U.S. patent application number 12/143496 was filed with the patent office on 2009-01-29 for system and method for processing a marker transaction at a gaming establishment.
This patent application is currently assigned to AUTOMATED CURRENCY INSTRUMENTS, INC.. Invention is credited to Andrew J. Schwartz.
Application Number | 20090029763 12/143496 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40295873 |
Filed Date | 2009-01-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090029763 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Schwartz; Andrew J. |
January 29, 2009 |
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROCESSING A MARKER TRANSACTION AT A GAMING
ESTABLISHMENT
Abstract
A system and method for processing a marker transaction by a
customer of a gaming establishment via a kiosk. The customer must
have a marker account prior to initiating the marker transaction at
the kiosk. The kiosk is adapted to communicate with a marker
account system to process the transaction and a gaming media system
for marker payouts in the form a gaming media.
Inventors: |
Schwartz; Andrew J.;
(Chester Springs, PA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
DESIGN IP, P.C.
5100 W. TILGHMAN STREET, SUITE 205
ALLENTOWN
PA
18104
US
|
Assignee: |
AUTOMATED CURRENCY INSTRUMENTS,
INC.
Exton
PA
|
Family ID: |
40295873 |
Appl. No.: |
12/143496 |
Filed: |
June 20, 2008 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60945703 |
Jun 22, 2007 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
463/25 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G07F 17/3255 20130101;
G07F 17/32 20130101; G07F 17/3244 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
463/25 |
International
Class: |
A63F 9/24 20060101
A63F009/24 |
Claims
1. A system for processing a marker transaction by a customer of a
gaming establishment via a kiosk as described in the specification
and shown in the drawings.
2. A method for processing a marker transaction by a customer of a
gaming establishment via a kiosk as described in the specification
and shown in the drawings.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] A "marker" is a form of credit offered by a casino to
customers of the casino. FIG. 1 shows the typical steps in
obtaining and collecting on a marker. In a traditional marker
transaction 10, the customer establishes a line of credit with the
casino, typically by completing a credit application (step 12). The
casino (or its agent) will then determine the amount of credit to
be extended to the customer and the payout terms (step 14),
typically by taking into account the balances in the financial
accounts listed on the application, the customer's credit history,
and playing history with the casino. In some cases, the casino may
allow the customer to take a marker at no fee and/or provide a
grace period in which no interest charges will be due if the marker
is paid on time. In other cases, the casino may charge a fee for
issuing the marker and/or may not provide a grace period for
interest on repayment. Some casinos also offer discounts on
losses.
[0002] In order to exercise the line of credit, the customer
requests a "marker" (step 16) from a casino employee--typically
either at a gaming table or at the casino cage. If the marker
request is approved, the customer signs the marker and is issued
chips (or whatever gaming media is used at the casino in question)
in the amount of the marker (step 18).
[0003] A marker is a negotiable instrument which authorizes the
casino to withdraw funds from the financial account(s) of the
customer based on the terms of the credit application. In most
cases, the casino (or its agent) will not collect on the marker
immediately. The time period between the issuance of the marker and
collection of the marker on the customer's account(s) (step 20) is
also based upon the terms of the credit application.
[0004] Two primary reasons for the popularity of markers with
casino customers are (1) that the customer is not required to carry
cash or credit cards to the casino floor and (2) that a marker
allows the customer to receive gaming media without having the
value of the gaming media immediately withdrawn from his or her
financial account. As stated above, in some cases, the marker
effectively serves as a short-term interest free loan to the
customer.
[0005] Taking a marker is relatively convenient for customers
playing at gaming tables, where casino employees who are authorized
to issue markers are readily available. It is much less convenient
for a customer to take a marker when playing slot machines, video
poker, automated gaming tables, or other gaming equipment that does
not involve a live dealer (hereinafter "unattended gaming
machines"). In these cases, the customer must leave the unattended
gaming machines and go to the casino cage to take the marker.
Therefore, there is a need to provide a more convenient option for
customers playing unattended gaming machines to take markers.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] The present invention will hereinafter be described in
conjunction with the appended drawing figures wherein like numerals
denote like elements.
[0007] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram showing the basic steps of issuing
a marker;
[0008] FIG. 2 is a system diagram showing the primary elements of
the present invention;
[0009] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the primary elements of a kiosk;
and
[0010] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram showing an example of how a
customer would obtain a marker via the kiosk.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0011] The ensuing detailed description provides preferred
exemplary embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope,
applicability, or configuration of the invention. Rather, the
ensuing detailed description of the preferred exemplary embodiments
will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description
for implementing the preferred exemplary embodiments of the
invention. It being understood that various changes may be made in
the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the
spirit and scope of the invention, as set forth in the appended
claims. Reference numerals that are introduced in the specification
in association with a drawing figure may be repeated in one or more
subsequent figures without additional description in the
specification in order to provide context for other features.
