Jackpot Display System

Abstract

A jackpot display system ( 10 ) for a gaming system, the jackpot display system comprising a display control device ( 14 ) arranged to receive jackpot data indicative of a plurality of current jackpot amounts, each jackpot amount being derived from games played on at least one gaming machine ( 40, 42 ), and a plurality of displays ( 16 ) in communication with the display control device ( 14 ). The display control device ( 14 ) is arranged to selectively associate at least some of the displays ( 16 ) with respective jackpot amounts so that during use jackpot amounts are shown on the associated displays.

1 . A jackpot display system for a gaming system, the jackpot display system comprising:
 a display control device arranged to receive jackpot data indicative of a plurality of current jackpot amounts, each jackpot amount being derived from games played on at least one gaming machine; and   a plurality of displays in communication with the display control device;   wherein the display control device is arranged to selectively associate at least some of the displays with respective jackpot amounts so that during use jackpot amounts are shown on the associated displays.   
     
     
         2 . A jackpot display system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the display control device is arranged to associate at least some of the displays with jackpot amounts so that a plurality of jackpot amounts are simultaneously displayed on a plurality of displays. 
     
     
         3 . A jackpot display system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the control device is arranged to associate at least some of the displays with jackpot amounts so that a plurality of jackpot amounts are consecutively displayed on at least one of the displays. 
     
     
         4 . A jackpot display system as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the consecutively displayed jackpot amounts are displayed in a specific order. 
     
     
         5 . A jackpot display system as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the consecutively displayed jackpot amounts are displayed in highest to lowest jackpot amount order. 
     
     
         6 . A jackpot display system as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the consecutively displayed jackpot amounts are displayed pseudo randomly. 
     
     
         7 . A jackpot display system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the display control device is arranged to associate at least some of the displays with jackpot amounts so that at least one displayed jackpot amount is emphasized relative to the other displayed jackpot amounts. 
     
     
         8 . A jackpot display system as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the system is arranged such that a displayed jackpot amount is emphasized when the jackpot amount has been won by a player of a gaming machine. 
     
     
         9 . A jackpot display system as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the system is arranged such that a displayed jackpot amount is emphasized when the jackpot amount has been won by displaying only the jackpot amount which has been won. 
     
     
         10 . A jackpot display system as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the system is arranged such that a displayed jackpot amount is emphasized when the jackpot amount has been won by displaying the jackpot amount at an increased size relative to other displayed jackpot amounts. 
     
     
         11 . A jackpot display system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the display control device comprises a display controller arranged to receive jackpot data indicative of a plurality of jackpots, and to generate display data usable by the displays to display at least one jackpot amount. 
     
     
         12 . A jackpot display system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the display control device comprises a master display controller and a plurality of slave display controllers under control of the master display controller. 
     
     
         13 . A jackpot display system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the display control device comprises a multiplexer arranged to selectively connect each of at least some of the displays to jackpot data indicative of a jackpot amount. 
     
     
         14 . A jackpot display system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each jackpot amount has an associated display controller arranged to generate display data usable by a display to display a jackpot amount. 
     
     
         15 . A jackpot display system as claimed in  claim 14  when dependent on  claim 13 , wherein the multiplexer is arranged to selectively direct display data from the display controllers to the displays. 
     
     
         16 . A jackpot display system as claimed in  claim 14  when dependent on  claim 13 , wherein the multiplexer is arranged to selectively direct jackpot data to the display controllers. 
     
     
         17 . A jackpot display system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the jackpot display system is arranged to apply video effects to the displayed jackpot amounts. 
     
     
         18 . A jackpot display system as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising at least one jackpot controller, each jackpot controller being arranged to receive jackpot contribution data from a plurality of gaming machines associated with the jackpot controller, and each jackpot controller being arranged to generate jackpot data indicative of a jackpot amount for supply to the display control device. 
     
     
         19 . A jackpot display system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the jackpot display system is arranged to receive video data for selective display on at least one of the displays at the same time as or intermittently with the jackpot amounts. 
     
     
         20 . A jackpot display system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the jackpot display system is arranged to store multiple sets of video data for each jackpot amount to be displayed, each set of video data being optimized to a particular display size, and the jackpot display system being arranged to select one of the video data sets depending on the size at which the jackpot amount is to be displayed.