U.S. patent application number 11/401092 was filed with the patent office on 2006-10-26 for marketing system and method for customer specific promotions.
Invention is credited to Craig Casey, Keith A. Klinkhammer.
Application Number | 20060240891 11/401092 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37087641 |
Filed Date | 2006-10-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060240891 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Klinkhammer; Keith A. ; et
al. |
October 26, 2006 |
Marketing system and method for customer specific promotions
Abstract
A marketing system and method for customer specific promotions
providing a yield management tool for casino resort properties to
more effectively manage entertainment related assets and
inventories to build new and existing customer business. The system
provides a convenient method for consumers to realize promotional
incentives proportional to their player wagering status at a
broader level within the casino resort industry while
simultaneously delivering casino resort operators a cost effective
tool to maximize the value of their assets. The system utilizes
register user supplied player wagering and comp data, and
historical waging data on said registered users collected by the
system from participating casino resort properties to build a
broad-based casino customer database defining the waging profiles
of individual gaming customers. Built on the foundation of this
industry-wide database resource, the system's electronic
transaction platform construction provides casino resort properties
a facility to interact directly with gaming oriented customers to
present compelling, customer specific promotional offers at the
point of purchase where said customers make casino resort air/room
travel plans and review purchase decision options.
Inventors: |
Klinkhammer; Keith A.;
(Newport, OR) ; Casey; Craig; (Lansdowne,
PA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
DONALD J LENKSZUS
PO BOX 3064
CAREFREE
AZ
85377-3064
US
|
Family ID: |
37087641 |
Appl. No.: |
11/401092 |
Filed: |
April 10, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60670069 |
Apr 11, 2005 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
463/25 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 30/02 20130101;
G07F 17/3239 20130101; G07F 17/3255 20130101; G07F 17/32 20130101;
G07F 17/3232 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
463/025 |
International
Class: |
A63F 9/24 20060101
A63F009/24 |
Claims
1. A method of providing wagering profile based offers to potential
customers, comprising: providing a first database of potential
customer wagering profiles; receiving a request from said potential
customer for a destination reservation; obtaining wagering profile
data for said potential customer from said first database;
utilizing said wagering profile data for said potential customer to
generate one or more promotional incentive offers from one or more
casino properties for said potential customer; and responding to
said request with at least one promotional incentive offers.
2. A method in accordance with claim 1, comprising: registering one
or more casino properties for receiving said request.
3. A method in accordance with claim 2, comprising: providing a
customer database of registered customer non-wagering information;
and registering said potential customer prior to receiving said
request.
4. A method in accordance with claim 3, comprising: associating a
unique account identifier and a customer database record in said
customer database for each registered said potential customer.
5. A method in accordance with claim 4, wherein: said customer
registering step comprises said registered user providing personal
identification and contact information and creating a user name and
password; and said method further comprises storing said personal
identification and contact information, user name and password in
said customer database record.
6. A method in accordance with claim 5, wherein: said customer
registering step comprises said registered user providing at least
one of personal gaming preference and wagering profile information;
and said method further comprises storing said at least one of
personal gaming preference and wagering profile information
provided in said customer database record.
7. A method in accordance with claim 6, wherein: said customer
registering step comprises said registered user providing account
numbers for active player card accounts; and said method further
comprises storing said account numbers in said customer database
record.
8. A method in accordance with claim 4, wherein: said customer
registering step comprises said registered user providing account
numbers for active player card accounts; and said method further
comprises storing said account numbers in said customer database
record.
9. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein: said first
database is associated with a casino management information system
for one or more casino properties; and said casino management
information system monitors and tracks waging history data of
casino customers.
10. A method in accordance with claim 9, comprising: storing casino
customer wagering history data in said first database.
11. A method in accordance with claim 10, wherein: updating said
first database with wagering profile information collected during
each time period that a customer is a registered as being at said
one or more casino properties.
12. A method in accordance with claim 11, comprising: registering a
customer at one of said casino properties for purposes of
determining said each time period.
13. A method in accordance with claim 12, comprising: providing a
registration kiosk or other terminal located in or proximate each
of said casino properties.
14. A method in accordance with claim 13, comprising: providing to
a casino property corresponding to a registration kiosk or other
terminal, user identification information for each new user
registering at said casino property; and said casino providing a
player account and card for each said new registered user.
15. A method in accordance with claim 11, comprising: providing
said casino customer wagering data collected to said casino
property.
16. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein: each said request
includes travel plans of said potential customer, said plans
including one or more dates of departure and dates of return and
trip destination location.
17. A method in accordance with claim 16, comprising: responding to
said request with reservation options for air transportation.
18. A method in accordance with claim 16, comprising: responding to
said request with airline reservation options prepared and provided
directly by airline operators.
