Wager gaming voting leaderboard

Abstract

Disclosed herein are techniques and equipment for providing a voting point leaderboard system. Players playing wagering games may be awarded voting points for use in a poll with a plurality of candidates in exchange for game-play related activity. Players voting for the winning candidate in the poll may be given an award. Polls may include candidates which may be involved in a real-world contest. Players may be rewarded for voting for the candidate which wins the real-world contest.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A wager gaming method comprising:
 conducting a first poll, wherein the conducting the first poll includes:
 determining a first plurality of candidates for inclusion in the first poll, the first plurality of candidates including a first candidate; 
 receiving, from a first player in a plurality of players, input indicating a first quantity of voting points associated with the first player to apply towards the first candidate in the first poll, and 
 determining, based on a total number voting points applied to each candidate in the first plurality of candidates by the players in the plurality of players, a ranking for each candidate in the first poll; 
 determining that a voting point retention condition has been met with respect to the first poll; and 
 maintaining the association of the first quantity of voting points with the first player at least until a second poll is conducted. 
   
     
     
         2 . The wager gaming method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 conducting the second poll after the first poll, wherein the conducting the second poll includes:
 determining a second plurality of candidates for inclusion in the second poll, the second plurality of candidates including a second candidate; 
 receiving, from the first player, input indicating a second quantity of voting points associated with the first player to apply towards the second candidate in the second poll, and 
 determining, based on a total number voting points applied to each candidate in the second plurality of candidates by the players in the plurality of players, a ranking for each candidate in the second poll; 
 determining that the voting point retention condition has not been met with respect to the second poll; and 
 disassociating at least the second quantity of voting points from the first player after determining that the voting point retention condition has not been met. 
   
     
     
         3 . The wager gaming method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 conducting one or more intermediate polls in between the first poll and the second poll, wherein the conducting the one or more intermediate polls includes, for each intermediate poll:
 determining a plurality of candidates for inclusion in the intermediate poll; 
 receiving, from the first player, input indicating a quantity of voting points associated with the first player to apply towards a candidate in the intermediate poll, and 
 determining, based on a total number voting points applied to each candidate in the plurality of candidates by the players in the plurality of players, a ranking for each candidate in the intermediate poll; and 
 determining, for each intermediate poll, that the voting point retention condition has been met with respect to the intermediate poll. 
   
     
     
         4 . The wager gaming method of  claim 1 , wherein the voting point retention condition, with respect to any particular poll of the first poll, the second poll, and the one or more intermediate polls, is that the first player apply more voting points to a highest-ranked candidate of the particular poll than to any other candidate in the particular poll. 
     
     
         5 . The wager gaming method of  claim 3 , wherein the voting point retention condition comprises a first subcondition and a second subcondition, wherein the first subcondition, with respect to any particular poll of the first poll, the second poll, and the one or more intermediate polls, is that the first player apply more voting points to a highest-ranked candidate of the particular poll than to any other candidate in the particular poll, and wherein the second subcondition is that the first subcondition be met for at least N of M successive polls. 
     
     
         6 . The wager gaming method of  claim 1 , wherein the voting point retention condition, with respect to any particular poll of the first poll, the second poll, and the one or more intermediate polls, is that:
 the first player apply more voting points to a highest-ranked candidate of the particular poll than to any other candidate in the particular poll, and   the highest-ranked candidate in the particular poll win a contest which concludes after the end of the particular poll.   
     
     
         7 . The wager gaming method of  claim 5 , wherein the voting point retention condition further comprises a third subcondition, wherein the third subcondition is that the first player maintain a minimum ranking R or higher among a group of players including the first player, wherein each particular player in the group of players is ranked according to the number of polls in the M successive polls in which the particular player met the second subcondition. 
     
     
         8 . The wager gaming method of  claim 1 , wherein the voting point retention condition comprises the first player maintaining a predetermined coin-in rate. 
     
     
         9 . A wager gaming system comprising:
 one or more servers; and   a plurality of player input stations, wherein the one or more servers is configured to:
 conduct a first poll, 
 determine a first plurality of candidates for inclusion in the first poll, the first plurality of candidates including a first candidate, 
 receive, from a first player in a plurality of players and via a player input station in the plurality of player input stations, input indicating a first quantity of voting points associated with the first player to apply towards the first candidate in the first poll, 
 determine, based on a total number voting points applied to each candidate in the first plurality of candidates by the players in the plurality of players, a ranking for each candidate in the first poll, 
 determine that a voting point retention condition has been met with respect to the first poll, and 
 maintain the association of the first quantity of voting points with the first player at least until a second poll is conducted. 
   
     
     
         10 . The wager gaming system of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more servers is further configured to:
 conduct the second poll after the first poll,   determine a second plurality of candidates for inclusion in the second poll, the second plurality of candidates including a second candidate,   receive, from the first player, input indicating a second quantity of voting points associated with the first player to apply towards the second candidate in the second poll,   determine, based on a total number voting points applied to each candidate in the second plurality of candidates by the players in the plurality of players, a ranking for each candidate in the second poll,   determine that the voting point retention condition has not been met with respect to the second poll, and   disassociate at least the second quantity of voting points from the first player after determining that the voting point retention condition has not been met.   
     
