GB2395139A

GB2395139A - Roulette-based gaming apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2395139A
Application number: GB0226260A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Donald William Bursill
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-11-11
Filing date: 2002-11-11
Publication date: 2004-05-19
Also published as: GB0226260D0; WO2004043558A1; EP1572304A1; WO2004043558B1; AU2003301953A1

Abstract

A gaming apparatus comprises a gaming wheel 1 having a plurality of ball receiving locations into which a ball may come to rest and a plurality of balls, 3 a-c. A sensor arrangement 4 is operable to sense the presence of each of the ball 3a-c in any of the receiving locations. Preferably, the sensor arrangement 4 can distinguish between the balls 3a-c. This may be achieved by using optical sensors 5, the differentiation being based on visible differences or by differences in ultraviolet or infrared emission/reflection. Other possible sensor arrangements may be a reader to detect radio-frequency (RF) signals emitted by the balls or a weighing device, the balls being different weights. The game may be played at a remote terminal which allows the player to place bets on the game.

Description

23951 39

PATENTS ACT 1977

P 1 7078GB-LH/ATB/cg 5 "A Gaming Apparatus" THE PRESENT INVENTION to a gaming apparatus, and in particular concerns a variation on a roulettestyle game.

10 For many years, it has been customary for legalised gambling to take place in casinos. Typically, a casino will operate will operate a number of games, such as roulette or various card games, in which one or more players may take part and place bets on the outcome of the game. For instance, in the game of roulette, a spinnable wheel is provided, having a series of numbered l S slots. The wheel is set spinning and a ball placed within the wheel such that, when the wheel slows below a certain angular velocity, the ball falls into one of the slots and comes to rest. Prior to the spinning of the wheel, each individual playing the game places a bet on a numbered board, against the number corresponding to the numbered slot (or a group of slots) in which he or she 20 predicts that the ball will fall. If an individual's prediction is correct, and the bet is won, the individual is credited with an amount based on the amount of his original bet, and the type of bet that was placed.

The present invention provides a variation on this popular and well-

25 known game.

Accordingly, one aspect of the present invention provides a gaming apparatus comprising: a gaming wheel having a plurality of ball receiving locations into which a ball may come to rest; a plurality of balls; and a sensor

arrangement operable to sense the presence of each of the balls in any of the receiving locations.

Advantageously, the apparatus is operable to distinguish between the 5 balls.

Preferably, the sensor arrangement comprises at least one optical sensor, the apparatus being operable to distinguish between the balls on the basis of visible differences therebetween.

Conveniently, the sensor arrangement comprises at least one ultraviolet or infrared sensor operable to distinguish between the balls on the basis of differences in ultraviolet or infra red light emitted thereby.

15 Alternatively, the sensor arrangement comprises at least one reader operable to distinguish between the balls on the basis of signals emitted by the balls. Advantageously, the reader is a RF reader, the balls emitting differing 20 RF signals.

Alternatively, the sensor arrangement comprises at least one weight sensor, operable to distinguish between the balls on the basis of differing weights thereof.

Preferably, the gaming apparatus comprises a central processor and at least one remote terminal, information regarding the receiving locations in which each of the balls are received being transmitted to the remote terminal.

Conveniently, the remote terminal allows a user thereof to place bets on a game involving the gaming wheel.

5 In order that the present invention may be more readily understood, embodiments thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying Figure, which shows a gaming apparatus embodying the present invention.

10 Referring to the Figure, a roulette wheel 1 and associated bet board 2 are shown. The roulette wheel 1 is of conventional type, having 37 slots numbered between O and 36, and being spinnable around a central axis thereof.

The bet board 2, in common with conventional bet boards, is divided 15 into areas in which betters may place chips to indicate a bet on an outcome of the spinning of the roulette wheel. However, each of the normal areas is sub divided into three smaller areas, each of which is sufficiently large to accommodate a quantity of chips. The sub-division of the betting areas is explained in greater detail below.

Three roulette balls 3a, 3b, 3c are provided with the roulette wheel 1.

The balls 3a, 3b, 3c are respectively white, blue and yellow, and are of equal size and mass.

25 The gaming apparatus comprises a sensor arrangement 4. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the sensor arrangement 4 comprises three optical sensors 5 which are directed at the roulette wheel 1. Each of the optical sensors 5 is operable to detect the presence of one of the balls 3a, 3b, 3c, and in

particular to sense the presence of the particular ball in any one of the slots on the roulette wheel 1.

Information gathered by the optical sensors 5 is relayed to a central 5 processor 6. The central processor 6 is connected to a number of remote terminals 7, whose operation will be described in greater detail below, and the central processor 6 may also, or alternatively, comprise a connection to the Internet 8.

10 In use of the gaming apparatus, the roulette wheel 1 is set spinning, and each of the three balls 3a, 3b, 3c is placed on the spinning wheel 1 in the normal manner. The three balls 3a, 3b, 3c will ride around the roulette wheel 1 in the normal fashion, and will each come to rest in one of the numbered slots of the wheel 1.

Before the spinning of the wheel is commenced, betters in the vicinity of the roulette wheel 1 may place bets on the bet board 2, by placing chips on an appropriate area of the bet board 2. The sub-division of each of the conventional areas on the bet board is to accommodate the fact that three balls 20 3a, 3b, 3c are used. For instance, each of the normal betting areas may be divided into three sub-areas, one of which is yellow, one of which is blue, and the third of which is white. A better indicates that the chips placed in a betting area allocated to one of the numbered slots relate to the white ball by placing the chips in the white portion of the betting area.