19. A method in accordance with claim 16, comprising: responding to
said request with hotel reservation options prepared and provided
directly by participating casino-hotel properties.
20. A method in accordance with claim 1, comprising: registering
said potential customer prior to receiving said request; said
customer registering step comprises said registered user providing
at least one of personal gaming preference and wagering profile
information; and storing said at least one of personal gaming
preference; storing said wagering profile information in said first
database record; and preparing said incentive promotional offers on
the basis of stored gaming preference and stored wagering profile
data collected in said registering step.
21. A method in accordance with claim 20, comprising: updating said
wagering profile data with wagering profile information collected
during each time period that a customer is a registered as being at
said one or more casino properties.
22. A method in accordance with claim 1, comprising: providing each
of said incentive promotional offers on a "play to qualify"
basis.
23. A method in accordance with claim 22, comprising: determining
said promotional incentives a casino property at the end of the
time period that a customer is registered at being at said casino
property.
24. A method in accordance with claim 23, comprising: determining
an amount or level of promotional incentive offered to a customer
based on the amounts wagered by said customer during a stay at a
casino property.
25. A method in accordance with claim 1, comprising: receiving an
acceptance by said potential customer of said at least one of said
potential incentive offers; determining whether said potential
customer is a new customer to the casino property corresponding to
said acceptance; and said casino property preparing a player card
account for said potential customer.
26. A method in accordance with claim 25, wherein: making said
player card available to said customer for pick-up upon arrival at
said casino property.
27. A method in accordance with claim 1, comprising: responding to
an acceptance of one of said incentive offers by a customer by
determining if said customer is an existing customer of the casino
property corresponding to an accepted one of said incentive offers;
and booking said accepted one offer as a casino reservation.
28. A method in accordance with claim 1, comprising: responding to
an acceptance of one of said incentive offers by a customer by
providing said potential customer an option to make reservations
and/or purchase tickets to entertainment related events and/or
shows.
29. A method in accordance with claim 28, comprising: storing
entertainment purchase information relative to said reservations
and ticket purchases made by said potential customer; and providing
said entertainment information for said customer to said
corresponding casino property.
30. A method in accordance with claim 29, comprising: said
corresponding casino property reimbursing said customer for
entertainment purchases at the conclusion of a casino reservation
as part of the accepted one of said incentive offers.
31. A method in accordance with claim 1, comprising: providing a
database for storing and aggregating entertainment behavior
profiles for said potential customers.
32. A method in accordance with claim 1, comprising: receiving
grading information for a casino property from said prospective
customer during or after stay at said casino property by said
prospective customer; and storing said grading information in a
database.
33. A method in accordance with claim 1, comprising: receiving
customer provided information relative to promotional incentive
offers accepted by said potential customer after utilizing said
incentive offer.
34. A method in accordance with claim 1, comprising: generating
comparative grading information for said promotional incentive
offers.
35. A method in accordance with claim 3, comprising: requiring each
participating casino to agrees to distribute system promotional
material with unique sponsor codes thereon to guests.
36. A method in accordance with claim 35, comprising: providing
instructions in said promotional material for said guests to become
registered users; associating a corresponding unique sponsor code
with each said participating casino; and including in said
instructions said corresponding unique sponsor code for use in
becoming a registered user.
37. A method in accordance with claim 36, comprising: associating a
registered user account number with the sponsoring casino
corresponding to said unique sponsor code for the life of said
registered user account.
38. A method in accordance with claim 37, wherein: said sponsoring
casino realizes preferential promotional benefit each time a
customer associated with said sponsoring casino enters a
request.
39. A method in accordance with claim 38, comprising: providing
said preferential promotional benefit by listing promotional
incentive offers from said sponsoring casino in preferential
position for viewing by said associated customer.
40. A method in accordance with claim 38, comprising: providing
said preferential promotional benefit via banner ads.
41. A marketing method for customer specific promotions,
comprising: receiving from a requesting customer an electronic
request for promotional offers via a website connected to a global
computer network or via a device located in a casino and coupled to
a communications network; attaching wagering profile data from said
requesting customer to said electronic request to provide an
enhanced request; sending said enhanced request to one or more
casino properties to produce promotional incentive offers
corresponding with the request, said incentive offers being
proportional to said requesting customer's wagering profile; and
responding to said request with one or more promotional offers.
42. A method in accordance with claim 41, comprising: providing
said enhanced requests to casino properties registered as system
participating casino properties.
43. A method in accordance with claim 42, comprising: registering
members of the general public seeking to use the system via a new
user registration process to become new registered system
users.
44. A method in accordance with claim 43, comprising: creating a
unique system generated account number and customer data file for
each said new registered system user.
45. A method in accordance with claim 44, wherein: said
registration process comprises requiring each said new registered
system user to provide personal identification and contact
information and create a user name and password.
