EP3196849A1

EP3196849A1 - System for playing an on line live roulette game with a jackpot

Info

Publication number: EP3196849A1
Application number: EP16205287.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Massimiliano FULLIN
Original assignee: Medialivecasino Ltd
Current assignee: Medialivecasino Ltd
Priority date: 2016-01-19
Filing date: 2016-12-20
Publication date: 2017-07-26
Also published as: ITUB20160177A1

Abstract

The system (1) for playing an on line live casino roulette game (21) with a human croupier (4), comprises a gaming table (2) provided with a roulette (21), sensor means (22) for providing, at each spin on the roulette (21), the information on which number comes out and video/audio acquisition means (3) for shooting a gaming zone that comprises the table (2).

A processing system (7) is also provided, configured for managing the roulette game (21) and comprising a game interface (71) configured for allowing remote viewing of the gaming zone and for placing bets.

The processing system (7) comprises: a storage module (72) configured for cyclically increasing the value of a jackpot; an assessment module (73) configured for checking if, in consecutive spins on the roulette (21), the numbers came out appear in at least one winning sequence and if at least one player has bet on all the numbers of the sequence; an evaluation module (75) configured for calculating the value of a payout corresponding to a percentage of the jackpot being a function of the winning sequence and of the value of the sum of that player's bets.

Description

The present invention relates to a system and a method for playing an on line live roulette game with a human croupier, associated with the storage and payment of a jackpot.
On line live casino games with a human croupier are known, which allow a player who takes part remotely, i.e. not in the physical environment where the table games and croupier are situated, to bet money and collect payouts.
Among these games, one of the best known is on line live roulette, which envisages the use of a physical table and roulette, managed by a croupier, which are shot by one or more television cameras, whose flow of shots is made available on the internet to accredited players.
Through the use of gaming software, players located in any part of the world can take part in the same game which is performed using a physical and not a virtual roulette, with the supervision of a real croupier.
The need has been felt for some time, by companies offering this type of service, to distinguish their on line live roulette system from that of competitors, by implementing new betting functions that make the enjoyment of the game more exciting and rewarding and therefore give a competitive advantage to the companies themselves.
In this context, the technical task underpinning the present invention is to provide a system and method for playing an on line live roulette game with a human croupier, that satisfy the need mentioned above.
The stated technical task is reached by the system provided in accordance with claim 1 and the method in accordance with claim 8.
Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following indicative, and hence non-limiting, description of preferred, but not exclusive, embodiments of the proposed system, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

figure 1 is a schematic view of the gaming system according to the invention; and
figure 2 is a schematic representation of the graphical interface produced by the game interface of the system.