Aside from the modification of the game to incorporate three balls 3a, 3b, 3c, the game of roulette proceeds in a conventional manner. It can be demonstrated that, for three balls, the probability of each ball coming to rest in any one slot is identical to the probability of a single ball, placed on the

roulette wheel in isolation coming to rest in that slot, and so a bet on any one ball carries the same odds as in a conventional roulette game. It is also envisaged that more complex bets might be placed, for instance by placing chips on the boundary between the blue and yellow portions of a betting area, 5 thereby betting that either the yellow or the blue ball will land in the designated slot. A skilled person will appreciate how appropriate odds may be calculated for such bets.

As described above, the three optical sensors 5 each detect the presence to of one of the balls 3a, 3b, 3c in one of the numbered slots, and pass this information to the cenka1 processor 6. The central processor 6 passes this information to a number of remote terminals 7, which are preferably arranged within the casino, ideally in locations where users of the remote terminals 7 may see the roulette wheel l and bet board 2.

The remote terminals 7 are operable to allow users thereof to place bets on the outcome of the game in progress at the roulette wheel 1. Before each spin of the roulette wheel 1, the user is prompted to enter bets using buttons, a track ball, a touch-screen or any other suitable method.

Payment for placing a bet may be made by inserting coins into the machine itself, by inserting a credit card or similar payment means, or by an account maintained by the casino. If the user wins a bet, the user's prize may be paid through coins dispensed by the remote terminal 7 or through an amount 25 credited to the account associated with the user's credit card, or to the account maintained by the casino.

The central processor 6 may also operate, between the remote terminals 7, a totaliser or "tote" betting system upon the progress of the game. Under this

system, the odds that are offered on a particular bet are varied, depending upon the behaviour of other betters.

For instance, if several people at respective remote terminals 7 place a 5 bet upon, say, the blue ball landing in the number 10 slot, the odds on this bet are accordingly shortened, and will be less than the normal 1/36, for instance 1/30 or 1/20 depending on the number of individuals who have bet on the blue ball landing in the number 10 slot.

10 Contrastingly, if no bets are placed on a particular outcome, the odds on that outcome will lengthen, so that a successful bet on this outcome results in higher winnings than would normally be paid under standard casino rules.

In general, under the tote system, betters bet into a common pool, and 15 the odds on any given outcome depend upon the manner in which other betters have placed bets, rather than upon odds fixed rigidly by the management of the casmo. Alternatively, or in addition to the remote terminals, the gaming 20 apparatus may comprise a connection to the Internet 8, allowing users to access the central processor 6 remotely from, for example, a home laptop or PC. Such users may be presented with a live video feed of the progress of the game of roulette, and be able to place bets on the progress of the game in much the same manner as the individuals using remote terminals 7 within the casino.

In the above-described embodiments, the three roulette balls 3a, 3b, 3c are distinguished from one another by a colour. However, any alternative suitable method of distinguishing between the roulette balls 3a, 3b, 3c may be employed. For instance, the balls could be provided with visible markings,

rather than being of a certain colour, as long as these markings may be distinguished by the sensor arrangement 4. Alternatively, the balls could be treated so that they appear different when viewed at ultraviolet or infrared wave lengths, with the sensors in the sensor arrangement 4 configured to detect these 5 wave lengths and distinguish between the balls.

Of course, the present invention is not limited to a sensor arrangement 4 comprising three sensors, and any number of sensors that allows the balls to be detected adequately may be used.

In another embodiment, the balls could contain RF tags, which may be passive or include a power source, and emit distinctive signals which can be detected by the sensor arrangement 4.

15 In the above embodiments that do not rely on visible markings, the balls may be visually identical to one another, and in these embodiments the betting areas on the bet board 2 may not be sub-divided, but bets may be placed and won if any of the three identical balls land in the slot upon which a better places a bet. A skilled person will readily be able to calculate appropriate odds to be 20 offered for such bets.

It will be appreciated that the present invention provides an entertaining variation on the well-known roulette game, as well as apparatus to allow the progress of the game to be followed remotely.

In the present specification "comprises" means "includes or consists of"

and "comprising" means "including or consisting of".

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following

claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any 5 combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A gaming apparatus comprising: a gaming wheel having a plurality of ball receiving locations into which 5 a ball may come to rest; a plurality of balls; and a sensor arrangement operable to sense the presence of each of the balls in any of the receiving locations.

10

2. A gaming apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the apparatus is

operable to distinguish between the balls.

3. A gaming apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein the sensor arrangement comprises at least one optical sensor, the apparatus being operable 15 to distinguish between the balls on the basis of visible differences therebetween.

4. A gaming apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein the sensor arrangement comprises at least one ultraviolet or infrared sensor operable to 20 distinguish between the balls on the basis of differences in ultraviolet or infra red light emitted thereby.

5. A gaming apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein the sensor arrangement comprises at least one reader operable to distinguish between the 25 balls on the basis of signals emitted by the balls.

6. A gaming apparatus according to Claim 4, wherein the reader is a RF reader, the balls emitting differing RF signals.

7. A gaming apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein the sensor arrangement comprises at least one weight sensor, operable to distinguish between the balls on the basis of differing weights thereof.

8. A gaming apparatus according to any preceding claim, comprising a central processor and at least one remote terminal, information regarding the receiving locations in which each of the balls are received being transmitted to the remote terminal.

9. A gaming apparatus according to Claim 8, wherein the remote terminal allows a user thereof to place bets on a game involving the gaming wheel.

l O. A gaming apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with l S reference to the accompanying figure.

Any novel feature or combination of features disclosed herein.