark has been exceeded, then the monitor records in the computer memory data indicating that the benchmark has been exceeded and associates this with the identity information, and wherein the gaming system makes a feature available to a player who has been recorded in the computer memory as having exceeded the benchmark.

1 . A gaming system comprising:
 at least one gaming machine providing a wagering game;   a readable and writable computer memory;   a monitor in electronic communication with the at least one gaming machine and the computer memory;   a user interface through which a player can input identity information;   
     wherein the monitor receives data relating to game play on said at least one gaming machine and compares the received data to at least one benchmark, wherein if the received data indicates that the at least one benchmark has been exceeded, then the monitor records in the computer memory data indicating that the benchmark has been exceeded and associates this with the identity information, and 
     wherein the gaming system makes a feature available to a player who has been recorded in the computer memory as having exceeded the benchmark. 
   
   
       2 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the benchmark is calculated dependent on game play across a plurality of machines, with the plurality of machines being one of:
 i) the gaming machines being played by a predefined group of players;   ii) a predefined group of gaming machines at which players have input identity information;   iii) all gaming machines over one or more locations at which players have input identity information.   
   
   
       3 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one benchmark is related to a value or occurrence of a particular event. 
   
   
       4 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the gaming system provides players with a choice as to whether their game play is monitored. 
   
   
       5 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the feature is selected from the group comprising:
 fanfare on identification of the player at a location,   advertisement of the player as having exceeded a benchmark,   access to special tournaments,   display of special greetings,   messages or other stimuli at gaming machines,   addition of attributes to an avatar of the player,   eligibility to enter one or more competitions or draws, and   provision of one or more player advantages.   
   
   
       6 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the data that is related to game play and which is compared to a benchmark is calculated over a predetermined or determinable period of time, or over a predetermined number of game plays. 
   
   
       7 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the monitor compares the received data to a plurality of benchmarks and groups players according to which of the plurality of benchmarks a player has exceeded. 
   
   
       8 . The gaming system of  claim 7  wherein the plurality of benchmarks comprises a sequence of benchmarks with each benchmark more difficult to exceed than the previous benchmark. 
   
   
       9 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the gaming system is operable to rank players according to the extent to which they have exceeded a particular benchmark. 
   
   
       10 . The gaming system of  claim 9 , wherein the gaming system is operable to offer a tournament and to restrict entry to the tournament to players having at least one of a minimum rank and/or to players of a particular group. 
   
   
       11 . The gaming system of  claim 7 , wherein the gaming system comprises a tournament controller and is operable to allow a player to challenge a player to a tournament and wherein the ability to challenge and/or be challenged is limited to players of a certain grouping. 
   
   
       12 . The gaming system of  claim 9 , wherein the gaming system comprises a tournament controller and is operable to allow a player to challenge a player to a tournament and wherein the ability to challenge and/or be challenged is limited to players above a certain ranking. 
   
   
       13 . The gaming system of  claim 11 , wherein the gaming system is operable to provide at least one tournament player with an advantage, the advantage determined according to the grouping of the tournament player. 
   
   
       14 . The gaming system of  claim 12 , wherein the gaming system is operable to provide at least one tournament player with an advantage, the advantage determined according to the ranking of the tournament player. 
   
   
       15 . The gaming system of  claim 13 , wherein higher grouped players are provided with greater advantages than lower grouped players. 
   
   
       16 . The gaming system of  claim 14 , wherein higher ranking players are provided with greater advantages than lower ranking or grouped players. 
   
   
       17 . The gaming system of  claim 15 , wherein the advantage relates to the number of credits a player begins the tournament with. 
   
   
       18 . The gaming system of  claim 16 , wherein the advantage relates to the number of credits a player begins the tournament with. 
   
   
       19 . A method of operating a gaming machine at which a wagering game may be played and at which a player may provide identifying information, said method comprising monitoring game play on the gaming machine to receive data, and comparing the received data to a benchmark, recording when the benchmark has been exceeded when identifying information has been provided and providing a feature to a player who has been recorded as having exceeded the benchmark. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising computing the benchmark dependent on game play across a plurality of machines, with the plurality of machines being one of:
 i) the gaming machines being played by a predefined group of players;   ii) a predefined group of gaming machines at which players have input identity information;   iii) all gaming machines over at least one location at which players have input identity information.   
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the feature is selected from the group comprising: fanfare on the identification of the player at a location, advertisement of the player as having exceeded the benchmark, access to special tournaments, display of special greetings, messages or other stimuli at gaming machines, the addition or alteration of attributes to an avatar of the player, and eligibility to enter one or more competitions or draws. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising offering a tournament between players that have exceeded the benchmark and allowing a player to select what other player to play in the tournament. 
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein ability to challenge and/or be challenged is limited to players that have exceeded the benchmark. 
   
   
       24 . A gaming system comprising:
 at least one gaming machine providing a wagering game;   readable and writable computer memory;   a monitor in electronic communication with the at least one gaming machine and the computer memory;   a user interface through which a player can input identity information;   
     wherein the monitor receives data relating to game play on said at least one gaming machine and compares the received data to at least one benchmark, wherein if the received data indicates that the at least one benchmark has been exceeded, then the monitor records in the computer memory data indicating that the benchmark has been exceeded and associates this with the identity information, and 
     wherein the gaming system further comprises at least one display controlled by a controller in communication with the monitor and the controller causes the display to display information identifying each player that has exceeded one of the benchmarks. 
   
   
       25 . The gaming system of  claim 24 , wherein the display information associated with exceeding a particular benchmark is different to the display information associated with exceeding any other benchmark. 
   
   
       26 . A method of operating a gaming system, the method comprising monitoring play of at least one wagering game by a plurality of players on at least one gaming machine, comparing the game play to a benchmark, and displaying on a display information identifying each player that has exceeded the benchmark. 
   
   
       27 . A gaming system comprising:
 at least one gaming machine providing a wagering game;   readable and writable computer memory;   a monitor in electronic communication with the at least one gaming machine and the computer memory;   a user interface through which a player can input identity information;   
     wherein the monitor receives data relating to game play on said at least one gaming machine and compares the received data to at least one benchmark, wherein if the received data indicates that the at least one benchmark has been exceeded, then the monitor records in the computer memory data indicating that the benchmark has been exceeded and associates this with the identity information, wherein the benchmark is determined dependent on historical records of game play on the at least one gaming machine. 
   
   
       28 . A method of operating a gaming system, the method comprising monitoring play of at least one wagering game by a plurality of players on at least one gaming machine, comparing the game play to a benchmark, and providing at least one feature to each player whose monitored game play exceeds the benchmark, wherein the benchmark is determined dependent on historical records of game play on the at least one gaming machine. 
   
   
       29 . Computer software containing instructions to cause a computer controller to operate in accordance with  claim 1 . 
   
   
       30 . Computer readable media containing instructions to cause a computer controller to operate in accordance with  claim 1 .