U.S. patent application number 11/938242 was filed with the patent office on 2008-05-15 for multiple account funds transfer in a wagering environment.
This patent application is currently assigned to BALLY GAMING, INC.. Invention is credited to John Sommer.
Application Number | 20080113776 11/938242 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39369863 |
Filed Date | 2008-05-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080113776 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Sommer; John |
May 15, 2008 |
MULTIPLE ACCOUNT FUNDS TRANSFER IN A WAGERING ENVIRONMENT
Abstract
There is disclosed a system, apparatus, and method for cashless
gaming. A casino-issued player code is received from a gaming
server. A request from the gaming device is received at the gaming
server to withdraw a first amount of funds from a first account of
a first financial and a second amount of funds from a second
account of a second financial institution. The request includes a
password. The password is verified. The account numbers are
identified with the casino issued player codes. The account numbers
are not communicated via the gaming device. Withdrawal transactions
with the financial institutions are initiated based on the account
numbers. The funds are received in a player account associated with
the casino-issued player code. The funds are converted to credits.
The credits are transferred to the gaming device.
Inventors: |
Sommer; John; (Reno,
NV) |
Correspondence
Address: |
STEPTOE & JOHNSON, LLP
2121 AVENUE OF THE STARS, SUITE 2800
LOS ANGELES
CA
90067
US
|
Assignee: |
BALLY GAMING, INC.
Las Vegas
NV
|
Family ID: |
39369863 |
Appl. No.: |
11/938242 |
Filed: |
November 9, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60865528 |
Nov 13, 2006 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
463/25 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G07F 17/3248 20130101;
G07F 17/32 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
463/25 |
International
Class: |
A63F 9/24 20060101
A63F009/24 |
Claims
1. A method for cashless gaming, the method comprising: receiving a
casino-issued player code from a gaming device at a gaming server;
receiving a request from the gaming device at the gaming server to
withdraw a first amount of funds from a first account of a first
financial institution and a second amount of funds from a second
account of a second financial institution, wherein the request
includes a password; verifying the password; identifying a first
account number of the first financial institution and the second
account number of the second financial institution with at least
the casino-issued player code, wherein the first account number and
the second account number are not communicated via the gaming
device; initiating a withdrawal transaction with the first
financial institution based at least on the first account number;
initiating a withdrawal transaction with the second financial
institution based at least on the second account number; receiving
the first amount of funds and the second amount of funds in a
player account associated with the casino-issued player code;
converting the first amount of funds and the second amount of funds
to credits; and transferring the credits to the gaming device.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: in response to a win
of a jackpot at the gaming device, sending an offer from the gaming
server to the gaming device to purchase a goods with funds from the
jackpot, the first account, and the second account.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the offer is based at least on
the casino-issued player code.
4. The method of claim 2, further comprising: receiving acceptance
of the offer at the gaming server from the gaming device;
initiating a withdrawal transaction with the first financial
institution responsive to the acceptance; initiating a withdrawal
transaction with the second financial institution responsive to the
acceptance; and transferring funds from the player account to a
seller of the goods.
5. The method of claim 4, further comprising: in response to the
withdrawal transaction with the first financial institution being
denied, sending an offer from the gaming server to the gaming
device to purchase the goods based on funds from a combination of
the jackpot, the second account, and a third account of a third
financial institution.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: causing the gaming
device to display the funds transferred from the first account and
the second account to the player account.
7. A method for cashless gaming, the method comprising: receiving
an identifier from a gaming device at a gaming server, wherein the
identifier is issued by an intermediary; receiving a request from
the gaming device at the gaming server to withdraw a first amount
of funds from a first account at a first financial institution and
a second amount of funds from a second account at a second
financial institution, wherein the request includes the identifier
and a password, wherein a first account number associated with the
first account and a second account number associated with the
second account are not communicated via the gaming device;
verifying the password; requesting the intermediary to initiate a
withdrawal transaction with the first financial institution,
wherein the requesting transfers the identifier from the gaming
server to the intermediary; and requesting the intermediary to
initiate a withdrawal transaction with the second financial
institution, wherein the requesting transfers the identifier from
the gaming server to the intermediary.
8. The method of claim 7, further comprising: in response to a win
of a jackpot at the gaming device, sending an offer from the gaming
server to the gaming device to purchase a service with funds from
the jackpot, the first account, and the second account.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the offer is based at least on
the identifier.
10. The method of claim 8, further comprising: receiving acceptance
of the offer at the gaming server from the gaming device;
initiating a withdrawal transaction with the first financial
institution responsive to the acceptance; and initiating a
withdrawal transaction with the second financial institution
responsive to the acceptance.
11. The method of claim 10, further comprising: in response to the
withdrawal transaction with the second financial institution being
denied, sending an offer from the gaming server to the gaming
device to purchase a service with funds from the jackpot, the first
account, the second account, and a third account of a third
financial institution.
12. The method of claim 7, further comprising: causing the gaming
device to display the funds transferred from the first account and
the second account to the player account.
13. A method for cashless gaming, the method comprising: receiving
a casino-issued player code from a gaming device at a gaming server
that is associated with an identifier issued by an intermediary;
receiving a request from the gaming device at the gaming server to
deposit a first amount of funds to a first account at a first
financial institution and a second amount of funds to a second
account at a second financial institution, wherein the request
includes a password, and wherein a first account number associated
with the first account and a second account number associated with
the second account are not communicated via the gaming device;
verifying the password; causing the intermediary to initiate a
deposit transaction with the first financial institution, wherein
the causing transfers the identifier from the gaming server to the
intermediary; causing the intermediary to initiate a deposit
transaction with the second financial institution, wherein the
causing transfers the identifier from the gaming server to the
intermediary; receiving credits from the gaming device to a player
account associated with the casino-issued player code; converting
the credits to funds; and transferring the first amount of funds
from the player account to the first account and the second amount
of funds from the player account to the second account.
14. The method of claim 13, further comprising: sending an offer
from the gaming server to the gaming device to transfer funds from
the player account to both the first account and the second account
in response to a win of a jackpot at the gaming device, wherein the
win of the jackpot is greater than a sum of a balance owed on the
first account and the second account.
15. The method of claim 13, further comprising: in response to a
win of a jackpot at the gaming device, sending an offer from the
gaming server to the gaming device to purchase a goods with funds
from the jackpot, the first account, and the second account.
16. The method of claim 14, wherein the offer is based at least on
the casino-issued player code.
17. The method of claim 15, further comprising: receiving
acceptance of the offer at the gaming server from the gaming
device; initiating a withdrawal transaction with the first
financial institution responsive to the acceptance; and initiating
a withdrawal transaction with the second financial institution
responsive to the acceptance.
18. The method of claim 17, further comprising: in response to the
withdrawal transaction with the second financial institution being
denied, sending an offer from the gaming server to the gaming
device to purchase a goods with funds from the jackpot, the first
account, the second account, and a third account of a third
financial institution.
19. The method of claim 15, wherein the value of the goods are less
than twice the value of the jackpot.
20. The method of claim 18, wherein the first account is a credit
card account, the second account is an ATM account, and the third
account is a checking account.