[0012] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the present invention enables a
customer to request a marker and be issued the marker funds through
an unattended kiosk 116. Enabling a customer to process a marker
transaction at a kiosk 116 provides several advantages over
traditional marker transactions. One advantage is that customers
playing unattended gaming machines can process the marker
transaction without having to leave the gaming area, provided that
a kiosk 116 is located in the gaming area. In addition, eliminating
the need to have a casino representative handle the transaction
reduces the overhead associated with each marker transaction.
Automating marker transactions also enables the transactions to be
handled by a third party (i.e., other than the casino itself),
which may be appealing to casinos from both a risk-management and
regulatory-compliance perspective.
[0013] In order to process marker requests, the kiosk 116 is
preferably adapted to communicate with a marker account system 112,
a gaming media system 114 and a player account system 118. The
marker account system 112 includes a marker account database
containing information relating to customers who have established
lines of credit through the marker account system 112 and controls
and records marker transactions. The customer information contained
in the marker account database may include the following categories
of data: (1) customer identification data, (2) financial data and
(3) credit term data.
[0014] The customer identification data is primarily used to
identify the customer associated with the account and to enable
positive identification of the customer when a marker is requested.
Examples of customer identification data include name, address,
social security number, date of birth, and a password.
[0015] The financial data is primarily used to identify financial
accounts held by the customer, and may include current balance (for
bank accounts) and/or available credit information (for credit
accounts). Information concerning such accounts may be provided by
the customer during the application process and/or through the
credit history check run by the casino or its agent during
evaluation of the customer's credit application.
[0016] The credit term data will typically include the terms on
which a marker will be issued to the customer. Such terms may
include a fee for taking the marker (or an indication that no fee
is to be charged), a grace period in which no interest will be
charged if the marker is paid in full, and the interest rate and/or
fee to be charged if the marker is not paid in full within the
grace period.
[0017] The marker account system 112 is preferably adapted to
interface with credit information networks 122, which are used to
evaluate customer credit decisions, and financial transaction
networks 120, to collect on issued markers. In this embodiment, the
marker account system 112 is centralized and contains customer
account information for customers of all of the casinos who use the
services associated with the marker account system 112. This
enables a customer to request a mark at any casino that uses the
marker account system 112. In addition, it allows the marker
account system 112 to track a customer's credit-related
transactions at multiple casinos.
[0018] The gaming media system 114 controls and records
transactions in which gaming media are issued, cashed, or used in
gaming machines. As will be explained in greater detail herein, the
kiosk 116 preferably interfaces with the gaming media system 114 so
that a payout on a marker can be issued by the kiosk 116 in the
form of gaming media. As used in this application, the term "gaming
media" refers to any media having monetary value in a casino for
game play, such as chips, tokens, vouchers, and the like.
[0019] The player account system 118 (also called player reward or
player's club accounts) is used to track a customer's activities at
a casino (gambling, purchases, etc.) and to provide incentives
and/or rewards to customers for their casino-related activities. In
the context of the present invention, the kiosk 116 preferably
interfaces with the player account system 118 for the purpose of
offering incentives to customers during marker transactions, as
will be described in greater detail herein. Player account systems
are typically operated by an individual casino or by an individual
company that owns several casinos.
[0020] In order to facilitate the necessary steps of a marker
transaction, the kiosk 116 preferably includes a computer 124, a
display 126 (optionally, a touch-screen display), an input device
128 (such as a keyboard, soft keys, and/or a numeric keypad), a
cash dispenser 132, a printer 134 (preferably capable of printing
receipts and gaming vouchers), a network interface 136 (for
communicating with the systems identified in FIG. 2), a digital
camera 138 or video camera (for recording an image of the
customer), a card reader 140 (capable of reading magnetic strips,
RFID and/or other financial card, ID and/or player card data
storage methods), and a signature collection device 142. The kiosk
116 could also optionally include one or more biometric reading
devices 144 (e.g., a finger print reader, facial recognition
device, etc.), an RFID tag reader (not shown), a check reader 130,
and/or a device (not shown) that reads customer identification
stored in his or her mobile telephone (such as the information
stored in a SIM card). The kiosk 116 may include other components
which are used with other kiosk 116 functions.
[0021] At noted above, the basic steps involved in a traditional
marker transaction are outlined in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 shows an example
of an improved marker transaction 310 in which a customer requests
a marker and is issued a marker payout via the kiosk 116.
Throughout the description of the marker transaction 310,
components in FIGS. 2 and 3 will be referred to without specific
references to FIGS. 2 and 3.
[0022] The marker transaction 310 is initialized (step 312) by the
customer selecting "marker transaction" from a menu of options
displayed on the display 126 of the kiosk 116. Optionally, the
customer could be offered a marker transaction 310 upon failure of
another financial transaction, such as, for example, insufficient
funds to process a debit transaction or an incorrect PIN number for
a credit card cash advance transaction.