46. A method in accordance with claim 45, comprising: said
registration process comprises requiring each said new registered
system user providing personal gaming preference and/or player
wagering profile information.
47. A method in accordance with claim 45, comprising: said
registration process comprises requiring each said new registered
user to provide account numbers for player card accounts.
48. A method in accordance with claim 44, comprising: forming said
customer data file with at least one of personal, player profile or
player card account information for a registered user.
49. A method in accordance with claim 42, comprising: monitoring
and tracking waging history data for casino customers by
participating casinos via casino installed management information
systems.
50. A method in accordance with claim 49, comprising: each said
participating casino agreeing to provide rights to access and use
said casino customer wagering history data.
51. A method in accordance with claim 50, comprising: each said
participating casino providing registered user wagering profile
information collected while said registered user is in said
participating casino.
52. A method in accordance with claim 51, comprising: establishing
the duration of a registered user's visit to a participating casino
by said registered user logging in to and out of said participating
casino via a kiosk or other input terminal physically located in
said participating casino.
53. A method in accordance with claim 41, comprising: identifying
said customer as a casino property walk-in customer; determining if
said customer is a new customer to a casino property; said casino
property preparing a player account and card for said customer.
54. A method in accordance with claim 53, comprising: collecting
casino customer wagering data and adding said data to said
corresponding registered user's customer data file.
55. A method in accordance with claim 41, comprising: providing as
part of each said request intended date and time of arrival and
departure and geographical location preference.
56. A method in accordance with claim 46, comprising: preparing
said promotional offers on the basis of said gaming preference and
wagering profile data.
57. A method in accordance with claim 41, comprising: providing
said promotional offers on a "play to qualify" basis.
58. A method in accordance with claim 57, comprising: determining
said promotional incentive provided or paid by a casino at the
conclusion of a stay at said one or more casino properties.
59. A method in accordance with claim 58, comprising: determining
the amount or level of said promotional incentive provided to said
requesting customer based on the amounts wagered by said requesting
customer during said stay.
60. A method in accordance with claim 54, comprising: preparing
said promotional offers on the basis of said gaming preference and
said added data.
61. A method in accordance with claim 41, comprising: determining
if said requesting customer is a new customer to a casino property
corresponding with a promotion option accepted by a requesting
customer; said casino property preparing a player card account for
said requesting customer if said requesting customer is a new
customer.
62. A method in accordance with claim 61, comprising: making said
player card is available for pick up upon arrival at a casino
specified location.
63. A method in accordance with claim 41, comprising: providing
said requesting customer with an option to make reservations and/or
purchase tickets to entertainment related events and/or shows.
64. A method in accordance with claim 63, comprising: said
requesting customer accepting one of said one or more promotional
offers; selecting said entertainment related events and/or shows
from those that are scheduled to occur during the time period of
said accepted offer.
65. A method in accordance with claim 64, comprising: providing to
said casino property that provided said accepted one promotional
offer, information relative to said entertainment related events
and/or shows purchased by said requesting customer.
66. A method in accordance with claim 63, comprising: automatically
storing entertainment behavior profiles in a customer data base for
each said requesting customer.
68. The system set forth in claim 44 where upon conclusion of a
gaming session corresponding with a system generated promotional
offer, said registered user grades the performance of the customer
service provided at the corresponding casino and enters such
grading data into the system;
69. The system set forth in claim 44 where upon conclusion of a
gaming session corresponding with a system generated promotional
offer, said registered user provides system with description of the
actual promotional incentives received by registered user
corresponding with said gaming session;
70. The system set forth in claim 69 where upon receipt of actual
promotional incentives received by registered user, the system
compares this data with the corresponding wagering profile data
received from casino as defined in claim 51 to grade the relative
level of promotional incentive provide by said casino;
71. The system set forth in claim 44 where to qualify as a
participating casino, said casino agrees to distribute system
promotional material, with unique sponsor codes thereon, to their
hotel guests;
72. The system set forth in claim 71 where casino distributed
promotional material includes instruction for such guests to become
registered users, including entering the unique sponsor code during
the registration process;
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit and priority of U.S.
Provisional Application for Patent Ser. No. 60/670,069 filed on
Apr. 11, 2005.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Over the past thirty years America has evolved from a place
where gambling was a relatively rare activity with casinos
operating only in the Nevada, and a few states operating lotteries,
and pari-mutuel gambling on a smallish scale, into a nation where
legalized gambling, in one form or another, is one of the more
popular leisure activities. The amount spent on gambling compared
to all other leisure activities is particularly noteworthy. In
2004, more than ten percent of the over $650 billion Americans paid
for leisure goods, services and activities was spent on gambling,
not including monies spent by gamblers on hotels, food,
transportation and other related expenses. In terms of "destination
leisure" (e.g., spectator sports, cruise ships, theme parks,
concerts, etc.), "destination" gambling accounts for more than
one-third of total market revenues. And of all gambling categories,
casino gambling is the most popular, generating over 50% of the
total commercial gambling revenues for all categories.