21. A method for cashless gaming, the method comprising: receiving
a casino-issued player code from a gaming device at a gaming
server; receiving a request from the gaming device at the gaming
server to withdraw a first amount of funds from a first account of
a first financial institution and a second amount of funds from a
second account of a second financial institution, wherein the
request includes a password; verifying the password; identifying a
first account number of the first financial institution and the
second account number of the second financial institution with at
least the casino-issued player code, wherein the first account
number and the second account number are not communicated via the
gaming device; initiating a withdrawal transaction with the first
financial institution based at least on the first account number;
initiating a withdrawal transaction with the second financial
institution based at least on the second account number; receiving
the first amount of funds and the second amount of funds in a
player account associated with the casino-issued player code;
converting the first amount of funds and the second amount of funds
to credits; transferring the credits to the gaming device; and
causing the gaming device to display the balance of the first
account and the second account periodically.
22. A method for cashless gaming, the method comprising: receiving
a casino-issued player code from a gaming device at a gaming
server; receiving a request from the gaming device at the gaming
server to withdraw a first amount of funds from a first account of
a first financial institution and a second amount of funds from a
second account of a second financial institution, wherein the
request includes a password; verifying the password; identifying a
first account number of the first financial institution and the
second account number of the second financial institution with at
least the casino-issued player code, wherein the first account
number and the second account number are not communicated via the
gaming device; initiating a withdrawal transaction with the first
financial institution based at least on the first account number;
initiating a withdrawal transaction with the second financial
institution based at least on the second account number; receiving
the first amount of funds and the second amount of funds in a
player account associated with the casino-issued player code;
converting the first amount of funds and the second amount of funds
to credits; transferring the credits to the gaming device; and
causing the gaming device to display the balance of the first
account and the second account persistently.
23. The method of claim 22, wherein the display of the balance is
preapproved by the player.
24. The method of claim 2, wherein the goods is as a pair of
tickets to a show.
25. The method of claim 2, wherein the goods is food.
26. A system for cashless gaming, the system comprising: a gaming
device; and a gaming server having a processor, a memory, and a
storage device, wherein the memory is coupled with the processor,
wherein the gaming server receives a casino-issued player
identifier and a password from the gaming device at the gaming
server, wherein the gaming server receives a request from the
gaming device at the gaming server to withdraw a first amount of
funds from a first account of a first financial institution and a
second amount of funds from a second account at a second financial
institution, wherein the password is not stored by the first
financial institution and is not stored by the second financial
institution, wherein the gaming server identifies a first account
number of the first financial institution and a second account
number of the second financial institution with at least the
casino-issued player identifier, wherein the first account number
and the second account number are not communicated via the gaming
device, wherein the gaming server initiates a withdrawal
transaction with the first financial institution based at least on
the first account number, wherein the gaming server initiates a
withdrawal transaction with the second financial institution based
at least on the second account number, and wherein the gaming
server receives the first amount and the second amount in a player
account associated with the casino-issued player identifier.
27. The system of claim 26, wherein the gaming server sends an
offer from the gaming server to the gaming device to purchase a
goods with funds from the jackpot, the first account, and the
second account responsive to a win of a jackpot at the gaming
device.
28. The system of claim 27, wherein the offer is based at least on
the casino-issued player identifier.
29. The system of claim 27, wherein the gaming server receives
acceptance of the offer at the gaming server from the gaming
device, wherein the gaming server initiates a withdrawal
transaction with the first financial institution responsive to the
acceptance, wherein the gaming server initiates a withdrawal
transaction with the second financial institution responsive to the
acceptance, and wherein the gaming server transfers funds from the
player account to a seller of the goods.
30. The system of claim 26, wherein the gaming server sends an
offer from the gaming server to the gaming device to purchase the
goods based on funds from the jackpot, the second account, and a
third account of a third financial institution responsive to the
withdrawal transaction with the first financial institution being
denied.
31. The system of claim 26, wherein the gaming server causes the
gaming device to display the funds transferred from the first
account and the second account to the player account.
32. A system for cashless gaming, the system comprising: a gaming
device; and a gaming server having a processor, a memory, and a
storage device, wherein the memory is coupled with the processor,
wherein the gaming server receives an identifier from the gaming
device at the gaming server, wherein the identifier is issued by a
financial transaction provider, wherein the gaming server receives
a request from the gaming device at the gaming server to withdraw a
first amount of funds from a first account at a first financial
institution and a second amount of funds from a second account at a
second financial institution, wherein the request includes a
password, wherein a first account number associated with the first
account and a second account number associated with the second
account are not communicated via the gaming device, and wherein the
password is not stored by the first financial institution and is
not stored by the second financial institution, wherein the gaming
server requests that the financial transaction provider initiate a
withdrawal transaction with the first financial institution,
wherein the requesting transfers the identifier from the gaming
server to the financial transaction provider, and wherein the
gaming server requests that the financial transaction provider
initiate a withdrawal transaction with the second financial
institution, wherein the requesting transfers the identifier from
the gaming server to the financial transaction provider.
33. The system of claim 32, wherein the gaming server sends an
offer from the gaming server to the gaming device to purchase a
service with funds from the jackpot, the first account, and the
second account responsive to a win of a jackpot at the gaming
device.
34. The system of claim 33, wherein the offer is based at least on
the identifier.
35. The system of claim 33, wherein the gaming server receives
acceptance of the offer at the gaming server from the gaming
device, wherein the gaming server initiates a withdrawal
transaction with the first financial institution responsive to the
acceptance; and wherein the gaming server initiates a withdrawal
transaction with the second financial institution responsive to the
acceptance.
36. The system of claim 32, wherein the gaming server sends an
offer from the gaming server to the gaming device to purchase a
service with funds from the jackpot, the first account, the second
account, and a third account of a third financial institution
responsive to the withdrawal transaction with the second financial
institution being denied.
37. The system of claim 32, wherein the gaming server causes the
gaming device to display the amount of funds transferred from the
first account and the second account to the player account.
38. A system for cashless gaming, the system comprising: a gaming
device; and a gaming server having a processor, a memory, and a
storage device, wherein the memory is coupled with the processor,
wherein the gaming server receives a casino-issued player
identifier from the gaming device at the gaming server that is
associated with an identifier issued by a financial transaction
provider, wherein the gaming server receives a request from the
gaming device at the gaming server to deposit a first amount of
funds to a first account at a first financial institution and a
second amount of funds to a second account at a second financial
institution, wherein the request includes a password, wherein a
first account number associated with first account and a second
account number associated with the second account are not
communicated via the gaming device, and wherein the password is
unknown to both the first financial institution and the second
financial institution, wherein the gaming server causes the
financial transaction provider to initiate a deposit transaction
with the first financial institution, wherein the causing transfers
the identifier from the gaming server to the financial transaction
provider, and wherein the gaming server causes the financial
transaction provider to initiate a deposit transaction with the
second financial institution based at least on the identifier,
wherein the causing transfers the identifier from the gaming server
to the financial transaction provider.
39. The system of claim 38, wherein the gaming server sends an
offer from the gaming server to the gaming device to transfer funds
from the player account to both the first account and the second
account in response to a win of a jackpot at the gaming device,
wherein the win of the jackpot is greater than a sum of a balance
owed on the first account and the second account.
40. The system of claim 38, wherein the gaming server sends an
offer from the gaming server to the gaming device to purchase a
goods with funds from the jackpot, the first account, and the
second account responsive to a win of a jackpot at the gaming
device.
41. The system of claim 39, wherein the offer is based at least on
the casino-issued player identifier.
42. The system of claim 38, wherein the gaming server receives
acceptance of the offer at the gaming server from the gaming
device, wherein the gaming server initiates a withdrawal
transaction with the first financial institution responsive to the
acceptance, and wherein the gaming server initiates a withdrawal
transaction with the second financial institution responsive to the
acceptance.