[0023] The customer is then presented with a request to verify the
customer's identity (step 314). The type of verification required
could include swiping an identification card (e.g., a driver's
license, player account card, or credit card) through the card
reader 140, entering a password, providing an answer to a security
question (a pin number, zip code, etc.), and/or biometric data.
Obviously, as technology advances and the types of identification
required to process financial transactions change, other types of
verification could be requested.
[0024] If the customer does not provide the requested verification
information, the customer is returned to a main menu. If the
customer enters the requested verification information, the kiosk
116 then communicates with the marker account system 112 (see FIG.
3) to determine if the customer has a marker account and if the
verification information provided by the customer in step 314
matches the information stored in the customer's marker
account.
[0025] If the customer does not have an existing marker account,
the customer is advised of this fact and is directed to establish a
marker account (step 322). The customer may then proceed to the
casino cage to establish a marker account (step 324). Optionally,
the kiosk 116 may be configured to enable the customer to establish
a marker account (and therefore, a line of credit) at the kiosk 116
(step 326).
[0026] If the customer does have an existing marker account,
account-specific information relating to the marker transaction 310
is transmitted to the kiosk 116. Such information could include the
accounts on which the marker can be drawn, the maximum marker
amount (step 318) that can be issued to the customer, and the
marker terms (i.e., grace period and fees).
[0027] The customer is then required to provide security
verification information for the marker account (step 328).
Typically, the security verification information is data that is
provided when the customer applied for the marker account. If the
information entered by the customer does not match the security
verification information stored in the marker account system 112,
the customer is allowed to re-enter the security verification
information a pre-determined maximum number of times (see step
330). If the pre-determined number of attempts is reached, the
customer is returned to the main menu.
[0028] If the information entered by the customer matches the
security verification information stored in the marker account
system 112, a digital image of the customer may be taken (step 332)
by the digital camera 138 and recorded to the marker account system
112, in order to further confirm the identity of the person
executing the marker transaction 310.
[0029] The customer is then presented with a list of options (step
334) for payout of the marker, along with the terms and any fees
associated with each option. For example, option 1 is for a marker
drawn on the customer's checking account in which no fee is charged
and there is a 30-day grace period for repayment and option 2 is
for a marker drawn on the customer's credit card in which a 5% fee
is charged on the marker amount and the grace period is 5 days. The
customer then selects (step 336) one of the options provided in
step 334 and selects the amount of the marker and form of payout
(338). Optionally, the customer may be provided with the option to
split the payout between two different forms (e.g., part is cash
and part in gaming media).
[0030] As an alternative to steps 334 and 336, as described above,
the customer could select an order of preference for payout options
as part of the marker account application process, in which case in
step 334, the customer would be presented with the payout option
that is highest in the customers order or preference.
[0031] There are several optional features that could be
incorporated into the presentation of options (step 334) to the
customer. For example, the customer's attention could be directed
to the "preferred" transaction option, which includes the lowest
fee or provides for the highest maximum payout amount. In addition,
the customer could be offered incentives, such as bonus gaming
media, instant cash back, a raffle entry, etc. associated with a
specific option and/or a specific form of payout. For example, the
customer could be offered an incentive to dispense the payout
entirely in gaming media. In the event that the customer refuses
all of the options presented in step 334, the customer could
optionally be provided with an additional option with a lower fee
than the options presented in step 334.
[0032] The customer is then directed to expressly confirm his or
her acceptance of the transaction 310 and its terms (step 342).
Acceptance could be in any form that is acceptable under industry
standards and applicable regulations. For example, a digital
signature could be entered via the signature collection device 142.
The transaction is then accepted by the kiosk 116 and the marker
payout is dispensed to the customer (step 344).
[0033] If the payout is to be dispensed in cash it is provided to
the customer via the cash dispenser 132 and a transaction receipt
is printed via the printer 134. If all or a portion of the payout
is to be dispensed as gaming media, the gaming media is programmed
(in the case of an RFID token, for example) or printed (in the case
of a bar-code based voucher) (step 352) and information concerning
the gaming media is recorded and transmitted to the gaming media
system 114 (step 348).
[0034] The kiosk 116 is also preferably configured to enable
customers to pay off outstaying markers, or make a payment toward
outstanding markers via the kiosk 116 and using any form of payment
that the kiosk 116 is capable of processing. In particular, it is
preferable that the kiosk 116 be adapted to accept payment via
gaming media, in which case the kiosk 116 would include the
component(s) and software programming necessary to determine the
value of the type(s) of gaming media used at the casino in which
the kiosk 116 is located, as well as to deactivate and/or capture
gaming media being redeemed. In the case of bar code vouchers, the
kiosk 116 would include a bar code reader. In the case of gaming
chips or tokens with embedded RDIF chips, the kiosk 116 would have
an RFID reader.
[0035] While the principles of the invention have been described
above in connection with preferred embodiments, it is to be clearly
understood that this description is made only by way of example and
not as a limitation of the scope of the invention.
* * * * *