U.S. patent application number 12/870287 was filed with the patent office on 2011-03-03 for system and method for fantasy sports gambling.
Invention is credited to Alan David deLevie, Justin Edward Goldman, Robert Daniel Shedd, JR..
Application Number | 20110053681 12/870287 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43625700 |
Filed Date | 2011-03-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110053681 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Goldman; Justin Edward ; et
al. |
March 3, 2011 |
System and Method for Fantasy Sports Gambling
Abstract
A method and system provides an interactive gaming system for a
plurality of users connected via a communication network. At least
one community is created for the interactive gaming system
including rules defining parameters for the gaming system, the
community including a plurality of players. An initial bankroll is
allocated to each of the plurality of players and each of the
plurality of players is enabled to wager at least a portion of
their allocated bankroll in accordance with the rules. Information
is provided to a requesting one of the plurality of players for
assisting the requesting player in making a wager and each of the
plurality of players is ranked based on success in wagering by each
of the plurality of players.
Inventors: |
Goldman; Justin Edward;
(Wayne, PA) ; Shedd, JR.; Robert Daniel; (Yardley,
PA) ; deLevie; Alan David; (Bexley, OH) |
Family ID: |
43625700 |
Appl. No.: |
12/870287 |
Filed: |
August 27, 2010 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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61275395 |
Aug 28, 2009 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
463/25 ; 463/42;
463/43 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G07F 17/3274
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
463/25 ; 463/42;
463/43 |
International
Class: |
A63F 9/24 20060101
A63F009/24 |
Claims
1. A method for providing an interactive gaming system for a
plurality of users connected via a communication network comprising
the activities of: creating at least one community for the
interactive gaming system including rules defining parameters for
the gaming system, the community including a plurality of players;
allocating an initial bankroll to each of the plurality of players;
enabling each of the plurality of players to wager at least a
portion of their allocated bankroll in accordance with the rules;
providing information to a requesting one of the plurality of
players for assisting the requesting player in making a wager;
ranking each of the plurality of players based on success in
wagering by each of the plurality of players.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said activity of creating
comprises setting the rules, wherein the rules identify at least
one type of contest able to be wagered on by the plurality of
players; at least one type of wager to be associated with the
selected contest.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein said at least one type of contest
includes at least one of a sporting event and non-sporting event
that includes competition between competitors in at least one task
and having a definitive outcome.
4. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one type of wager
includes selecting the outcome of the contest and selecting an
outcome of an event within the contest.
5. The method of claim 2, wherein the rules include an allotment of
wager types including at least one of a max bet representing a
maximum amount of the players bankroll able to be wagered on
particular contest, and a lock bet enabling a player to multiple an
amount able to be won on a particular wager without risking an
additional amount of the bankroll.
6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the activity of
providing additional wager types to a player upon receipt of
payment from a requesting player, wherein the amount of payment
necessary to purchase additional wager types is defined by the
rules.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the information requested by
players includes at least (a) projections made by other players
within the community and between a plurality of communities, (b)
results wagers made by other players within the community and
between a plurality of communities, (c) trend data representing the
success of a player over given time period, (d) lists of the most
successful players over a defined periods and (e) data representing
the success of a player based a the type of contest and type of
wager.
8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the activity of
providing the requested information to a player upon receipt of
payment from a requesting player, wherein the amount of payment
necessary to purchase the information is defined by the rules.
9. The method of claim 7, further comprising the activity of
providing the requested information to a requesting player upon
receipt of payment from the requesting player, wherein the amount
of payment necessary to purchase the information is defined by the
player providing information.
10. The method of claim 7, wherein the information is provided by
at least one of the system operator and another player upon receipt
of payment from the requesting player by the system operator.
11. A interactive gaming system comprising: a processor that
creates at least one community in accordance with a set of rules
defining parameters for the system, the at least one community
being accessible by a plurality players, allocates an initial
bankroll to each of the plurality of players, enables each of the
plurality of players to wager at least a portion of their allocated
bankroll in accordance with the rules, provides information to
requesting players of the plurality of players for assisting in
making a wager, and ranks each of the plurality of players based on
success in wagering; a repository storing data representing the
rules for creating the at least one community, wagers made by the
plurality of players in each of the at least one community,
information for assisting players in making said wagers; an image
generator connected to said processor that generates display images
in response to a control signal from said processor and enables the
plurality of players to access said system; and an interface
connects said processor to the plurality of players through a
communication network and provides said display images from said
image generator to said plurality of players.
12. The system of claim 11, wherein the rules identify at least one
type of contest able to be wagered on by the plurality of players;
at least one type of wager to be associated with the selected
contest.
13. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one type of
contest includes at least one of a sporting event and non-sporting
event that includes competition between competitors in at least one
task and having a definitive outcome, and the at least one type of
wager includes an outcome of the contest and an outcome of an event
within the contest.
14. The system of claim 11, wherein said processor accesses an
external source of data not stored in said repository through said
interface.
15. The system of claim 12, wherein the rules include an allotment
of wager types including at least one of a max bet representing a
maximum amount of the players bankroll able to be wagered on
particular contest and a lock bet enabling a player to multiple an
amount able to be won on a particular wager without risking an
additional amount of the bankroll.
16. The system of claim 15, wherein said processor supports
providing additional wager types to a player upon receipt of
payment from a requesting player, wherein the amount of payment
necessary to purchase additional wager types is defined by the
rules.
17. The system of claim 11, wherein the information requested by
players is stored in said repository and includes at least (a)
projections made by other players within the community and between
a plurality of communities, (b) results wagers made by other
players within the community and between a plurality of
communities, (c) trend data representing the success of a player
over given time period, (d) lists of the most successful players
over a defined periods and (e) data representing the success of a
player based a the type of contest and type of wager.
18. The system of claim 17, wherein the processor provides the
requested information from said repository to a player upon receipt
of payment from a requesting player, wherein the amount of payment
necessary to purchase the information is defined by the rules.
19. The method of claim 17, wherein the processor provides the
requested information from said repository to a requesting player
upon receipt of payment from the requesting player, wherein the
amount of payment necessary to purchase the information is defined
by the player providing information.
