U.S. patent application number 11/422398 was filed with the patent office on 2006-09-21 for methods and systems for facilitating play at a gaming device by means of third party offers.
Invention is credited to Magdalena M. Fincham, Scott T. Friesen, Geoffrey M. Gelman, James A. Jorasch, Russell P. Sammon, Stephen C. Tulley, Jay S. Walker.
Application Number | 20060211476 11/422398 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 26819256 |
Filed Date | 2006-09-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060211476 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Walker; Jay S. ; et
al. |
September 21, 2006 |
METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR FACILITATING PLAY AT A GAMING DEVICE BY
MEANS OF THIRD PARTY OFFERS
Abstract
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention an offer
is presented to a player (e.g., at a gaming device or a table game
in a casino). The offer defines a benefit to be provided in
exchange for the player's commitment to an obligation defined by
the offer. The offer may be provided once it is determined that a
condition of a gaming device satisfies a predetermined criterion.
The benefit defined by the offer may be provided to the player
and/or to one or more associated persons designated by the
player.
Inventors: |
Walker; Jay S.; (Ridgefield,
CT) ; Jorasch; James A.; (Stamford, CT) ;
Gelman; Geoffrey M.; (Stamford, CT) ; Tulley; Stephen
C.; (Fairfield, CT) ; Friesen; Scott T.;
(Stamford, CT) ; Sammon; Russell P.; (San
Francisco, CA) ; Fincham; Magdalena M.; (Norwalk,
CT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WALKER DIGITAL
2 HIGH RIDGE PARK
STAMFORD
CT
06905
US
|
Family ID: |
26819256 |
Appl. No.: |
11/422398 |
Filed: |
June 6, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
11378199 |
Mar 17, 2006 |
|
|
|
11422398 |
Jun 6, 2006 |
|
|
|
10121243 |
Apr 11, 2002 |
|
|
|
11378199 |
Mar 17, 2006 |
|
|
|
09521869 |
Mar 8, 2000 |
6390917 |
|
|
11378199 |
Mar 17, 2006 |
|
|
|
08769085 |
Dec 18, 1996 |
6186893 |
|
|
09521869 |
Mar 8, 2000 |
|
|
|
60283080 |
Apr 11, 2001 |
|
|
|
60283074 |
Apr 11, 2001 |
|
|
|
60283081 |
Apr 11, 2001 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
463/16 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G07F 17/3239 20130101;
G07F 17/32 20130101; G06Q 30/0209 20130101; G06Q 10/02 20130101;
G06Q 30/0613 20130101; G06Q 30/0207 20130101; G07F 17/3237
20130101; G06Q 30/0217 20130101; G07F 17/3244 20130101; G06Q 30/02
20130101; G07F 17/3227 20130101; A63F 13/12 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
463/016 |
International
Class: |
A63F 9/24 20060101
A63F009/24 |
Claims
1. A method comprising: identifying an occurrence of an event, the
event occurring at a gaming device; causing, in response to the
event, an offer to be presented to a player of the gaming device
wherein the offer defines a benefit to be provided in exchange for
the player's commitment to an obligation defined by the offer, and
wherein the offer is presented via the gaming device.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: causing the benefit
to be provided if an indication of an acceptance of the offer is
identified.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: causing a game the
player is playing at the gaming device to be paused while the offer
is presented to the player.
4-20. (canceled)
Description
[0001] This application is a continuation application of U.S.
application Ser. No. 10/121,243, filed Apr. 11, 2002 in the name of
Walker et al. and entitled METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR FACILITATING
PLAY AT A GAMING DEVICE BY MEANS OF THIRD PARTY OFFERS,
[0002] which application: [0003] (a) claims the benefit of
provisional patent application (i) Ser. No. 60/283,080, filed Apr.
11, 2001, entitled "PREVENTING UNDETECTED SUBSTITUTION AT SLOT
MACHINES"; (ii) Ser. No. 60/283,074, filed Apr. 11, 2001, entitled
"CROSS SUBSIDY SLOT MACHINES"; and (iii) Ser. No. 60/283,081, filed
Apr. 11, 2001, entitled "WIN COMPS FOR FRIENDS"; and [0004] (b) is
a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser.
No. 09/521,869, entitled SLOT MACHINE ADVERTISING/SALES SYSTEM AND
METHOD, filed Mar. 8, 2000 in the name of Walker et al., which is a
continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No.
08/769,085, entitled SLOT MACHINE ADVERTISING/SALES SYSTEM AND
METHOD, filed Dec. 18, 1996 in the name of Walker et al. and issued
Feb. 13, 2001 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,186,893.
[0005] The content of each of the above applications is
incorporated by reference herein for all purposes.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0006] This application is related to the following co-pending U.S.
Patent Applications:
[0007] U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/120,529, entitled
"METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OFFERING FORWARD COMMITMENT AGREEMENTS",
filed Apr. 10, 2002 in the name of Walker et al.;
[0008] U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/112,712, entitled
"SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ADVERTISING/SALES AT A GAMING DEVICE", filed
Mar. 29, 2002 in the name of Walker et al., and issued as U.S. Pat.
No. 6,890,256 on May 10, 2005.
[0009] The content of the above is incorporated by reference herein
for all purposes.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for
operating gaming devices. More specifically, the present invention
relates to the provision, at a gaming device, of offers that define
a benefit in exchange for a commitment to an obligation.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0011] Gaming devices such as slot machines generate billions of
dollars of revenue per year for casinos located in the United
States and other countries. Typically, a casino generates well over
half of its revenue from gaming devices. The profit a casino
realizes from a player playing at a gaming device tends to increase
as the duration of the player's play session at the gaming device
increases. Accordingly, casinos are acutely interested in
increasing the duration of a player's play session at a gaming
device. Unfortunately most players who play a gaming device have
limited funds or a fixed budget, which tends to limit the duration
of the play session. Most players would welcome the opportunity to
increase the amount of funds they have available for playing the
gaming device and/or to offset any losses they may have incurred
while playing the gaming device. Further, a player's attention is
typically focused on the gaming device the player is playing,
making the player susceptible to respond to any offers that may be
presented to the player via the gaming device.
[0012] The acquisition of new customers and the inducement of the
return of previous customers is a key concern for most businesses.
Businesses tend to set a monetary budget to be spent on the
achievement of these goals. This budget is typically spent on
advertising of the business to potential customers. However, the
effectiveness of most advertising (even targeted advertising) is
less than ideal. This is partly due to the fact that most people
are typically bombarded with a multitude of advertisements for a
variety of businesses at any given time. Adding to the lack of
satisfactory effectiveness of conventional advertising is the fact
that many people are presented with advertisements at a time when
they are not sufficiently motivated to act on the advertisement
(e.g. by purchasing the product or visiting the merchant being
advertised). Further, even if the viewer of the advertisement is
interested in the subject of the advertisement, the viewer tends to
get distracted and forget about acting on the advertisement as time
passes. Thus a need exists for an improved method for businesses to
acquire new customer and/or induce the return of previous
customers.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 comprises a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary
process according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0014] FIG. 2A is a block diagram of an embodiment of a system
consistent with the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 2B is a block diagram of another embodiment of a system
consistent with the present invention;
[0016] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a gaming
device;
[0017] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a
controller;
[0018] FIG. 5 is a table illustrating an exemplary data structure
of a player database;
[0019] FIG. 6 is a table illustrating an exemplary data structure
of an associated person database;
[0020] FIG. 7 is a table illustrating an exemplary data structure
of an offer database;
[0021] FIG. 8 is a table illustrating an exemplary data structure
of a play session database;
[0022] FIG. 9 is a table illustrating an exemplary data structure
of a subsidizing event database;
[0023] FIG. 10 is a table illustrating an exemplary data structure
of an accepted offer tracking database; and
[0024] FIGS. 11A and 11B comprise a flow diagram illustrating an
exemplary process according to an embodiment of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
1. Introduction
[0025] In accordance with embodiments of the present invention a
player of a gaming device or table game in a casino environment is
provided with an offer. The offer defines a benefit to be provided
in exchange for the player's commitment to an obligation. An
example of a benefit is a number of coins dropped into a coin tray
of a gaming device the player is playing when presented with the
offer. An example of an obligation the player need commit to in
order to obtain a benefit is filling out an application for a
credit card from a credit card issuer. The offer is subsidized by a
subsidizing entity (e.g., a credit card issuer in the above
example). The offer may be presented to the player upon the
occurrence of a predefined event or condition (e.g., when the
credit balance of the gaming device the player is playing reaches
zero). Once it is determined that the player has agreed to commit
to the obligation defined by the presented offer (e.g., the player
has accepted the offer by touching a specified area of a touch
screen associated with the gaming device) the benefit may be
provided to the player. In other embodiments the benefit may not be
provided to the player until the player fulfills the
obligation.
[0026] Applicants have recognized that a need exists for systems
and methods that help merchants and other entities facilitate
automated sales, acquire new customers, entice the return of
previous customers, and establish relationships with customers. One
benefit of embodiments of the present invention is that they allow
a merchant's customer acquisition budget to be used for direct
acquisitions, rather than for uncertain advertising campaigns. The
present invention also reduces the dependency on labor in acquiring
and selling to customers. In other words, using the present
invention, merchants have an alternative to retaining and training
sales staff to acquire and sell to customers.
[0027] Another benefit of embodiments of the present invention is
that it allows the offer of an obligation and a corresponding
benefit at a time when a potential customer/player of a gaming
device may be particularly motivated to accept the benefit and/or
commit to the obligation. Yet another benefit of embodiments of the
present invention is that the potential customer/player of a gaming
device receives an immediate, tangible benefit at a time when he
may most need it.
[0028] The present invention may be more fully understood with
reference to the following drawings. In the following description,
reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part
hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration, specific
embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These
embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those
skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be
understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that
structural, logical and electrical changes may be made without
departing from the scope of the present invention. The following
description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limited sense but
as an illustration of embodiments of the present invention. For
example, although many of the embodiments are illustrated herein as
involving a gaming device, a gaming device is not necessary for the
implementation of the present invention. For example, offers of the
present invention may be presented to a player of a table game in a
casino. In such an embodiment the offers may be presented to a
player via a screen or microphone associated with the table game or
via a verbal presentation from a dealer or other casino
employee.
[0029] It should be noted that in the description herein the term
"gaming device" shall refer to any gaming machine, including a slot
machine, a video lottery terminal, a video poker machine, a video
bingo machine, a video keno machine, a video blackjack machine,
etc. that is capable of dispensing value in the form of cash and/or
gambling tokens. Gaming devices may or may not be owned by a casino
and/or may or may not exist within a casino.
[0030] The term "casino" shall refer to the owner of gaming
devices, owners' agents, an owner or operator of an online
"virtual" casino, owner, distributor or developer of software that
simulates a casino and/or any entity who may profit from players'
use of the gaming devices.
[0031] Referring now to FIG. 1, a flow diagram illustrates an
exemplary process 100 according to an embodiment of the present
invention. The process 100 begins when an event is identified at a
gaming device (step 105). The event may be identified by the gaming
device itself or by a controller in communication with the gaming
device. Events and other conditions that may trigger an output of
an offer are described in detail below. Once the event is
identified, an offer is output to a player of the gaming device
(step 110). The offer defines a benefit to be provided to a player
as well as an obligation the player must commit to in exchange for
obtaining the benefit. Benefits and obligations are described in
more detail below. An offer may be presented to a player by, for
example, pausing a game the player is currently playing at the
gaming device and visually and/or audibly presenting the offer to
the player during the pause. For example, a visual presentation of
the offer may be presented to the player via a screen that is also
used to present game outcomes to the player. In other embodiments a
visual presentation may be presented to a player via a screen other
than the screen used to present game outcomes to a player.
[0032] If it is determined that the player has accepted the offer
(step 115) the benefit defined by the offer is provided to the
player (e.g., coins are dropped into the coin tray of the gaming
device) and an indication of the player's commitment to the
obligation is stored (step 120). In some embodiments the benefit
may not be provided to the player until the player actually
fulfills the obligation. An indication of the player's commitment
may be stored in a database for use in, for example, determining
whether the player has fulfilled the obligation in a satisfactory
manner (e.g., within a specified period of time) and/or whether a
penalty should be assessed to the player if the player fails to
fulfill the obligation. An indication of a player's commitment to
an offer may also be stored for future reference regarding, for
example, what types of commitment are accepted by players in
general and/or by this particular player.
[0033] A player may signal an acceptance of the offer in various
ways. For example, a player may touch an area of a touch screen
labeled "accept" or actuate an acceptance button on the gaming
device. In other embodiments the player may signal acceptance by
beginning to fulfill the obligation (e.g., if the obligation is to
answer a set of survey questions). If an acceptance of the offer is
not received (or a rejection of the offer is received) the
resumption of play at the gaming device may be caused (step 125).