[0003] As the casino resort and gaming industry has grown and
matured, the use of entertainment to drive gaming revenue has
continued to be the market's principal proven formula for success.
In Las Vegas, entertainment (non-gaming) related revenue now
accounts for over 40% of total casino gross revenues. Las Vegas'
successful entertainment driven formula is the model for other
major casino resort destination markets striving to increase their
potential.
[0004] Two factors influencing casinos decisions related to
management of their entertainment assets and investments are the
(i) fixed cost, and (ii) perishable nature of related inventory.
Entertainment products are generally characterized by fixed versus
variable cost based investments (i.e., facilities, maintenance,
entertainer fees, etc.) and corresponding inventory is
predominantly "perishable". Therefore, many important expense
levels cannot be readily adjusted downward if necessary to meet
lower than average or projected sales levels, and if an inventory
allotment for any given day is not sold (e.g., hotels room, seat at
a boxing match, etc.) related revenue potential is lost and can not
be recovered.
[0005] As a result of the popularity of casino gaming, the number
and size of casino resorts has seen rapid and continued growth.
Similarly competition between casino resorts to attract and retain
gaming customers has intensified. Casino sponsored entertainment
such as shows, events, and night clubs, is the most popular method
used by casinos to attract gaming customers, and "comps" are one of
the most widely recognized promotional tools to use entertainment
assets to successfully build and retain valued gaming business.
[0006] "Comp" is the casino industry term for special promotions,
e.g., free rooms or upgrades, tickets to events, complimentary food
and beverages, provided to customers to foster goodwill and build
customer loyalty. The level of comps a casino may provide to a
customer is generally based on an individual players rating or
value to a casino, as typically determined from the customer's
historical level of play or wagering.
[0007] Casino rating systems utilize various methods to track
players wagering history. Related historical data is utilized to
determine such information as a player's average wager, amounts
wagered during an average gaming session, type of games preferred,
frequency of visits per year, etc. This data provides casinos with
the ability to reward individual customers with comps that are
proportional to each customer's unique wagering status. With
accurate historical waging data, casinos can make promotional comp
commitments more quickly to their customers to attract or retain
their business and prevent the danger of (i) over spending based on
the customer's actual value to the casino, or (ii) failing to
provide treatment and accommodations for valuable customers at
levels to which the customers are accustomed or entitled.
[0008] Casinos issue "player cards" to track the wagering activity
of their customers during their casino stay or visit. Player cards
are common enough to be considered a standard, industry-wide
feature. Customer data that individual casino properties acquire
from player cards is proprietary to the casino property collecting
the customer data or to the casino owners. Therefore, such data is
typically not shared between or among competing casino
operations.
[0009] The absence of an industry wide, shared historical wagering
data platform creates a "disconnect" when players with established
waging histories at one casino seek to patronize a second casino
where they have no wagering history. In these instances, the second
casino is ill prepared to quickly or conveniently provide such
customers with comps at levels they may be accustomed to. This
"walled garden" data structure that limits customer's freedom of
choice by curtailing efficient, automated transfer of wagering
profile related casino privileges or entitlements.
[0010] Numerous business models have proven that consumers tend to
retaliate when their access or freedom is arbitrarily limited. As a
result, the use of containment tactics in businesses can have the
affect of lowering overall customer satisfaction levels and
potentially limiting a markets true potential.
[0011] One prior arrangement provides a multi-player tracking
system that tracks a player's wagering levels at any one of a
several gaming venues. This system, however, requires a "new"
management information system be installed over the top of the
current information system at each casino property. It is commonly
known that whenever a new system installation requires an existing
business system to be changed or replaced, particularly where large
established companies are concerned, a significant amount of time
and expense is generally required to affect such change.
Furthermore, such requirements can also prohibit adoption
altogether.
[0012] Promotional activities such as providing "comps" motivate
and stimulate consumer purchases. People are attracted by the
opportunity to win or receive things perceived as being free. In
fact, use of the "free" is so effective in motivating consumer
purchase decisions that use of the word is regulated in certain
industries to prevent abuse.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0013] In accordance with the principles of the invention "comps,"
generally perceived by customers as free bonuses or rewards, are
more effectively utilized as an important and compelling
promotional tool for casinos. Accordingly, access to a universally
accessible player wagering profile database would open up the
market for casinos to use comps to more readily promote growth and
profitability using a more efficient, automated system.
[0014] We have determined that what would greatly benefit the
casino industry and casino consumers to provide an arrangement that
(i) collects consumer related wagering profile data and stores it
to a non casino specific wagering database, (ii) aggregates such
data, in a cumulative manner, into a database that can is
accessible by participating casino members, and (iii) provides a
casino travel related website where casinos, having electronic
access to said player wagering data, can offer individually
tailored, incentive comp packages to attract new customer business
and motivate existing customers to increase their frequency of
visits.