20. The system of claim 17, wherein the information is provided
automatically by the processor and another player upon receipt of
payment from the requesting player by the system operator.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional
Application Ser. No. 61/275,395 filed on Aug. 28, 2009 by Justin E.
Goldman, Robert Daniel Shedd, Jr. and Alan David Delevie.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The invention concerns a type of game that allows users to
establish a competitive league related to various contests and
activities and the management of the league.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Interactive electronic and online games are well known and
widely implemented and played by users all over the world. The
types of games vary in nature, setup, design and implementation. A
common type of game is called a Fantasy game and is associated with
a particular type of sport or event. An example of this type of
game is a Fantasy Football game which may be operated online by a
service provider that allows users to log in and access their
servers to play the game entirely online and in a remote manner.
These games allow individuals to gather together and form a league
whereby each league member selects players in the National Football
League to create a team and utilize in-game statistics for the
selected players to create a score. The individuals are then able
to use these scores to compete against other individuals to
determine who has selected a better team of players. These types of
games have been extended to every different type of professional
sports league including baseball, basketball, hockey, golf, soccer
and car racing. These games have also been extended into the arena
of amateur sporting leagues and association such as college
football and basketball. However, a drawback associated with these
types of games is that typically, the leagues only allow players to
operate within a single sport and the players are limited to using
the statistics of the players selected as a basis for
competition.
[0004] Wagering on sporting events is thought by some to be an
activity that enhances the fun for sports fans during the actual
games because the wagers represent an interest for the individual
in the outcome of the game. However, many sports fans do not
participate in this activity due to the strict restrictions placed
on sports wagering and for fear of losing a substantial amount of
money. Therefore, there is a desire to create and implement a game
whereby the users are able to wager on sporting events in the
setting of an online social game that enables sports fans to enjoy
the thrill of sports betting in a low risk and fun environment.
There are currently no games that allow users to create a league
that allows the league members to wager on outcomes of particular
events across a number of different sporting leagues without using
actual money and create a community of these individuals that
enables a game provider to derive a stream of revenue from the
community of users. A system and method according to invention
principles remedies the drawbacks associated noted above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] A method and system provides an interactive gaming system
for a plurality of users connected via a communication network. At
least one community is created for the interactive gaming system
including rules defining parameters for the gaming system, the
community including a plurality of players. An initial bankroll is
allocated to each of the plurality of players and each of the
plurality of players is enabled to wager at least a portion of
their allocated bankroll in accordance with the rules. Information
is provided to a requesting one of the plurality of players for
assisting the requesting player in making a wager and each of the
plurality of players is ranked based on success in wagering by each
of the plurality of players.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES
[0006] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram detailing an algorithm for
implementing and operating a fantasy sports gaming system according
to invention principles;
[0007] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram detailing an algorithm enabling a
system operator to derive a revenue source from the fantasy sports
gaming system according to invention principles;
[0008] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a system for
implementing a fantasy sports gaming system according to invention
principles; and
[0009] FIGS. 4-19 are exemplary screen shots of display images
generated by the fantasy sports gambling system enabling users to
engage in game play.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0010] An executable application, as used herein, comprises code or
machine readable instructions for conditioning a processor to
implement predetermined functions, such as those of an operating
system, a context acquisition system or other information
processing system, for example, in response to user command or
input. An executable procedure is a segment of code or machine
readable instruction, sub-routine, or other distinct section of
code or portion of an executable application for performing one or
more particular processes. These processes may include receiving
input data and/or parameters, performing operations on received
input data and/or performing functions in response to received
input parameters, and providing resulting output data and/or
parameters. A processor as used herein is a device for executing
machine-readable instructions stored on a computer readable medium,
for performing tasks and may comprise any one or a combination of,
hardware and firmware. A processor may also comprise memory storing
machine-readable instructions executable for performing tasks. A
processor acts upon information by manipulating, analyzing,
modifying, converting or transmitting information for use by an
executable procedure or an information device, and/or by routing
the information to an output device. A processor may use or
comprise the capabilities of a controller or microprocessor, for
example, and is conditioned using executable instructions to
perform special purpose functions not performed by a general
purpose computer. A processor may be coupled (electrically and/or
as comprising executable components) with any other processor
enabling interaction and/or communication there-between.
[0011] A user interface (UI), as used herein, comprises one or more
display images, generated by a display processor and enabling user
interaction with a processor or other device and associated data
acquisition and processing functions. Data representing a UI design
may be pre-stored in a repository or database in advance of
execution and display thereof. The UI is caused to be displayed by
combining the dynamic output processing code or executable
applications (based on the information retrieved from the database)
into the UI at runtime. The UI may also include an executable
procedure or executable application. The executable procedure or
executable application conditions the display processor to generate
signals representing the UI display images. These signals are
supplied to a display device which displays the image for viewing
by the user. The executable procedure or executable application
further receives signals from user input devices, such as a
keyboard, mouse, light pen, touch screen or any other means
allowing a user to provide data to a processor. The processor,
under control of an executable procedure or executable application
manipulates the UI display images in response to the signals
received from the input devices, for example via a user's browser.
In this way, the user interacts with the display image using the
input devices, enabling user interaction with the processor or
other device. The functions and process steps herein may be
performed automatically or wholly or partially in response to user
command. An activity (including a step) performed automatically is
performed in response to executable instruction or device operation
without user direct initiation of the activity.
[0012] FIG. 1 details an algorithm for creating and operating a
fantasy sports betting system. In step 102, a system and method
provides and implements a game enabling a plurality of individuals
to gather for the purpose wagering on the outcome of a plurality of
different types of sporting events without risking actual money. A
community of users is advantageously created and allows the
individuals (users) to determine how to organize themselves into
individual leagues having a predetermined number of individuals in
order to participate in and the system determines which of the
users has the greatest amount of success selecting the winner or
outcome of various contests as well as events occurring during a
particular contest. A contest may include a sporting event such as
a football or baseball game. However, a contest as used herein may
refer to a live or pre-recorded television show that is outcome
based and includes at least one event or occurrence that a person
may wager on. For example, a reality television show may be the
contest and a challenge between participants could be an event. The
game may include a system comprising a server having executable
instructions that implement game features stored thereon. Users can
selectively access this server via any computing device including,
but not limited to, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet
computing device, a cellular phone, a smart phone or any other
hardware device that enables a user to remotely connect with a
server over any type of communication network.