In other embodiments the resumption of play by the player may
signal a rejection of the offer. In some embodiments a second offer
or the first offer in an altered form may be presented to the
player. Various other embodiments of the present invention are
described below. An example of an implementation of the present
invention follows:
[0034] John, a loyal player of the "lucky slots" game in "good
times" casino, sits down at a slot machine and inserts his player
tracking card. The slot machine reads the player identifier on the
player tracking card and communicates it to a slot server. John
inserts $20.00 into the slot machine and begins play of the slot
machine. The slot machine begins to monitor John's playing session
for the occurrence of one of a plurality of predetermined offer
criteria that are stored in the slot machine's memory. One of the
stored offer criteria is a decrease of the player's balance to
below $3.00, which is the maximum wager amount for this slot
machine. After John has played for some time, the slot machine
determines that John's balance has decreased to $2.00, which is
below the $3.00 threshold. Accordingly, the slot machine
communicates with the slot server to signal the occurrence of this
predetermined offer criterion. The slot server retrieves an offer
that corresponds to this offer criterion and communicates the offer
to the slot machine. The slot machine outputs the offer to John:
"John, if you agree to view an advertisement from American
Express.TM. and answer three questions about it, we'll add nine
credits to your credit meter. That's enough for three chances to
win the top jackpot!". John accepts the offer, listens to the
advertisement, answers the questions (thus fulfilling his
obligation) and nine credits are accordingly added to his credit
meter. While using those nine credits John ends up winning a $40
payout. Several weeks later, partly due to learning more about
American Express.TM. charge cards through the advertisement, John
applies for an American Express.TM. card.
2. Description of System
[0035] Referring now to FIG. 2A, a system 200 according to an
embodiment of the present invention includes a controller 210 that
is in communication with (wired and/or wirelessly) one or more
gaming devices 220 via a network such as an intranet, the Internet,
via another network protocol, or via other means for communication
as would be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art.
Although only three gaming devices 220 are depicted in FIG. 2A, any
number of gaming devices may be in communication with the
controller 210. The controller 210 and/or gaming devices 220 may
comprise one or more computing devices, such as those based on the
Intel.RTM. Pentium.RTM. processor.
[0036] In operation, the controller 210 may function under the
control of a merchant or other entity that may also control the
gaming devices 220. For example, the controller 210 may be a slot
server in a casino's gaming device network. In some embodiments,
some or all of the functions described herein as being performed by
the controller 210 may be performed by any or all of the gaming
devices 220. Similarly, in some embodiments of the present
invention, some or all of the functions described herein as being
performed by one or more of the gaming devices 220 may be performed
by controller 210.
[0037] Referring now to FIG. 2A, a system 200 according to another
embodiment of the present invention includes a primary controller
260 that is in communication with (wired and/or wirelessly) a
secondary controller 270 and a secondary controller 280. Although
only two secondary controllers are illustrated in FIG. 2A it should
be understood that any number of secondary controllers may be used.
Secondary controller 270 is in communication with gaming devices
275. Secondary controller 280 is in communication with gaming
devices 285. It should be understood that secondary controller 270
and secondary controller 280 may be in communication with any
number of gaming devices. Each of the devices of FIG. 2A are in
communication with one another via a network such as an intranet,
the Internet, via another network protocol, or via other means for
communication as would be understood by those of ordinary skill in
the art.
[0038] In some embodiments, some or all of the functions described
herein as being performed by the primary controller 260 may be
performed by either or both of the secondary controllers 270 and
280. Similarly, in some embodiments of the present invention, some
or all of the functions described herein as being performed by one
or more of the secondary controllers 270 and 280 may be performed
by the primary controller 260.
[0039] A difference between the two alternative embodiments
depicted in FIGS. 2A and 2B is that the embodiment of FIG. 2B
includes the primary controller 260 being in communication with
secondary controller 270 and secondary controller 280 rather than
being in communication with any of the gaming devices. Of course in
other embodiments the primary controller may be in communication
with any or all of the gaming devices 275 and 285 in addition to
being in communication with secondary controller 270 and secondary
controller 280. Primary controller 260 may be operable by an entity
both distinct and physically remote from the entity operating the
secondary controller 270 and secondary controller 280. The primary
controller 260 may perform the methods of the present invention by
sending signals to the secondary controller 270 and secondary
controller 280 to be relayed to the gaming devices 275 and the
gaming devices 285, respectively. For example, a gaming device
manufacturer or a subsidizing entity may operate a primary
controller 260 that communicates with a slot server (functioning as
a secondary controller 270 and/or secondary controller 280) to
provide a player playing a slot machine (functioning as any of the
gaming devices 275 and/or gaming devices 285) one or more benefits
in exchange for the player's commitment to an obligation. In one
embodiment of the system illustrated in FIG. 2A, the functions of
the primary controller 260 are consolidated into the controller
210. In some embodiments, the secondary controller 270 and
secondary controller 280 may each be controlled by different
casinos or by different locations of the same casino chain.
[0040] Referring now to both FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B, communication
with the controller 210, the primary controller 260, and/or either
of the secondary controllers 270 and 280 may be direct or indirect.
For example, communication may be via a wired or wireless intranet,
the Internet through a Web site maintained by controller 210, the
primary controller 260, and/or either of the secondary controllers
270 and 280, on a remote server or via an on-line data network
including commercial on-line service providers, bulletin board
systems and the like. In some embodiments, the gaming devices 220
may communicate with controller 210 (and the gaming devices 275 and
285 may communicate with secondary controller 270 and 280,
respectively) over radio frequency ("RF"), infrared ("IR"), cable
TV, satellite links and the like, including combinations
thereof.
[0041] Those skilled in the art will understand that devices in
communication with each other need not be continually transmitting
to each other. On the contrary, such devices need only transmit to
each other as necessary, and may actually refrain from exchanging
data most of the time. For example, a device in communication with
another device via the Internet may not transmit data to the other
device for weeks at a time.
[0042] The controller 210, the primary controller 260, and/or
either of the secondary controllers 270 and 280 may function as a
"Web server" that generates Web pages (documents on the Web that
typically include an HTML file and associated graphics and script
files). Such Web pages may be accessed via the Web and allow
communication with the controller 210, the primary controller 260,
and/or either of the secondary controllers 270 and 280 in a manner
known in the art. The controller 210, the primary controller 260,
and/or either of the secondary controllers 270 and 280 may function
in such a capacity, for example, in embodiments wherein the casino
comprises an online virtual casino. Those of skill in the art will
understand that there are a variety of well-known ways for creating
and operating Web pages, and accordingly a detailed description of
such known processes is omitted here for clarity.
[0043] Any or all of the controller 210, the primary controller
260, and/or either of the secondary controllers 270 and 280 and the
gaming devices 220, 275, and 285 may comprise, e.g., a conventional
personal computer, a portable type of computer, such as a laptop
computer, a palm-top computer, a hand-held computer, or a Personal
Digital Assistant (PDA), or combinations thereof.
[0044] In operation, the gaming devices 220, 275 and 285 may
exchange information about a player with the controller 210, the
primary controller 260, and/or the secondary controllers 270 and
280. The gaming devices 220, 275, and 285 may also exchange
information about an offer provided to or accepted by a player with
the controller 210, primary controller 260, and/or secondary
controllers 270 and 280. The controller 210, the primary controller
260, and/or the secondary controllers 270 and 280 may for example,
provide rules related to offering benefits or other information to
the gaming devices 220, 275 and 285. The gaming devices 220, 275,
and 285 may, for example, provide player obligation information
and/or play session information to the controller 210, the primary
controller 260, and/or the secondary controllers 270 and 280. The
secondary controllers 270 and 280 may provide information about
accepted offers to the primary controller 260 and also control
signals to the gaming devices 220, 275, and 285 directing them to
output benefits to players.
[0045] Referring now to FIG. 3, depicted therein is a block diagram
illustrating details of an example of gaming device 300. Gaming
device 300 may be any and all of gaming devices 220, 275 and 285. A
gaming device may comprise any gaming machine wherein a player
obtains a game result in exchange for a monetary or other
consideration. A gaming device may comprise, for example, including
slot machines, video poker machines, video bingo machines, video
keno machines, video blackjack machines, etc. that is capable of
dispensing value in the form of cash and/or gambling tokens. Gaming
devices may or may not be owned by a casino and/or may or may not
be located within a brick-and-mortar casino. For example, in an
embodiment wherein a casino comprises a virtual online casino or
software which simulates a virtual casino, gaming device 300 may
comprise a personal computer or other computing device operable to
run a program that simulates the functions of the components of a
gaming device as described herein.
[0046] For illustrative purposes, FIG. 3 depicts an example of a
gaming device that comprises a slot machine or a video poker
machine. As would be understood by one skilled in the art, if other
gaming devices are used additional or substitute components may be
included in gaming device 300. The gaming device 300 includes known
hardware components, such as a processor 305 which may be any
commonly available microprocessing chip such as the microprocessors
manufactured by Intel, and marketed under the trademark "Pentium".
Processor 305 is shown as being in communication with each of (i) a
data storage device 310, (ii) an output device 315, (iii) a
communications port 320, (iv) a random number generator 325, and
(v) a player input/output device 330. Processor 305 can be in
communication with the data storage device 310, output device 315,
communications port 320, random number generator 325 and customer
input device 330, for example, by means of a shared data bus or by
dedicated connections, as is well known in the art. Furthermore,
processor 305 may be embodied as a single processor or a number of
processors. Gaming device 300 may comprise additional conventional
components such as, for example, RAM, ROM, a hopper and hopper
controller, a payment system module, and a starting controller.
[0047] The processor 305 may include or be coupled to one or more
clocks or timers (not pictured), which may be useful for
determining information relating to, for example, whether an
obligation is fulfilled within a specified time. The processor 305
may also include or be in communication with one or more
communication ports 320 through which the processor 305
communicates with other devices controller 210, primary controller
260, and/or secondary controllers 270 and 280. The processor 305 is
also in communication with a data storage device 310. The data
storage device 310 includes an appropriate combination of magnetic,
optical and/or semiconductor memory, and may include, for example,
additional processors, communication ports, Random Access Memory
("RAM"), Read-Only Memory ("ROM"), a compact disc and/or a hard
disk. The processor 305 and the storage device 310 may each be, for
example: (i) located entirely within a single computer or other
computing device; or (ii) connected to each other by a remote
communication medium, such as a serial port cable, a LAN, a
telephone line, radio frequency transceiver, a fiber optic
connection or the like. In some embodiments for example, the gaming
device 300 may comprise one or more computers (or processors 305)
that are connected to a remote server computer operative to
maintain databases, where the data storage device 310 is comprised
of the combination of the remote server computer and the associated
databases.
[0048] The data storage device 310 stores a program 335 for
controlling the processor 305. The processor 305 performs
instructions of the program 335, and thereby operates in accordance
with the present invention, and particularly in accordance with the
methods described in detail herein. The present invention can be
embodied as a computer program developed using an object oriented
language that allows the modeling of complex systems with modular
objects to create abstractions that are representative of real
world, physical objects and their interrelationships. However, it
would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the
invention as described herein can be implemented in many different
ways using a wide range of programming techniques as well as
general purpose hardware systems or dedicated controllers. The
program 335 may be stored in a compressed, uncompiled and/or
encrypted format. The program 335 furthermore may include program
elements that may be generally useful, such as an operating system,
a database management system and "device drivers" for allowing the
processor 305 to interface with computer peripheral devices.
Appropriate general purpose program elements are known to those
skilled in the art, and need not be described in detail herein.
[0049] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the
instructions of the program 335 may be read into a main memory of
the processor 305 from another computer-readable medium, such from
a ROM to a RAM. Execution of sequences of the instructions in the
program 335 causes processor 305 to perform the process steps
described herein. In alternative embodiments, hard-wired circuitry
or integrated circuits may be used in place of, or in combination
with, software instructions for implementation of the processes of
the present invention. Thus, embodiments of the present invention
are not limited to any specific combination of hardware, firmware,
and/or software. In addition to the program 335, the storage device
310 may also be operative to store a payout table and a probability
table.
[0050] Communications port 320 may be any input/output port
commonly used for computer communications, such as a modem or other
data transfer device. The communications port 320 enables the
gaming device 300 to communicate with another device such as, for
example, controller 210. It is also contemplated that the gaming
device 300 may be in communication with other devices via the
communications port 320. Among other functions, the communications
port 320, under the control of the processor 305, may transmit data
such as player tracking information received through the player
input/output device 330, described below. The communications port
320 may also receive and/or transmit data relevant to providing an
offer to a player that is interacting with the gaming device 300.
The communications port 320 may include multiple communication
channels for simultaneous connections with a plurality of external
devices.
[0051] The input/output device 330 includes a card reader/writer
350 for reading player identification information stored, for
example, on a player tracking card (not shown), which is preferably
encoded with information to identify the player, in a known manner.
