GB2117545A - Gaming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A fruit machine is provided with a randomly available facility whereby one or more of the reels can be moved at the end of a play to recall the symbol which was presented by the respective reel at the end of the immediately previous play or a play prior to the latter. The availability of the recall facility is visible at the front of the machine and the facility can be operated by a button or the like.

Description

SPECIFICATION Gaming apparatus This invention is concerned with gaming apparatus, i.e. apparatus for playing games of chance, one commonly known tupe of which is the fruit machine.

According to the present invention there is provided apparatus for playing a game of chance, said apparatus comprising a plurality of means each adapted to successively, in at least one direction, move a series of markings past a visible datum position, means for randomly determining, during each play of the apparatus, a stop position for each of the marking movement means so as to present one of the markings thereof at the datum position, and means for randomly enabling, after a respective play, movement of at least one of the marking movement means to the stop position which was presented on a previous play, so as to recall the previous marking to the datum position.

The previous play may be the immediately previous play or a play prior to the latter, with the previous play which is available after any one play being randomly determined.

Preferably the means enabling movement to a previous stop position is randomly available to more than one of the marking movement means after a respective play.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only.

A gaming machine may comprise a set of three or four reels, each of which has a plurality of symbols, usually representative of different kinds of fruit, equispaced around its peripheral edge. The reels are separately mounted to be rotatable relative to one another in a conventional fashion when the machine is operated and the stop positions of the reels may be randomly predetermined with means being provided for stopping the reels where desired. The combination of symbols visible through a window of the machine when the reels have stopped rotating determines whether or not the player should receive a prize.

Such a gaming machine can present a number of different play facilities which may be randomly available to the player, for example a 'gamble' facility where a player may elect to gamble after achieving a winning combination of symbols with a view to increasing the prize money, a 'hold' facility whereby the player may hold one or more reels stationary during a following play, and a 'nudge' facility whereby after a play the player may move one or more of the reels by one or more angular positions in an attempt to achieve a winning combination of symbols.

The apparatus according to the present invention provides a 'recall' facility which may be available by itself or in combination with any of other known facilities such as described above. The machine is programmed to offer the facility to the player after a randomly selected number of plays and the facility may be randomly available for one or more reels at any one time. When the recally facility is available, for example on one reel after a particular play, the facility may provide for the player to select return of the reel to the stop position of that reel in the play immediately prior to the play following which the facility became available, or the stop position at two or more plays previously. By pressing the appropriate button therefor, the player can recall a particular symbol to the combination, which determines whether a prize is to be awarded.

As an example, if after a particular play a three reel machine stops with a pay-out line combination of symbols such as orangeplum-orange, and the recall facility is available, on at least the centre reel, for the immediately preceding play, then if the player recalls that, on the preceding play, the centre reel has shown an orange, the player can press an appropriate button to recall the centre reel to the previous position and thereby complete a winning combination of symbols, orange-orange-orange.

It is envisaged that the machine will include details of the facility by suitable markings on a front panel with lamps behind the panel being switched at appropriate times to show when the facility is available. It will be appreciated that the game can provide for a random selection of the number of positions which can be recalled and which reel or reels have the facility at the end of any particular play. It will also be appreciated that the game can require skill and a good memory particularly when the game also includes such as a hold facility, which, on a random basis, can be available at the same time as the recall facility.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the invention. For example, although the game has been described in relation to a fruit machine, it will be appreciated that the recall facility can be made available on other types of games.

Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance, it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to whether or not particular emphasis has been place thereon.

1. Apparatus for playing a game of chance, said appartus comprising a plurality of movable means each adapted to succes

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (6)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Gaming apparatus This invention is concerned with gaming apparatus, i.e. apparatus for playing games of chance, one commonly known tupe of which is the fruit machine. According to the present invention there is provided apparatus for playing a game of chance, said apparatus comprising a plurality of means each adapted to successively, in at least one direction, move a series of markings past a visible datum position, means for randomly determining, during each play of the apparatus, a stop position for each of the marking movement means so as to present one of the markings thereof at the datum position, and means for randomly enabling, after a respective play, movement of at least one of the marking movement means to the stop position which was presented on a previous play, so as to recall the previous marking to the datum position. The previous play may be the immediately previous play or a play prior to the latter, with the previous play which is available after any one play being randomly determined. Preferably the means enabling movement to a previous stop position is randomly available to more than one of the marking movement means after a respective play. An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only. A gaming machine may comprise a set of three or four reels, each of which has a plurality of symbols, usually representative of different kinds of fruit, equispaced around its peripheral edge. The reels are separately mounted to be rotatable relative to one another in a conventional fashion when the machine is operated and the stop positions of the reels may be randomly predetermined with means being provided for stopping the reels where desired. The combination of symbols visible through a window of the machine when the reels have stopped rotating determines whether or not the player should receive a prize. Such a gaming machine can present a number of different play facilities which may be randomly available to the player, for example a 'gamble' facility where a player may elect to gamble after achieving a winning combination of symbols with a view to increasing the prize money, a 'hold' facility whereby the player may hold one or more reels stationary during a following play, and a 'nudge' facility whereby after a play the player may move one or more of the reels by one or more angular positions in an attempt to achieve a winning combination of symbols. The apparatus according to the present invention provides a 'recall' facility which may be available by itself or in combination with any of other known facilities such as described above. The machine is programmed to offer the facility to the player after a randomly selected number of plays and the facility may be randomly available for one or more reels at any one time. When the recally facility is available, for example on one reel after a particular play, the facility may provide for the player to select return of the reel to the stop position of that reel in the play immediately prior to the play following which the facility became available, or the stop position at two or more plays previously. By pressing the appropriate button therefor, the player can recall a particular symbol to the combination, which determines whether a prize is to be awarded. As an example, if after a particular play a three reel machine stops with a pay-out line combination of symbols such as orangeplum-orange, and the recall facility is available, on at least the centre reel, for the immediately preceding play, then if the player recalls that, on the preceding play, the centre reel has shown an orange, the player can press an appropriate button to recall the centre reel to the previous position and thereby complete a winning combination of symbols, orange-orange-orange. It is envisaged that the machine will include details of the facility by suitable markings on a front panel with lamps behind the panel being switched at appropriate times to show when the facility is available. It will be appreciated that the game can provide for a random selection of the number of positions which can be recalled and which reel or reels have the facility at the end of any particular play. It will also be appreciated that the game can require skill and a good memory particularly when the game also includes such as a hold facility, which, on a random basis, can be available at the same time as the recall facility. Various modifications may be made without departing from the invention. For example, although the game has been described in relation to a fruit machine, it will be appreciated that the recall facility can be made available on other types of games. Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance, it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to whether or not particular emphasis has been place thereon. CLAIMS

1. Apparatus for playing a game of chance, said appartus comprising a plurality of movable means each adapted to succes sively, in at least one direction, move a series of markings past a visible datum position, means for randomly determining, during each play of the apparatus, a stop position for each of the movable means so as to present one of the markings thereof at the datum position, and means for randomly enabling, after a respective play, further movement of at least one of the movable means to the stop position which was presented on a previous play, so as to recall the previous marking to the datum position.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the futher movement means enables the further movement to the stop position which was presented on the immediately previous play.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the further movement means enables the further movement to a stop position which was presented on a randomly selected one of a plurality of previous plays.

4. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the further movement means is randomly available to more than one of the symbol presentation means after a respective play.

5. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the futher movement means is operable from externally of the apparatus by a player, and a signal indicating the availability to operate the further movement means is visible from externally of the apparatus.

6. Apparatus for playing a game of chance, substantially as hereinbefore described.