[0013] The system enables users to create a password protected user
account that grants access to the various features of the game
system. As used herein, the terms user and player may be used
interchangeably. One aspect of the system and method enables a
registered user to become a commissioner and selectively create and
define a targeted user community whereby each user within the
community will be a player in a respective game. The community
design feature of the game advantageously enables the commissioner
to selectively determine the game rules applied to the community
and the particular game or games being played by the community. The
game may be a fantasy sports betting game whereby the users in the
community compete against one another in monetary wagering contests
without actually wagering or paying legal tender using the rules
selected by the commissioner. The community of users may be a
network or group of friends or acquaintances that decide to
establish their own league and play the game amongst the members of
their network or league. The winner of the game is determined at
the end of the gaming period by identifying the user that has
accumulated the greatest amount of money/points representing an
overall success rate on the wagers placed by that user.
[0014] In step 104, the system enables the creation and definition
of rules for a game period during which the players in the
community have opportunities to make bets on actual sporting
contests and events within individual sporting contests. In
creating a game, the commissioner may select from a predetermined
set of rules stored in a rules repository on a server or other
storage device. Alternatively, the commissioner may create rules
different from the predetermined set of rules. The rules available
to the commissioner advantageously enable the commissioner to
selectively determine every aspect of the game to be played. The
commissioner may choose a starting bankroll value that is available
for each player. This initial bankroll value represents an amount
of money that the player can use during the course of the game. The
initial bankroll amount is what each player seeks to improve on
during the course of the game by successfully betting on the
outcome of at least one of a sporting contest or an event within a
sporting contest. For example, in one embodiment the initial
bankroll is $100,000.00 per player.
[0015] The commissioner can select the duration of the game as well
as the duration of individual betting periods within the context of
the game. In one embodiment, the user may determine that the game
will be played for 30 days and at the end of the 30 day period a
winner will be determined by the player having the largest amount
of money in their bankroll. In the present exemplary embodiment,
the user may divide up the initially selected 30 day period into 4
weekly betting periods and bets by each user are placed during the
respective betting periods. In this embodiment, a winner may be
determined both at the end of each betting period as well as a
cumulative winner at the end of the game period which, in this
example, is 30 days. Alternatively, the commissioner may define the
gaming period to cover specifically identified weeks such as those
corresponding to weeks 1-17 of a National Football League schedule.
The use of the National Football League schedule to outline a
gaming period is merely exemplary and the game duration may be
based on the duration of any season of any sport or other type of
competition. The flexibility provided in allowing users to
determine the duration of the gaming period allows users to play in
multiple leagues without having to wait for subsequent season to
begin for the sport on which they are betting. It advantageously
allows for shorter commitments to be made by players. Additionally,
from a system operator and revenue source point of view, the
flexible gaming periods advantageously enable gaming periods to
begin and end at any time throughout the calendar year or
season/competition which allows for increased revenue
generation.
[0016] In a further embodiment, a user may selectively determine
that the duration of a game should correspond to a particular
sporting event or other competition such as a single game of a
particular sport. In this embodiment, the commissioner is able to
selectively identify types of events within the particular sport
event on which wagers may be placed. The types of events available
for use by the commissioner may be presented in a categorized list
according to the type of sporting event that is selected. For
example, there will be different in-game events to bet on in
football games as compared to baseball and basketball games. In
this type of game, the betting period is event-based and may be
selectively defined as opening and closing at predetermined times
prior to the identified event. The winner of this type of game is
determined at the end of the sporting event by the user having the
most money in their bankroll. An exemplary single contest game
period may comprise a live betting environment whereby the players
of the game will access a community game screen that shows, in
real-time, a representation of every event occurring during a
sporting contest. In this embodiment, a group of individuals would
start out with an initial bankroll value at the beginning of a
single contest. Using a system that enables live betting, the
players would be presented with a plurality of different events
occurring within the contest including the potential available
outcomes associated with the event. The player would be further
presented with odds of the listed outcome occurring and would be
able to place bets in real time via a play-by-play method. The user
with the highest bankroll after bets are settled would be the
winner. An example of how this operates can be seen in the context
of a baseball game wherein, before each at-bat by the player
playing in the actual baseball game, the fantasy game player will
be presented with a set of outcomes (i.e. single, strikeout,
homerun, walk) and odds associated with each of the outcomes
presented. The fantasy player can bet an amount in accordance with
the betting rules on that at-bat. Should the player in the actual
game get on base, the system may present the player in the fantasy
game with two different types of bets corresponding to the player
on base as well as the player up at bat. The fantasy bettor may be
simultaneously presented with multiple other events to wager on.
Additionally, the commissioner may define certain additional events
in the game on which bets can be placed. For example, prior to the
game starting one exemplary wager may include the odds associated
with a particular player on a particular team hitting the first
homerun of the game. Alternatively, the user defined bets may be
straight bets whereby, for a particular event within the sporting
contest, the player can enter a name of a player and an amount of a
wager and if the event occurs (i.e. hitting the first homerun) then
the player wins the bet.
[0017] The commissioner may also selectively determine the number
of bets available to each player for a particular betting period.
In one embodiment the number of bets is fixed for each betting
period. In another embodiment, the number of bets may be variable
wherein, based on the success rate of a player in the previous
betting period, the player may be awarded with at least one
additional bet that may be placed during the subsequent betting
period(s) thereby giving the successful player an advantage in
subsequent betting periods by providing them additional
opportunities to win money. Alternatively, the number of available
bets per player may be reduced for the next scoring period. For
example in an effort to handicap a match between players, a really
successful player may have a predetermined number of bets less than
another player against which he is directly competing. The number
of bets may also be tied to the type of sporting contest or events
within a sporting contest as determined by the commissioner.