The card reader/writer 350 may also be capable of writing data to a
player tracking card. The player input/output device 330 may also
include a display 355, having an associated player interface, such
as a numeric keypad 360 for entry of player information (e.g. a
security phrase utilized to confirm that the player at the gaming
device corresponds to the player associated with a player tracking
card inserted into the gaming device). The player input/output
device 330 may be embodied, for example, as the Mastercom.RTM.
device, commercially available from Bally Manufacturing.RTM..
Tracking individual players may be useful in rewarding players for
participating in or causing particular events and/or in motivating
players to participate in or cause such events.
[0052] Random number generator 325 may be, for example, an
electronic pseudo-random number generator, as known to those who
are skilled in the art, which determines a random number from a
random electrical event or combination of events. Processor 305 may
initiate the random number generator 325 to generate a random
number and transmit such number to processor 305 once the processor
305 detects that a player has initiated a round of play on the
gaming device (e.g. once the processor 305 detects that a player
has pulled the handle of a slot machine). The processor 305 may
then look up the generated random number in an appropriate field of
a probability table, and retrieve the corresponding reel
combination, or an individual game result for display to a player.
The processor 305 may further consult a payout table to determine
what, if any, payout corresponds to the game result. If a payout is
due, then an appropriate number of credits may be added to a credit
meter (not shown) of gaming device 300.
[0053] The output device 315 may comprise any device capable of
providing information and/or a benefit to a player (it should be
noted that in some embodiments of the present invention a benefit
may comprise information). An output device may communicate with or
be part of another device (e.g. a benefit dispensing device).
Possible output devices include: a cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor,
liquid crystal display (LCD) screen, light emitting diode (LED)
screen, a printer, an audio speaker, an infra-red transmitter, and
a radio transmitter. In embodiments wherein the output device 315
also functions as a benefit dispensing device, the output device
315 may comprise any device capable of providing a benefit such as:
dispensing money and/or casino tokens; dispensing a product of
value (e.g. a ticket to a show in a casino); printing a
confirmation of a benefit (e.g. a receipt confirming reservations
at a casino hotel or restaurant); and/or printing or otherwise
outputting cashless gaming receipts. In some embodiments output
device 315 may comprise a printing device capable of printing a
written agreement describing an offer that a player was presented
with and/or accepted. It should be noted that although output
device 315 is depicted as a component of gaming device 300, in some
embodiments output device 315 may comprise an output device that is
external to the gaming device 300 (e.g. located near gaming device
300).
[0054] Referring now to FIG. 4, depicted therein is a block diagram
illustrating details of an example of a controller 400. Controller
400 may be controller 210 of FIG. 2A, and/or the primary controller
260 and the secondary controllers 270 and 280 of FIG. 2B. The
controller 400 is operative to manage the system and execute the
methods of the present invention. The controller 400 may be
implemented as one or more system controllers, one or more
dedicated hardware circuits, one or more appropriately programmed
general purpose computers, or any other similar electronic,
mechanical, electromechanical, and/or human operated device.
[0055] The controller 400 may include a processor 405, such as one
or more Intel.RTM. Pentium.RTM. processors. The processor 405 may
include or be coupled to one or more clocks or timers (not
pictured), which may be useful for determining information relating
to, for example, whether an obligation is fulfilled within a
specified time. The processor 405 may also include or be in
communication with and one or more communication ports 410 through
which the processor 405 communicates with other devices such as the
gaming devices 220, 275, and 285. The processor 405 is also in
communication with a data storage device 415. The data storage
device 415 includes an appropriate combination of magnetic, optical
and/or semiconductor memory, and may include, for example,
additional processors, communication ports, Random Access Memory
("RAM"), Read-Only Memory ("ROM"), a compact disc and/or a hard
disk. The processor 405 and the storage device 415 may each be, for
example: (i) located entirely within a single computer or other
computing device; or (ii) connected to each other by a remote
communication medium, such as a serial port cable, a LAN, a
telephone line, radio frequency transceiver, a fiber optic
connection or the like. In some embodiments for example, the
controller 400 may comprise one or more computers (or processors
405) that are connected to a remote server computer operative to
maintain databases, where the data storage device 415 is comprised
of the combination of the remote server computer and the associated
databases.
[0056] The data storage device 415 stores a program 420 for
controlling the processor 405. The processor 405 performs
instructions of the program 420, and thereby operates in accordance
with the present invention, and particularly in accordance with the
methods described in detail herein. The present invention can be
embodied as a computer program developed using an object oriented
language that allows the modeling of complex systems with modular
objects to create abstractions that are representative of real
world, physical objects and their interrelationships. However, it
would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the
invention as described herein can be implemented in many different
ways using a wide range of programming techniques as well as
general purpose hardware systems or dedicated controllers. The
program 420 may be stored in a compressed, uncompiled and/or
encrypted format. The program 420 furthermore may include program
elements that may be generally useful, such as an operating system,
a database management system and "device drivers" for allowing the
processor 405 to interface with computer peripheral devices.
Appropriate general purpose program elements are known to those
skilled in the art, and need not be described in detail herein.
[0057] Further, the program 420 is operative to execute a number of
invention-specific modules or subroutines including but not limited
to one or more routines to identify a player at a gaming device as
a potential candidate to be provided with an offer; one or more
routines to receive information about a player; one or more
routines to provide an offer or cause an offer to be provided to a
player; one or more routines to determine if a player accepts an
offer; one or more routines to signal gaming devices 220, 275
and/or 285 to output a benefit to a player; one or more routines to
verify a player's fulfillment of an obligation that was the subject
of an offer which the player accepted; one or more routines to
impose a consequence upon a player who fails to fulfill an
obligation; and one or more routines to control databases or
software objects that track information regarding, for example,
players, subsidizing entities, persons associated with players,
gaming devices 220, 275 and 285, offers, and fulfillment of
obligations. Examples of these routines and their operation are
described in detail below in conjunction with the flow
diagrams.
[0058] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the
instructions of the program 420 may be read into a main memory of
the processor 405 from another computer-readable medium, such from
a ROM to a RAM. Execution of sequences of the instructions in the
program 420 causes processor 405 to perform the process steps
described herein. In alternative embodiments, hard-wired circuitry
or integrated circuits may be used in place of, or in combination
with, software instructions for implementation of the processes of
the present invention. Thus, embodiments of the present invention
are not limited to any specific combination of hardware, firmware,
and/or software.
[0059] In addition to the program 420, the storage device 415 is
also operative to store (i) a player database 425, (ii) an
associated person database 430, (iii) an available offers database
435, (iv) a play session database 440, (v) a subsidizing entity
database 445, and (vi) an accepted offer tracking database 450. The
databases 425, 430, 435, 440, 445, and 450 are described in detail
below and example structures are depicted with sample entries in
the accompanying figures. As will be understood by those skilled in
the art, the schematic illustrations and accompanying descriptions
of the sample databases presented herein are exemplary arrangements
for stored representations of information. Any number of other
arrangements may be employed besides those suggested by the tables
shown. For example, even though six separate databases are
illustrated, the invention could be practiced effectively using
one, two, three, four, five, seven, or more functionally equivalent
databases. Similarly, the illustrated entries of the databases
represent exemplary information only; those skilled in the art will
understand that the number and content of the entries can be
different from those illustrated herein. Further, despite the
depiction of the databases as tables, an object based model could
be used to store and manipulate the data types of the present
invention and likewise, object methods or behaviors can be used to
implement the processes of the present invention. These processes
are described below in detail with respect to the flow
diagrams.
3. Description of Databases
Player Database
[0060] Referring to FIG. 5, a table represents the player database
425 that may be stored at the controller 210, primary controller
260 or one or more of the secondary controllers 270 and 280
according to some embodiments of the present invention. According
to another embodiment, some or all of the information in the player
database 425 may be stored at one or more of the gaming devices
220, 275, and 285 instead. According to yet another embodiment,
some or all of the information in the player database may be stored
on each individual player's player tracking card. The table
includes entries identifying players who may operate a gaming
device in a casino. The table defines fields 502, 504, 506, 508,
510, 512, 512, 514, 516, 518, and 520 for each of the entries. The
fields specify: a player identifier 502; a player name 504; a
financial account identifier 506; an associated person identifier
508; a security phrase 510; demographic information 512;
theoretical win 514; actual win/[loss] 516; comp points 518; and
average wager amount 520.
[0061] The information in the player database 425 may be created
and updated, for example, based on information received from a
player. For example, the information may be created when a player
registers with a casino and receives a player tracking card encoded
with the player identifier. The information may be subsequently
updated when a player requests to update the information (e.g. when
a player indicates a desire to add an associated person) or when
additional information is obtained about the player via the
casino's interactions with the player (e.g. the lifetime
theoretical win may be updated on an ongoing basis as the player
plays games at a casino).
[0062] The player identifier 502 may be, for example, an
alphanumeric code associated with a player who may operate a gaming
device or play a table game at a casino. The player identifier 502
may be generated or selected, for example, by the controller 210 or
by the player (e.g., when a player first registers with a casino).
For each player, the player database 425 may also store the
player's name 504 (e.g., for use in presenting offers to the
player).
[0063] The player database 425 also stores a financial account
identifier 506 (e.g., a credit card account number, a debit card
account number, a checking account number, or digital payment
protocol information) associated with the player. The financial
account identifier 506 may be used, for example, to credit a
payment to the player (e.g. wherein a benefit offered to the player
comprises a monetary amount) and/or to apply a penalty to a player
if he or she does not satisfy an obligation defined by an offer
accepted by the player. The financial account identifier 506 may
also be used to charge a monetary amount to the account wherein the
monetary amount is based on a value of a benefit provided, in an
embodiment where the player is provided the benefit before
satisfying an obligation and subsequently does not satisfy the
obligation.
[0064] The player database 425 also stores an associated person
identifier 508 (e.g., an alphanumeric string of digits) that
identifies a person designated by the corresponding player as a
person that may receive a benefit defined by an offer accepted by
the player. In some embodiments of the present invention a person
other than the player that accepts an offer may be provided with
the benefit defined by the offer. In such embodiments the benefit
defined by an offer that is accepted by the player is provided to
the associated person rather than to the player. The benefit may be
provided, for example, before or after the player satisfies the
obligation defined by the offer corresponding to the benefit. The
associated person identifier 508 may be generated or selected by,
e.g. the controller 210, and/or the player. The associated person
identifier 508 may comprise, for example, a name or social security
number of the associated person. It should be noted that more than
one associated person may be designated by a player. Embodiments
wherein the player may designate one or more associated persons to
received benefits is discussed in more detail below, with respect
to FIG. 6 (associated persons database 430).
[0065] The player database 425 also stores a security phrase 510.
The security phrase 510 may be generated or selected by, e.g., the
controller 210, and/or the player. The security phrase may be used,
e.g., to verify that the player operating a gaming device and being
presented with an offer is the player associated with the player
identifier and player tracking card inserted into the gaming
device. Verifying a player's identity before allowing a player to
accept an offer may be particularly important in embodiments where
an offer identifies a penalty that is to be applied to the
financial account associated with the player identifier of a player
tracking card inserted into the gaming device.
[0066] For example, a situation may occur where a player inserts
his player tracking card into a gaming device and subsequently
walks away from the gaming device while forgetting to remove the
player tracking card. In this example a subsequent player may begin
operating the gaming device without realizing that another player's
player tracking card is inserted into the gaming device. The
subsequent player may be presented with an offer (e.g., where the
offer is selected based on information corresponding to the player
identifier of the player tracking card still inserted into the
gaming device as stored in the player database 425). In accordance
with some embodiments a player need only indicate an acceptance of
the offer at the gaming device without providing additional
information to the gaming device. In such embodiments the accepted
offer may be stored in the accepted offers tracking database 450
(described in detail below with respect to FIG. 10) in associated
with information about the player retrieved from the player
database 425 based on the player identifier. In such embodiments,
the acceptance by the subsequent player of an offer may result in
the acceptance of the offer being stored in the accepted offers
database 450 in association with the player identifier of the
previous player that had left the player tracking card in the
gaming device. Thus, if the subsequent player does not fulfill the
obligation defined by the accepted offer and there is a penalty
defined by the offer, the penalty may be applied to the financial
account identifier associated with the previous player even though
the previous player was not the one that accepted the offer. To
prevent such an inequitable result, a player accepting an offer may
be required to confirm his identity (i.e., confirm that he is the
person corresponding to the player identifier of the player
tracking card inserted into the gaming device). In other
embodiments, a player may be required to confirm his identity (i)
periodically while operating a gaming device, (ii) once the gaming
device detects a pause of a predetermined duration in the operation
of the gaming device, and/or (iii) before an offer is presented to
the player.
