Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Short title: Roulette table device with progressive jackpot
The invention relates to a roulette table device with
progressive jackpot.
In casinos the addition of a jackpot to a roulette game has
an additional attraction for players. The imagination is fired
by the possibility of standing a slight chance of winning a very
high sum from a progressive jackpot in addition to the chance of
winning in the actual roulette game. Whether or not a casino
game has a jackpot can be an important factor in determining
whether or not players take part in the casino game. Both in the
case of gambling machines and in the case of the various live
l5 games in casinos, such as roulette, blackjack, poker, etc., it
is generally necessary, in addition to placing the traditional
bet that is needed to take part in the game, to place an
additional or higher bet that makes it possible to participate
in the jackpot. Taking part in such a jackpot is therefore
optional. In each round of a game the player has to decide
whether or not he wants to take part in the jackpot. He will
always have to weigh up here whether the additional bet is
relatively worthwhile as regards the chance of winning.
The disadvantage in this case is that the roulette table
devices with progressive jackpot known until now often require
additional actions from the croupier and/or player, with the
result that mistakes can be made. In addition, the techniques
used until now often require laborious actions, in the case of
which mistakes can likewise be made.
A roulette table device according to the preamble of
claim 1 is known, for example from US-A-5,588,650. This.
publication discloses an automated roulette table game in which
for each individual player position bets can be placed on a
jackpot. A player can take part in the jackpot by operating a
jackpot bet button and in this way activate an indicator. This
activation is possible only if a minimum bet is. placed in the
roulette game and if there is sufficient player credit for the
player position concerned. This player credit can be built up,
for example, by inserting cash into a bet slot at the player
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position concerned. In order to make it possible to check
whether the player has actually placed a bet, each player
position is provided with its own automated bet display with
push-buttons. After activation of the jackpot bet button, the
jackpot is raised by a certain sum that is debited from the
player credit.
The disadvantage in the case of this known roulette table
game with progressive jackpot is that participation in the
jackpot is often forgotten in the heat of the actual roulette
game. If it is then found that the player would have won the
jackpot had he actually operated the jackpot bet button, this
leads to great frustration. On the other hand, it often happens
that the separately required bet for the jackpot tends to put
players off participation in the jackpot, this despite the fact
that the bet for the jackpot is low. The provision of the
additional jackpot bet button and all the means going with it
for checking or assessing whether all conditions have been met
makes the device complex and susceptible to faults. The
provision of individual bet displays with push-buttons is
necessary in order to be able to check whether participation in
the jackpot is permitted, but in practice has proved
unattractive to players, who do want to have more interaction
with fellow players in the game.
The object of the present invention is at least
partially to overcome the abovementioned disadvantages, or to
provide a usable alternative. In particular, the object of the
invention is to provide an attractive roulette table device with
an automated progressive jackpot which is not susceptible to
faults, and by means of which a round of a roulette table game
can be played purposefully together with participation in the
jackpot.
This object is achieved by a roulette table device
according to claim 1. In this case a detection area is provided
on a gaming table of the device, for detection of a so-called
dolly in this detection area. Such a dolly forms a standard part
of the game means used by the croupier in a roulette game, and
in each round of a game, after the ball has fallen into a
compartment on the revolving disc, the croupier places said
dolly on the corresponding number on a number layout on the
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gaming table. Detection means are also provided in order to
detect a movement of the dolly to or from the detection area.
The detection means are designed in such a way that on detection
of the abovementioned dolly movement during a round of a game
they automatically issue an instruction to a jackpot computer
unit for a random determination to be made on whether the
jackpot can be paid out to one or more of the player positions
in the round of the game concerned. The jackpot can then be
divided over each of the occupied player positions, but is
preferably paid out only to those player positions meeting a
certain previously defined precondition, for example only if
they have placed a bet on the highest paying odds of the winning
number that has come up or have staked a predetermined value. Tn
this way the progressive jackpot is in each case automatically
set in motion without the croupier or the players having to
perform additional actions for the purpose, or without
additional bets having to be placed for participation in the
jackpot. In this way the jackpot can be fully integrated in a
reliable manner in an interactive live casino roulette game.