43. The system of claim 38, wherein the gaming server sends an
offer from the gaming server to the gaming device to purchase a
goods with funds from the jackpot, the first account, the second
account, and a third account of a third financial institution
responsive to the withdrawal transaction with the second financial
institution being denied.
44. The system of claim 38, wherein the value of the goods are less
than twice the value of the jackpot.
45. The system of claim 38, wherein the first account is a credit
card account, the second account is an ATM account, and the third
account is a checking account.
46. A system for cashless gaming, the system comprising: a gaming
device; and a gaming server having a processor, a memory, and a
storage device, wherein the memory is coupled with the processor,
wherein the gaming server receives a casino-issued player
identifier and a password from the gaming device at the gaming
server, wherein the gaming server receives a request from the
gaming device at the gaming server to withdraw a first amount of
funds from a first account of a first financial institution and a
second amount of funds from a second account at a second financial
institution, wherein the password is not stored by the first
financial institution and is not stored by the second financial
institution, wherein the gaming server identifies a first account
number of the first financial institution and a second account
number of the second financial institution with at least the
casino-issued player identifier, wherein the first account number
and the second account number are not communicated via the gaming
device, wherein the gaming server initiates a withdrawal
transaction with the first financial institution based at least on
the first account number, wherein the gaming server initiates a
withdrawal transaction with the second financial institution based
at least on the second account number, wherein the gaming server
receives the first amount and the second amount in a player account
associated with the casino-issued player identifier; and wherein
the gaming server causes the gaming device to display the balance
of the first account and the second account periodically.
47. A system for cashless gaming, the system comprising: a gaming
device; and a gaming server having a processor, a memory, and a
storage device, wherein the memory is coupled with the processor,
wherein the gaming server receives a casino-issued player
identifier and a password from the gaming device at the gaming
server, wherein the gaming server receives a request from the
gaming device at the gaming server to withdraw a first amount of
funds from a first account of a first financial institution and a
second amount of funds from a second account at a second financial
institution, wherein the password is not stored by the first
financial institution and is not stored by the second financial
institution, wherein the gaming server identifies a first account
number of the first financial institution and a second account
number of the second financial institution with at least the
casino-issued player identifier, wherein the first account number
and the second account number are not communicated via the gaming
device, wherein the gaming server initiates a withdrawal
transaction with the first financial institution based at least on
the first account number, wherein the gaming server initiates a
withdrawal transaction with the second financial institution based
at least on the second account number, wherein the gaming server
receives the first amount and the second amount in a player account
associated with the casino-issued player identifier; and wherein
the gaming server causes the gaming device to display the balance
of the first account and the second account persistently.
48. The system of claim 47, wherein the display of the balance is
preapproved by the player.
49. The system of claim 27, wherein the goods is as a pair of
tickets to a show.
50. The system of claim 27, wherein the goods is food.
51. A gaming server for cashless gaming, the gaming server
comprising: a processor; a memory coupled with the processor; a
storage device having instructions stored thereon which when
executed, the processor: receives a casino-issued player identifier
and a password from a gaming device, receives a single request from
the gaming device to withdraw funds from multiple accounts at
multiple financial institutions, wherein the password is not stored
by any of the multiple financial institutions, identifies account
numbers associated with the multiple accounts based on the
casino-issued player identifier, wherein the account numbers are
not communicated via the gaming device, initiates multiple
withdrawal transactions based on the account numbers, and receives
the funds in a player account associated with the casino-issued
player identifier.
52. The gaming server of claim 51, wherein the storage device has
further instructions stored thereon which when executed, the gaming
server: sends an offer from the gaming server to the gaming device
to purchase a goods with funds from the jackpot and the multiple
accounts responsive to a win of a jackpot at the gaming device.
53. The gaming server of claim 52, wherein the offer is based at
least on the casino-issued player identifier.
54. The gaming server of claim 52, wherein the storage device has
further instructions stored thereon which when executed, the gaming
server: receives acceptance of the offer at the gaming server from
the gaming device, initiates a withdrawal transaction with a first
financial institution responsive to the acceptance, initiates a
withdrawal transaction with a second financial institution
responsive to the acceptance, and transfers funds from the player
account to a seller of the goods.
55. The gaming server of claim 51, wherein the storage device has
further instructions stored thereon which when executed, the gaming
server: sends an offer from the gaming server to the gaming device
to purchase the goods based on funds from the jackpot, and a third
account of a third financial institution responsive to the
withdrawal transaction with a financial institution being
denied.
56. The gaming server of claim 51, wherein the storage device has
further instructions stored thereon which when executed, the gaming
server: causes the gaming device to display the funds transferred
from the multiple accounts to the player account.
57. A gaming server for cashless gaming, the system comprising: a
processor; a memory coupled with the processor; a storage device
having instructions stored thereon which when executed, the
processor: receives an identifier from the gaming device, wherein
the identifier is issued by a financial transaction provider,
receives a request from the gaming device to withdraw a first
amount of funds from a first account and a second amount of funds
from a second account, wherein the request includes a password,
wherein a first account number associated with the first account
and a second account number associated with the second account are
not communicated via the gaming device requests that the financial
transaction provider initiate a withdrawal transaction with a first
financial institution, wherein the requesting transfers the
identifier from the gaming server to the financial transaction
provider, and requests that the financial transaction provider
initiate a withdrawal transaction with a second financial
institution, wherein the requesting transfers the identifier from
the gaming server to the financial transaction provider.
58. The gaming server of claim 57, wherein the storage device has
further instructions stored thereon which when executed, the gaming
server: sends an offer from the gaming server to the gaming device
to purchase a service with funds from the jackpot, the first
account, and the second account responsive to a win of a jackpot at
the gaming device.
59. The gaming server of claim 58, wherein the offer is based at
least on the identifier.
60. The gaming server of claim 58, wherein the storage device has
further instructions stored thereon which when executed, the gaming
server: receives acceptance of the offer at the gaming server from
the gaming device, initiates a withdrawal transaction with the
first financial institution responsive to the acceptance; and
initiates a withdrawal transaction with the second financial
institution responsive to the acceptance.
61. The gaming server of claim 57, wherein the storage device has
further instructions stored thereon which when executed, the gaming
server: sends an offer from the gaming server to the gaming device
to purchase a service with funds from the jackpot, the first
account, the second account, and a third account of a third
financial institution responsive to the withdrawal transaction with
the second financial institution being denied.
62. The gaming server of claim 57, wherein the storage device has
further instructions stored thereon which when executed, the gaming
server: causes the gaming device to display the amount of funds
transferred from the first account and the second account to the
player account.
63. A gaming server for cashless gaming, the system comprising: a
processor; a memory coupled with the processor; a storage device
having instructions stored thereon which when executed, the
processor: receives a casino-issued player identifier from the
gaming device that is associated with an identifier issued by a
financial transaction provider, receives a request from the gaming
device to deposit a first amount of funds to a first account and a
second amount of funds to a second account, wherein a first account
number associated with first account and a second account number
associated with the second account are not communicated via the
gaming device, causes the financial transaction provider to
initiate a deposit transaction with a first financial institution,
wherein the causing transfers the identifier from the gaming server
to the financial transaction provider, and causes the financial
transaction provider to initiate a deposit transaction with a
second financial institution based at least on the identifier,
wherein the causing transfers the identifier from the gaming server
to the financial transaction provider.