[0015] A method in accordance with the invention includes:
providing a database of customer wagering profiles; receiving a
request from a potential customer for a destination casino hotel
reservation; obtaining wagering profile data for the potential
customer from the database; providing a modified or enhanced
request by attaching the wagering profile data for the potential
customer to the enhanced request; utilizing the enhanced request to
generate one or more promotional incentive offers; and responding
to the request with at least one reservation option including said
one or more promotional incentive offers.
[0016] A marketing method for customer specific promotions in
accordance with the invention includes: receiving from a requesting
customer an electronic request for promotional offers via a website
connected to a global computer network or via a device located in a
casino and coupled to a communications network; attaching wagering
profile data from the requesting customer to the electronic request
to provide an enhanced request; sending the enhanced request to one
or more casino properties to produce promotional incentive offers
corresponding with the request, the incentive offers being
proportional to the requesting customer's wagering profile; and
responding to the request with one or more promotional offers.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0017] The invention will be better understood from a reading of
the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawing
figures in which like designators are used to identify like
elements, and in which:
[0018] FIG. 1 illustrates a system in accordance with the
principles of the invention;
[0019] FIG. 2 illustrates steps in registering a user of the system
and method of the invention;
[0020] FIG. 3 illustrates steps in providing incentive offers in
accordance with the principles of the invention;
[0021] FIG. 4 illustrates principal components of the customer
specific marketing system and method including a participating
casino property, data interfaces, and customer wagering profile
database and casino destination travel website;
[0022] FIG. 5 illustrates the participating casino property
operations components and wagering data access, transferred and
sharing arrangements in a preferred system structure;
[0023] FIG. 6 illustrates a method by which consumers enroll as
registered users of the system and establish system accounts;
[0024] FIG. 7 illustrates the method by which the registered users
wagering data is captured from participating casinos and the
processing of such data within the systems database operations;
[0025] FIG. 8 illustrates how registered users operate the system
website and the related system interaction with participating
casino properties to develop promotional comp package offers for
such registered users; and
[0026] FIG. 9 illustrating a sample system generated casino
air/room travel package options and the structure and process by
which registered users select such travel package options.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0027] When a casino's historical data modeling tools or
reservation records, or similar tools or data sources, project or
indicate a probability there will be unsold inventory levels, it is
highly desirable for casino operators to utilize such potentially
unsold inventory as a promotional tool to attract gaming business
(since corresponding incremental expense requirements for such
promotional use are generally small and if the inventory is not
used it is lost anyway).
[0028] The present invention provides a highly effective yield
management tool for the casino resort industry to optimize the
value of entertainment related assets by providing access to an
industry-wide wagering profile database and features to use this
data to design customer specific comp promotions to attract new
customers and increase business from existing customers.
[0029] In accordance with the principles of the invention a yield
management strategy for casino operators provides (i) access to a
potential customer while the potential customer is making casino
resort destination travel purchase decisions, (ii) the ability to
make and modify promotional comp package incentive offers to a
potential customer in real time, and (iii) access to accurate data
on each potential customer's historical waging data to tailor
promotional offers on a per customer basis.
[0030] A casino property participates in and uses a customer
specific marketing program in accordance with the invention after
entering into an agreement to be a participant. In accordance with
the agreement the participating casino provides registered user
waging data collected by the casino to a system database. Still
further a participating casino agrees to promote enrollment in the
system to its patrons.
[0031] Any member of the general public may enroll to become a
system user on-line via a system supported web site or at terminals
or kiosks located in participating casinos. The terminals or kiosks
are programmed to read system registered user account cards. Each
prospective user of the system participates in a registration
process. During the registration process, the prospective user
enters appropriate identification information, gaming preferences
and wagering profile data. The information entered by the
prospective user is checked for integrity and entered into a
database along with a user account code or number which is provided
back to the user at conclusion of the registration process.
[0032] When a registered user utilizing a web site enters casino
destination travel plans, the system identifies participating
casino properties at geographically relevant locations. By way of
example, a registered user may indicate that he or she would like
to stay in a casino-resort located on the "strip" in Las Vegas or
in Atlantic City or elsewhere. The system will associate the
desired travel plans along with the user's waging history profile
data from the system database. The system transmits a requestor's
identity information, travel request travel dates or visit
specifications and wagering profile data to geographically relevant
participating casino resorts.
[0033] The participating casino resorts utilizing one or more
software programs to draw on inventory management data generate
promotional offers in response to the potential customer's that are
proportional to the user's wagering profile and the currently
available inventory to said registered users. The promotional offer
or offers are returned to the user who has initiated the
request.