[0067] A gaming device may attempt to verify the identity of a
player operating a gaming device by various means. For example, as
illustrated in FIG. 6, a security phrase 510 may be associated with
a player identifier. A player may be prompted to enter or verify
the security phrase. Such a prompt may comprise a visual and/or
audio prompt. The player may be prompted to enter (e.g., type in
using a keypad or touchscreen or speak into a microphone associated
with the gaming device) the security phrase. Alternatively the
player may be presented with a plurality of phrases and prompted to
select which of the plurality of phrases is the security phrase
associated with the player identifier. In yet another alternative
embodiment a "hint question" may be associated with the player
identifier in addition to the security phrase. The hint question
may be presented to the player and the player prompted to enter the
security phrase in response to the hint question.
[0068] The security phrase may comprise, e.g. one or more strings
of alphanumeric digits or an image. The security phrase may be
generated or selected by, e.g. the controller 210 when the player
first registers with a casino. In another embodiment the player may
select the security phrase. For example, the player may be
requested to select a security phrase that is easy for the player
to remember (e.g., a pet's name). A player may be asked to provide
a certain type of specified information for use as a security
phrase (e.g., the player's social security number). In embodiments
wherein the security phrase comprises an image, the image may be a
photograph of the player's face. In such an embodiment the
verification of the player's identity at a gaming device may
comprise capturing a video image of the player operating the gaming
device and comparing it to the stored photograph associated with
the player identifier of the player tracking card inserted into the
gaming device. Such a comparison could be performed, for example,
by use of photograph comparison software. Other biometric
identifiers other than facial feature may also be used to verify a
player's identity. For example, a unique physiological trait or
behavioral characteristic such as a fingerprint, retina scan, or
signature may be requested of the player accepting an offer and
compared to one stored in association with a player identifier of a
player tracking card inserted into a gaming device.
[0069] In other embodiments of the present invention an alternate
method of verifying that the player accepting an offer is the
player associated with the player identifier inserted into the
gaming device is the same person. A photograph or other video image
of the player that is accepting or being presented with an offer
may be obtained at the time of acceptance of the offer. For
example, a camera may be a component of or associated with a gaming
device. In such an embodiment the gaming device or a controller
directing the gaming device may cause the camera to capture a video
image of the player. In another embodiment one of the multitude of
security cameras prominently covering the casino floor in most
casinos may be directed to capture a video image of a player
operating a specified gaming device at which an offer is being
accepted. The captured video image may be stored in association
with an indication of the accepted offer in the accepted offers
database 450 (described in detail below with respect to FIG. 9).
The captured video image may be retrieved for use in resolving a
dispute if, subsequent to the acceptance of the offer, the player
associated with the player identifier stored in association with
the accepted offer denies having accepted the offer.
[0070] The demographic information 512 may store demographic
information that is useful for targeting offers to a player of a
gaming device. In one embodiment a subsidy provider may specify one
or more player-related prerequisites to be satisfied before a
particular offer may be provided to a player at a gaming device.
For example, a subsidy provider may specify that the offer be
provided only to female players or to players within a certain age
group. In this example, when determining whether to provide a
player at a gaming device with the subsidizing party's offer, the
demographic information field 512 may be accessed, based on the
player identifier of the player at the gaming device, to determine
whether the demographic information satisfies the subsidy
provider's prerequisites. Of course a subsidy provider may specify
other player-related prerequisites in addition to or instead of
demographic information. Such player-related prerequisites are
discussed in detail with respect to the available offers database
435 (FIG. 7). Further, an entity other than a subsidy provider may
specify player-related prerequisites that are to be satisfied
before an offer is provided to a player. For example, in an
embodiment where the casino is not the subsidy provider the casino
may specify player-related prerequisites in addition to or instead
of any specified by the subsidy provider.
[0071] The theoretical win 514 stores an indication of the
theoretical win of the player based on the playing activity of the
player since the playing activity of the player has been tracked.
In other words, the theoretical win 514 may be a "lifetime"
theoretical win. In other embodiments a theoretical win based on
other periods of time may be stored in addition to or instead of
the lifetime theoretical win. For example, an annual theoretical
win may be stored. The actual win/[loss] 516 stores an indication
of the actual dollar amount that the corresponding player has won
or lost while gambling at the casino. A loss is indicated in
brackets in the table of FIG. 5.
[0072] The comp points 518 stores an indication of the amount of
comp points that a player is currently entitled to. Comp point
programs are a common method for a casino to reward players by
awarding points to players as a reward for certain gambling
behavior that a casino finds desirable. Although the comp points
programs differ from casino to casino, in a typical comp point
program a player accumulates comp points based on (i) the length of
time or a number of game plays at a gaming device or table game;
(ii) the average wager of a player; and/or (iii) for playing a
particular gaming device or group of gaming devices. As the player
accumulates comp points the player may exchange some or all of the
comp points for goods or services specified by the comp point
program. For example, a player may exchange 1000 comp points for a
dinner at a casino restaurant. As the player exchanges comp points
for a good or service the exchanged comp points are deducted from
the player's comp point balance reflected in field 518 of table
425. In some comp point programs the rewards are defined in terms
of dollar amounts rather than points. In yet other comp point
programs the points are exchangeable into dollar amounts based on a
schedule defined by the casino, allowing the player to convert the
accumulated points into dollar amounts and then use the dollar
amounts to purchase goods or services from the casino.
[0073] In some embodiments of the present invention an offer may
require the player to give up a specified number of comp points in
addition to committing to an obligation in order to obtain the
benefit defined by the offer. In other embodiments a deduction of a
specified number of comp points from the player's accumulated
balance or a restriction on the player's use of accumulated comp
points (e.g. player cannot use comp points for a specified period
of time) may be a penalty defined by an offer.
[0074] The average wager 520 stores the amount of an average wager
placed by the player. The average wager amount may be updated, e.g.
each time the player makes a wager, or periodically (e.g. once per
play session) based on the individual wagers placed by the player
over the course of the period. The average wager 520 may include
wagers placed while playing a gaming device, wagers placed while
playing a table game, or a combination thereof. The average wager
520 may be the average wager amount of the player (i) since the
player's wager amount began to be tracked; (ii) over the course of
a given year; (iii) since the last offer provided to or accepted by
the player; or (iv) any other period deemed relevant.
[0075] The information stored in theoretical win 514, the actual
win/[loss] 516, the comp points 518, and the average wager 520 may
each be used (individually or in combination) to target offers to
players. For example, a subsidy provider may specify that a
particular offer is only to be provided to a player with an average
wager amount of at least $3.00. Alternatively a subsidy provider
may specify that a particular offer is only to be provided to a
player with an average wager amount of no more than $2.00 and whose
actual win/[loss] 516 amount indicates a loss of at least $50.00.
Such prerequisites based on these fields may be included as
player-related specifications in the available offers database 435
(FIG. 7). Other information related to a player in addition to or
instead of that illustrated in table 425 may be stored and used to
target offers to players without departing from the spirit and
scope of the present invention.
[0076] It should be understood that although a player identifier
and information related to each registered player is described in
detail with reference to providing offers to players, a player need
not be registered in order to receive an offer in accordance with
the present invention. For example, an offer may be provided to a
player regardless of any information about the player that is known
(e.g. the offer may not be targeted but may instead be provided to
any player). In some embodiments an offer may be provided based on
an event or condition at a gaming device. For example, an offer may
be provided to a player based on a player's gambling behavior
during a particular session at a gaming device. A session may be
defined as a period of time from the time a player initiates play
at a gaming device or table (e.g. by inserting a player tracking
card or initiating a starting controller) to the time a player ends
play at the gaming device (e.g. by removing the player tracking
card, walking away from the gaming device, and/or pausing play for
at least a predefined amount of time). In such embodiments no
information about the player need be stored or registered ahead of
time. The information necessary for determining whether to provide
an offer may simply be accumulated by, e.g., controller 210 and/or
gaming devices 220 as the player plays the gaming device. In yet
other embodiments information about a player may be gathered (e.g.,
via a survey presented to the player at the gaming device) while
the player is playing. In other words, in some embodiments of the
present invention no pre-registration of a player or player-related
information is necessary or preferred.
Associated Person Database
[0077] Referring to FIG. 6, a table represents the associated
person database 430 that may be stored at the controller 210,
primary controller 260 or one or more of the secondary controllers
270 and 280 according to some embodiments of the present invention.
According to another embodiment, some or all of the information in
the associated person database 430 may be stored on each individual
player's player tracking card. The table includes entries
identifying one or more persons associated with players who may
operate a gaming device in a casino. The associated persons are
persons that are designated by a player as persons to whom a
benefit defined by an offer accepted by the player may be provided.
The table defines fields 602, 604, 606, 608, and 610 for each of
the entries. The fields specify: an associated person identifier
602; a name 604; contact information 606; a special date 608; and a
special date description 610.
[0078] The information in the associated person database 430 may be
created and updated, for example, based on information received
from a player. For example, the information may be created when a
player registers with a casino. The information may be subsequently
updated when a player requests to update the information (e.g. when
a player indicates a desire to add or remove an associated person)
or when additional information is obtained from an associated
person identified by one of the entries (e.g. when a request to be
removed from the associated person database 430 or updated contact
information is received from an associated person).
[0079] As described above, according to some embodiments of the
present invention a player may designate a person other than the
player to receive a benefit defined by an offer accepted by the
player. Such a person is referred to as an associated person in the
present invention. A player may designate such an associated person
(i) while playing a gaming device or table game, or (ii) at another
time. For example, a player may designate an associated person when
the player first registers with a casino or at a time subsequent to
registering with a casino by, e.g., informing an employee of the
casino of the player's desire to designate the associated person.
Alternatively, the player may be able to designate such a person by
filling out a form (e.g., a paper document that is handed or mailed
to an employee of the casino or an electronic form at a kiosk
located in the casino). In some embodiments a player may designate
an associated person while playing at a gaming device or table
game. For example, when presented with an offer that defines a
benefit the player may be presented with an option of obtaining the
benefit for himself or for another person. If the player chooses
the option of obtaining the benefit for another person the player
may be requested to enter information to identify the person. In
another embodiment a player may indicate a desire to designate an
associated person while playing at a gaming device or at a table
game without first being presented with an offer. For example, a
player may select a "designate person to receive benefits" option
on a menu of options on a gaming device.
[0080] It should be noted that an associated person need not be
present in the casino when the player who designates the associated
person as the person to receive a benefit is presented with an
offer or accepts an offer. Further, the associated person need not
be present in the casino in order to obtain the benefit. In fact,
the associated person need not be affiliated with the casino in any
manner beyond being an associated person designated by a
player.
[0081] A particular associated person may or may not correspond to
a particular benefit or accepted offer. In some embodiments a
player may designate one or more associated persons to be
associated with the player's player identifier. In such embodiments
the player may specify which particular associated person is to be
provided the benefit defined by a particular offer at the time the
player accepts the offer. In other embodiments a player may input
information designating an associated person as the person to be
provided the benefit defined by an offer as the player is accepting
the offer for purposes of that particular offer only. In
embodiments where a player designates one or more associated
persons without constraint to a particular offer the information
the player provides regarding the one or more associated persons
may be used to target or tailor offers to the player. Such an
embodiment will be described with particular reference to table
430.
[0082] Returning now to table 430, the associated person identifier
602 may comprise any identifier that uniquely identifies an
associated person. The associated person identifier may comprise,
e.g. a string of alphanumeric digits and/or an image. The
associated person identifier may be (i) provided by a player at the
time the player designates the associated person; (ii) generated or
selected by one of the controller 210, primary controller 260, one
of the secondary controllers 270 and 280, and/or any of the gaming
devices 220, 275 and 285; or (iii) provided by the associated
person in embodiments where the associated person is contacted. For
example, the associated person identifier may comprise a unique
string of alphanumeric digits that is generated to uniquely
identify the person or the associated person's social security
number.
[0083] The name 604 stores the name of the associated person
corresponding to the associated person identifier. The name may be
(i) provided by the player designating the associated person; (ii)
provided by the associated person; or (iii) otherwise obtained by
the casino. As illustrated by the names stored in table 430, the
associated person need not be a natural person but may instead
comprise a corporation, non-profit organization, or other entity.
The name of the associated person may be retrieved and incorporated
into the provision of an offer to the player who had designated the
associated person. For example, assuming the associated person's
name is "John Doe" a player may be provided with an offer that
invites the player to commit to an obligation in order to earn the
benefit defined by the offer for "John". The relationship of the
associated person to the player may also be stored in table 430
(e.g., an indication that the associated person is the player's
spouse, sibling, or friend may be stored). In such an embodiment
the player may be provided with an offer that invites the player to
earn the benefit "for your brother John". Personalizing an offer in
such a manner may substantially increase the acceptance rate of the
offer.