64. The gaming server of claim 63, wherein the storage device has
further instructions stored thereon which when executed, the gaming
server: sends an offer from the gaming server to the gaming device
to transfer funds from the player account to both the first account
and the second account in response to a win of a jackpot at the
gaming device, wherein the win of the jackpot is greater than a sum
of a balance owed on the first account and the second account.
65. The gaming server of claim 63, wherein the storage device has
further instructions stored thereon which when executed, the gaming
server: sends an offer from the gaming server to the gaming device
to purchase a goods with funds from the jackpot, the first account,
and the second account responsive to a win of a jackpot at the
gaming device.
66. The gaming server of claim 63, wherein the offer is based at
least on the casino-issued player identifier.
67. The gaming server of claim 63, wherein the storage device has
further instructions stored thereon which when executed, the gaming
server: receives acceptance of the offer at the gaming server from
the gaming device, initiates a withdrawal transaction with the
first financial institution responsive to the acceptance, and
initiates a withdrawal transaction with the second financial
institution responsive to the acceptance.
68. The gaming server of claim 63, wherein the storage device has
further instructions stored thereon which when executed, the gaming
server: sends an offer from the gaming server to the gaming device
to purchase a goods with funds from the jackpot, the first account,
the second account, and a third account of a third financial
institution responsive to the withdrawal transaction with the
second financial institution being denied.
69. The gaming server of claim 63, wherein the value of the goods
are less than twice the value of the jackpot.
70. The gaming server of claim 63, wherein the first account is a
credit card account, the second account is an ATM account, and the
third account is a checking account.
71. A gaming server for cashless gaming, the gaming server
comprising: a processor; a memory coupled with the processor; a
storage device having instructions stored thereon which when
executed, the processor: receives a casino-issued player identifier
and a password from a gaming device, receives a single request from
the gaming device to withdraw funds from multiple accounts at
multiple financial institutions, wherein the password is not stored
by any of the multiple financial institutions, identifies account
numbers associated with the multiple accounts based on the
casino-issued player identifier, wherein the account numbers are
not communicated via the gaming device, initiates multiple
withdrawal transactions based on the account numbers, receives the
funds in a player account associated with the casino-issued player
identifier, and causes the gaming device to display the balance of
the multiple accounts periodically. causes the gaming device to
display the balance of the multiple accounts periodically.
72. A gaming server for cashless gaming, the gaming server
comprising: a processor; a memory coupled with the processor; a
storage device having instructions stored thereon which when
executed, the processor: receives a casino-issued player identifier
and a password from a gaming device, receives a single request from
the gaming device to withdraw funds from multiple accounts at
multiple financial institutions, wherein the password is not stored
by any of the multiple financial institutions, identifies account
numbers associated with the multiple accounts based on the
casino-issued player identifier, wherein the account numbers are
not communicated via the gaming device, initiates multiple
transactions based on the account numbers, receives the funds in a
player account associated with the casino-issued player identifier,
and causes the gaming device to display the balance of the multiple
accounts periodically. causes the gaming device to display the
balance of the multiple accounts persistently.
73. The gaming server of claim 72, wherein the display of the
balance is preapproved by the player.
74. The gaming server of claim 52, wherein the goods is as a pair
of tickets to a show.
75. The gaming server of claim 52, wherein the goods is food.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 60/865,528, filed Nov. 13, 2006, which is herein
incorporated by reference in its entirety.
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
[0002] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains
material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright
owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of
the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the
Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise
reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
BACKGROUND
[0003] The gaming industry has long embraced networking electronic
gaming devices via a central computer. In many gaming
establishments, players register demographic information for
tracking purposes and obtain a player card. Typical player cards
include a unique identifier issued by the gaming establishment. Use
of the identifier enables the casino to centrally track the
player's wagering activity. Applying the player's historic
activity, the gaming establishment can develop a targeted marketing
campaign including promotions, gifts, and advertisements.
[0004] Additionally, the player card can be enabled for cashless
gaming. In a cashless gaming environment, the player can deposit
funds at a designated station or device, and have funds be
automatically transferred to a player account. With this benefit,
the player can avoid carrying large amounts of currency from
machine to machine and from casino to casino. In like manner, when
the player desires to cash out, the player can go to a
corresponding station or see a cashier.
[0005] Referring to FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C, there are shown
embodiments of system architectures for a cashless gaming
environment. The gaming environment includes gaming servers,
labeled as Power Bank elements for convenience purposes. The gaming
server described herein may store patron (also referred to as
player) funds in a secure and reliable fashion. The gaming server
may be utilized with various components and services connected with
a casino management system (a system for managing accounting of
casino operations) and/or a slot management system (a system for
managing accounting, vouchering, and player tracking of wagering
activity).
SUMMARY
[0006] Briefly, and in general terms, disclosed herein are systems,
servers, and methods for cashless gaming. In one embodiment, a
casino-issued player code is received from a gaming device at a
gaming server. The gaming server also receives a request from the
gaming device to withdraw a first amount of funds from a first
account of a first financial institution and a second amount of
funds from a second account of a second financial institution. The
request includes a password that is used for verification purposes.
A first account number of the first financial institution and the
second account number of the second financial institution are
identified with at least the casino-issued player code. However,
the first account number and the second account number are not
communicated via the gaming device. Withdrawal transactions are
initiated with the financial institutions based at least on the
respective account numbers. The funds are received in a player
account associated with the casino-issued player code, converted to
credits, and transferred as credits to the gaming device.
[0007] In another embodiment, an identifier is received from a
gaming device at a gaming server. The identifier is issued by an
intermediary. The gaming server also receives a request from the
gaming device to withdraw a first amount of funds from a first
account at a first financial institution and a second amount of
funds from a second account at a second financial institution. The
request includes the identifier and a password, wherein the
password is verified. Again, the first account number associated
with the first account and a second account number associated with
the second account are not communicated via the gaming device.
Subsequently, the intermediary is requested to initiate withdrawal
transactions with the financial institutions, wherein the
identifier is transferred from the gaming server to the
intermediary.
[0008] In another embodiment, a casino-issued player code is
received from a gaming device at a gaming server, wherein the
casino-issued player code is associated with an identifier issued
by an intermediary. The gaming server also receives a request from
the gaming device to deposit a first amount of funds to a first
account at a first financial institution and a second amount of
funds to a second account at a second financial institution,
wherein the request includes a password, and the password is
verified. However, a first account number associated with the first
account and a second account number associated with the second
account are not communicated via the gaming device. In one
embodiment, the intermediary causes the initiation of a deposit
transaction with the financial institutions, also receiving the
identifier from the gaming server to the intermediary. In another
embodiment, a player account associated with the casino-issued
player code receives credits from the gaming device, converts the
credits to funds, and transfers the funds to the accounts.
[0009] Other features and advantages of the claimed invention will
become apparent from the following description when taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate by way
of example, the features of the claimed invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] FIG. 1A is diagrammatic representation of a gaming server as
part of a casino system context;
[0011] FIG. 1B is a diagrammatic representation of a gaming system
architecture for cashless gaming;
[0012] FIG. 1C is a diagrammatic representation of a gaming server
as part of a network;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a flow chart of one embodiment of transferring
funds from multiple accounts at financial institutions to a player
account in a gaming environment;
[0014] FIG. 3 is a flow chart of one embodiment including sending
an offer from a gaming server to a gaming device to purchase a
goods with funds from multiple accounts and a jackpot;
[0015] FIG. 4 is a flow chart of another embodiment including
sending an offer from a gaming server to a gaming device to
purchase a goods with funds from multiple accounts and a
jackpot;
[0016] FIG. 5 is a flow chart of one embodiment of transferring
funds to multiple accounts at financial institutions from a player
account in a gaming environment; and
[0017] FIG. 6 is a flow chart including sending an offer to a
gaming device to transfer funds from a jackpot to satisfy a balance
on multiple accounts.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] VIP lounges and exclusive high roller clubs featuring high
minimum wagers, player tracking, and cashless gaming via electronic
credits have become very popular. Players may have an inclination
to transfer funds from many of their accounts (e.g., checking,
savings, credit card, debit card, ATM card, and bank card) to their
player account in order to fund a wager or purchase a goods.
