Gaming system

Abstract

A part of wagers bet in each slot machine is counted by a counter as a JP count value. Each slot machine can arbitrarily participate in a JP bonus game “MEGA”, “MAJOR” or “MINI”. Therefore, a player can play a slot game with selecting a JP bonus according to his/her preference. For example, a player who wants to get a JP bonus with a higher winning probability can participate in “MINI”. A player who wants to get a larger award for larger wagers can participate in “MEGA”.

1 . A gaming system including a plurality of gaming machines connected via a network, the system comprising:
 a main controller operable, according to a program stored in a memory, to execute following processings:
 (a) counting a part of wagers bet at each of the plurality of gaming machines as a progressive count value, and 
 (b) setting a progressive bonus with a plurality of ranks each having a different winning probability and a different award for a winning; and 
   a plurality of terminal controllers each provided at each of the plurality of gaming machines and each operable, according to a program stored in the memory, to execute following processings:
 (A) accepting a participation in at least one of the plurality of ranks of progressive bonus, and 
 (B) determining whether or not a progressive bonus is to be won at the winning probability of the participated progressive bonus for each unit game and providing an award for the participated progressive bonus in a case where the progressive bonus has been won. 
   
   
   
       2 . The gaming system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the main controller is operable to vary the winning probability of a progressive bonus according to the progressive count value.   
   
   
       3 . The gaming system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the progressive bonus is set so that the award is made lower as the winning probability is higher.   
   
   
       4 . A gaming system comprising:
 a plurality of gaming machines connected to one another through a network;   a counter configured to count some of a bet amount on a unit game to be executed in each of the gaming machines as a count value for a progressive bonus shared by the gaming machines; and   a controller configured to
 (a) every time the unit game is executed, determine whether or not a payout condition for providing the progressive bonus is established in any of the gaming machines executing the unit games, and 
 (b) when firstly determining that the payout condition is established in one of the gaming machines and further determining that the payout condition is established in a different one of the gaming machines within a predetermined time period from a time point when firstly making the payout condition establishment determination, determine detailed distribution for awards from the progressive bonus to the one gaming machine and the different gaming machine. 
   
   
   
       5 . The gaming system according to  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a memory configured to store therein, as the predetermined time period, a time necessary for executing one session of the unit game; and   a timer configured to perform time count to be completed after a lapse of the predetermined time period stored in the memory, wherein   the controller is configured to
 start the time count for the predetermined time period from the time point by use of the timer, and 
 determine the detailed distribution when further determining that the payout condition is established in the different one of the gaming machines before the time count by use of the timer is completed. 
   
   
   
       6 . The gaming system according to  claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to
 provide the awards from the progressive bonus respectively to the one gaming machine and the different gaming machine in accordance with the determined detailed distribution after the time count by use of the timer is completed, and   newly start determining, every time the unit game is executed, whether or not the payout condition for providing the progressive bonus is established in any of the gaming machines executing the unit games, after the awards from the progressive bonus are provided.   
   
   
       7 . The gaming system according to  claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the detailed distribution in accordance with timings when players of the one gaming machine and the different gaming machine complete the bonus games executed by the one gaming machine and the different gaming machine, respectively. 
   
   
       8 . A gaming system comprising:
 a plurality of gaming machines connected to one another through a network;   a counter configured to count count values respectively of a plurality of progressive bonuses, the count values being counted respectively for a plurality of links that the gaming machines participate in;   a memory configured to store participation conditions respectively for the links, the participation conditions being set by any of the gaming machines; and   a controller configured to
 (a) display the participation conditions respectively for the links stored in the memory on a display of the gaming machine which makes a request for participation in any of the links, 
 (b) allow the gaming machine agreeing with one of the participation conditions displayed on the display to participate in the link corresponding to the agreed participation condition, and 
 (c) cause the counter to count the count value for the progressive bonus corresponding to the link that the gaming machine participates in, by adding some of a bet amount on a unit game executed on the gaming machine participating in the link. 
   
   
   
       9 . The gaming system according to  claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to
 display a screen for requesting to input the participation condition on the display of the gaming machine being a first gaming machine making the request for participation in the link, and   store in the memory the participation condition inputted at the gaming machine with the screen displayed on the display, as the participation condition for the link in which the request for participation is first made by the gaming machine receiving the input of the participation condition.   
   
   
       10 . The gaming system according to  claim 8 , wherein
 the controller comprises:
 a plurality of individual controllers configured to manage the links individually; and 
 a comprehensive controller configured to manage the participation conditions for the links comprehensively, wherein 
   each of the individual controllers is configured to:
 (a) cause the counter to count the count value for the progressive bonus corresponding to the link managed by the individual controller, by adding some of a bet amount on a unit game executed on the gaming machine participating in the link managed by the individual controller; 
 (b) allow the gaming machine agreeing with the participation condition of the link managed by the individual controller to participate in the link managed by the individual controller; and 
 (c) every time the participation condition of the link managed by the individual controller is set by the gaming machine, notify the comprehensive controller of the set participation condition, and wherein 
   the comprehensive controller is configured to:
 every time the set participation condition of the link is notified by the individual controller, update and store the notified set participation condition in the memory, and 
 display the participation conditions respectively for the links stored in the memory on the display of the gaming machine which makes the request for participation in any of the links. 
   