[0084] The contact information 606 stores an indication of how to
contact the associated person. Contact information may comprise,
e.g., a telephone number, electronic mail ("e-mail") address, or
postal address. The contact information may be utilized to contact
the associated person. The associated person may be contacted in a
variety of circumstances in accordance with various embodiments of
the present invention. In one embodiment the associated person may
be contacted initially when a player first designates the person as
a designated person. For example, the associated person's
permission to be associated with the player as an associated person
may be necessary or preferred. In another embodiment the associated
person may be contacted when a player accepts an offer and
specifies that the associated person is to be provided the benefit
defined by the offer. For example, before finalizing that the
associated person is to be provided with the benefit the associated
person's acquiescence may be necessary or preferred. This may be
preferred to avoid a situation in which the person feels
uncomfortable as a result of the offer. In embodiments where the
associated person is contacted when a player accepts an offer, the
associated person may be informed of what the benefit is and/or the
obligation the player committed to in exchange for the benefit.
[0085] In some embodiments the associated person may be provided
with the benefit before the player satisfies the obligation. In
such an embodiment the associated person may be informed of a
penalty, if any, that may be imposed on the player and/or the
associated person if the player subsequently fails to satisfy the
obligation. For example, the associated person may be required to
return the benefit or provide a value equivalent to the benefit if
the player does not satisfy the obligation. In embodiments where
the associated person is not provided the benefit until the player
satisfies the obligation the associated person may be informed of
the progress of the player towards satisfying the obligation. For
example, assuming the obligation comprises playing at a gaming
device for an hour, the associated person may be updated every
fifteen minutes as to the player's progress towards satisfying the
obligation (e.g. via e-mail messages transmitted to the player). In
one embodiment the player and the associated person may be placed
in contact while the player is attempting to satisfy the obligation
(e.g. via a telephone or video connection) such that the associated
person may encourage the player to satisfy the obligation. In
another example, assuming the obligation comprises a commitment to
visit a retailer or test a product before a predefined date, the
associated person may be informed of the player's failure to
satisfy the commitment as the predefined date approaches. In one
embodiment the player may be provided with a message that the
associated person will be informed of the player's failure to
satisfy the obligation unless the player does satisfy the
obligation. Such a message may be provided to the player (i) on or
before the predefined date (e.g., to encourage the player to
fulfill the obligation before the predefined date); and/or (ii) on
or after the predefined date (e.g., to give the player one more
chance to satisfy the obligation even though the predefined date
has passed). A player may be motivated to satisfy an obligation
upon receiving such a message to avoid having the associated person
learn of the player's failure.
[0086] The special date 608 stores an indication of a date that is
in some way associated with the associated person. Such a date may
be (i) provided by the player; (ii) provided by the associated
person; or (iii) otherwise obtained by a casino or other operator
implementing the present invention. A special date may comprise,
e.g. a birthday, anniversary, holiday or date of another event that
may be utilized to target offers to a player. The special date
description 610 stores a description of the significance of the
special date. Although a textual description is illustrated in
table 430, another method of describing the significance of the
special date may be used. For example, the special date description
610 may comprise a code that is identified as corresponding to a
specific type of event.
[0087] The special date 608 and special date description 610 may be
utilized to (i) increase the acceptance rate of an offer by
customizing the offer towards a particular player (e.g., a player
may be more likely to accept an offer that incorporates people and
dates relevant to the player's life); (ii) select one of a
plurality of available offers to provide to the player (e.g., if
there is a choice between an offer that defines a benefit of a
dinner in the casino's restaurant on the night of the offer and
another offer that defines a gift certificate to a popular
merchant, the latter offer is an offer that is more appropriate if
the benefit is to be provided to a person other than a player);
and/or (iii) aid the determination of the most effective timing of
the offer towards the player (e.g., the system may determine to
provide a particular offer because the current date is within a
predetermined time of a special date). For example, assuming it is
determined that a special date corresponding to an associated
player designated by a particular player is approaching (e.g., is
within one month of the current date) an offer may be selected
and/or customized to take advantage of this fact. In this example,
if it is determined that a player had designated an associated
person "John" with an associated special date of September 01 (the
current date being August 02) and a special date description of
"birthday", the system may output an offer to the player inviting
the player to commit to a specified obligation in order to obtain a
specified benefit for John because John's birthday was coming up in
less than a month. If the benefit in the example is a gift
certificate to a merchant, the player may accept the offer after
being reminded that John's birthday is coming up and that the gift
certificate might make a good gift for John. The player may view
the offer as an opportunity to avoid an upcoming cost (i.e., the
cost of buying John a birthday present), which may prove to be a
powerful incentive. The casino or other operator implementing the
methods of the present invention may also earn the player's
goodwill in making such an offer by reminding him of an upcoming
event and providing a suggestion for a present.
[0088] Further information relevant to an associated person, in
addition to or instead of special date information, may be stored
and used to increase the effectiveness of offers. Such further
information may comprise, for example, information related to the
associated person's interests, hobbies, and/or demographic profile.
In some embodiments an associated person may be allowed to provide
information to the system that may be used to customize and/or
target offers to a player. A player may or may not be informed of
such information provided by the associated person. For example, in
one embodiment an associated person may access some or all of the
available offers in the system of the present invention and provide
an indication of which benefits the associated person is interested
in (thus indicating which offers that define these benefits should
be provided to the player). In one embodiment once a player
designates an associated person the associated person may be
allowed to indicate to the player which benefits the associated
person is interested in by means of, e.g., a wish list stored in
association with the associated person. When selecting offers to be
presented to the player the system may access such a wish list and,
e.g. select an offer based on the wish list.
[0089] It should be noted, as illustrated in table 430, that more
than one special date may be associated with an associated person.
It should also be noted that the system may use general special
dates (e.g. such as Valentine's Day) to target offers. The system
may also use demographic information related to a player and/or an
associated person of the player to determine what general special
dates are applicable to the player and/or associated person (e.g.,
a religious affiliation may be used to determine whether a benefit
defined by an offer is to be characterized as a Christmas or
Hanukkah gift).
Available Offers Database
[0090] Referring to FIG. 7, a table represents the available offers
database 435 that may be stored at the controller 210, primary
controller 260 or one or more of the secondary controllers 270 and
280 according to some embodiments of the present invention.
According to another embodiment, some or all of the information in
the available offers database 435 may be stored at one or more of
the gaming devices 220, 275, and 285 instead. The table includes
entries identifying offers that are available for presentation to
players who may be operating a gaming device or playing a table
game in a casino. The table defines fields 700, 702, 704, 706, 708,
710, and 712 for each of the entries. The fields specify: an offer
identifier 702; a benefit 704; an obligation 706; a player
prerequisite 708; a subsidizing entity identifier 710; offer
criterion 712; and a penalty 714.
[0091] The information in the available offers database 435 may be
created and updated, for example, based on information received
from a subsidizing entity. For example, an offer identifier may be
generated and a record storing the information corresponding to the
generated offer identifier may be stored in the available offers
database 435 when a subsidizing entity transmits the information to
the casino. The information may be subsequently updated, for
example, based on a request from the subsidizing entity and/or
based on information obtained once the offer is presented to one or
more players (e.g. the value of a benefit may be increased if an
acceptance rate of a particular offer is not sufficiently
high).
[0092] The offer identifier 700 may comprise, e.g. an alphanumeric
string of digits that uniquely identifies an offer. The offer
identifier may be generated or selected (e.g., from a list of
previously generated identifiers) when an offer is first entered
into the system of the present invention.
[0093] The benefit 702 stores an indication of the benefit to be
provided if a player accepts the offer. A benefit is anything
(e.g., a good or service) provided in exchange for the player's
commitment to an obligation defined by the offer. As described
above, a benefit may be provided to a player or a person other than
the player. A benefit may be provided at the time the player
commits to the obligation (e.g. when the player accepts the offer)
or at another time (e.g., after the player satisfies the obligation
corresponding to the benefit). In some embodiments the benefit may
be divisible temporally such that a portion of the benefit may be
provided at the time of the player's commitment and another portion
of the benefit may be provided at the time the player satisfies the
obligation. In some embodiments the benefit may be provided in
multiple portions as the player progresses towards satisfying the
obligation. A benefit may also be divisible among more than one
beneficiary. For example, a portion of a benefit may be provided to
the player and another portion to an associated person designated
by the player. In another example a benefit may be provided to two
or more associated persons. In yet another embodiment a particular
offer may define more than one benefit. In such an embodiment each
of the defined benefits may be provided to the same person or to
different persons.
[0094] Examples of benefits include but are not limited to (i) a
monetary amount (e.g., U.S. dollars, casino coins, cashless gaming
receipts, credits added to a player's credit balance, or a gift
certificate to a retailer or restaurant); (ii) a product or service
(e.g., a piece of jewelry, a gadget, a magazine subscription,
dinner at a restaurant, a carwash, a manicure); (iv) discounts on
products or services (e.g. 20% off a television, dinner for two for
the price of one); (v) alternate currencies (e.g., a specified
number of comp points or frequent flier miles); (vi) an entry into
a game of chance (e.g., a lottery ticket or an entry into a
sweepstakes); and (vii) an adjustment in the operation of a gaming
device (e.g., a more favorable probability table, higher available
payout amounts, lower maximum wager amount). A benefit may be
customized based on information about the player to whom the offer
is to be provided. For example, assuming the benefit defined by an
offer is a gift certificate to a restaurant or retailer, the actual
restaurant or retailer identified in the offer may be determined
based on the home address of the player or associated person that
is to be provided the benefit.
[0095] A benefit may be defined, e.g., at the time the offer to
which the benefit corresponds is entered into the available offers
database 435. In another embodiment the benefit may be defined on
an ad hoc basis based on, for example, revenue management
considerations of the casino or other subsidizing entity providing
the offer. For example, a casino may determine that there is a
surplus of hotel rooms available for the current night in the hotel
associated with the casino. The casino may thus define a benefit of
an offer as a free night's stay (for the current night) in the
hotel room. In another example a subsidizing entity such as a
retailer may determine that a product is not selling at an
acceptable rate. The retailer may thus define a benefit of an offer
provided by the retailer as a free unit of the product or a
discount on the product.
[0096] The benefit may be provided to a player or associated person
designated by the player by (i) the casino, (ii) a subsidizing
entity other than the casino, (iii) another entity, or (iv) a
combination thereof. For example, assume the subsidizing entity of
an offer is credit card issuer and the benefit comprises a monetary
amount to be provided to the player at the time of acceptance of
the offer in the form of coins being dropped into the coin tray of
the gaming device the player is playing. In such an example the
casino may provide the benefit to the player even though the casino
is not the subsidizing entity. In embodiments where the benefit is
provided to a player by an entity other than the subsidizing
entity, the entity that provided the benefit may be subsequently
reimbursed for the value of the benefit by the subsidizing entity.
For example, in the above example the casino may be reimbursed by
the credit card issuer for the value of the coins dropped into the
coin tray. In another example, assume the casino is the subsidizing
entity and that the offer presented to a player defines an
obligation of playing a gaming device for an hour in exchange for a
benefit of a discount on a product at a retailer being provided to
an associated person designated by the player. In this example the
retailer may provide the discount to the associated person and be
subsequently reimbursed for the value of the discount by the
casino. In some embodiments the entity that provides the benefit
may be reimbursed for an amount greater than or less than the value
of the benefit. For example, the entity that provides the benefit
may be reimbursed for the value of the benefit plus a premium for
processing the provision of the benefit. In another example the
entity that provides the benefit may be reimbursed for the value of
the benefit less an amount for the lead on a new customer (e.g., in
the above example where the associated person obtains the discount
from the retailer the retailer benefits by acquiring a new
potential customer by having the associated person purchase the
product from the retailer).
[0097] It should be noted that in some embodiments a subsidizing
entity may prepay, to the entity that will provide the benefits, an
amount based on the value of the benefits to be provided. For
example, a credit card issuer may provide $20,000 to a casino for
use in providing benefits of $20 to players in exchange for the
players' commitments to apply for a credit card from the credit
card issuer. In some embodiments the monetary amount prepaid by a
subsidizing entity may be utilized to determine whether an offer
should be provided to a player. For example, before an offer is
provided a determination may be made as to whether a balance of the
prepaid amount is at least equal to the value of the benefit
defined by the offer.
[0098] The obligation 704 stores an indication of the obligation
the player must commit to in exchange for the corresponding
benefit. An obligation comprises any task that a player must commit
to in order to obtain the corresponding benefit defined by the
offer. An obligation is not a requirement or step of conventional
play of a game at a gaming device (e.g. making a selection during a
bonus round of a game) but is an obligation that a player commits
to perform outside of the conventional play of any game the player
may be playing when the offer is provided. An obligation may or may
not be a gambling-related obligation. It should be noted that an
offer may define more than one obligation. In embodiments where an
offer defines a plurality of obligations the player may or may not
be required to perform each of the obligations defined by the offer
in order to obtain the corresponding benefit. For example, the
player may be allowed to choose a subset of the obligations defined
by the offer (e.g., one of the plurality of obligations) and be
provided with the corresponding benefit in exchange for committing
to the subset of obligations. An obligation defined by an offer may
or may not be defined by the subsidizing entity associated with the
offer or by the same entity that defined the corresponding benefit.