[0019] In general, goods refer to tangible, movable, personal
property. For example, front row seats to a premiere, an aged prime
rib, and a brand new car are all considered goods. An account is
the sum of the assets deposited in the common assets of a financial
institution or another entity, e.g., a casino or other gaming
establishment, wherein the assets are subject to withdrawal at the
option of the depositor, e.g., the player.
[0020] A financial institution is an organization that provides
branded financial services to customers, such as checking, savings,
ATM, debit card, banking card, and credit card services. The term
funds relates to money and other assets that are electronically
traded for in real time, e.g., stocks and bonds. As such, this
feature provides an additional avenue of funding wagers to players
comfortable with non-currency, non-credit liquid funds.
[0021] Preliminarily, a player registers demographic information
with a gaming establishment and is issued a player identifier. The
player identifier may provide the player with eligibility for
certain promotional opportunities in exchange for the ability for
the gaming establishment to track the player's wagering activity.
Moreover, the player identifier may be used to facilitate cashless
gaming, as will be further described herein.
[0022] First, a player logs in to an electronic wagering system by
presenting a player identifier a gaming device. The player may
present the identifier by swiping a player card, entering an
alphanumeric code via a keypad, using a biometric input device, or
other input device. By logging-in at the gaming device, the gaming
device establishes a gaming session with the player based on the
player's identifier.
[0023] Gaming devices are electronic devices that provide for
wagering games such as poker, blackjack, and other games of chance,
skill, or combinations therein, typically in a networked
environment. Gaming devices refer to stand-up machines, cabinet,
tabletop, bar top, handheld devices, integrated with mobile phones,
software plug ins such as a java applet, any of which are
configured to support, at least in part a wagering game.
[0024] Information security can be implemented across many levels
of the embodiments disclosed herein. During the login process, a
password may be required. Password verification may be the
gatekeeper for access to various account information. A password is
an alphanumeric string required for access to a particular
application and/or system.
[0025] Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference
numerals denote like or corresponding parts throughout the drawings
and, more particularly to FIGS. 2-6, there are shown various
embodiments of transferring funds between multiple accounts at
financial institutions and a player account in a gaming
environment. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, there is shown
an embodiment of transferring funds from multiple accounts at
financial institutions to a player account at a gaming
establishment.
[0026] For tracking purposes, the gaming server receives the player
identifier from the gaming device (step 102). The term receive
refers to the gaming device being the recipient of a network
communication from another device, e.g., the gaming server, whether
directly or indirectly. Thus, the gaming server will be able to
monitor subsequent activity of the player at the gaming device
based on the player identifier. With the information collected, the
gaming establishment can determine if and when a promotion, gift,
or advertisement should be offered or presented to the player.
[0027] A server is a networked computer for providing other
networked computers access to files, and/or peripherals. In
general, a server will have a processor, a memory, and a storage
device. The processor is the component of a system that performs
the basic operations of the system including processing of data,
exchange of data with memory or peripherals, and management of the
system's other components. The memory is a computing component to
and from data and/or executable code can be written to and
extracted from. The storage device is a device for storing
information.
[0028] Next, the player may fund their player account. However,
identity theft and credit card fraud has become a mainstream
concern. As such, many players prefer not to carry anything which
includes credit card information, even if unmarked. Therefore, the
embodiments described herein provide layers of security and degrees
of separation between the player identifier and the accounts. In
other words, the player identifier does not disclose any personal
information to common thief which would yield any value. In fact,
there is no account, no account number, no financial institution
information embedded, encrypted or otherwise in the player
identifier. Therefore, the player identifier is truly disposable
and can be canceled at the will of the player or the casino.
[0029] However, as a prerequisite to completing a funds transfer,
the player may register their accounts with the gaming
establishment or an agent of the gaming establishment. By
registering their accounts with the gaming establishment, the
gaming establishment can securely store the account number and the
financial institution associated with the account on a secure
server in a database in association with the player identifier. In
fact, the secure server can physically be a separate server than
the gaming server. The secure server can have a sophisticated
encryption policy, and can be off-site from the gaming
establishment, all practicing a responsible level of security.
[0030] In a single request or transaction at the gaming device, the
player can request funds to be transferred from one or more
accounts at one or more financial institutions to their player
account. Because the gaming server stores account number and
financial institution information related to the player identifier,
no personal information is disclosed via the gaming device. As
such, a table (see Table 1, below) may be presented to the player
wherein the player can input a requested amount of funds to be
transferred or withdrawn from each account name.
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Account Name Balance Withdrawal Chase 1
$1,000.00 $ Citibank 1 $2,000.05 $ Wells Fargo 1 $3,050.11 $ Total
$4,050.16 $
[0031] To further enhance security, the player may be required to
enter the password associated with the player identifier concurrent
with the request. In another embodiment, the gaming device can be
configured to prompt the player for a password in response to the
request. Next, the gaming server receives the multiple account
withdrawal requests from the gaming device via the network (step
104).
[0032] As an additional security feature, at least the password can
be authenticated. For example, the gaming device, the gaming
server, or an independent third party can authenticate the password
in combination with the player identifier to enhance security (step
106). In addition, the player's driver's license or social security
number could also be authenticated as additional measures of
security. In one embodiment, the player's driver's license or
social security number can be prompted such that the player is
required to enter the information or enter the last several digits
of the information, swipe a card, or other data entry. In turn, if
the player accidentally uses the wrong person's player card or a
person attempts to steal someone else's card, a remedial action can
be taken (step 110).
[0033] Upon verification of the password, the gaming server
identifies the account numbers relevant to the multi-account
withdrawal request of step 104. The gaming server identifies the
account numbers by associating the player identifier, via a secure
relational database, with the respective account numbers and
financial institutions of the request (step 108). The sensitive
information, account numbers and financial institution information,
can be maintained off-site from the financial institution in an
encrypted format that would be computationally infeasible for the
general community to decrypt. Thus, an added layer of security can
be provided.
[0034] Using the account numbers identified in step 108, the gaming
server initiates withdrawal transactions with each of the financial
institutions, pursuant to the multi-account withdrawal request
(step 112). The gaming server may provide additional sensitive
information to each of the financial institutions, for example,
social security number information, for further security
enhancements. Moreover, all sensitive communications can be
transmitted in a secure, encrypted form, e.g., an industry standard
IFX protocol.
[0035] By following an industry standard protocol, the gaming
establishment enables a variety of transaction types including
credit, EFT, and other transactions. Assuming the financial
institutions approve the transactions of step 112, the funds are
transferred to the gaming server, more specifically into the player
account (step 114). Typically, the player account is associated
with the player identifier and resides on the gaming server, but
may be stored on another server. The funds transferred to the
player account are then converted to credits (step 116) and
transferred as credits to the gaming device (step 118) for game
play. However, some embodiments may allow currency equivalents to
be wagered directly at the gaming device.