With reference to the appended figures, 1 indicates a system for playing an on line live roulette game with a human croupier, according to the invention.
The system 1 proposed includes above all a gaming table 2 equipped with a roulette 21, meaning the device used in the roulette game with a bowl-like conformation and comprising a rotating disc, split into sectors. Associated with such roulette 21, a sensor means 22 is provided for detecting in which numbered sector of said roulette 21 a game ball is stopping and adapted to provide at each spin on the roulette 21 the information on which number comes out.
Such sensor means 22 may even be of the known type, for example, it may comprise optical means (LED and infra-red), position sensors or other solutions still currently adopted by roulette 21 manufacturers.
For example, the roulette and sensors according to the invention may be like those manufactured by Cammegh, Abbiati, TCS John Huxley, etc....
In practice, such sensor means 22 is provided to give output signals that convey the information in relation to which sector the game ball stops in and, therefore, which number comes out at each spin on the roulette 21.
The system 1 according to the invention also comprises video/audio acquisition means 3 to shoot the gaming zone in which the roulette 21 table 2 is located and in which the croupier 4 is operating.
Such acquisition means 3, which may comprise television cameras and microphones, are adapted to provide an audio/video flow that represents what is shot in the gaming zone, such flow being transmittable via a telecommunication network 5, for example internet, intranet or the like.
In the present description, the expression "remotely" means the activities that come from the players without them being physically present in the gaming zone.
In practice, the game is preferably followed on line by the players, i.e. via internet, or another telecommunication network 5, and through processing units and interfaces incorporated into PCs, mobile devices, laptops 6, tablets, totems or other similar devices.
When, in the present description, reference is made to a "human croupier", this intends to exclude above all games in which the roulette 21 is virtual and in which the stages of the game are determined by specific algorithms.
In fact, the present invention relates to the sector of on line gambling games that envisage the use of a physical roulette 21 managed by a real ("live") person.
In practice, the invention may envisage true physical casinos (or alternatively film studios) that comprise environments in which a plurality of gaming tables is arranged, with related gaming zones in which the respective croupiers 4 operate, said zones being filmed by television cameras 3 and microphones.
The players can take part on line in the games that are held "live" at the different tables, making bets and obtaining payouts.
In detail, the invention includes a processing system 7 configured to manage the roulette 21 game, connected to a telecommunication network 5, to the aforementioned sensor means 22 and to the aforementioned acquisition means 3.
In detail, the processing system 7 may be connected to the mentioned sensor and acquisition means 22, 3 actually via the telecommunication network 5.
To be precise, the invention preferably envisages an electronic processing device, such as a PC or similar devices, placed at the table 2 and provided to directly receive the signals from the sensor and/or acquisition means 22, 3 and to transmit them to the network 5.
Moreover, the croupier 4 may have available an interface device such as, for example, a display and a keyboard or a touchscreen display, to allow them to follow the stages of the game.
In detail, such display may be connected to the electronic device that receives signals from the sensor means 22 (and preferably also from the acquisition means 3) or to a similar device, in order to allow the processing system 7 to recognise the specific croupier 4 that is handling a given table 2, through the use of identification codes or a badge reader.
A forcing function may also be provided for forcing the number that comes out in the device connected to the display.
In practice, if the croupier 4 verifies through the display that the sensor means 22 has erroneously detected the number that has come out, corresponding to the sector in which the ball has stopped, the croupier 4 can replace the incorrect number with the number that effectively came out.
The processing system 7 includes a game interface 71 configured to allow the remote viewing of the gaming zone and to allow players to place bets, still remotely.
Moreover, such processing system 7 is configured to determine and assess the payouts of the roulette 21 game, assigning them to the respective players.
In the aspects described above, the gaming system 1 according to the invention, and particularly the related processing system 7, may also be of a type known in itself, although not in combination with further features that shall be described below.
In the present description, the processing system 7 is presented as divided into distinct functional modules for the sole purpose of describing the functions thereof in a clear and complete manner.
In practice, such processing system 7 may comprise a single electronic device, duly programmed to perform the functions described; the various modules can correspond to hardware and/or routine software entities belonging to the programmed device.
Alternatively, such functions may be performed by a plurality of electronic devices over which the aforesaid functional modules can be distributed.
In general, the processing system 7 can make use of one or more microprocessors for performing the instructions contained in memory modules and the aforesaid functional modules may, also, be distributed over a plurality of local or remote calculators based on the architecture of the network in which they reside.
It should be considered that all or part of the processing system 7 may reside physically in a processing centre that is also remote with respect to the gaming zones in which the tables 2 are located and in which the croupiers 4 operate.
The gaming system 1 according to the invention is advantageously predisposed for the storage and drawing of jackpots associated with the type of roulette 21 game explained above, i.e. remotely and with live croupiers 4.
Below is a description of a general version of the invention, of which particular embodiments shall subsequently be specified.