This will have a great attraction for the average casino
visitor. Advantageously, the means for detection of placing of
the dolly on the number layout, the essential step of the game
to be carried out by the croupier, can quickly and simply be
built into existing roulette table devices, in particular also
in the case of tables without further electronic means provided.
In a special embodiment the detection means comprise a
detection loop, in particular an antenna loop, positioned near
the detection area. By making the dolly at least partially of a
material that can be detected by said detection loop, or more
particularly by providing it with a built-in transponder, any
movement of the dolly to or from the detection area can be
detected in a simple and reliable manner.
More particularly, the detection means comprise a time
switch for determining a certain minimum period of time in which
the dolly must be moved to or from the detection area. In this
way it can be determined whether there is any .question of an
actual dolly movement to the number layout. Brief time-outs of
the detection means advantageously can then not lead to the
issuing of an instruction to the jackpot unit. This also means
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that brief movements of the dolly will not be regarded as game
moments.
The detection area is advantageously in the form of a home
base for the dolly, which is provided at the position of or near
the croupier position. This home base is known according to the
rules and can, if desired, be clearly indicated on the gaming
table, for example by means of a colour section or a border.
Further preferred embodiments are set out in the subclaims.
The invention will be explained in greater detail with
reference to the appended drawing, in which:
Fig. 1 shows a very diagrammatic view of a part of a
roulette table device according to the invention;
Fig. 2 shows diagrammatically the configuration of the
roulette table device with jackpot computer unit and visual
display unit; and
Fig. 3 shows diagrammatically the configuration of several
interlinked roulette table devices according to the invention.
In Fig. 1 a home base 2 for a dolly is formed on a gaming
table 1 of a roulette table device, which home base also marks a
detection area for the presence of the dolly. The dolly is shown
in cross section in Fig. 2, in which it can also be seen that a
transponder 4 is built into the centre of the dolly 3. The
transponder 4 in particular issues a unique code. A detection
loop 6, in particular an antenna loop, is provided under the
home base 2. In the detection area inside the home base 2 the
detection loop 6 can read out the unique code from the
transponder 4 of the dolly 3. Once the dolly 3 is situated
outside the detection area, the detection loop 6 does not read
out a code and therefore does not "see" a dolly 3.
At the beginning of each round of a game the dolly 3 is
situated in the home base 2. After the winning number has come
up in a round of a game, the croupier places the dolly 3 on a
corresponding number on a number layout of the gaming table.
This makes it immediately clear to the players gathered around
the gaming table which number has come up, and whether or not
they have won. The dolly 3 stays on the winning number for just
the length of time that the croupier needs to collect and pay
out chips. The moment at which the dolly 3 is removed again from
the number layout and replaced at the home base 2 also marks the
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end of the round of a game and the beginning of a new round of a
game, in other words the players can again place new bets.
The moment the dolly 3 is moved to the number layout, in
other words moves outside the detection area in the home base 2,
the system reads no further code from the transponder 4.
As soon as this happens, the detection means of which the
detection loop forms part issue an instruction to a jackpot
computing unit. In this way the transition from the detection
loop receiving or not receiving the unique code from the
transponder 4 is the envisaged moment of detection as a result
of which the detection means issue an instruction to the jackpot
computing unit. The detection means in this case have a sort of
inbuilt time delay before issuing the instruction. As a result
of this, the system can take time-outs on the detection into
account.
The antenna loop 6 is connected to an interface 7 that is
also situated under the table. The interface 7 is connected to a
computer unit 8 belonging to the table. A visual display unit 9,
which is likewise connected to the computer unit 8, is situated
on the table. The jackpot data and, if desired, the winning
numbers, appear on the visual display unit 9. A calculator is
available for the croupier, for calculating payments when a
jackpot comes up. The calculator can be integral with the visual
display unit as a touch screen calculator. The computer unit 8
is linked to a central computer 10. Said central computer 10 can
be connected to several tables 1 (see Fig. 3), in which case a
large visual display unit 11 is also provided. This gives the
possibility of offering one central jackpot that rapidly and
progressively builds up to a large sum for several gaming
tables.