[0018] The commissioner may also selectively determine the type of
sporting contests that will be available to each player for
purposes of betting. For example, the commissioner may determine
that a particular league should only bet on the outcome of football
games played in the National Football League. In this embodiment,
for each betting period, all the games being played during that
betting period are available to be bet on by the players. The
system enables the commissioner to select from a plurality of
different types of sporting contests that are available during the
gaming period thus allowing players to bet on various sporting
events in different sport leagues during the betting periods and
the gaming periods. A commissioner may also determine a subset of
contests selected from a plurality of different type of sporting
contests for use during a particular betting period.
[0019] The commissioner may also selectively determine the type and
nature of bets able to be placed by the user during the betting
period. There are a number of known types of bets including but not
limited to parlays, teasers, run line bets, over/under, progressive
parlays, and head-to-head bets. The respective type of bets
available and associated with a particular sporting contest are
displayed to a player in the game and the player is able to select
the type of bet they want to place from the group of bet types
presented. The parameters of each of the types of bets presented to
the user may be selectively determined by the system operator in a
known manner. The parameters include but are not limited to the
spread, the over/under, number of teams able to be used in at least
one of a parlay and a teaser, etc. Alternatively, the server
implementing the game may connect, via a communication network to a
remote source whereby these parameters can be acquired for
presentation to a user.
[0020] In addition to the number and types of bets available to the
players, the commissioner may enable rules that control an amount
of money a player can bet on a particular sporting contest or event
within a sporting contest in a particular circumstance. To enable
this feature, the commissioner activates and sets parameters for a
Maximum Bet Amount. The parameters associated with the Maximum Bet
Amount include but are not limited to: [0021] a. an actual dollar
amount maximum on a specific bet or a per day/week/month and based
on a total risk amount, for example, a maximum percent of the
players bankroll that may be risked on any given bet, or a per
day/week/month total risk amount. [0022] b. progression/regression
whereby the maximum amount able to be bet by a player increases or
decreases over a defined period of time. Alternatively this may be
implemented based on another circumstance that is user-defined.
[0023] c. elimination of the maximum bet amount at a predetermined
time during the game which enables no-limit betting by the players
on any of the contests or events during that betting period.
[0024] In addition to the Max Bet feature, the system enables a
commissioner to implement a Max Bet Breaker which, if selected by a
player for a particular Max Bet, would allow the player to bet an
amount greater than the predetermined Max Bet value. In one
embodiment, the Max Bet Breaker feature enables a player to wager a
certain amount over the max bet value such as 5 times (5.times.)
the current max bet. Therefore, if the Max Bet was $1000, then the
user selecting and applying the Max Bet Breaker option to a
particular bet could bet $5000. The number of Max Bet breakers may
be selected by the commissioner when establishing the community,
or, may automatically be available to users based on performance in
previous weeks or based on another circumstance or event during the
season such as particular week or beginning of a playoff period,
etc. Alternatively, users/players may pay sum certain to at least
one of the league commissioner or system operator to buy a Max Bet
Breaker. The circumstances may be selected from a list of potential
circumstances that commonly arise during gaming periods or may be
any user defined circumstance that could arise during the course of
the game.
[0025] A further type of betting feature available to the
commissioner is Lock Bet feature that allows players to make a bet
a "lock bet" and multiply the amount able to be won on a particular
bet without increasing the amount risked. A 2.times. Lock Bet
multiplies the winning amount by 2 and a 4.times. Lock Bet
multiplies the winning amount by 4. The commissioner may select the
number and types of lock bets available to the players of the game
and when these types of bets can and cannot be used. Lock bets may
be multipliers for the amount to be won or may be fixed dollar
amounts able to be wagered. For example, a player is able to risk
$100 to win $90 on Team A wherein the point spread is +4.5 points.
If applying a 2.times. Lock Bet, the player would be risking $100
to win $180. If applying a 3.times. Lock Bet, the player would be
risking $100 to win $270. The number of Lock Bets, once determined,
may be allocated in a plurality of ways. For example, the amount of
lock bets available may vary on a daily, weekly, monthly or even on
a full season basis. The amount of lock bets may change by sport
and game. In some cases players can even earn more lock bets
through successful performance. Players may also "buy" lock bets by
paying a predetermined purchase price in accordance with rules to
the league commissioner or the system operator. In the event sums
are paid to the league commissioner, the system operator may take a
predetermined cut of the transaction fee. The commissioner can set
the cost amount for each of the lock bets able to be purchased by
players. Combinations of these possibilities may also be
configured. Lock bets may broken into different levels and each
player may be assigned a number of allowable lock bets at each
level. These lock bets may or may not have to be used during a
particular betting period or game period. The commissioner may
determine that lock bets that are not used by players during a
given betting period are to expire or carry over to future betting
periods. Alternatively, the system may enable players who do not
want to use their lock bets to offer then for sale to other users
for an set amount of money which would be paid to at least one of
the league commissioner and the system operator. If paid to the
league commissioner, the system operator may elect to take a cut of
the transaction fee paid by the user acquiring the lock bet.
Alternatively, the players may be allocated a certain number of
lock bets having predetermined monetary values at each level based
on the total number of bets the player is placing during a given
time period. In an exemplary embodiment there are four levels of
lock bets. A level 1 lock bet may be valued at $2,500. A level 2
lock bet may be valued at $5,000. A level 3 lock bet may be valued
at $7,500 and a level 4 lock bet may be valued at $10,000. These
numbers are used for purposes of example only and each level can be
assigned any number. In this example, for every 10 bets placed,
players received one level 4 $10,000 bet, two level 3 $7,500 bets,
three level 2 $5,000 bets and 4 level 1 $2,500 bet. The level bets
are intended to be bonus bets that allow a player to bet more money
on contests or events that they are more certain of the
outcome.
[0026] A further type of bet that may be enabled for use during
game allows the user to choose a game and if the spread was within
3.5 points in either direction, you win 2.times. your money. For
example, if Team A is +4 and they lose the game by no more than 7,
then the spread was within 3.5 points and thus you win the fantasy
wager. The number of these types of bets available to players
during any particular betting or gaming period may be selectively
configured. Alternatively, the availability of these bets may be
provided to players at a predetermined time period or based on the
success of the player in previous betting periods.