   
   
       11 . The gaming system according to  claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to
 transmit a message received from the gaming machine to other gaming machines participating in the same link as the gaming machine being a sender of the message and cause the other gaming machines to reproduce and output the message,   transmit a message received from the gaming machine making the request for participation in the link to the gaming machines already participating in the link in which the gaming machine being a sender of the message makes the request for participation and cause the participating gaming machines to reproduce and output the message, and   transmit a message received from the participating gaming machines to the gaming machine making the request for participation in the link in which the participating gaming machines already participate and cause the gaming machine making the request for participation in the link to reproduce and output the message.   
   
   
       12 . A gaming system including a plurality of gaming machines connected via a network, the system comprising:
 a controller operable, according to a program stored in a memory, to execute following processings:
 (A) accepting, upon a game start of each of the plurality of gaming machines, a participation in one of existing groups or an initialization of a new group, each of the existing groups involving a variant participation precondition and sharing a progressive bonus, 
 (B) setting the participation precondition automatically according to a playing history of a concerning gaming machine with the initialization of the new group upon accepting the initialization, and 
 (C) providing an award during an execution of a unit game in a case where the progressive bonus to which the concerning gaming machine belongs has been awarded. 
   
   
   
       13 . The gaming system according to  claim 12 , wherein
 the participation precondition includes a rank of the progressive bonus, and   the controller is operable to set the rank of the progressive bonus higher as wagers bet on a unit game is larger in a case of automatically setting the precondition upon the initialization of the new group.   
   
   
       14 . The gaming system according to  claim 12 , wherein
 the controller outputs a warning when the participation precondition of the group being currently participated-in becomes unsatisfied.   
   
   
       15 . A gaming system, comprising:
 a plurality of gaming machines connected via a network;   a main controller operable, according to a program stored in a memory, to execute following processings:
 (a) counting a part of wagers bet at each of the plurality of gaming machines as a progressive count value, 
 (b) setting a progressive bonus with a plurality of ranks each involving a different winning probability and a different award for a winning, 
 (c) setting a threshold of the progressive count value for each of the plurality of ranks of progressive bonus, 
 (d) determining, in a case where the progressive count value does not reach the threshold, whether or not a progressive bonus is to be won at each of the plurality of gaming machines, and 
 (e) awarding, in a case where the progressive count value reaches the threshold, a progressive bonus to a predetermined number of gaming machines each has acquired a progressive bonus right earlier among all gaming machines each has acquired a progressive bonus right when receiving a signal indicating that one gaming machine has acquired a progressive bonus right and then receiving signals indicating that other gaming machines each has acquired a progressive bonus right within a preset time period; and 
   a terminal controller provided at each of the plurality of gaming machines operable, according to a program stored in the memory, to execute following processings:
 (A) accepting a participation in at least one of the plurality of ranks of progressive bonus and determining whether or not the participated progressive bonus is to be won at the winning probability of the progressive bonus for each unit game, and 
 (B) providing an award for the participated progressive bonus when the progressive bonus has been won. 
   
   
   
       16 . The gaming system according to  claim 15 , wherein the main controller
 includes the memory for storing a plurality of probability tables defining the wining probabilities for the ranks of progressive bonus, and   is operable to shift the probability table to another with a higher probability at a gaming machine that had acquired a progressive bonus right but could not win the progressive bonus.   
   
   
       17 . The gaming system according to  claim 15 , wherein
 the main controller is operable to set the preset time period to a time required for a single unit game.   
   
   
       18 . A gaming system, comprising:
 a plurality of gaming machines connected via a network;   a main controller operable, according to a program stored in a memory, to execute following processings:
 (a) counting a part of wagers bet at each of the plurality of gaming machines as a progressive count value, 
 (b) setting either a single winning mode in which a number of winnings for a progressive bonus is set to one or a multiple winning mode in which the number of winnings for a progressive bonus is set to one than one, 
 (c) allowing, in the single winning mode, the progressive bonus to win in one slot machine that has acquired a progressive bonus right earliest, and 
 (d) allowing, in the multiple winning mode, until a first preset number of slot machines have acquired the progressive bonus right, the progressive bonus to win in the first preset number of slot machines which have acquired a progressive bonus right earlier within the number of winnings, then setting a second preset number by subtracting the first preset number from the number of winnings when more than the first preset number of slot machines have acquired the progressive bonus right, and allowing the progressive bonus to win in the second preset number of slot machines which have the progressive right earlier; and 
   a terminal controller provided at each of the plurality of gaming machines operable, according to a program stored in the memory, to execute following processings, respectively:
 (A) determining whether or not the progressive bonus right is acquired in each unit game, and 
 (B) providing an award when the progressive bonus right has been acquired and also the main controller has determined the winning of the progressive bonus. 
   
   
   
       19 . The gaming system according to  claim 18 , wherein
 the terminal controller transmits time data indicating an acquisition time of a progressive bonus right to the main controller when acquiring the progressive bonus right, the time data being included in progressive bonus right acquisition data, and   the main controller determines how early the acquisition time of the progressive bonus right is based on the time data included in the progressive bonus right acquisition data transmitted from each of the plurality of gaming machines.   
   
   
       20 . The gaming system according to  claim 18 , wherein
 the main controller sets the single winning mode or the multiple wining mode between a time when any terminal controller has awarded a progressive bonus and a later time when each terminal controller determines whether or not to award a progressive bonus.