If the detection means detect that the dolly 3 is situated
outside the detection area for a sufficiently long time, the
system assumes that a winning number has come up, and that the
dolly 3 has been placed by the croupier on the appropriate
number on the number layout. The detection means then issue an
instruction to the computer unit 8, which in turn communicates
with the central computer 10 for a random determination to be
made on whether the jackpot can be paid out.for that table. The
information on whether or not the jackpot has come up appears on
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the visual display unit 9. As soon as the dolly 3 returns again
to the detection area, this is detected and an instruction is
issued by way of the computer unit to display the current
jackpot values on the visual display unit 9.
Many variants are possible in addition to the embodiment
illustrated. For instance, the detection area with the detection
loop can also be provided under the number layout, so that in
every round of a game it can be established when the dolly is
placed on said number layout. In a further variant separate sets
of detection means are provided both under the home base and
under the number layout. The detection means under the home base
in this case can be designed to emit a signal if the dolly
leaves the home base, while the detection means under the number
layout can be designed to emit a signal if the dolly moves above
or onto the number layout. Only after receiving both signals
will the system assume that a dolly movement from the home base
to the number layout has taken place. This means that it can be
even more reliably detected whether there has been an envisaged
dolly movement from the home base to the number layout, and in
that case an instruction should be issued automatically to the
jackpot computer unit. The detection means can be designed in
such a way that on detection of the dolly leaving the home base
the first set of detection means provided under said home base
then automatically switches off and the second set of detection
means provided under the number layout only then automatically
switches on. For a dolly movement from the number layout to the
home base this switching on and off will take place in reverse
order. This means that in each case there is only one of the two
sets of detection means active and the chance of faults
occurring is reduced.
If detection means are provided under the number layout,
said detection means can be provided so that they extend beyond
the outside peripheral edge of said number layout. The only
important parameter is that they remain outside the home base.
The advantage of the oversize is that these detection means in a
standard model of a particular size are suitable for a number of
formats and/or forms of number layout.
It is further also possible to build a magnetic switch into
the dolly, or to provide sensors, in particular infrared sensors
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etc. An ON/OFF switch can be built into the detection means, and
in particular into the dolly, so that the croupier has the
possibility of at least temporarily switching off the
functioning of the detection means. Signalling means can further
be provided in the dolly, which signalling means emit a signal
if the jackpot comes up. Examples are means for emitting a light
signal or an audio signal. The dolly must be equipped with a
receiver for this purpose.
Reading means can be provided in a known manner for
automated reading out of a number compartment on a revolving
disc of the gaming table in which a roulette ball has come to
rest in a particular round of a game. The reading means can be
in the form of, for example, a suitable camera or infrared
system set up on or near the revolving disc. In a variant
reading means can also be provided under the number layout,
which reading means interact with the dolly. This means that as
soon as the croupier has placed the dolly on the winning number
on the number layout, this number is read out in an automated
manner. The number read out can then be passed on for further
processing to a display and/or to a control unit. The reading
means in the case of this variant can advantageously be fully or
partially integral with the detection means according to the
invention. The placing of the dolly on the winning number then
at the same time causes the automatic issuing of an instruction
to the jackpot computer unit and to the reading means for having
the winning number read out.
In this way a roulette table device is provided in the case
of which each time a croupier carries out a dolly movement a
computer unit carries out a draw in order to determine whether a
jackpot can be paid out. No additional bet is required to
participate in the jackpot. Participation in the roulette game
means participation in the jackpot. The jackpot can be built up,
for example, by making a certain part of the yield achieved in
the past on a certain gaming table available for building up the
jackpot. The draw by the computer unit for the jackpot is
random, the odds being settable. If the computer unit has
designated a table for a possible outpayment of the jackpot,
this jackpot will, for example, be paid out only to the player
who meets a previously defined precondition, for example someone
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who has bet on the full winning number. If nobody has done this,
the full sum is left in the progressive jackpot meter. If
several players are on the winning number, the sum paid out is
divided pro rata according to the level of the bet. The croupier
can use the touch screen calculator on the display here. The
computer unit can calculate the level of the sums to be paid out
and show this on the display. Moreover, the jackpot does not
necessarily have to be a sum of money, but can also be a prize
in kind.