For example, a subsidizing entity other than a casino may provide
the offer or define a benefit while the casino may specify one or
more of the obligations defined by the offer.
[0099] Examples of gambling-related obligations include but are not
limited to (i) playing a specified game or gaming device for a
predetermined period of time or for a predetermined number of
rounds; (ii) placing a specified wager amount for a specified
period of time or for a predetermined number of rounds; and (iii)
playing a game or gaming device until an occurrence of a specified
event (e.g. obtaining a specified outcome, a specified payout
amount, or winning a specified total amount of payout amounts).
[0100] Examples of obligations that are not gambling-related
include but are not limited to (i) purchasing a product or service
(e.g., signing up for a magazine subscription, switching to a new
service provider, or buying $20 worth of books from
Amazon.com.TM.); (ii) using a product or service (e.g., applying
for a new credit card, using a new long distance provider for a
trial period, printing at least 100 pages per week from a specified
brand of printer, receiving 3 free new issues of a magazine, test
driving a car); (iii) providing a product or service (e.g.,
providing advice via a Web site, donating to a specified cause or
organization); (iv) selling a product or service (e.g., selling a
product on eBay.TM., providing advice for a fee); (v) providing
information (e.g. answering survey questions or giving permission
to access personal information such as medical files or credit
report); (vi) viewing information (e.g., watching an advertisement
or other video clip, listening to a message that is prerecorded or
from a live person); (vii) convincing another person to perform one
or more activities (e.g., convincing a friend to test drive a car
or buy a product); and (viii) visiting a retailer (e.g. visiting a
Web site of an online retailer or visiting a store location of a
brick-and-mortar retailer).
[0101] An obligation may specify further conditions such as a
requirement to begin an activity defined by the obligation within a
specified period of time, before a specified time or after a
specified time. Another example of a further condition is a
requirement to finish an activity defined by the obligation within
a specified period of time or by a specified time. Further, an
obligation may require a commitment from a person different from
the player accepting the offer (e.g., a commitment from an
associated person that is to be provided the benefit defined by the
offer) or an activity to be performed by a person different from
the player accepting the offer (e.g. the obligation may be to
convince a friend or family member of the player to switch service
providers or test a product).
[0102] An obligation may be defined at the time the corresponding
offer is entered into the table 435 or at another time. For
example, as discussed below, an obligation may be defined on an ad
hoc basis based on revenue management principles of a casino (e.g.,
once a casino determines that not enough players are playing a
particular type of gaming device it may define the playing of the
gaming device for a specified period of time as an obligation
defined by an offer until the number of players playing the
particular type of gaming device reaches an acceptable number). An
obligation may also be defined on an ad hoc basis based on revenue
management principles of another entity such as a subsidy provider
that is not a casino. For example, a subsidy provider that is a car
manufacturer may define an obligation as a test drive of a model A
of the manufacturer's cars. However, as the manufacturer determines
that the sales of model A are at an acceptable level but the sales
level of model B is below an acceptable level the manufacturer may
define the obligation to be a test drive of model B rather than
model A. An obligation may be defined based on other information
such as player-related information. For example, in the above
example the particular model to be test driven as defined by the
obligation may be determined based on the income level of the
player to whom the offer is to be provided.
[0103] It should be understood that an obligation defined by an
offer may or may not be performed, or be capable of being
performed, at a gaming device or gaming table. For example, in some
embodiments an obligation comprises an activity that cannot be
performed at a gaming device (e.g., test driving a car). In other
embodiments an obligation may be performed at a gaming device
(e.g., answering survey questions or applying for a credit card).
In the embodiments where an obligation may be performed at a gaming
device, the player may be allowed to defer the performance of the
activity. For example, a player may be given an option to answer
survey questions at a gaming device or on a Web site at a later
time. In the embodiments where the player performs an obligation at
a gaming device and the obligation is a non-gambling related
obligation the player may be presented with the means of performing
the obligation once the player accepts the offer (e.g. the player
may be presented with a survey or credit card application on a
screen of the gaming device). As discussed above, the benefit
corresponding to an obligation may be provided, e.g., at the time
of the player's acceptance of the offer defining the obligation and
benefit or once the player satisfies the obligation.
[0104] The player-related prerequisite 706 stores an indication of
any prerequisites related to a player that may need to be satisfied
before the offer corresponding to the prerequisite may be provided
to the player. A player-related prerequisite is a prerequisite that
is based on information related to a player outside of any gambling
activity the player may be participating in at the time of
receiving the offer. For example, a player-related prerequisite may
be a demographic profile of the player. A player prerequisite may
be specified by the entity providing the offer to the system of the
present invention, such as a subsidy provider. A player
prerequisite may also be specified by the casino in which the offer
is to be provided, in embodiments wherein the casino is not acting
as the subsidy provider for a particular offer, or an entity
operating the primary controller 260 (FIG. 2). More than one
player-related prerequisite may be specified. In embodiments where
more than one player-related prerequisite is specified for a given
offer, only one of the specified player-related prerequisites may
need be satisfied before an offer is output to a player. In other
embodiments all of the specified player-related prerequisites or a
particular number of combination of the player-related
prerequisites need be satisfied before the corresponding offer is
output to a player.
[0105] A player-related prerequisite need not be based on
information about a player that is the player to be provided with
the corresponding offer. For example, a player-related prerequisite
may specify a prerequisite about a player that is associated with
the player that is to be provided with the corresponding offer
(e.g., the prerequisite may pertain to a player that is sharing a
casino hotel room with the player that is to be provided with the
offer).
[0106] It should be understood that a player-related prerequisite
may function as a trigger which causes an offer to be output to a
player as well as an additional pre-requisite that need be
satisfied after another event or condition triggers the potential
provision of the offer. A player-related prerequisite need not be
based on information that is stored on a player for any period of
time before the output of the offer. For example, a player-related
prerequisite may comprise (i) a reservation by a player of a hotel
room in a hotel associated with a casino; (ii) a player's checking
in to a hotel associated with a casino; or (iii) the purchase of a
meal by the player in a restaurant associated with a casino. In
some embodiments the occurrence of such an event related to a
player may comprise a trigger an output of an offer to a
player.
[0107] Other examples of player-related prerequisites comprise (i)
player must be female; (ii) player must not have previously
accepted this offer; (iii) player must not have previously accepted
any offer; (iv) player must have previously rejected another offer;
(v) player must not have been presented with another offer within a
predetermined time period; (vi) player must visit the casino a
predetermined number of times within a predetermined time period;
(vii) player must not be a customer of a specified service provider
that is the subject of the offer; (viii) player must not own the
product that is the subject of the offer; (ix) player must have a
specified credit rating; (x) player must have a specified income;
(xi) player must have qualified to receive the offer based on a
survey associated with the offer; and (xii) player must have
performed an activity within a specified time period before the
current date (e.g., traveled outside of the country). Other
examples of player-related prerequisites are discussed above.
Subsidy providers may specify player-related prerequisites when
submitting an offer to the system in order to better target, and
therefore at least theoretically increase the acceptance rate of,
the offer.
[0108] The offer criterion 708 stores an indication of a criterion
that must be satisfied before an offer may be provided to a player.
An offer criterion may function as a trigger that causes an offer
to be output to a player. In other words, in some embodiments an
offer is output to a player once it is determined that the offer
criterion corresponding to the offer has been met in relation to
the player. In other embodiments an event or condition other than
the offer criterion functions as a trigger which causes the
potential output of an offer to a player and the offer criterion
functions in the determination of whether to output the offer
(i.e., the offer is only actually output if the offer criterion is
satisfied). An offer criterion, in contrast to a player-related
prerequisite, is criterion based on a condition of a gaming device
or gambling activity rather than a characteristic associated with
the player. The condition may be the condition of a gaming device
the player is playing or the condition of another gaming device
(e.g. a condition of a gaming device in close proximity to a gaming
device the player is playing). Similarly, the gambling activity may
be the gambling activity of the player or the gambling activity of
another person (e.g., the gambling activity of a person in a
different location of the casino). The condition of the gaming
device may comprise a condition of a plurality of gaming devices.
Similarly, the gambling activity may be the gambling activity of a
plurality of players.
[0109] It should be understood that the information stored in
player-related prerequisite 706 and the information stored in offer
criterion 708 is not mutually exclusive (i.e., there may be some
overlap in the information stored in the two fields). Of course in
some embodiments the information stored in player-related
prerequisite 706 and offer criterion 708 may be combined or
segregated in a manner other than described above. An offer
criterion may be specified by (i) a subsidizing entity associated
with the offer; (ii) a casino or other owner or operator of a
gaming device or table game; (iii) an entity operating the primary
controller 260 (FIG. 2); or (iv) any combination thereof. It should
be understood that more than one offer criterion may be specified
for a given offer. In embodiments where more than one offer
criterion is specified for a given offer, only one of the specified
offer criteria may need be satisfied before an offer is output to a
player. In other embodiments all of the specified offer criteria or
a particular number of combination of the criteria need be
satisfied before the corresponding offer is output to a player.
[0110] An offer criterion may be a specified event occurring at a
gaming device. In some embodiments, for example, a gaming device
may detect the occurrence of an event at a gaming device and output
an offer to a player in response. Examples of such offer criterion
include but are not limited to (i) initiation of a playing session;
(ii) insertion of a player tracking card into a gaming device;
(iii) insertion of payment into a gaming device; (iv) player
placing a wager; (v) player placing a wager of a certain amount;
(vi) winning a payout of a certain value; (vii) obtainment of a
predetermined outcome (e.g., an outcome that corresponds to a
predetermined payout amount or an outcome that does not correspond
to any payout amount); (viii) an end to a playing session; (ix)
removal of a player tracking card from a gaming device; (x)
actuation of a cash out button of a gaming device; (xi) actuation
of a change request button of a gaming device; (xii) obtainment of
a predetermined intermediate outcome (e.g., deal of an initial hand
in a video poker device or revelation of the first two reel symbols
on the payline of a three reel slot machine); (xiii) detection of a
pause in the play of the gaming device that lasts a predetermined
amount of time; (xiv) the current time being a predetermined time
(e.g., between 3:00 pm and 6:00 pm); and (xv) a signal being
received from a computing device and/or an employee to output an
offer.
[0111] As described above, an offer criterion at one gaming device
may cause an offer to be output at another gaming device. For
example, if a first player at a first gaming device wins a jackpot,
the occurrence of this condition may cause an offer to be output to
a second player of a second gaming device that is within a
predetermined proximity to the first gaming device. An example of
an effective offer to provide to the second player on the
occurrence of such an event may be an offer that defines a benefit
of an increased probability of winning a jackpot at the second
gaming device (e.g., by substitution of a probability table that is
more favorable to the player for the next ten (10) plays of the
gaming device) since seeing a nearby player win a jackpot may make
the second player very eager to win a jackpot as well. Another
example of an effective offer to provide to a player on the
occurrence of such an event may be an offer that defines a benefit
of twenty (20) coins to be dropped into the second player's coin
tray. Such a benefit may make the second player feel like a winner
of a jackpot as well.
[0112] An offer criterion may also be the achievement of a
specified condition of a gaming device. In some embodiments, for
example, a gaming device or controller in communication with the
gaming device may monitor a condition of the gaming device and
output an offer in response to identifying that the condition
satisfies a criterion. Examples of such offer criterion include but
are not limited to (i) the credit balance of a gaming device
reaching a predetermined amount (e.g., the balance may be monitored
as it decreases until it reaches a low that is at least a
predetermined minimum); (ii) the credit balance of a gaming device
reaching an amount that, after the player makes the next wager,
will be insufficient for another wager; (iii) a predetermined
number of outcomes that do not correspond to a payout within a
predetermined period of time; (iv) a predetermined percentage of
outcomes that do not correspond to a payout; (v) a total amount of
payouts within a play session that is below a predetermined amount;
(vi) a total amount of payouts within a predetermined period of
time that is below a predetermined amount; (vii) a total of a
player's wagers (e.g. over the course of a playing session or other
period of time) reaching a predetermined amount; (viii) an average
wager of a player (e.g. over the course of a playing session or
other period of time) reaching a predetermined amount; (ix) a
decrease in the rate of play of a player; (x) a decrease in the
wager placed per play by a player; (xi) a theoretical win of a
player reaching a predetermined amount (e.g., over the course of a
playing session or other period of time); (xii) an actual
win/(loss) of a player reaching a predetermined amount (e.g., over
the course of a playing session or other period of time); (xiii) a
duration of a player's play session reaching a predetermined
duration; and (xiv) an average duration of a player's play session
reaching a predetermined duration (e.g., as measured over the
course of a given year or other period of time).