[0027] In a further embodiment, the system enables a commissioner
to enable a free bet whereby a player could bet a specified dollar
amount on a particular contest or event within a contest without
penalty to the player's current bankroll. For example, a player
could place a free bet to win the corresponding amount of money
without having that amount of money removed from their bankroll
should the bet be unsuccessful. If the bet is $10,000 to win
$9000.00, and the player loses the bet, no amount of money is
subtracted from the bankroll. The value of a free bet enabled by
the system may be of a predetermined monetary value or may be
automatically determined based on a characteristic such as a
percent of total bankroll or percent of total amount of money
wagered during at least one of a current betting period and a
previous betting period.
[0028] Once the rules of the game have been created and defined as
discussed above, step 106 provides the ability of players to join
at least one community and engage in game play during the specified
betting periods in order to try to increase the amount of
fictitious money allocated to the player. An exemplary rule set and
operation of a game as stated in step 106 is described with respect
to the following example.
Example 1
[0029] Start Date: Game begins when a league is formed and the game
ends at the conclusion of week 17 of the NFL season. The start and
end dates are flexible though.
Starting Bankroll and How To Win:
[0029] [0030] Each player starts with a bankroll of virtual cash.
For this season we are allocating $25,000. The objective for each
player is to increase their bankroll by placing and winning bets.
The player with the largest bankroll at the end of the tournament
wins! Once a player has $0 left in their bankroll, they are
eliminated from the tournament.
Tie Breaker:
[0030] [0031] If two players are tied after the season ends, the
tiebreaker is the player with the actual highest dollar amount down
to the last cent. Full bankroll data is hidden from the users until
the final standings. Should two or more players be tied after
reviewing the full bankroll amount including the decimal places,
then system will crown all participants that are tied as
Co-Champions. [0032] Bet Types: Straight Bets, Parlays and Teasers
[0033] Maximum Bet: The Maximum Bet is the maximum amount of money
that can be wagered on any specific bet. Each week, the Max Bet
amount increases by $100. The Max Bet starts at $400 on August
31.sup.st and increases by $100 a week. Players may risk the Max
Bet on many different bets at one time. However, the Max Bet cannot
be changed on any one specific bet. A player can even use the same
team in multiple bets as long as each bet is different. For
example, if the Max Bet was $500, a player could place $500 on the
Philadelphia Eagles -7 and you could also place a parlay bet with
the Eagles -7 and the Falcons +9. Additionally, there is a bet
minimum of $100.
[0034] This game allows a player to place a Lock Bet that may
multiply the potential winnings by either double (2-for-1), triple
(3-for-1) or quadruple (4-for-1). The lock bet advantageously
enables the player to win more however the player can only lose the
initial amount wagered. In this game, players may use each of the
three types of lock bets (2-for-1, 3-for-1 and 4-for-1) once per
week which is the betting period which runs Tuesday through Monday.
Lock Bets may only be used on straight bets and teasers, they
cannot be used on parlays. An exemplary bet available to player may
be: [0035] Philadelphia Eagles at -7 risking $100 to win $90.
[0036] By using a lock bet on the above wager, it would look like
this: [0037] Philadelphia Eagles at -7 risking $100 to win $180
using 2-for-1 Lock Bet [0038] Philadelphia Eagles at -7 risking
$100 to win $270 using 3-for-1 Lock Bet [0039] Philadelphia Eagles
at -7 risking $100 to win $360 using 4-for-1 Lock Bet [0040]
Depending on the outcome of the actual game in which the Eagles are
playing, the players bankroll is automatically adjusted accordingly
by the system. The system checks the results of the games that
players bet on, compared against the selected handicaps/odds of the
bet, and determines whether the player has won or lost the bet.
Then the system calculates the amount won or lost and deposits or
debits this amount from the bankroll, respectively.
[0041] In step 108, a player is presented the option to join
another league and/or community that may have similar or different
rule set that is created in accordance with steps 102 and 104
discussed above. If the player does want to join another league,
the player may do so and once game play begins, the player, in step
109, may advantageously apply any or all of the bets made in one
league to any other league in which he is a member. Applying bets
across different leagues and communities is subject to the rules of
the respective communities and games. Thus, if a common bet is
available in two of the three leagues, the player may select an
option to have the same bet be active in those leagues. Thus the
system advantageously enables a user to control multiple leagues
from a single interface presented to the player. Once the common
bets are applied across the various leagues, the player engages in
game play until the end of the game period to determine a winner as
in step 110. Alternatively, referring back to step 108, if the
player does not want to join another league, then the player
proceeds to step 110 and engages in game play until the end of the
game period to determine a winner.
[0042] The above described game and rules comprise an algorithm
including the steps for implementing and operating a fantasy
gambling game system. The algorithm may be encoded as computer
executable instructions that is embodied on a computer readable
medium and which, when acted on by a computer device, transforms
the instructions into a tangible user interface image that may be
selectively displayed to a user using either the same or a
different computing device. The above rules and operations may be
embodied in computer code and be hard coded on a particular
processing device that is able to execute the instructions encoded
thereon. In one embodiment, the computer readable instructions are
stored on a fixed storage medium that is acted upon by a server
that conditions a processor to generate a user interface display
presented to a remote user accessing the server. The rules may be
packaged may be into "rulesets" in a database stored on a computer
readable medium. Any league may play under any one ruleset, and the
system pulls the league's ruleset from the database and the code
applies the rules as needed in order to perform game functions.
[0043] After establishment of various fantasy betting communities
each including a plurality of different players that have wagered
on different sporting contests and/or events within particular
sporting contests, the system is able to selectively query and mine
the data associated with the players across all communities in
order to produce a revenue source for the system operators. The
system provides for selling user collective data intelligence
whereby the system automatically monitors selections of the most
successful players within the community, aggregate this information
whenever trends are identified and sell this aggregated data back
to one or more of the players. The monitoring may be done
automatically at predetermined intervals by the system or may be
performed manually by a system operator. The monitoring is
continual and, as more players are entered into the system, the
database being queried is refreshed to ensure the most current
information is available.
