Wagering game system and method with session rtp adjusted based on player skill

Abstract

A gaming machine and method include a monetary input device, a user interface configured to: enable a player to select a wager for a game of chance having a skill-based activity, to interact with the game of chance using a gaming input device. A processor is programmed to enable the player to win a prize based at least in part on input from the gaming input device, and to set at least one parameter of the skill-based activity or the gaming input device to a first difficulty for winning the prize during a first game of a gaming session including a plurality of games, and to adjust the parameter to modify the difficulty to a second difficulty for winning the prize during a subsequent game of the gaming session to maintain a predetermined percentage or percentage range of money or credits returned to the player (RTP) during the gaming session.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electronic gaming machine comprising:
 a monetary input device configured to determine a monetary value associated with a physical item;   a user interface configured to:
 enable a player to select a wager for a game of chance; 
 enable the player to interact with the game of chance using a gaming input device; and 
 enable the player to initiate a cash out operation; and 
   a processor programmed to:
 add the monetary value to a credit balance for the player; 
 deduct the selected wager from the credit balance; 
 decrease the credit balance in response to the cash out operation; and 
 enable the player to win a prize associated with the game of chance based at least in part on input from the gaming input device, the game of chance comprising a skill-based activity, wherein the player is enabled to interact with the skill-based activity using the gaming input device, wherein the processor is programmed to set at least one parameter of the skill-based activity or the gaming input device to a first difficulty for winning the prize during a first game of a gaming session including a plurality of games, and to adjust the at least one parameter to modify the difficulty to a second difficulty for winning the prize during a subsequent game of the gaming session to maintain a predetermined percentage or percentage range of money or credits returned to the player during the gaming session. 
   
     
     
         2 . The electronic gaming machine of  claim 1  wherein the skill-based activity comprises a plurality of targets. 
     
     
         3 . The electronic gaming machine of  claim 2  wherein the at least one parameter comprises size of at least one of the plurality of targets. 
     
     
         4 . The electronic gaming machine of  claim 2  wherein the at least one parameter comprises speed of at least one of the plurality of targets. 
     
     
         5 . The electronic gaming machine of  claim 2  wherein the at least one parameter comprises a number of targets displayed during a predetermined time period. 
     
     
         6 . The electronic gaming machine of  claim 2  wherein the at least one parameter comprises a prize associated with at least one of the plurality of targets. 
     
     
         7 . The electronic gaming machine of  claim 2  wherein the at least one parameter comprises a predetermined time period for the player to select at least one of the plurality of targets. 
     
     
         8 . The electronic gaming machine of  claim 2  wherein the at least one parameter comprises a number of targets required to be selected by the player to win the prize. 
     
     
         9 . The electronic gaming machine of  claim 1  wherein the processor is further programmed to apply a randomness adjustment to the at least one parameter. 
     
     
         10 . The electronic gaming machine of  claim 1  wherein the game of chance comprises a bonus game presented in response to a selected outcome of a primary game of chance. 
     
     
         11 . The electronic gaming machine of  claim 1 , wherein the prize associated with the skill-based activity is randomly selected from a plurality of prizes each having an associated value, and wherein the processor is programmed to vary probability of selecting the randomly selected prize based on the associated value during the subsequent game to change from the first difficulty to the second difficulty and maintain the predetermined percentage or percentage range of money or credits returned to the player during the gaming session. 
     
     
         12 . The electronic gaming machine of  claim 1  wherein the gaming input device is selected from a group consisting of at least one of a mouse, a pointing device, a scroll wheel, a keyboard, a hybrid controller, and a touch screen. 
     
     
         13 . The electronic gaming machine of  claim 1  wherein the user interface comprises the touch screen. 
     
     
         14 . A gaming device comprising:
 a monetary input device configured to determine a monetary value associated with a physical item;   a user interface configured to:
 enable a player to select a wager for a game of chance; and 
 enable the player to initiate a cash out operation; 
   a gaming input device; and   a processor coupled to the monetary input device, the user interface, and the gaming input device, the processor programmed to:
 add the monetary value to a credit balance for the player; 
 deduct the selected wager from the credit balance; 
 decrease the credit balance in response to the cash out operation; and 
 present the game of chance and enable the player to win a prize, the game of chance comprising at least one skill-based activity, wherein the player is enabled to interact with the at least one skill-based activity using the gaming input device to win the prize; 
 wherein the processor is programmed to randomly select the prize from a plurality of prizes with a first probability for one game of a gaming session, and to change the first probability to a second probability of selecting the prize from the plurality of prizes for a subsequent game of the gaming session in response to a skill level of the player relative to a predetermined skill level. 
   