According to this general version, the processing system 7 according to the invention comprises a storage module 72 configured to cyclically increase the value of at least one jackpot adding thereto a percentage of the values of the bets that one or more players place during the roulette 21 game, via the aforesaid game interface 71.
An assessment module 73 is also provided, configured for checking if, in consecutive spins on the roulette 21, the numbers released appear in at least one predefined winning sequence and if at least one player has placed a bet on all the numbers of said winning sequence, thereby identifying the winners and the respective winning numbers.
Preferably, the processing system 7 includes a link module 74 configured for associating, with each participating player, the sum of all the related bets placed on the winning numbers.
The invention also provides for an evaluation module 75 configured for calculating the value of a payout associated with a winning player, corresponding to a percentage of the jackpot being a function of the winning sequence and, preferably, of the value of the sum calculated by the link module 74.
In practice, the invention may envisage both the case in which numerous players who are playing together at the same table 2 (even remotely) obtain a payout on the jackpot with the same sequence and the same player obtaining numerous payouts with different sequences.
In general, the payouts shall not be fixed, but shall be calculated in different percentages of the jackpot based on the sequence that comes out (e.g. the type of sequence or its length or other parameters) and/or based on the bets that the winning player placed on the numbers of the winning sequence.
In a particular version, the payouts may even by fixed, which corresponds to the limit case in which the percentages that the evaluation module 75 calculates are all the same.
However, in general, the value of the payout is variable and, preferably, gradually increasing together with the sum calculated by the link module 74 and inversely proportional to the probability of the winning sequence coming out.
In fact, as will become clearer with the example specified during the explanation of the operation of the system 1, a same succession of consecutive numbers released during the roulette 21 game may define a plurality of distinct winning sequences, having different lengths.
For example, if the successions of numbers susceptible to leading to a payout are those in which the same number is repeated, a succession of three equal numbers or four equal numbers may both be winning sequences, but be adapted to "paying" a distinct winning value.
Although, in the following, the description of the system 1 proposed shall focus on the case in which the winning sequences are comprised by the repetition of the same numbers in consecutive spins of the roulette 21, a multiplicity of different winning sequences does however fall within the scope of the invention.
For example, a possible winning sequence may be comprised of a plurality of numbers having the same "final" as it is known in jargon, or a specific sequence of numbers associated with given colours or even "mixed" sequences, in which both repetitions and finals or even other combinations are present.
In the embodiment in which the winning sequence comprises a repetition of numbers, the aforesaid assessment module 73 comprises a repetition module 76 configured for checking if same numbers are released in consecutive spins on the roulette 21 and if at least one player has bet on at least one of these repeated numbers.
In practice, the system 1 according to the invention checks if one or more players, using the user interface as above, bet on at least one number that comes out in at least two consecutive spins of the roulette 21.
In general, all the numbers are eligible for forming repetition sequences susceptible to leading to a payout on the jackpot; however, it is in principle possible to pre-set a set of eligible numbers (e.g. only even numbers) excluding the others.
In any case, through the assessment module 73 thus configured, players participating in the jackpot game are identified, as are the respective repeated numbers susceptible to leading to the payout.
The processing system 7 therefore also comprises a counting module 77 configured for calculating how many consecutive times the repeated numbers of each player have come out.
In this case, the link module 74 is configured for associating, with each repeated number, the sum of all related bets made by the respective player(s) participating in the jackpot game.
The jackpot winning module 78 is configured for checking, for each participant, which of their repeated numbers has been detected for a number of times higher than a jackpot winning threshold, thereby identifying the winning players and the related winning numbers.
In practice, by way of non-limiting example, it can be established that the payout, or one of the possible payouts, occurs only when the same numbers are repeated at least three times, i.e. when the winning sequences are longer than three units.
In this embodiment, the evaluation module 75 is configured for calculating the value of a payout associated with a winning player, corresponding to a percentage of the jackpot being a function of the amount of times a winning number has come out, higher than the winning threshold, and a function of the value of the sum of that player's bets.
Therefore, the number of repetitions of the winning number within a sufficiently long sequence, also affects the size of the value of the payout. For completeness, an embodiment (not shown) of the invention is described below, wherein the processing system 7 may be configured to determine payouts even with different sequences from the repeated numbers; this embodiment is especially designed for games with a jackpot in which the winning sequences are three or more units long.
In this case, the assessment module 73 comprises a trigger module configured for checking if, in consecutive spins on the roulette 21, the numbers released appear in at least one predefined triggering sequence and if at least one player has placed a bet on all the numbers of said triggering sequence, thereby identifying the players who are participating in the jackpot and the trigger numbers.