[0036] In another embodiment (not shown), some jurisdictions may
require an independent transaction from the funds transfer for the
credit transfer. In such an embodiment, the player may first
request the withdrawal from multiple accounts to the player
account, and then request a transfer of credits from the player
account to the gaming device.
[0037] Recently, gaming establishments have focused on promoting
responsible gaming. By promoting responsible gaming, it is more
likely that players will visit gaming establishments, return to
gaming establishments, and recommend gaming establishments to their
peers.
[0038] One responsible gaming feature includes periodically or
continuously displaying to the player the amount of funds, by
account, that have been transferred from the financial institutions
to the gaming environment. Further, the balance of the player's
multiple accounts can be displayed at the gaming device as well.
Moreover, this information may be displayed on demand at the desire
of the player. With this information, the player will have the most
current information as to what quantity of funds the player has
transferred, lost, and/or gained. Thus, the player can make a
responsible decision whether they should transfer additional funds
for purchases and/or wagers.
[0039] In another embodiment (not shown), additional layers of
security may be implemented. Financial transactions between the
gaming establishment and the financial institution may be processed
by a third party financial transaction provider, also known as an
agent or an intermediary.
[0040] The term "financial transaction provider" means a creditor,
credit card issuer, financial institution, operator of a terminal
at which an electronic fund transfer may be initiated, money
transmitting business, or international, national, regional, or
local payment network utilized to effect a credit transaction,
electronic fund transfer, stored value product transaction, or
money transmitting service, or a participant in such network, or
other participant in a designated payment system.
[0041] The intermediary maintains a secure database. The database
may include records of accounts, account numbers, financial
institutions, identifiers issued by the intermediary, and player
identifiers. Thus, instead of gaming establishment maintaining the
account number and financial institution information of the player,
the intermediary maintains this personal information. Further, by
being at least one step removed, the risk of the gaming
establishment being accused of falsely or mistakenly processing a
transaction against a player's account is reduced. The fact that an
uninterested third party acts as an intermediary may bring a
greater sense of comfort to both the gaming establishment and the
player. Additionally, the presence of an uninterested third party
can reduce potential account disputes.
[0042] For the transactions described in the embodiment of FIG. 2,
wherein the gaming server transacted with the financial
institution, the intermediary interacts with the financial
institution and transfers the funds to the gaming server. The
following steps (a)-(m) illustrate the embodiment with the
intermediary:
[0043] (a) a player registers with the gaming establishment and
receives a player identifier, but does not provide their account
information to the gaming establishment;
[0044] (b) the player registers their account information and the
player identifier with the intermediary and receives an identifier
issued by the intermediary;
[0045] (c) the player logs-in at a gaming device with the
identifier issued by the intermediary;
[0046] (d) the player issues a single request to withdraw funds
from multiple accounts at 3 different financial institutions by
identifying Citibank $100, Chase $200, Wells Fargo $300 and
entering a single password associated with the identifier issued by
the gaming establishment at the gaming device;
[0047] (e) the single request is received at the gaming server;
[0048] (f) the gaming server causes the password to be
verified;
[0049] (g) the gaming server transfers the request to the
intermediary;
[0050] (h) the intermediary looks up the account numbers associated
with Citibank, Chase, and Wells Fargo based on the identifier
issued by the intermediary;
[0051] (i) the intermediary processes the withdrawal transaction
with the financial institutions;
[0052] (j) the intermediary transfers the funds to the gaming
server;
[0053] (k) the gaming server receives the funds to the player
account associated with the player identifier;
[0054] (l) the funds are converted to credits; and
[0055] (m) the credits are transferred to the gaming device for
game play.
[0056] In some jurisdictions, funds are kept separate from the
gaming devices. As such, in those jurisdictions, the conversion
step, (l), is completed at the server.
[0057] Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown another embodiment
of a method of transferring funds from multiple accounts at
financial institutions to a player account at a gaming
establishment. Similar to the embodiment of FIG. 2, a player
logs-in to an electronic wagering system via a gaming device,
wherein the gaming server receives the player identifier (step
102).
[0058] The gaming server then monitors each game at the gaming
device to determine if a jackpot has been won by the player (step
204). The term jackpot refers, in general, to an impressive
unexpected prize. For example, with regard to slots, a jackpot is
one or a plurality of high value prizes over a predetermined
threshold. With regard to poker, the jackpot may be a progressive
pool or a top hand. With an impressive win comes excitement, and
many times, a player is willing to make an impulse purchase. Thus,
if a jackpot above a predetermined threshold has been won, an offer
can be sent from the gaming server to the gaming device for the
player to purchase goods with funds from multiple accounts and the
jackpot (step 206). However, in another embodiment, an offer may be
provided randomly, on a predetermined scheduled basis, or based
solely on demographics and independent of the jackpot.
[0059] The selection of a goods presented in the offer may be
demographically targeted, based on wagering history, and/or based
on a random association with the player identifier. The gaming
establishment may maintain its own set of demographic data and/or
utilize a third party source for behavioural marketing information.
The selection of a goods may be at a value such that a person would
not normally purchase the goods, but in combination with the funds
from the jackpot would.
[0060] One way of encouraging the player to act spontaneously is to
set an expiration on the offer. For example, the offer may expire
in 1 minute, or when the next wager is placed. Thus, the gaming
server monitors whether the offer is accepted at the gaming device
(step 208). If the player accepts the offer at the gaming device,
steps 108, 112, and 114 proceed similar to the embodiment as
described with regard to that of FIG. 2:
[0061] (a) the gaming server validates the password (step 106);
[0062] (b) the gaming server identifies the account numbers by
associating the player identifier with the account number and
financial institution via the secure database (step 108);
[0063] (c) the gaming server initiates multiple withdrawal
transactions with financial institutions based on the multiple
withdrawal offer/acceptance of steps 206/208 (step 112); and
[0064] (d) the gaming server receives funds into the player account
(step 114).
[0065] Finally, the gaming server completes the purchase
transaction by transferring the funds to the seller of the goods
(step 220) and enabling the player to have access to a voucher or
other credit for the goods.
[0066] Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown another embodiment
of a method of transferring funds from multiple accounts at
financial institutions to a player account at a gaming
establishment. FIG. 4 depicts a modification of the embodiment of
FIG. 3 when a withdrawal request for the purchase is denied.
[0067] Following step 112 where the gaming server initiates a
plurality of withdrawal transactions, the gaming server monitors
whether the withdrawal transactions are approved (step 302). If a
withdrawal transaction with a financial institution is denied, then
the gaming server can send another offer to the player via the
gaming device to purchase the goods with funds from the jackpot and
a plurality of accounts including an additional account (step 304).
For example, if initially, the second of two accounts is rejected,
the player can use a third account to withdraw funds. In turn, the
player may feel a sense of relief that they did not lose the
opportunity to purchase the hot item goods given the limited time
to purchase which may have expired.
[0068] The gaming server monitors if the player accepts the offer
(step 306). If the player accepts the offer, then the process
proceeds at step 106. If the player does not accept the offer, then
the process proceeds at step 204.
[0069] Referring now to FIG. 5, there is shown an embodiment of a
method of transferring funds from a player account at a gaming
establishment to multiple accounts at financial institutions.
Similar to the embodiment of FIG. 2, a player logs in to an
electronic wagering system via a gaming device, wherein the gaming
server receives the player identifier (step 102). In the embodiment
of FIG. 5, the player may have won a substantial jackpot or may
have won many small wagers such that the sum of the credits have
encouraged the player to make a deposit of funds to a plurality of
the player's accounts.