     
         11 . The wager gaming system of  claim 10 , wherein the one or more servers is further configured to conduct one or more intermediate polls in between the first poll and the second poll and, for each intermediate poll, to:
 determine a plurality of candidates for inclusion in the intermediate poll,   receive, from the first player, input indicating a quantity of voting points associated with the first player to apply towards a candidate in the intermediate poll,   determine, based on a total number voting points applied to each candidate in the plurality of candidates by the players in the plurality of players, a ranking for each candidate in the intermediate poll, and   determine that the voting point retention condition has been met with respect to the intermediate poll.   
     
     
         12 . The wager gaming system of  claim 9 , wherein the voting point retention condition, with respect to any particular poll of the first poll, the second poll, and the one or more intermediate polls, is that the first player apply more voting points to a highest-ranked candidate of the particular poll than to any other candidate in the particular poll. 
     
     
         13 . The wager gaming system of  claim 11 , wherein the voting point retention condition comprises a first subcondition and a second subcondition, wherein the first subcondition, with respect to any particular poll of the first poll, the second poll, and the one or more intermediate polls, is that the first player apply more voting points to a highest-ranked candidate of the particular poll than to any other candidate in the particular poll, and wherein the second subcondition is that the first subcondition be met for at least N of M successive polls. 
     
     
         14 . The wager gaming system of  claim 9 , wherein the voting point retention condition, with respect to any particular poll of the first poll, the second poll, and the one or more intermediate polls, is that:
 the first player apply more voting points to a highest-ranked candidate of the particular poll than to any other candidate in the particular poll, and   the highest-ranked candidate in the particular poll win a contest which concludes after the end of the particular poll.   
     
     
         15 . The wager gaming system of  claim 13 , wherein the voting point retention condition further comprises a third subcondition, wherein the third subcondition is that the first player maintain a minimum ranking R or higher among a group of players including the first player, wherein each particular player in the group of players is ranked according to the number of polls in the M successive polls in which the particular player met the second subcondition. 
     
     
         16 . The wager gaming system of  claim 9 , wherein the voting point retention condition comprises the first player maintaining a predetermined coin-in rate. 
     
     
         17 . A gaming machine comprising:
 a display device;   an input device;   a communications interface; and   a logic device configured to:
 cause the display device to display a first plurality of candidates in a first poll, the first plurality of candidates including a first candidate, 
 receive, via the input device, input indicating a first quantity of voting points associated with a first player in a plurality of players to apply towards the first candidate in the first poll, 
 transmit, to a server via the communications interface, the first quantity of voting points to apply towards the first candidate, 
 determine that a voting point retention condition has been met with respect to the first poll, and 
 maintain the association of the first quantity of voting points with the first player at least until a second poll is conducted. 
   
     
     
         18 . The gaming machine of  claim 17 , wherein the logic device is further configured to:
 cause the display device to display a second plurality of candidates in a second poll, the second plurality of candidates including a second candidate,   receive, via the input device, input indicating a second quantity of voting points associated with the first player to apply towards the second candidate in the second poll,   transmit, to the server via the communications interface, the second quantity of voting points to apply towards the second candidate,   determine that the voting point retention condition has not been met with respect to the second poll, and   disassociate at least the second quantity of voting points from the first player after determining that the voting point retention condition has not been met.   
     
     
         19 . The gaming machine of  claim 18 , wherein the logic device is further configured to cause the display device to display candidates in one or more intermediate polls in between the first poll and the second poll and, for each such intermediate poll, to:
 receive, via the input device, input indicating a quantity of voting points associated with the first player to apply towards a candidate in the intermediate poll,   transmit, to the server via the communications interface, the quantity of voting points to apply towards the candidate in the intermediate poll, and   determine that the voting point retention condition has been met with respect to the intermediate poll.   
     
     
         20 . The gaming machine of  claim 19 , wherein the voting point retention condition, with respect to any particular poll of the first poll, the second poll, and the one or more intermediate polls, is that more voting points be applied to a highest-ranked candidate of the particular poll than to any other candidate in the particular poll via the input device. 
     
     
         21 . The gaming machine of  claim 19 , wherein the voting point retention condition comprises a first subcondition and a second subcondition, wherein the first subcondition, with respect to any particular poll of the first poll, the second poll, and the one or more intermediate polls, is that more voting points be applied to a highest-ranked candidate of the particular poll than to any other candidate in the particular poll via the input device, and wherein the second subcondition is that the first subcondition be met for at least N of M successive polls. 
     
     
         22 . The gaming machine of  claim 17 , wherein the voting point retention condition, with respect to any particular poll of the first poll, the second poll, and the one or more intermediate polls, is that:
 more voting points be applied to a highest-ranked candidate of the particular poll via the input device than to any other candidate in the particular poll via the input device, and   the highest-ranked candidate in the particular poll win a contest which concludes after the end of the particular poll.   
     
     
         23 . The gaming machine of  claim 21 , wherein the voting point retention condition further comprises a third subcondition, wherein the third subcondition is that the first player maintain a minimum ranking R or higher among a group of players including the first player, wherein each particular player in the group of players is ranked according to the number of polls in the M successive polls in which the particular player met the second subcondition. 
     
     
         24 . The gaming machine of  claim 17 , wherein the voting point retention condition comprises the first player maintaining a predetermined coin-in rate.