In practice, in this embodiment, which may include as a special case that in which the payout occurs with sequences of repeated numbers, the processing system 7 checks if during the games of roulette 21, some successions of numbers may constitute the activation of the "jackpot mode", i.e. in practice the triggering of the jackpot game conditions.
For example, if the winning sequence is comprised of a succession with three "finals" (with three numbers having the same last figure), when two numbers with the same final come out, the trigger module recognises a triggering sequence and establishes that the players who have bet on the related numbers are those who participate in the drawing of the jackpot.
In that embodiment, the jackpot winning module 78 is configured for checking, for each participating player, if at least one of his/her triggering sequences is completed following the release of at least another number in a further roulette 21 spin, in a winning sequence, thereby identifying the winning players and the respective winning sequence(s).
At this point, the evaluation module 75 calculates the value of a payout associated with a winning player, corresponding to a percentage of the jackpot being a function of the winning sequence and, preferably, of the sum of the bets calculated by the link module 74.
Further preferential technical characteristics of the gaming system 1 proposed are provided below.
The aforesaid game interface 71 may comprise a play module configured for showing visually and auditively said gaming zone and said players' bets, remotely (see figure 2).
In practice, the game interface 71 of the system 1 produces a graphical interface 79, through which the players view the game and take part, using their own electronic device 4.
In detail, the bets of the different players are preferably shown graphically via specific indices or graphical elements 8.
In the version shown in figure 2, the table 2, the roulette 21 and the croupier 4 are shown by the play module of the interface 71 as they are in real life, i.e. as they are shot by the television camera 3 or other acquisition means.
The bets, windows or other graphical indices 8 are instead added via software by the play module, for example through vector graphics (e.g. Adobe Flash or the like) or through languages such as HTML5 or other languages.
For example, the bets may be shown as virtual chips 8 placed virtually on the image of the table 2 and also as figures in special windows and so on. The graphical interface 79 also comprises active icons (i.e. clickable) for performing the various actions of the roulette 21 game.
In particular, the game interface 71 may comprise a real input module configured to allow the players to be able to make bets remotely.
The processing system 7 may comprise a status module configured for setting at least one or more status parameters of the jackpot, being a function of the sequence(s) and a function of the checks performed by the assessment and winning modules.
In practice, as explained above, the payout of the jackpot may vary based on the type or the length of the sequence; for example, it may be envisaged that if the same number comes out three consecutive times, there is a payout, if it comes out four times there is another and so on. Therefore, in the example of the previous paragraph, if a certain number comes out three times, the status module establishes that the jackpot game, for the player who bet on that number three consecutive times is in a first status, if the number comes out four times, he/she is in a different status, etc... each status being able to be represented with a graphical index 81 (e.g. the image of a coloured medal) or a string of characters ("bronze medal", "silver medal", etc..).
In this case, the game interface 71 may comprise a jackpot module configured for allowing players to view or however find out the status parameters of the jackpot.
The processing system 7 may be provided with an access module which allows the accreditation of the player for the on line game.
In detail, the processing system may be configured to directly provide a player with the access credentials to the game (user name and password for example) or to provide such credentials to an intermediate person who, for example, deals with receiving registrations and paying the payouts.
In this case, at every access performed by the player, the access module deals with checking the correctness of the credentials exhibited by the player through the game interface 71.
In even more detail, the invention may comprise an identification module, connected to the access module and to the game interface 71, configured to associate the players' credentials with a language and currency for playing, chosen by the players themselves or indicated by the aforesaid intermediate person.
In other words, the processing system 7 envisages, for each player, a set of data (e.g. in "table" form) in which the credentials are associated with the language, the currency and possible other information such as an identification code of the intermediate person or other information.
The aforesaid play module of the interface 71, the storage module 72, link module 74 and/or evaluation module 75 may be subjected to the identification module, so as to guarantee not only to the player that he/she can view and provide the gaming information in his/her language, but also so as to uniform the storage and payment calculations of the jackpots, regardless of the currency of the individual player.
In a particular embodiment, the storage module 72, link module 74 and/or evaluation module 75 may be configured to perform the respective calculations in a single reference currency (e.g. Euro), while a conversion module connected to the user interface and to the identification module is predisposed to perform the currency conversions at the input of bets by individual players and the output conversions, of the values calculated by the storage, link and/or evaluation modules.
In even more detail, in the embodiment in which said intermediate people are envisaged, the processing system 7 may be configured to define respective jackpots associated with the different intermediate people.
In this way, a multiplicity of players who have been accredited through different people can participate in the games that are held at the different tables.
However, the players can only participate in the jackpot associated with the person through which they were accredited.
An example of the operation of the system 1 proposed is described below, in the different stages of the game.
In this example, the rules of the game may be as follows:

players participate in the jackpot game with any betting value on "straight up bets", therefore not on "split bets", "corner bets", "dozen bets", "red" and so on;
if a player bets and three repetitions of the same number come out (jackpot status which will hereafter be called "bronze"), the value of the payout is lower than that associated with four repetitions ("silver") which is in turn lower than that associated with five repetitions ("gold"); and
if a player starts to bet when at least one number of the repetition sequence has already come out, he/she cannot participate in the jackpot until the end of the sequence of repetitions of that number.

During the normal stages of the game in which at least two identical consecutive numbers have not come out, the jackpot game is not activated for the roulette 21 players; in practice the graphical interface 79 does not display the activation of the jackpot game for the players.
However, the storage module 72 continues to increase the jackpot.
In detail, the jackpot may be split into three lots, which we will call "containers" hereafter, one for bronze, one for silver and one for gold.
In this case, the storage module 72 may be configured for associating the different containers with different bet percentages.
These containers are also shown by the game interface 71 in its graphical interface 79 shown remotely.
In case of repetition of the released number the game interface 71 informs the player of the start of the jackpot mode.
The containers change status, which is represented graphically with an increase in luminosity.
The bronze container is activated graphically, for example by increasing in size.
The game interface 71 identifies the players entitled to participate in the jackpot, also indicating optionally the respective share.
On the table 2 cloth, the box of the jackpot number may change colour and a "tool tip" may appear with the information on the potential payout in the event of the consecutive repetition of the number in question for the third time.
Once betting is closed, the interface 71 shows the list of players participating, associated with the respective sums of the bets on the numbers of the sequence.
The values will be updated in the jackpot containers according to the accrual of that game.
In case of the third number in the sequence being released, the game interface 71 will mark the event via graphical and/or sound indications. An information panel will also present the list of winners and the amounts won, while the bronze container will be reset to zero.
At the start of the new game, the game interface 71 will show the users the activation of the "silver" jackpot and the stages mentioned above will be repeated, applied to the possible win on the silver container instead of the bronze one; the same is also valid for the activation of the jackpot status for gold.
The invention is also configured as a gaming method implemented through the gaming system 1 described above.
In detail, the method envisages the operating steps whose corresponding actions relate to the functions of the aforesaid operating modules of the processing system 7, in its various embodiments described above. Moreover, the invention is configured as a computer program which, when run on a processing system, performs the steps of the method described above and also as a support to be read from a computer that comprises the program itself.