[0044] Additionally, while the above description with respect to
FIG. 1 references creation of a league by a commissioner who sets
the rules and parameters for the game being played in a respective
community, it should be appreciated that the same functionality and
operation may be performed by a system operator. This
advantageously enables the creation of public leagues and
communities, each potentially being governed by different rule
sets, that players may join without being specifically invited.
Thus, if a player enjoys fantasy sports betting but friends of the
player do not, the player can still participate in the game.
Furthermore, the inclusion of these public leagues enables the
system to mine and derive additional data that may be used as a
source of revenue as will be described below.
[0045] FIG. 2 is an exemplary algorithm implemented by the system
that generates revenue for the system operator. In step 202, at
least one community including a plurality of players is created and
the players engage in at least one cycle of betting on sporting
contests and/or events taking place during a particular sporting
contest or any other type of competition that has a definable
outcome. In step 204, the system automatically derives data
associated with the individual players in at least one community.
The derived data is automatically analyzed to determine if the
success rate of each player in the community meets a success
criteria in step 206. The success criteria may include but is not
limited to, (a) data identifying the number of successful bets, (b)
data indicating a trend of success over a specified time period,
and (c) data identifying success of bets based on the type of bet
and/or the frequency of the bet. This data may be collated and
packaged in a manner than can be used by other players in the same
or different communities to help improve their success rate as in
step 208. Once this data is collated and packaged, the system may
offer the packaged data for sale to players as shown in step
210.
[0046] An example of how the data may be presented to the user is
in the form of a leader board which that will showcase a rank for
each player in the game thereby making it easy for the other
players in any community who are the best and most successful
players. The leader board may be categorized to show the best
players based on the type of bet selected from all available types
of bets. Another user control or feature comprises being able to
place a single bet and applying it to multiple leagues. The leader
board may also provide for compiling and providing to a user a
comprehensive view of a particular user's betting statistics such
as winning percentage on specific bet types, total earnings
year-to-date and being able to track this information year over
year and across multiple leagues.
[0047] Additionally, the leader board may be organized to display
trend data indicating which players have been most successful over
a predetermined time period thereby providing users with knowledge
of bettors that are "hot" and have consistently been making
successful winning bets. For example, if Player X has been really
hot the past few months and is the #1 ranked player (determined by
percentage of correct bets) across all of the leagues on our site.
The system advantageously provides Player X a forum to input
predictions for future sporting contests and events can be
presented for view by other players. The full set of prediction
data in this forum would be protected from general access via a
log-in screen, for example. The system would generate a teaser
message that provided a subset of the protected data to all of the
players. The teaser message would enable the other players to pay
an access fee thereby enabling them to access the full set of
protected data in order to improve their performance. The player
would pay an access fee to the system operator in exchange for data
representing credentials for accessing the protected data.
[0048] Alternatively, if Player Z wanted targeted information on a
particular sporting contest or event within the sporting contest,
the system provides Player Z with the ability to contact Player X
to inquire about a particular pick. The system allows Player X to
charge a predetermined fee, for example, a micro fee for example,
$0.25 to $0.50 per targeted prediction. Upon payment by Player Z,
to Player X, the system would automatically take a percentage of
the micro fee and derive revenue therefrom. The system may also
allow players to group a set of targeted transactions and charge a
fee for obtaining predictions on a set of contests or events. For
example, Player X might post 10 or more predictions per week if
he's a top player and the players buying the picks may buy multiple
picks per week.
[0049] In a further embodiment, data representing how "hot" a
player is at any given time is shown in conjunction with the name
of the player. Sports bettors are always interested in getting
advice from the hot hand and if a player is ranked 30.sup.th all
time in the game but over the past 6 weeks he's been the hottest
player as indicated by winning the highest number or percentage of
bets, the system enables the hot player to sell predictions either
via micro fee transaction or in a forum that requires payment for
access.
[0050] An additional mechanism by which the system can generate a
revenue stream for the operators is to enable management of betting
restrictions. For example, betting may be disabled for games under
one or more particular conditions (e.g., at a defined time before
the start of the game). If betting is restricted, a user may
request to bypass the betting restriction in order to, for example,
be able to place a bet past that defined time but before the start
of the game. By requesting the bypass, the player must pay a bypass
transaction fee which is collected by the system operator and
provides a source of revenue. Once the fee is paid by the player,
the player is provided access to the previously restricted content
which allows the player to overcome the condition. For example, a
user will have the ability to purchase a bypass to bet up until the
last minute before the start of the game.
[0051] Another aspect for generating revenue from the system is
collecting fees for league management. For each community and/or
league created by a user, a fee for facilitating and/or managing
may be assessed and collected. For example, a group of people or
entities may wish to form a league based on each individual or
entity providing input of a fantasy amount or stake for the season
with the winner collecting the sum total of all of the stakes at
the end of the season and an operator collects fees for managing
the league formation, collection of participant stakes, and
distribution of winnings As a specific example, if 10 individuals
wish to form a league with each putting in a fantasy amount of $50,
then the winner at the end of the season will collect the fantasy
pool of $500 at the end. The operator will collect a fee for one or
more of each fantasy amount contribution by a participant, holding
the fantasy pool, and distributing the pool to the winner at the
end.
[0052] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the fantasy sports gaming
system according to invention principles. The hardware shown and
described herein is able implement the instructions described above
with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2 which represents an algorithm for
creating and operating the system. The system includes a server 302
that is connected via a communication network 304 to a plurality of
user devices 306. While only three user devices are described
herein, it is apparent that any number of user devices may connect
to the server 302 via communication network 304. The user devices
306 allow users to transmit and receive data associated with the
fantasy gaming system in order to engage in game play as discussed
above. User devices 306 include at least one of a computer, a
tablet computing device, a cellular phone, a smartphone, a
conventional telephone and any other device able to receive input
from a user and transmit data corresponding to the user input for
receipt by the server 302 as well as receive requested data from
the server 302. In one embodiment the user device is a cell phone.
The cell phone is able to place a bet on a contest by inputting a
text message and sending that text message via the communication
network 304 for receipt by the server.