[0034] By providing wagering profile data and working in
cooperation with participating casinos, the system of the present
invention offers relevant and valuable promotional incentive
packages to its registered user customer base. As the casino
industry matures, casinos continue to develop a wider array of
premium entertainment services that can be provided as incentives
for casino brands to attract and retain customers. Such premium
entertainment, however, comes at a significant expense to casino
properties and therefore must be carefully managed. As a safeguard,
in order to offer such premium entertainment as a comp to secure
potential customer business, casino properties need assurance that
such promotional investments are proportional with the waging level
of recipient customers. With access to the system's database,
casinos are provided with efficient, automated access to important
customer specific wagering profile data on an industry-wide level
so they can focus their decision processes inventory management
variables to maximize their yield in real time. And the more
history wagering profile data available to a casino the easier it
is for such casinos to offer incrementally greater promotional
incentives to attract and retain customers. As a result, the system
provides a compelling reward based program to motivate players to
become registered users and actively participate (with the system)
to build the broadest, most comprehensive player wagering history
they can.
[0035] Turning now to FIG. 1, participating resort-casino
properties 13 each include a computer system 12 that has access to
a database 14. Database 14 includes wagering data for past and
current casino players. The records stored in database 14 are
associated with players such that wagering data may be selectively
retrieved or updated for each player registered in database 14.
Casino computer system 12 also has access to promotional comp
information for various comps that resort-casino property 13 has
determined are available for players. Examples of such comp
information is inventory information for entertainment, meals and
rooms. The comp information is stored in database 14 also. It
should be noted that although one database 14 is shown, in fact,
there may me multiple databases that are utilized to store the comp
information and player wagering data. In addition, each
participating resort-casino property 13 may separately determine
the correlation between various wagering determinative factors
recorded in database 14 and comps that may be offered to a
prospective guest.
[0036] System 11 includes a server 25 and its related databases 24.
Server 25 responds to reservation requests received from
prospective resort-casino property guests that are received via an
electronic network 3 which, in the illustrative embodiment of the
invention, is the Internet. A prospective guest may utilize an
Internet accessing device 5 which may, for example, be a computer
terminal, pda, internet accessing cell phone or other such device
to access server 25 via Internet 3. Alternatively, the prospective
guest may access another web site which in turn is linked to server
25. In any event, a prospective guest is initially asked via
terminal 5 whether he or she is a registered user of system 11.
[0037] FIG. 2 illustrates the registration process for a new user
of system 11. The system of the invention maintains a database of
registered customers at step 201. When a system user or prospective
guest logs onto system 11, the prospective guest is linked directly
or indirectly to server 25. At step 203 it is determined whether or
not the prospective guest is already a registered member. If the
guest is a registered member, the guest logs in to the system by
entering identification information. System 11 verifies the log in
of the guest and the guest may then enter travel destination
information is asked to provide his/her registration identification
if he/she is a registered user.
[0038] If prospective guest is not a registered user, the
prospective guest is asked to register to use the system at step
203. A unique identifier and As part of the registration process,
the prospective user is requested to and must provide
identification information, and player club information for all
casinos where the prospective user has registered to provide a user
profile. System 11 associates a unique account identifier and a
customer database record in customer database for each registered
potential customer at step 205. The user provides personal
identification and contact information at step 207 and the user
creates user name and password at step 209. The user provides
personal identification and contact information, and selects a user
name and password which are stored in customer database record at
step 211. The user provides at least one of personal gaming
preference and wagering profile information at step 213. System 11
stores personal gaming preference and wagering profile information
stored in customer database record at step 215. The user provides
account numbers for active player card accounts at step 217 and the
player account numbers stored in customer database record at step
219
[0039] The user then may log on to use system 11. As with a
previously registered user, system 11 verifies the log in. If the
log in is not verified, the user is returned to a log in page. If
the log is verified server 25 accepts reservation information from
the prospective guest.
[0040] Server 25 provides prompts to the user for obtaining
appropriate reservation information from the user, including
geographic destination information and desired dates and other
typical reservation information. Once server 25 receives the
reservation request information from the user, server 25 obtains
wagering data for the guest from database 24 and appends the
wagering data to the reservation request.
[0041] Server 25 identifies participating casino properties that
meet the geographic preference of the user. Server 25 transmits the
reservation request and wagering data to the participating casino
properties that have been identified.
[0042] As shown in FIG. 3, System 11 receives a request from said
potential customer for a destination reservation at step 301.