[0113] In one embodiment an offer may be provided to a player at a
time when the player has experienced a particular frustration while
playing a gaming device. For example, in video poker many players
experience significant frustration when "missing" a draw to a
strong hand. A player dealt the ace of spades, king of spades,
queen of spades, jack of spades, and 4 of hearts will undoubtedly
be excited by the possibility of obtaining a royal flush after
discarding the four of hearts. Unfortunately, in a Jacks or Better
game the player will catch the ten of spades for the royal just one
time in 47 tries. Many players feel frustrated by being
tantalizingly close to a large royal flush payout only to receive a
bad card that pays nothing or only a small payout. Other initial
hands that players may feel disappointed in missing include:
holding three of a kind and not making the full house or quads,
holding an open-ended four card straight flush draw and missing the
straight flush, or even holding a pair of deuces in a deuces wild
game and making only three of a kind. In such an embodiment an
offer criterion that functions as a trigger for outputting an offer
may comprise the obtainment (or lack of obtainment) by a player of
a particular final hand after being dealt a particular initial
hand. For example, an offer criterion may comprise a table in which
a record specifies a particular initial hand and corresponding
final hands that each in turn correspond to a payout. If a player
actually obtains one of the corresponding final hands an offer will
not be output to the player. However, if a player does not obtain
one of the corresponding final hands an offer will be output to the
player.
[0114] Alternatively, it may be determined whether a payout or a
payout of at least a predetermined amount corresponds to a final
hand dealt to a player as a result of a specified initial hand. If
a payout or a payout of at least a predetermined amount is not
obtained by the player the output of an offer may be triggered.
Other methods of providing an offer to a player in response to a
player experiencing a frustration such as described above are
within the scope of the present invention.
[0115] Other methods of determining when or which offer to output
to a player may be utilized by an operator of the systems of the
present invention. For example, an offer may be output or selected
based on revenue management considerations of a casino. Revenue
management considerations include the availability of a product or
service of the casino. Examples of the availability of a product or
service of a casino include but are not limited to (i) the
availability of hotel rooms in a hotel associated with the casino;
(ii) the availability of tickets to an entertainment event
occurring at the casino; and (iii) the availability of slot
machines on a casino floor. For example, an operator of the systems
of the present invention may determine that a certain gaming device
or type of gaming device is currently not being played or not being
played by a sufficient number of players. In this example an offer
may thus be triggered where the obligation defined by the offer is
an obligation to play the gaming device or type of gaming device
for a specified amount of time and/or within a specified amount of
time. In another example the determination of a predetermined
number of tickets to an entertainment event may cause an offer to
be output to a player wherein the benefit defined by the offer is
one or more tickets to the entertainment event. As illustrated by
the previous two examples, revenue management considerations may
function not only to trigger the output of an offer to a player but
may also function as a means for defining a benefit and/or an
obligation of an offer on an ad hoc basis.
[0116] The subsidizing entity identifier 710 stores information
uniquely identifying the subsidizing entity of the offer being
defined by the record. A subsidizing entity identifier may
comprise, for example, a string of alphanumeric digits. A
subsidizing entity identifier may be selected or generated by, for
example, controller 210 (FIG. 2A), primary controller 260 or one or
more of the secondary controllers 270 and 280 (FIG. 2B), or the
subsidizing entity. Subsidizing entities will be described in more
detail below with respect to subsidizing entity database 445 (FIG.
9).
[0117] The penalty 712 stores information identifying a penalty
that may be applied if a player fails to fulfill an obligation
defined by an offer the player accepted. As illustrated in the
available offers database 435, not every offer need identify a
penalty. For example, some subsidizing entities may be willing to
accept the risk that a player will not satisfy an obligation the
player committed to. In embodiments where the benefit is not
provided to a player or associated person until the player or any
other required person fulfills the obligation a penalty may not be
necessary (the withholding of the benefit may be enough incentive
to encourage the fulfillment of the obligation). A penalty may be
assessed to (i) the player who committed to the obligation defined
by the offer; (ii) the associated person designated by the player;
or (iii) a combination thereof. A player is informed of any penalty
associated with an offer at the time the player is presented with
the offer.
[0118] Examples of penalties include but are not limited to (i) a
monetary charge or debit to a financial account identifier; (ii) an
adjustment to the operation of a gaming device (e.g. a decrease in
available payout amounts of any gaming device operated by the
player during the player's next visit to the casino or an
unavailability of certain bonuses when the player subsequently
plays a specified game in a casino); (iii) an unavailability of a
service or product to a player (e.g. the player will be unable to
stay in the casino hotel for a predetermined amount of time); (iv)
publication of the player's failure to fulfill the obligation; (v)
a return of the benefit or a monetary amount based on the value of
the benefit; (vi) an inability by the player to receive subsequent
offers; (vii) a deduction from a balance of alternate currency
associated with a player (e.g. a deduction of comp player points or
frequent flier miles).
[0119] In some embodiments a player may be provided with an
opportunity to avoid a penalty even after the player fails to
fulfill an obligation corresponding to the penalty within a
predetermined amount of time. For example, assume a player commits
to visiting a retailer within thirty (30) days in exchange for a
piece of jewelry being provided to the player's spouse at the time
the player commits to the obligation. Assume further that the
penalty defined by the offer is a return of the piece jewelry. Once
it is determined that the player has failed to visit the retailer
within the 30 days the player may be provided with a message (e.g.,
via e-mail) that the spouse will be contacted with a request for a
return of the jewelry unless the player visits the retailer within
the following five (5) days. In some embodiments the player may be
required to commit to an obligation in addition to the original
obligation in order to avoid the penalty (e.g., in the above
example the player may now be required to not only visit the
retailer but to also complete a minimum purchase with the
retailer).
[0120] The monitoring function of whether a player has fulfilled an
obligation and/or whether a penalty should be assessed may be
performed by (i) a casino; (ii) a subsidizing entity; (iii) an
entity providing a benefit; (iv) an entity operating controller 210
(FIG. 2A), primary controller 260 or either of the secondary
controllers 270 and 280 (FIG. 2B); (v) an entity operating any of
the gaming devices 220 (FIG. 2A), or the gaming devices 275 and 285
(FIG. 2B); (vi) any other entity tasked with such a function; or
(vii) a combination thereof. For example, assume a player commits
to an obligation to visit a specified retailer within a specified
period of time. Once the player commits to the obligation the
retailer may be informed of the player's identity and the period of
time within which the player must make the visit. The retailer may
then monitor visiting customers to determine whether the player
visits in fulfillment of the obligation. Once the retailer
determines that the player has visited the retailer the retailer
may inform the casino or other operator tasked with assessing a
penalty corresponding to the player's failure to perform the task.
If at the end of the predetermined period of time no indication of
the player's visit to the retailer is received the penalty may be
assessed. In such an example the player, at the time of committing
to the obligation, may be provided with an identifier to provide to
the retailer at the time of the player's visit to the retailer in
order to aid the retailer in identifying the player as having
visited in fulfillment of the obligation. The retailer may also be
informed of the identifier provided to the player at the time the
player commits to the obligation. Other methods of determining
whether the player has fulfilled an obligation would be understood
by one of ordinary skill in the art and are within the scope of the
present invention.
Play Session Database
[0121] Referring to FIG. 8, a table represents the play session
database 440 that may be stored at the controller 210, primary
controller 260 or one or more of the secondary controllers 270 and
280 according to some embodiments of the present invention.
According to another embodiment, some or all of the information in
the play session database 440 may be stored at one or more of the
gaming devices 220, 275, and 285 instead. According to yet another
embodiment, some or all of the information in the play session
database 440 may be stored on each individual player's player
tracking card. The table includes entries identifying a play
session of a player operating a gaming device or playing a table
game in a casino. The table defines fields 802, 804, 806, 808, 810,
812, and 814 for each of the entries. The fields specify: a player
identifier 802; a machine identifier 804; a rate of play 806; a
duration of play 808; a theoretical win 810; an actual win/(loss)
812; and an average wager 814. It should be noted that the player
identifier 802 may correspond to the player identifier 502 of the
player database 425 (FIG. 5).
[0122] The information in the play session database 440 may be
created and updated, for example, based on information received
from a gaming device a player is operating or from a dealer of a
table game a player is playing. For example, the information may be
created when a player initiates a play session at a gaming device
by, e.g. inserting a player tracking card into the gaming device or
actuating a start button of the gaming device. The information may
be subsequently updated as the play session of the player
continues.
[0123] The player identifier 802 stores an indication of an
identifier that uniquely identifies a player. A player identifier
stored in player identifier field 802 may correspond to or be the
same as one or more of the player identifiers stored in player
identifier field 502 of the player database 425 (FIG. 5).
[0124] The gaming device identifier 804 stores information
identifying a particular gaming device or group of devices
currently being played by the player corresponding to player
identifier 802. In embodiments where the player is playing a table
game, the gaming device identifier field 804 may be left blank or
may store an identifier identifying the table, room, or dealer of
the table game the player is playing.
[0125] The rate of play 806 stores an indication of the rate at
which the player is playing the game during the play session. The
rate of play may comprise, for example, a number of handle pulls or
actuations of a starting controller of a slot machine, per unit of
time (e.g., per hour). The rate of play may also comprise, for
example, a number of hands dealt to a player playing a video poker
device, per unit of time. The rate of play 806 may be updated for a
given player on a continuous or periodic basis.
[0126] The duration of play 808 stores an indication of the length
of time that has passed since a particular play session was begun.
For example, a play session may be deemed to be initiated when a
player first inserts a player tracking card into the gaming device.
Alternatively, a play session may be deemed to be initiated when a
starting controller of a gaming device is actuated after a pause of
a predetermined duration or when payment is inserted into the
gaming device. At this time the duration of the play session may be
set to zero time and the passage of time tracked until an end of
the play session is determined. A play session may be deemed to
have ended upon the occurrence of, for example, (i) the removal of
the player tracking card from a gaming device; (ii) a pause of a
predetermined duration in the play of the gaming device; and/or
(iii) a balance of zero credits in the credit meter of the gaming
device (e.g., due to the player's wagering of the remaining credits
or due to the player's actuation of a cash out button of the gaming
device).
[0127] The theoretical win 810 stores information indicating the
theoretical win of the player during the play session based on the
gambling activity of the player during the play session. The actual
win/[loss] 812 stores an indication of the actual win or loss
amount of the player over the duration of the play session. A loss
is indicated as an amount in brackets. The average wager 814 stores
an indication of the average wager amount placed by the player on a
round of the game over the duration of the play session. The
theoretical win 810, the actual win/[loss] 812, and the average
wager 814 may each be individually updated for a given play session
of a player on a continuous or periodic basis.
[0128] The play session database 440 or the information stored
therein may be stored at a gaming device and/or at a slot server.
For example, a gaming device may temporarily store and update the
information on a continuous basis and periodically communicate to
the slot server a current status of the information. Further, any
of the information stored in the play session database may be used
to determine whether an event has occurred at the gaming device
corresponding to the play session or whether a condition of the
gaming device is such that an offer criterion 708 of an offer in
the available offers database 435 (FIG. 7) is satisfied. Any of the
information stored in the play session database is suitable as the
basis of an offer criterion 708. Other information about a play
session in addition to that illustrated in play session database
430 may be stored and used in determining whether an offer (and/or,
e.g. which particular offer) should be provided to a player.
Subsidizing Entity Database
[0129] Referring to FIG. 9, a table represents the subsidizing
entity database 445 that may be stored at the controller 210,
primary controller 260 or one or more of the secondary controllers
270 and 280 according to some embodiments of the present invention.
According to another embodiment, some or all of the information in
the subsidizing entity database 445 may be stored at one or more of
the gaming devices 220, 275, and 285 instead. The table includes
entries identifying subsidizing entities that have provided offers
to be presented to players in a casino. The table defines fields
902, 904, 906, 908 and 910 for each of the entries. The fields
specify: a subsidizing entity identifier 902; a subsidizing entity
name 904; an account identifier 906; contact information 908; and a
rank 910.
[0130] The information in the subsidizing entity database 445 may
be created and updated, for example, based on information received
from a subsidizing entity. For example, the information may be
created when a subsidizing entity first provides to a casino an
offer to be provided to players at the casino. The information may
be subsequently updated, e.g., when a subsidizing entity requests
to update the information.
[0131] A subsidizing entity is any entity that benefits from the
offer being presented to a player. A subsidizing entity may provide
payment or other consideration to the operator of the systems of
the present invention in exchange for the offer being provided to a
player. A subsidizing entity defines (i) the benefit of the offer;
(ii) the obligation of the offer; (iii) penalties of the offer; or
(iv) any combination thereof. Examples of subsidizing entities
include but are not limited to (i) a casino; (ii) a retailer
(online or bricks-and-mortar); (iii) a restaurant (which may or may
not be located within a casino); (iv) a non-profit organization;
(v) an individual; (vi) a corporation; (vii) a credit card issuer;
and (viii) a manufacturer. More than one subsidizing entity may be
associated with a single offer. The player may or may not be
informed of or provided with information regarding the identity of
the subsidizing entity associated with an offer the player is
presented with and/or accepts.