[0053] The server 302 includes a processor 308, a repository 310
and a user interface generator 312. The repository 310 includes a
plurality of instructions stored therein that direct the operation
of the fantasy sports gaming system. The instructions may be in the
form of machine executable code that are able to perform the
functions described hereinabove with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2. When
an activation of a particular feature is requested, the processor
308 executes the instruction corresponding to the particular
feature that is stored in the repository. Upon execution and
activation of the feature, the processor conditions the user
interface generator 312 to generate a display image for display to
at least one user that allows the user to make use of the
particular feature. The system is also in communication with an
external source of betting data 314 from which category of bets,
types of bets and parameters of bets may be obtained for use during
game play. Alternatively, betting data may be stored locally in the
repository 310 or acquired from external source 314 and cached in
the repository 310. Examples of data retrieved from external
sources includes sports event data (teams, schedules/fixtures, game
times, game results) and betting odds (for a given game, what odds
were being set) and contest results data that provides the ability
to score/settle bets.
[0054] The processor 308 executes an initial instruction which
conditions the user interface generator 312 to generate a home page
for presentation to at least one user upon the user accessing the
system at an address on the communication network. An example is a
home page encoded in a particular data format (e.g. HTML, with
JavaScript and CSS) that is selectively accessible by users via a
web address using a communication protocols such as TCP/IP and
HTTP. FIG. 4 is an exemplary screenshot of a home page generated by
the system for display to at least one user. The home page provides
a gateway for users of the system to access their accounts and
initiate additional system functions. The display image includes a
league creation of user selectable image element 402 that, when
selected, initiates execution of a league creation algorithm by the
processor 308. The league creation algorithm includes a set of
instructions as described above with respect to FIG. 1 that allows
a user to create a league or community in which the fantasy sports
game is played. The home page further includes a field 404 that
receives data corresponding to a unique league identifier access
code input by a user using user device 306. Upon entering
information by the user in field 404, a league join image element
406 is selected by the user using an input device such as a mouse
or touch screen. Upon selection of image element 406, the processor
initiates an algorithm that enables the user to join the league or
community that is associated with the unique league identifier
access code.
[0055] Once the user has either created or joined a league
including setting up a personal username and password, the home
page provides a username field 408 and a password field 410 that
allows the user to securely access the system. Once the username
and password are entered in the respective fields, the processor
receives the user credential data and authenticates the entered
data with user profile data stored on repository 310. Once
authenticated, the user can access all areas of the system that are
deemed public, for example, general leader board information as
well as restricted access to the leagues and communities to which
the user belongs.
[0056] FIG. 5 is an exemplary screen shot of a user interface
display image 500 that is generated by generator 312 in response to
initiation of the league creation algorithm. Display image 500
includes a window 502 having a user-fillable field for receiving
data representing a league/community name. A creation image element
504 is selected after league name data is entered and the league is
created. Data associated with the league is stored in the
repository 310.
[0057] The league is created and designed by a user by interacting
with a plurality of different user interface display images that
allow for selection of all the rules for the league. These image
elements may include a candidate list of rules from which the user
can select. Additionally, the image elements may be able to receive
user input allowing the user to define a specific rule to be
implemented in the game being created.
[0058] Upon creation of the league by the user, a display image 600
as shown in FIG. 6 is presented to the creating user that includes
the unique league access identifier 602. The identifier may be for
example, a universal resource locator or other link that enables a
user to access the league on the server 302 of the system. The
identifier 602 can be copied and pasted, in a known manner, into an
electronic message. Alternatively, the display image may include a
selectable image element that executes instructions for an
electronic mail application that enables the user who created the
league to message other people to suggest that they join the
league. In this embodiment, the identifier is automatically
embedded in the message being sent by the system. When a user
receives and selects the identifier 602, the processor 302
conditions the User Interface Display Generator to generate a
display image 700 shown in FIG. 7 that enables the user who
selected the identifier to join the league. The display image 700
in FIG. 7 includes an input field 702 for receiving a code or other
data from the user that notifies the system as to which league the
player wants to join. Once entered, the player can select image
element 704 which causes the code entered in field 702 to be sent
to the processor 302. The processor 302 queries the repository for
league data that matches the code entered in field 702 and
conditions the user interface display generator 312 to generate a
display image including the league data and formatted in particular
format. The format may be for example, a standard format determined
by at least one of the user who created the league, the system
operator and the individual user.
[0059] Now that the user has joined a league to play a game, the
system generates a plurality of display images as shown in FIGS.
8-11 that enable the player to engage in game activities. The
system generates the display image 800 as shown in FIG. 8 which
includes a first window 802 including information representing the
category of bets available to the player for the game. A selection
box 803 is positioned proximate the betting category information
and allows the player to select the category of bet to make for the
current betting period. The display image 800 also includes a
second window 804 including data representing an amount of
fictitious money/player bankroll that may be bet on the selected
bet category. Upon selecting the category, the user selects the
next button 805. Data representing the betting category selected by
the user is provided to the processor 308 which queries a source of
betting information in order to aggregate all of the available bets
and types of bets for the selected betting category. This query may
be performed on the repository 310 which may include a source of
betting information as well as on an external source of betting
information 314 (FIG. 3). The results of the query are presented in
the display image 900 in FIG. 9.
[0060] FIG. 9 includes a window 902 that presents the results of
the query and organizes the results. The results are presented in
column and row format with the row including the information
associated with a respective contest and the columns 903 containing
information about the respective contest including the date, sport,
teams involved, etc. Additionally, there are columns 904 associated
with types of bets available for the respective contest. This
format is described for purposes of example only and the data may
be formatted in any manner as determined by the system operator or
the league creator. In this embodiment, the user is presented with
a column for a money bet, a spread bet and an over/under bet. The
bet type columns include at least one user-selection box enabling
the user to select a bet type to be placed along with the
parameters of the bet being placed. The format shown in FIG. 9 is
described for purposes of example only and the information
described herein may be presented in any format or design. FIG. 9
also includes a reverse navigation button 905 that, when selected,
allows a user to return the display image of FIG. 8. A forward
navigation button 906 is also included and, when selected, causes
data representing the betting selection and parameters to be used
by the processor 308 to condition the user interface display
generator 312 to generate the display image in FIG. 10.