System 11 obtains wagering profile data from first database at step
303. System 11 utilizes wagering profile data to generate one or
more promotional incentive offers from one or more casino
properties for potential customer at step 305. System 11 responds
to the request with at least one promotional incentive offer. Each
request includes travel plans of potential customer, plans include
one or more dates of departure and dates of return and trip
destination location at step 307. System 11 responds to said
request with reservation options for air transportation at step
309. After receiving an acceptance by potential customer of at
least one potential incentive offers at step 311, the system
provides acceptance to the casino property. During this process
system 11 determines whether the potential customer is a new
customer to the casino property at step 313. If so, the casino
property prepares a player card account for said potential customer
at step 315. The casino property makes the player card available to
customer for pick-up upon arrival at said casino property at step
317. System 11 updates wagering profile data with wagering profile
information collected during each time period that a customer is a
registered as being at casino property at step 321. The casino may
provide each of said incentive promotional offers on a "play to
qualify" basis at step 323. In such case, the casino will determine
the promotional incentives at the end of the time period that a
customer is registered as being at casino property at step 325. The
amount or level of promotional incentive offered to a customer may
be based on the amounts wagered by said customer during a stay at a
casino property at step 327
[0043] As illustrated in FIG. 4, participating casino properties 13
identified as being within the destination receive the reservation
request and the wagering information for the requesting user. The
casino computer system 12 accesses its data base at step 303 to
identify its available inventory for the prospective guests choice
of date. Casino computer system 12 may also access its players club
database if the prospective user is a member of its players
club.
[0044] Casino computer system 12 utilizing the reservation request
information, the wagering data appended to the reservation request
and its inventory, to generates one or more promotional incentives
to induce the prospective guest to utilize its facilities. The
promotional incentive is appended to a response to the prospective
guest that is returned to server 25.
[0045] Server 25 assembles responses from all participating casinos
that respond to the reservation request and makes the responses
available to the prospective user for access via the Internet.
[0046] Turning now to FIG. 5a resort-casino property 13 is shown
schematically. It will be appreciated that although only one
resort-casino property is shown in FIG. 5, the principles of the
invention are applicable to a group of related resort-casino
properties or groups of related casino properties or a group of
unrelated casino properties. Casino-resort property 13 includes a
computer system 12 that either includes or has access to a database
14. Casino-resort property 13 includes a players club and issues
players club cards 15.
[0047] One or more kiosks 17, shown in greater detail in FIG. 7 are
co-located at resort-casino 13. Each kiosk 17 includes a card
reader 18 for reading of system cards 27, a keypad input device 19
and a graphical display 20. Kiosks 17 are shown illustratively. The
particular appearance and structure of each kiosk forms no part of
the present invention. It is intended that the use of the term
"kiosk" herein is intended to include any substantially
freestanding input/output terminal that would be placed in a public
area for use by the general public.
[0048] As illustrated in FIG. 5 a casino property operation becomes
a participating casino property 13, by entering into an agreement
32 agreeing to provide server 25 access to casino database 14 for
providing wagering data collected from registered users during the
period such users are actively involved in gaming at the
participating casino property 13. Upon executing the agreement 32
participating casino properties 13 provide appropriate data
formatting information and necessary code/content instruction 34
from the participating casino property management information
system administrator. A participating casino property 13 shares
wagering history data that guests registered with system 11
generate while playing at the participating casino property 13 and
transfers such data from casino database 14 to system 11.
[0049] FIG. 6, illustrates two ways a customer may enroll as a
registered users of system 11. A customer can enrollment to become
registered users at either a kiosk 17 or via the Internet utilizing
an internet accessing device 5. The customer receives appropriate
instructions to register via a registration screen at step 601. At
the new user registration screen, consumers input user
identification and contact information (i.e., mailing address,
phone numbers, etc.) and information related to gaming preferences
and wagering related profile data 43. The new user is prompted to
enter account username and password information. Thereafter the
system 11 creates a unique account number 44 for the new registered
user to manage and maintain a corresponding registered user
customer data file 26 within the system 11 database 24. System 11
transfers the corresponding registered user customer data file 26
to an account card processing center 45 to process a registered
user system account card 27.
[0050] Subsequent to completing registration, a registered user is
provided a system account card 27. System account card 27 includes
memory, which in the illustrative embodiment is a
readable/writeable magnetic data strip thereon compatible with
kiosk 17. The magnetic strip allows the registered user to view
account profile data 26 or have the account data 26 on the system
account card 27 updated at a system kiosk 17.
[0051] A registered user can access system 11 to make casino
destination air/room travel plans. When a registered users checks
in at a casino-hotel, the hotel check in and check out times serve
as automatic start time and stop time indicators eliminating the
need to use the user card 27 at a system kiosk 17 to mark data
collection start and stop times.
[0052] Turning back to FIG. 4, a registered user inserts an account
card 27 into kiosk 17 reader 18 at the beginning of a participating
casino gaming session. The registered user also inserts an account
card 27 into a reader 18 at the conclusion of a session 16 to
indicate to the system 21 the period of time the registered user
was actively engaged in gaming activity at the participating casino
property 13. Upon collecting the start and stop time information
21, the system 11 sends an electronic request 22 to casino database
14 for wagering data for the registered user for the corresponding
gaming period. System 11 converts the captured and transferred
wagering data into an appropriate database format for storage in
the system database 24. Every system registered user has a customer
data file 26 which stores registered users customer identification
information and compiled and aggregated wagering history data from
system 11.