[0132] The subsidizing entity identifier 902 may comprise any
identifier (e.g., an alphanumeric identifier) that uniquely
identifies a subsidizing entity. A subsidizing entity identifier
902 may correspond or be identical to one or more of the
subsidizing entity identifiers 710 stored in the available offers
database 435 (FIG. 7). The account 906 stores information
identifying an account associated with the subsidizing entity. Such
an account may be an account with a casino or other operator of
systems of the present invention or an account with a financial
institution such as a bank. The account may comprise for example, a
debit, credit, or charge account. The account may be utilized, for
example, to debit an amount based on benefits provided on behalf of
the subsidizing entity and other services provided on behalf of the
subsidizing entity.
[0133] The contact information 908 stores information indicating a
means of contacting the subsidizing entity of each record. Such
contact information may comprise, for example, a postal or e-mail
address and/or a telephone number. Contact information may be used,
for example, to provide a bill to the subsidizing entity or to
communicate with the subsidizing entity regarding offers subsidized
by the subsidizing entity.
[0134] The rank 910 stores, in accordance with one embodiment of
the present invention, a rank of each subsidizing entity. Such a
rank may be used, for example, to select one of a plurality of
offers that qualify for presentation to a player. For example, if
an event at a gaming device satisfies the offer criterion 708
associated with more than one offer in the available offers
database 435 (FIG. 7), the subsidizing entity associated with each
offer may be determined. The rank of each determined subsidizing
entity may then be determined based on the rank 910 stored in the
subsidizing entity database 445 and the offer corresponding to the
subsidizing entity with the highest rank may be presented to the
player. A particular rank may be associated with a particular
subsidizing entity based on various factors. For example, a
subsidizing entity may pay to be ranked and a higher payment may
correspond to a higher rank. A rank may also be determined based
on, for example, (i) the number of offers subsidized by the
subsidizing entity; (ii) the number of times an offer subsidized by
the subsidizing entity is accepted by players; (iii) the value of
the benefit defined by an offer of the subsidizing entity; (iv) the
complexity of the obligation defined by an offer of the subsidizing
entity; and (v) a combination thereof.
[0135] In some embodiments individual offers available via the
system of the present invention may be ranked. Such a ranking of
offers may be in addition to or instead of a ranking of the
subsidizing entities.
Accepted Offer Tracking Database
[0136] Referring to FIG. 10, a table represents the accepted offer
database 450 that may be stored at the controller 210, primary
controller 260 or one or more of the secondary controllers 270 and
280 according to some embodiments of the present invention.
According to another embodiment, some or all of the information in
the accepted offer database 450 may be stored at one or more of the
gaming devices 220, 275, and 285 instead. According to yet another
embodiment, some or all of the information in the accepted offer
database 450 may be stored on each individual player's player
tracking card. The table includes entries identifying offers that
have been accepted by players of a casino. The table defines fields
1002, 1004, 1006, 1008, and 1010 for each of the entries. The
fields specify: a player identifier 1002; an offer identifier 1004;
an associated person identifier 1006; a status of obligation 1008;
and a status of benefit 1010.
[0137] The information in the accepted offer tracking database 450
may be created and updated, for example, based on information
received from a gaming device. For example, the information may be
created when a player accepts an offer at a gaming device. The
information may be subsequently updated, e.g., when a player
fulfills an obligation or a benefit is provided to the player or an
associated person.
[0138] The player identifier 1002 stores an indication of a player
identifier that uniquely identifies a player who accepted the offer
corresponding to a given record of the accepted offer tracking
database 450. The player identifier 1002 may comprise an
alphanumeric code. A player identifier stored in the player
identifier field 1002 may correspond to or be the same as one or
more of the player identifiers stored in player identifier field
502 in the player database 425 (FIG. 5) or the player identifier
field 802 in the play session database 440 (FIG. 8).
[0139] The offer identifier 1004 stores information uniquely
identifying an offer that was accepted by the player identified by
the player identifier of the same record. The offer identifier 1004
may comprise, for example, an alphanumeric code. An offer
identifier stored in the offer identifier field 1004 may correspond
to or be the same as one or more offer identifiers stored in offer
identifier field 700 in the available offers database 435 (FIG. 7).
An offer identifier stored in the offer identifier field 1004 may
be used to determine, for example, (i) the benefit to be provided
to the player that accepted the offer of the same record, (ii) any
additional requirements of the offer that the player is to abide
by, or (iii) what penalty, if any, is to be assessed to the player
and/or an associated person designated by the player.
[0140] The associated person identifier 1006 stores an
identification of an associated person, if any, that the player has
designated as the person to be provided with the benefit defined by
the offer. The associated person identifier 1006 may comprise any
information sufficient to identify an associated person. An
associated person identifier stored in the associated person
identifier field 1006 may correspond to or be the same as one or
more of the associated person identifiers stored in the associated
person identifier field 408 of the player database 425 (FIG. 5)
and/or the associated person field 602 of the associated person
database 430 (FIG. 6). As illustrated in table 450, more than one
associated person identifier may be stored in association with a
particular player identifier 1002. Further the same associated
person identifier 1004 may be stored in association with more than
one player identifier 1002.
[0141] The status of obligation 1008 stores an indication of the
status of the obligation defined by the offer of a given record.
The example statuses illustrated in table 450 are (i) a status of
"satisfied" (indicating that the player has satisfied the
obligation); (ii) a status of "failed" (indicating that the player
has failed to satisfy the obligation); (iii) a status of "in
progress" (indicating that the player is currently attempting to
satisfy the obligation); and a status of "pending" (indicating that
a player has not yet attempted to satisfy an obligation but has
time remaining to do so before the player is considered to have
failed to fulfill the obligation). Other appropriate statuses may
be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art and are within
the scope of the present invention.
[0142] The status of benefit 1010 stores an indication of whether
the benefit defined by the offer of a given record has or has not
been provided. As discussed above, a benefit may be provided to the
player or to an associated person. Thus a status of "provided"
indicates that the benefit has been provided to the player if no
associated person is indicated in the record and that the benefit
has been provided to the associated person if one or more
associated persons are indicated in the record. In an embodiment
wherein a benefit, or portion of a benefit, is provided to both a
player and an associated person or to more than one associated
person, a separate indication for each of the persons to whom the
benefit is to be provided may be stored. As also discussed above, a
benefit may be provided at the time a player commits to an
obligation and/or at the time a player satisfies the obligation. If
a benefit is provided at the time a player commits to an obligation
but the player subsequently fails to satisfy the obligation a
penalty may be assessed. Such an example is illustrated in the
second record of table 450. In the example of this record the
system may, upon determining that the status of the benefit is
"provided" and the status of the obligation is "failed" retrieve
the penalty corresponding to the offer based on the offer
identifier. The system may then assess the penalty as
appropriate.
4. Description of Flow Diagram
[0143] Referring now to FIGS. 11A and 11B, a flow diagram
illustrating an embodiment of the present invention is illustrated
as process 1100. Process 1100 may be performed by (i) a gaming
device (such as one of the gaming devices 220, 275, and 285); (ii)
a controller in communication with the gaming device (such as one
of the controller 210, the primary controller 260, and one or more
of the secondary controllers 270 and 280); or (iii) a combination
thereof.
[0144] Process 1100 begins with step 1105 which comprises
monitoring a condition of the gaming device. Conditions of a gaming
device that may be monitored are described above with reference to
the available offers database 435 (FIG. 7). In step 1110 it is
determined that a condition of a gaming device satisfies an offer
criterion of an offer (e.g., as indicated in the available offers
database 435). It may be that a condition of the gaming device
satisfies an offer criterion of more than one offer. In such a case
all of the offers may be selected in step 1110 or a subset of the
offers may be selected in step 1110 (e.g. the offer associated with
a subsidizing entity having the highest rank is selected). Once an
offer is selected, the player information associated with the
player playing at the gaming device is retrieved in step 1115. Such
player information may comprise the type of player information
stored in player database 425. In an alternate embodiment of step
1115 player information may be obtained via questions presented to
the player at the gaming device. Such information may also be
gathered to supplement and/or confirm the information stored in the
player database 425.
[0145] Once the player information is obtained it is determined, in
step 1120, whether the player information satisfied the
player-related prerequisite corresponding to the offer selected in
step 1110 above. If the player information does satisfy the
player-related prerequisite the process 1100 continues to step
1125, where the offer is presented to the player. An offer may be
presented to a player in various ways. Examples of how an offer may
be presented to a player include but are not limited to (i) a
visual presentation (which may be accompanied by audio) on a screen
associated with the gaming device; (ii) an audio presentation via a
microphone associated with the gaming device; (iii) printing of the
offer or outputting of the offer on paper; and (iv) an oral
presentation by an employee of a casino. The presentation of the
offer to the player may be preceded by a step of pausing the game
play of the gaming device the player is playing. For example, the
current round of the game the player is playing may be momentarily
paused and a visual presentation of the offer overlaid or
superimposed on a screen of the gaming device on which the outcomes
of the game are presented.
[0146] If it is determined, in step 1120, that the player
information does not satisfy the player-related prerequisite
corresponding to the selected offer the process 1100 continues to
step 1155. In step 1155 it is determined whether there is another
offer available the offer criterion of which is satisfied by a
condition of the gaming device. For example, if more than one offer
was initially identified in step 1110 one of the remaining offers
that was not previously selected may be selected in step 1155. If
another offer is available, the process 1100 returns to step 1120
where it is determined whether the player related information
previously obtained satisfied the player-related prerequisite
corresponding to the offer selected in step 1155. It may be
necessary to obtain additional information from the player in order
to determine whether the player-related prerequisite is satisfied.
If this is so, one or more questions may be presented to the player
to obtain the necessary additional information.
[0147] Once the offer is presented to the player in step 1125, it
is determined in step 1130 whether an acceptance of the offer is
received from the player. If an acceptance is received, the process
1100 proceeds to step 1135. If an acceptance of the offer is not
received in step 1130 (or a rejection of the offer is received) the
process 1100 loops back to step 1105, where a condition of the
gaming device is monitored. In an alternate embodiment the process
1100 may proceed to step 1155 and a determination of whether there
is another offer available may performed if an acceptance of the
offer is not received in step 1130. In yet another alternate
embodiment, if it is determined in step 1130 that a player
acceptance has not been received, a modification of the previously
presented offer may be performed and the offer may be presented
again in its modified form to the player (e.g., the value of the
benefit of the offer may be increased).
[0148] In step 1135 the player is prompted to enter the security
phrase associated with the player identifier inserted into the
gaming device. Such a security phrase may be retrieved from the
record corresponding to the player identifier in the player
database 425 (FIG. 5). This step may be especially important in
embodiments where the offer defines an obligation that is not to be
performed at the gaming device, defines a benefit to be provided to
the player before the player satisfies the obligation defined by
the offer, and/or defines a penalty to be assessed to the player
associated with the player identifier inserted into the gaming
device.
[0149] If, in step 1140, it is determined that the player's
identify has not been successfully verified (e.g., the player
entered or selected a security phrase that does not correspond to
the security phrase corresponding to the player identifier) the
process 1100 proceeds to step 1160. In step 1160 it is determined
whether an alternate offer is to be output to the player. For
example, it may be determined in step 1160 whether an offer that
was identified in step 1110 does not present some of the concerns
described above (e.g., the offer defines an obligation that must be
performed at the gaming device, the benefit defined by the offer is
not provided to the player until the player satisfies the
obligation, and there is no penalty defined by the offer) this
alternate offer may be presented to the player. Alternatively, one
or more offers specifically targeted to such a scenario (i.e.,
where the identity of the player has not been verified) may be
selected. Such a specifically targeted offer may comprise an offer
where the obligation, for example, comprises a registration by the
player currently playing at the gaming device with the casino for a
player tracking card. Additional information related to the player
currently playing at the gaming device may also be gathered in
determining whether an alternate offer is available. In one
embodiment, the provision by the player of such additional
information (e.g., demographic information) may serve to satisfy an
obligation of an alternate offer.
[0150] If it is determined in step 1160 that an alternate offer
will not be output, the process 1110 loops back to step 1100.
Additionally, a message may be output to the player currently
playing at the gaming device indicating that he is not the player
identified by the player tracking card inserted into the gaming
device.
[0151] If, in step 1140, it is determined that the player identity
is verified the process 1100 proceeds to step 1145 where an
indication of the player's commitment to the offer is stored (e.g.,
in the accepted offer tracking database 450). The process 1100 then
proceeds to step 1150 where the benefit is provided to the player.
Step 1150 may comprise determining what the benefit to be provided
to the player is (e.g., by accessing the available offers database
435 based on the offer identifier of the offer accepted by the
player). The status of the benefit may accordingly be updated in
the accepted offer tracking database 450.
5. Conclusion
[0152] Although the present invention has been described with
respect to a preferred embodiment thereof, those skilled in the art
will note that various substitutions may be made to those
embodiments described herein without departing from the spirit and
scope of the present invention.
* * * * *