Claims

A system (1) for playing an on line live casino roulette game (21) with a human croupier (4), comprising:
a gaming table (2) provided with a roulette (21);

sensor means (22) for detecting in which of said roulette numbered sectors (21) a game ball is stopping, which sensor means (22) are suitable, at each spin on the roulette (21), to provide the information on which number comes out;

visual and/or audio acquisition means (3) for shooting a gaming zone comprising said gaming table (2); and

a processing system (7) configured for managing the roulette game (21) and connected to a telecommunications network (5), to said sensor means (22) and to said acquisition means (3) and comprising a game interface (71) configured for allowing remote viewing of said gaming zone and also allowing a remote betting, the processing system (7) being configured for determining and evaluating roulette game (21) wins, thereby assigning the wins to respective players;

characterized in that said processing system (7) comprises:
a storage module (72) configured for cyclically increasing the value of at least one jackpot, with a percentage of the values resulting from remote bets being added thereto;

an assessment module (73) configured for checking if, in consecutive spins on the roulette (21), the numbers came out appear in at least one winning sequence and if at least one player has bet on all numbers of said winning sequence, thereby identifying the players who are participating to the jackpot as well as respective winning numbers;

an evaluation module (75) configured for calculating the value of a payout associated to a winning player, which payout corresponds to a percentage of the jackpot being a function of the winning sequence and of the value resulting from the sum of that player's bets.
A system (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the processing system (7) comprises a link module (74) configured to associate, to each participating player, the sum of all related bets on winning numbers, wherein the evaluation module (75) is configured to calculate the value of a payout associated to a winning player, which payout corresponds to a percentage of the jackpot which is based on the value resulting from the sum of that player's bets.
A system (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein said assessment module (73) comprises:
a trigger module configured for checking if, in consecutive spins on the roulette (21), the numbers released appear in at least one triggering sequence and if at least one player made his/her betting on all numbers of said triggering sequence, thereby identifying the players who are participating to the jackpot and the trigger numbers; and

a jackpot winning module (78) configured for checking, for each participating player, if at least one of his/her triggering sequence is completed upon the coming out of at least another number in a further roulette (21) spin comprise in a winning sequence, thereby identifying the winning players and the respective winning sequence/s; and

wherein said evaluation module (75) is configured for calculating the value of a payout associated to a winning player, which payout corresponds to a percentage of the jackpot being determined according to the winning sequence which has been completed.
A system (1) according to claim 2, wherein said assessment module (73) comprises:
a repetition module (76) configured for checking if same numbers are released in consecutive spins on the roulette (21) and if at least one player has bet on at least one of these repeated numbers, thereby identifying the players who are participating to the jackpot and respective repeated numbers; and

a counting module (77) configured for calculating how many times said repeated numbers come out,

wherein the link module (74) is configured for associating, to each repeated number, the sum resulting from all related bets made by respective participating players; and

a jackpot winning module (78) configured for checking, for each participating player, which of the respective repeated numbers has been detected for a number of times higher than a jackpot winning threshold, thereby identifying the winning players and the related winning numbers, wherein the evaluation module (75) is configured for calculating the value of a payout associated to a winning player, which payout corresponds to a percentage of the jackpot being a function of the amount of times a winning number has come out and a function of the value resulting from the sum of that player's bets.
A system (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein said game interface (71) comprises:
a play module configured for showing visually and auditively said gaming zone and said players' bets, in remote; and

an input module configured for allowing players to bet online.
A system (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein said processing system (7) comprises a status module configured for setting at least one or more status parameters of the jackpot, being a function of the sequence/s as well as a function of the checks performed by the assessment and winning modules.
A system (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein said game interface (71) comprises a jackpot module configured for allowing players to receive said status parameters of the jackpot.
A method to play an on line live casino roulette game (21), with a human croupier (4), comprising the following steps:
detecting the number that comes out at each spin on the roulette (21) of a gaming table (2) placed in a gaming zone;

enabling one or more players to both view said gaming zone and to bet on-line via audio and/or video acquisition means and via a telecommunications network (5);

determining and evaluating wins of the roulette game (21) assigning them to each player;

increasing cyclically the value of at least one jackpot with a percentage of the values of said bets being added thereto;

verifying whether, in consecutive spins on the roulette (21), numbers comes out that appear at least in a winning sequence and whether at least one player has bet on all numbers of said winning sequence, thereby identifying players participating to the jackpot as well as respective winning numbers;

calculating the value of a payout associated to a winning player, which payout corresponds to a percentage of the jackpot chosen according to the respective winning sequence and according to the value of the sum resulting from that player's bets.
A method according to the preceding claim, comprising the step of associating, to each participating player, the sum of all relating bets on the winning numbers; wherein said value of a payout associated to a winning player is calculated also as a function of the value resulting from said sum of that player's bets.
A method according to the preceding claim further comprising the following steps:
checking whether the same numbers come out multiple times in consecutive spins on the roulette (21), and whether at least one player bet on at least one of said repeated numbers, thereby identifying the players who are participating to the jackpot as well as respective repeated numbers;

calculating how many times said repeated numbers came out;

associating to each repeated number the sum of all bets thereto related which were made by respective participant players;

checking for each participating player, which of his/her repeated numbers have been detected for a number of times higher than a winning threshold of the jackpot, thereby identifying the players who are participating to the jackpot; and

calculating the value of a payout associated to a winning player, corresponding to a percentage of the jackpot being a function of the amount of times the winning number came out and a function of the value resulting from the sum of that player's bets.
A computer program carrying out the steps of the method according to at least one of claims 8 to 10, when running on a processing system.