[0053] As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the system's marketing operation
platform 23 includes a website 28 where registered users can book
casino destination air/room reservations and/or request and receive
casino comp offers corresponding with their walk in casino visit
plans.
[0054] In accordance with the principles of the invention a
terminal or kiosk 17 located within participating casino properties
13 is used to register a start 52 and stop 53 time relative to a
registered users gaming activity at a participating casino during a
corresponding gaming. At the onset of a gaming session a registered
user swipes their system card 27 in the system kiosk 17 reader 18
and keys in the appropriate instruction at the keypad 19 to log the
start time of the registered users gaming session 52. At the
conclusion of the a gaming session the registered user swipes their
system card 27 in the system kiosk 17 reader 18 and keys in the
appropriate instruction at the keypad 19 to log the stop time of
the registered users gaming session 53.
[0055] After a registered user logs their gaming session ending
time, an electronic data file defining account number for the
registered user, the wagering session time and corresponding
participating casino that was wagered at is sent to the system
database operations server 25. A copy of this data along with a
request for the corresponding wagering profile data for the gaming
session period is sent 55 from the system database server 25 to the
casino database 14. Upon receipt of the electronic request 55 from
the system 11 the casino database 14 transmits 56 back to the
system server 25 with the corresponding registered users wagering
data for the gaming session period. Upon receipt of request
wagering profile data 56 the system server 25 sends the casino 13
data to the next sequential data processing operations 57. The
systems casino account identification and sorting operations 58
analyze the historical wagering data files 22 to determine the
originating registered casino account for the participating casino
13. Once the originating registered casino account is determined,
the corresponding casino property 13 electronic data format 34
information is retrieved and wagering data 22 is converted to the
system's 11 format 59. Thereafter, the system 11 updates the
corresponding registered user's data file 26 with the historical
wagering data 60 and then updates the central system database
operations 61.
[0056] As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 registered users may request
casino destination travel airline ticket and hotel reservation
pricing 61 and receive as part of the request 61, promotional comp
incentives offers 68 at the system 28 website.
[0057] When a registered system user enters the system 11 website
28 to search for casino destination travel and entertainment
package options, they log on as a registered user 62 and enter
their desired travel specification (date and city of departure,
return date, number of passengers, etc.) 63. Via the system 11
server 25 the system database operations 24 then combines the
registered users travel specifications 63 with the registered users
customer data file 26 wagering history data and electronically
transmits this customer and travel plan information to
participating casino properties 13, 65 at relevant locations (in
geographical proximity to destination of registered users travel
plan specifications 63). With the registered user/system 11
supplied travel specifications 63 and corresponding registered user
wagering history data 26 the participating casino resorts 13
utilize their own internal, inventory/yield management software
programs to prepare promotional offers tailored to the travel
specifications 63 and customized for the registered users wagering
history data 26 and transmit 66 to the system 11 server 25 and
database operations 24. The promotional offers 67 are then sent 68
to the website 28 for the registered user to review.
[0058] As shown in FIG. 9 a system 71 that defines the format of
system responses to requests 61 for casino air/room travel package
pricing and options. Casino resort air/room travel packages 72
delivered by the system 11 include a casino resort package 73, made
up of a hotel room options 74 and comp package options 75, and
airline ticket options 76. Airline ticket options 76 are made up of
a multiple of individual airline ticket options 77 from one or more
carriers. Similarly, casino resort package options are made up of a
multiple of individual hotel room choices 79 from various casino
properties 13 and multiple of individual comp package options 80.
Any airline ticket option 77 can be freely interchanged with any
hotel room/comp package set 78. Hotel room 79 and comp package
components 80, however, of a casino resort package option 78 can
not be removed from their package and interchanged with other
casino resort 74 hotel room 79 or comp package 80 components.
[0059] At the conclusion of registered user's gaming sessions or
trips to participating casinos, electronic requests for
corresponding wagering data is sent to the casino. Upon collection,
the wagering data is added to the users' customer data file in the
system database. Related wagering data downloads build users waging
history profiles, enabling registered users to receive potentially
greater promotional value from participating casinos when
requesting air/room travel reservations or promotion offers through
the system. Using the waging profile database the system provides
individual tailored promotional comp offers to registered users
requesting casino destination air/room travel reservation options
or promotional offers for walk in casino visits at the system
website or at system authorized kiosks.
[0060] The invention has been described in terms of several
embodiments. It is not intended that the invention be limited in
scope to the specific embodiments shown and described. It will be
appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes and
modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the
invention.
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