[0070] The player can make a single request to deposit a first
amount of funds to a first account at a first financial institution
and a second amount of funds to a second account at a second
financial institution (step 404). For security purposes, the single
request can omit account numbers as the request implicitly is
related to the logged-in player. Further, the player may be
required to confirm a password associated with the player account
or the player identifier. Thus gaming server can then verify the
password and cause remedial action to be taken, if necessary.
[0071] Assuming that the password is verified successfully, the
gaming server then initiates a plurality of deposit transactions
(step 410). First, the gaming server receives credits from the
gaming device into the player account (412). Next, the gaming
server converts the credits into funds (step 414). Finally, the
gaming server transmits the funds to the financial institutions
using at least the account numbers associated with the player
identifier (step 416).
[0072] Referring now to FIG. 6, there is shown an embodiment of a
method of transferring funds from a player account at a gaming
establishment to multiple accounts at financial institutions.
Similar to the embodiment of FIG. 2, a player logs in to an
electronic wagering system via a gaming device, wherein the gaming
server receives the player identifier (step 102).
[0073] The gaming server monitors each game to determine if a
jackpot has been won at the gaming device (step 204). If a jackpot
has been won at the gaming device (step 504), the gaming server can
use the player identifier and a pre-authorization from the player
to determine if the jackpot is greater than the balance owed on the
entire player's accounts (step 506).
[0074] The gaming server can then send an offer to the player via
the gaming device to transfer funds from the jackpot to satisfy the
balance on all the open accounts associated with the player
identifier (step 508). If the player accepts the offer, then the
system can automatically transfer funds to the financial
institutions and at least temporarily relieve that player of their
debts.
[0075] The following examples presented below disclose several
features that a cashless gaming server may provide. In fact, a
cashless gaming server may interact with a variety of different
systems and provide a variety of different reports. As such, the
examples disclosed below show that the cashless gaming server is
fully integrable with other casino management, slot management, and
gaming establishment management systems.
[0076] In one embodiment, a player requests a transfer of finds
from their casino-issued player account to the gaming device. The
player is authenticated, at least in part, by entering the password
associated with their player identifier. The player then selects
from a configurable set of amounts displayed to them. Additionally,
the player may choose to enter a different amount by selecting an
"other amount" option. The gaming device then sends the request to
the gaming server, the gaming server withdraws the funds from the
account, converts the funds to credits, and applies the credits to
the game.
[0077] In another embodiment, a player requests a transfer of funds
from the gaming device to their casino-issued player account. The
player is authenticated, at least in part, by entering the password
associated with their player identifier. The player then chooses to
deposit all of the credits or a portion of the credits to their
account. The gaming device then sends the request to the gaming
server, the gaming server converts the credits to cash and deposits
the amount to the players account. The gaming server confirms the
amount has been deposited, wherein the gaming device removes the
deposited credits from the credits available to the player.
[0078] In yet another embodiment, a player requests a transfer of
funds from multiple accounts and selects a portion of the total
amount withdrawn to the gaming device. The player is authenticated,
at least in part, by entering the password associated with their
player account. The player then selects amounts of funds and
accounts from which to withdraw. Next, the player selects the
amount of the withdrawn funds to be applied to the game. The gaming
device then sends this request to the gaming server. The gaming
server can withdraw a first amount from a first account and deposit
the first amount into the players casino account. Likewise, the
gaming server can withdraw a second amount from a second account
and deposit the second amount into the player's casino account.
Next, the gaming server can withdraw the combined first and second
amount from the player's casino account and convert the combined
first and second amount to credits and subsequently apply the
credits to the gaming device.
[0079] Referring now to example UC-PB01, below, there is shown case
notes where a player requests transfer of money to an EGM
(electronic gaming machine) from a player's accounts.
[0080] UC-PB01
[0081] Player requests to transfer money (in the form of credits)
to the game from his Cashless Banking account. This use case does
not apply to the use of an external financial transaction
server.
[0082] UC-PB02
[0083] The system retrieves the player's account and any pending
withdrawal transactions. The available balance is calculated and
returned.
[0084] Pre-Conditions:
[0085] Player account and pin information has been verified.
[0086] Minimal Guarantee:
[0087] The system may return the available balance for the player
account requested. The available balance may not include any funds
placed in escrow for existing withdrawals against the account.
[0088] Normal Course:
[0089] Access the player's account and all pending withdrawal
transactions for that account.
[0090] Calculate the available balance by subtracting the total of
the pending withdrawal transactions from the current account
balance.
[0091] Return the available balance.
[0092] Referring now to example UC-PB03, below, there is shown case
notes of a transaction which verifies an amount requested or
presented for deposit is within configured limits. When a player
attempts to withdraw funds from an account, the system may need to
verify that the transaction request amount may not exceed
configured limits. In addition, some properties or jurisdictional
restrictions could be placed on the amount that can be deposited to
an account.
[0093] UC-PB03
[0094] The system verifies that an amount (withdraw or deposit)
would not violate a configured restriction. A configured
restriction is simply a total amount that can be withdrawn or
deposited within a configured time frame.
[0095] Pre-Conditions:
[0096] Cashless Banking has received a valid request from the GMU
on behalf of a player.
[0097] Player account and pin information has been verified.
[0098] If the amount is for withdraw, the balance on the player
account is large enough to handle the request.
[0099] Minimal Guarantee:
[0100] The system may log the total amount accumulated for the
player account by transaction type for the configured time frame
along with the requested amount.
[0101] E.g. Acct ####--Total Withdrawn: $300 within the past 24
hours. Total Deposited: $500 within the past 24 hours, Deposit
Request of $1000.
[0102] Normal Course:
[0103] Verify that the requested amount does not exceed any limits
that apply to a single transaction.
[0104] Access the player's deposit or withdrawal transactions
(based on whether the verification is for a deposit or withdrawal)
for the configured time frame, totaling the amount.
[0105] Verify the requested amount+the total from step 2 does not
exceed the configured amount.
[0106] Return the smallest value between the requested amount and
the difference between the configured limit and the total amount
from step 2.
[0107] Referring now to example UC-PB04, below, there is shown case
notes of a transaction record creation. It describes creating the
transaction used for auditing a withdrawal request.
[0108] UC-PB04
[0109] The system has initiated either a withdrawal or deposit
transaction for a player account. A record is created recording
this transaction associating it with the player account and slot
machine where the request originated.
[0110] Pre-Conditions:
[0111] Cashless Banking has received a valid request for either a
deposit or withdrawal from the GMU on behalf of a player.
[0112] Player account and pin information has been verified.
[0113] Request contains total amount (including any fees if
applicable) and transaction type (i.e. deposit or withdrawal).
[0114] Minimal Guarantee:
[0115] The system may log the beginning and ending state of the
player account.
[0116] Normal Course:
[0117] Create a transaction record containing at a minimum
date/time of transaction, amount, and player account ID, slot
machine ID, casino ID, jurisdictional ID, and transaction type.
[0118] Mark transaction as "pending".
[0119] Persist the record returning the transaction ID.
[0120] Alternative Courses:
[0121] Create a transaction record containing at a minimum
date/time of transaction, amount, player account ID, slot machine
ID, casino ID, jurisdictional ID, and transaction type.
[0122] Mark transaction as "pending".
[0123] Persist the record returning the transaction ID.
[0124] Referring now to example UC-PB05, below, there is shown case
notes of an updating of a pending transaction. It describes what
may be done to ensure that a player's account can be reset to allow
future requests to be made.