[0061] FIGS. 10A-C include a display images that lists all of the
bet types and bet parameters that were selected in FIG. 9 and
enables the user, in column 1002 to enter an amount of money from
the players bankroll to be wagered on each respective bet. FIG. 10A
also includes a column 1004 that enables a user to apply a bet
enhancement, such as a lock bet or a max bet described above with
respect to FIG. 1. Whether or not these enhancements are available
depend on the rules of the league and game established by the user
that created the league. FIGS. 10A-10C include image elements 107
corresponding to the type of available bet enhancement will be
presented to the user in column 1004. In FIG. 10A, there image
elements 1007 remain unselected and thus no bet enhancement is
applied to any wager listed. In FIG. 10B, a respective image
element 1007a from the set of image elements 1007 representing a
type of bet enhancement is highlighted thus indicating that the
corresponding bet enhancement is only applied to one of the listed
bets placed by the user. FIG. 10C includes shows the one of the
respective image elements corresponding to a type of bet
enhancement for each bet placed by the user and that the system
will execute the rules to apply the selected enhancement to the bet
when the bet is settled by the system. FIG. 10 also includes a
reverse navigation button 1005 enabling the user to return to the
display image in FIG. 9 and a forward navigation button 1006 which,
when selected, transmits the information entered in at least one of
columns 1002 and 1004 for use in generating the display image shown
in FIG. 11.
[0062] FIG. 11 includes a display image that presents a window 1101
including summary of the different contests the player has selected
to place bets on as well as all associated information about the
bet including the bet type, bet parameter, amount risked, whether
or not any bet enhancements have been selected and the amount to be
won if the bet is successful. A confirmation image element 1102 is
included that enables the user to confirm and place the bets listed
in the window 1101. By selecting image element 1102, data
representing the contest, bet category, bet type, bet parameters,
amount risked and amount to be won is transmitted for storage in
the repository 310 such that, after completion of the contest, the
stored bet selections for the respective player can be compared
with the outcome to determine how many of the placed bets were
successful for the given betting period. This comparison is
performed by the processor 308 which executes a reconciliation
algorithm that determines whether or not the bets were
successful.
[0063] At any point, a player may selectively access a history of
betting activity as shown in FIG. 12 by, for example, selecting a
link on the league home page. By selecting this link, the processor
queries the repository for bets placed by the player and produces a
report such as the ones shown in FIG. 12. These reports may include
a standard set of information such as the league name, the type of
bet, the date the bet was placed, the type of contest, information
about the actual contest, the parameter of the bet, the result of
the bet, the amount risked, whether or not an enhancer was applied,
and an amount won. These categories as shown herein represent the
respective columns in the display images of FIG. 12. Alternative
image displays of betting history and statistics are shown in FIGS.
13 and 14.
[0064] FIGS. 15A and B and 16 are alternative display images
presented to the user that enables the user to apply a bet enhancer
to a particular bet. FIG. 15 presents the user with the Max Bet
option for the particular league. Upon selecting the Max Bet image
element, the system automatically displays the image shown in FIG.
15B listing the schedule of available Max Bet values by betting
period as determined by the rules. FIG. 16 represents an exemplary
screen shot that includes a column entitled lock bets. For each
contest, image elements representing the available lock bets are
presented for selection by a user. Once selected, the image
elements changes color to notify the user that the particular type
of lock bet has been selected for a respective contest.
[0065] FIG. 17-19 are additional exemplary screen shots of player
and league information that are selectively presented to the user
and enhance the community gaming experience. FIG. 17 is an
exemplary display image that includes a plurality of individual
display windows including different types of information associated
with the league. A first window 1702 includes a tab activated
system whereby a user can select a tab and display a respective
type of data. The exemplary tabs shown enable display of the league
standings, the existence of any live bets and the league history. A
second window 1704 displays information identifying league or
community members that had the best and worst performances.
Additionally, window 1706 provides an interface for users to post
messages to other league members that advantageously encourages the
social aspect of the league. FIG. 18 is a display image that
includes the betting statistics associated with a respective
player.
[0066] FIG. 19 is an exemplary display image of a leader board that
provides a plurality of information to a user of the system. In
window 1902, the standings for a respective betting period for the
respective league are presented. In window 1904, a list of data
representing the most successful players across all leagues are
shown and in window 1906, data representing past overall weekly
winners is displayed. The types and organization of information
shown in FIG. 19 are described for purpose of example only and the
user or league creator may determine what information is shown as
well as how the information is formatted thereby providing a more
customized experience for each player and/or league. Additionally,
the leader board information may also include user selectable icons
associated with a particular element of data that enables a player
to access additional information about the data. For example, in
window 1904, if an icon appears next a players name, the current
user may select the icon and be presented with a display image
including data representing the selected players future
predictions. Additionally, the future prediction data may be
incomplete and provide the current user the ability to access a
full set of predictions by paying a fee thereby generating revenue
for at least one of the system operator and the player who makes
the predictions. In an alternate embodiment, the leader board may
provide an indicator associated with a particular player that
identifies a characteristic about the player. The characteristics
may include but are not limited to how successful the player has
been over a predetermined time period, how unsuccessful the player
has been over a predetermined time period, a status identifying the
players standing in their respective league, availability of the
player to make predictions, data identifying the number of
additional players have used information from the particular
player, data identifying total amount of monies won using
information provided by the player, etc. These characteristic
indicators are presented to players across the entire system and
allow the players to determine if at least one particular player
may be able to provide helpful information for future betting
periods. A user selectable icon may be associated with the players
having a particular characteristic indicator showing that allows
players to contact the particular player to obtain information
therefrom. By selecting the icon, the player is required to pay a
fee to at least one of the particular player and the system
operator to have access to the particular player's information.
[0067] Although the invention has been described in terms of
exemplary embodiments, it is not limited thereto. Rather, the
appended claims should be construed broadly to include other
variants and embodiments of the invention which may be made by
those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and range
of equivalents of the invention. This disclosure is intended to
cover any adaptations or variations of the embodiments discussed
herein.
* * * * *