     
     
         15 . The gaming device of  claim 14  wherein the processor is further programmed to reduce difficulty of winning the prize to maintain a predetermined percentage or percentage range of money or credits returned to the player over a predetermined period of time. 
     
     
         16 . The gaming device of  claim 15  wherein the predetermined period of time comprises the gaming session. 
     
     
         17 . The gaming device of  claim 15  wherein the processor is programmed to reduce the difficulty by adjusting at least one parameter of the at least one skill-based activity and/or at least one parameter of the gaming input device. 
     
     
         18 . The gaming device of  claim 14  wherein the gaming input device comprises a touchscreen. 
     
     
         19 . The gaming device of  claim 14  wherein the processor is further programmed to determine the skill level of the player based on at least one awarded prize. 
     
     
         20 . The gaming device of  claim 14  wherein the processor is further programmed to determine the second probability based on the skill level of the player. 
     
     
         21 . The gaming device of  claim 14  wherein the processor is further programmed to determine the skill level of the player, and to determine the first probability independently of the skill level of the player. 
     
     
         22 . The gaming device of  claim 14  wherein the at least one skill-based activity comprises a plurality of targets and at least one of the plurality targets moves based on the skill level of the player. 
     
     
         23 . The gaming device of  claim 14  wherein the at least one skill-based activity comprises a plurality of targets and at least one of the plurality of targets has a size based on the skill level of the player. 
     
     
         24 . The gaming device of  claim 23  wherein the size increases to reduce difficulty of winning the prize. 
     
     
         25 . The gaming device of  claim 14  wherein the processor is further programmed to present the game of chance as a bonus game in response to specified outcome of a primary game of chance. 
     
     
         26 . A gaming device comprising:
 a monetary input device configured to determine a monetary value associated with a physical item;   a user interface configured to:
 enable a player to select a wager for a game of chance; and 
 enable the player to initiate a cash out operation; 
   a gaming input device; and   a processor coupled to the monetary input device, the user interface, and the gaming input device, the processor programmed to:
 add the monetary value to a credit balance for the player; 
 deduct the selected wager from the credit balance; 
 decrease the credit balance in response to the cash out operation; and 
 present the game of chance and enable the player to win a prize, the game of chance comprising a skill-based activity, wherein the player is enabled to interact with the skill-based activity using the gaming input device to win the prize; 
 wherein the processor is programmed to select the prize from a first plurality of prizes for one game of a gaming session, and to select the prize from a second plurality of prizes for a subsequent game of the gaming session in response to a percentage of money or credits returned to the player over a predetermined period of time relative to a predetermined threshold. 
   
     
     
         27 . The gaming device of  claim 26  wherein each of the second plurality of prizes has a higher value than any prize in the first plurality of prizes. 
     
     
         28 . The gaming device of  claim 26  wherein the processor is further programmed to adjust difficulty of winning the prize in response to the percentage of money or credits returned to the player over the predetermined period of time being below the predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         29 . The gaming device of  claim 28  wherein the processor is further programmed to adjust at least one parameter of the gaming input device or the skill-based activity to reduce the difficulty of winning the prize. 
     
     
         30 . The gaming device of  claim 26  wherein the processor is further programmed to determine a skill level of the player and to select the prize from the first plurality of prizes independent of the skill level of the player. 
     
     
         31 . The gaming device of  claim 26  wherein the processor is further programmed to determine a skill level of the player and to select the prize from the second plurality of prizes based on the skill level of the player being less than a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         32 . The gaming device of  claim 26  wherein the predetermined period of time corresponds to a gaming session. 
     
     
         33 . The gaming device of  claim 32  wherein the gaming session starts upon determining the monetary value associated with the physical item and ends upon initiation of the cash out operation.