[0125] UC-PB05
[0126] Update the state of a pending transaction as cleared and
place any funds in escrow (if the transaction is a withdrawal) back
into the account.
[0127] Pre-Conditions:
[0128] The transaction has completed successfully.
[0129] Minimal Guarantee:
[0130] The system may log the beginning and ending state of the
player account.
[0131] Normal Course:
[0132] Retrieve the transaction from the player's "transaction
pending" list.
[0133] Update the state of the transaction as completed.
[0134] Return true.
[0135] This use case describes the state change of the transaction.
If the transaction completed is a withdrawal, the calling use case
MAY deduct the amount from the player's account.
[0136] Referring now to example UC-PB06, below, there is shown case
notes of clearing a pending transaction. It describes what may be
done to ensure that an existing pending transaction is cleared
(closed/not completed) placing any funds back into a player's
account.
[0137] UC-PB06
[0138] A pending transaction has completed successfully.
[0139] Normal Course:
[0140] Retrieve the transaction from the player's "transaction
pending" list.
[0141] Update the state of the transaction as completed.
[0142] Return true.
[0143] Referring now to example UC-PB07, below, there is shown case
notes of a deposit funds transaction. A player cashes out credits
and the cash out is transferred to his Cashless Banking
account.
[0144] UC-PB07
[0145] Player requests to transfer money (in the form of credits)
from the game to his Cashless Banking account. This use case does
not apply to the use of an external financial transaction server.
That scenario is addressed in use case UC-PB07-1.
[0146] Pre-Conditions:
[0147] GMU has successfully negotiated with the SMS as a valid
gaming device.
[0148] The SMS supports the G2S, S2S, MCC, or SDT application
protocol.
[0149] Minimal Guarantee: The Cashless Banking account may
accurately reflect the customer balance.
[0150] The system may log the state of the transaction during each
stage.
[0151] Normal Course:
[0152] Player initiates a cash-out request, entering his account
and Cashless Banking pin.
[0153] The GMU packages this data and forwards the transfer request
to the system.
[0154] The system validates the account and pin entered.
[0155] The system may verify the amount is within configured limits
(UC-PB03).
[0156] The system may create a deposit transaction for the request
(UC-PB04).
[0157] The system may send a message to the GMU authorizing the
deposit request.
[0158] The GMU transmits a message to the game to remove the
credits and receives confirmation that credits have been
removed.
[0159] The GMU sends a message to the server confirming the deposit
request.
[0160] The system closes the pending transaction and adds the
amount to the player's account.
[0161] The system sends an acknowledgement back to the GMU that the
transfer has completed.
[0162] UC-PB11
[0163] A player confronts the casino manager that his player
account has been locked (and potentially why--e.g. forgets PIN)
[0164] Pre-Conditions:
[0165] The player has presented sufficient identification.
[0166] Minimal Guarantee:
[0167] The player account may be unlocked so that the player can
use it.
[0168] Normal Course:
[0169] Player gives casino manager player account ID.
[0170] Casino Manager enters the account ID in the Manage Player
Account screen.
[0171] Casino Manager reviews the logs of current activity on the
account and determines if the account.
[0172] Report is given to the customer.
[0173] Referring now to example UC-PB12, below, there is shown case
notes of a manual pending transaction update. This describes what
is done to manually update the state of a pending transaction.
[0174] UC-PB12
[0175] A transaction is left in a pending state. It may be in this
state simply because the confirmation request was not received by
the server or processed by the server--yet the application of the
request completed. I.e. The funds were transferred.
[0176] Normal Course:
[0177] Casino Manager enters the transaction ID in the Manage
Transaction screen.
[0178] Casino Manager reviews the logs of current activity against
the transaction and determines (based on the activity) that the
transaction should be closed.
[0179] Casino Manager changes the state of the transaction to
closed.
[0180] Referring now to example UC-PB13, below, there is shown case
notes of transferring credits between Cashless Banking accounts.
This describes what is done to transfer credits from one Cashless
Banking account to another.
[0181] UC-PB13
[0182] A player wishes to transfer money from one Cashless Banking
account to another.
[0183] Pre-Conditions:
[0184] The player has presented sufficient identification.
[0185] The player is the account holder for both accounts.
[0186] Normal Course:
[0187] The casino employee selects the appropriate function from
the Cashless Banking Manager application.
[0188] The casino employee enters the information for the request
to include the player ID, source account ID, destination account
ID, and amount to transfer.
[0189] The casino employee selects whether to close-out the account
Casino Manager executes the transaction.
[0190] Alternative Courses:
[0191] If errors occur anywhere during the transaction, the funds
may be recovered to the original account and an event may be
logged.
[0192] Referring now to example UC-PB21, below, there is shown case
notes of closing all pending transactions.
[0193] UC-PB21
[0194] Close out any transactions that are left in a pending
state.
[0195] Pre-Conditions:
[0196] The end-of-business-day processing cycle has been
reached.
[0197] Minimal Guarantee:
[0198] A report detailing each transaction that was not in a
completed state along with an itemized list identifying what
"state" the transaction was last in.
[0199] Normal Course:
[0200] Scheduled auditing service activates. (This use case is
triggered as a timed event)
[0201] A list of all open transactions is collected.
[0202] For each transaction, a list of state changes for the
transaction is analyzed--which includes sending a status request to
the originating device and/or request to a back-end device/program
that performed some processing on the transaction.
[0203] If the analysis shows that the transaction completed, the
state of the transaction may be set to `complete`. If the analysis
shows that the transaction was abandoned, the state of the
transaction may be set to `cancelled`. Otherwise, the transaction
state may be set to `incomplete` and require human intervention.
Use case UC-PB22 describes this process.
[0204] Alternative Courses:
[0205] If the service has not been activated within a configurable
time frame, a "watchdog" application may activate the service.
[0206] If there are no open transactions found, the service may log
this information and exit this use case.
[0207] If analysis of the transaction can not be completed (e.g.
unable to connect to originating device), then analysis may
conclude simply that the transaction is incomplete. A message may
be logged indicating the reason that the analysis (for the
transaction in question) terminated.
[0208] Referring now to example UC-PB31, below, there is shown case
notes of printing a player statement. This use case describes what
is done to produce a printed statement detailing financial
transactions for a player account within a given time period.
[0209] UC-PB31
[0210] A player requests a statement for financial transactions
made on his account.
[0211] Pre-Conditions:
[0212] The player has presented sufficient identification to
receive the statement.
[0213] Minimal Guarantee:
[0214] A report detailing each transaction that took place in the
date range specified may be printed for the player. Included in the
report may be the beginning and ending balances for the
account.
[0215] Normal Course:
[0216] Player gives casino manager player account ID and date range
to report on.
[0217] Casino Manager enters the information in the Player
Statement selection screen.
[0218] Casino Manager runs the report.
[0219] Report is given to the customer.
[0220] Thus, as has been shown in the examples herein, the gaming
server has many features that can be applied in conjunction with
transferring funds to and from player accounts and accounts at
financial institutions.
[0221] The various embodiments described above are provided by way
of illustration only and should not be construed to limit the
claimed invention. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize
various modifications and changes that may be made to the claimed
invention without following the example embodiments and
applications illustrated and described herein, and without
departing from the true spirit and scope of the claimed invention,
which is set forth in the following claims. Further, the
embodiments disclosed herein can be applied to further reduce
transactions, and be independent of minimums, wagers, and
purchasing.
* * * * *