System and method for utilizing a mobile device to facilitate fund transfers between a cashless wagering account and a gaming establishment retail account

• US 10,360,763 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2017
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Higgins, Kevin, Shepherd, Jeffery
• Primary Examiner(s): Elisca, Pierre E
• Application Number:
  US15/668,181
• Publication Number:
  US 20190043310A1
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• Field of Search: 463 25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3218 wherein at least part of the system is portable
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3241 Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3251 involving media of variable value, e.g. programmable cards, programmable tokens
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

The present disclosure relates generally to a system that utilizes a mobile device to facilitate the transfer of funds between a gaming establishment retail account and a cashless wagering account, and further between the cashless wagering account and an electronic gaming machine.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

wirelessly receive, from a mobile device;

data associated with a cashless wagering account accessed via a mobile device application of the mobile device, and

data associated with an amount of non-cashable credits determined in association with the mobile device application of the mobile device,

request, from a cashless wagering server, the amount of non-cashable credits from the cashless wagering account, wherein at least part of the amount of non-cashable credits was transferred to the cashless wagering account from a gaming establishment retail account, and

responsive to an approval of the requested amount of non-cashable credits from the cashless wagering server;

modify a credit balance based on the requested amount of non-cashable credits, and

enable a player to place a wager on a play of a game using at least one of the non-cashable credits.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein a balance of the cashless wagering account and a balance of the gaming establishment retail account are each viewable via the mobile device application.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least part of the amount of non-cashable credits transferred from the gaming establishment retail account to the cashless wagering account is associated with a wireless receipt, from the mobile device, of data associated with a second amount of non-cashable credits determined in association with the mobile device application of the mobile device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the processor responsive to a request to cashout the credit balance to the cashless wagering account being received, the plurality of instructions cause the processor to cause a transmission to the cashless wagering server of an amount of the credit balance, the credit balance comprising any remaining non-cashable credits approved from the cashless wagering server and any cashable credits associated with any wins for any plays of the game.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the request to cashout the credit balance to the cashless wagering account is associated with data wirelessly received from the mobile device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the data is wirelessly communicated via a wireless protocol selected from the group consisting of:

a near field communication protocol, a WiFi protocol, a Bluetooth protocol, a Bluetooth Low Energy protocol, and a mobile device network protocol.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor comprises a component of a gaming establishment management system.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the component of the gaming establishment management system comprises a player tracking unit.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the processor, the plurality of instructions cause the processor to:

responsive to a physical item being received via an acceptor, modify the credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item.

10. A cashless wagering system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive data associated with a requested amount of non-cashable credits determined in association with a mobile device application of a mobile device,

determine if a cashless wagering account associated with the mobile device application of the mobile device includes the requested amount of non-cashable credits, wherein at least part of the amount of non-cashable credits was transferred to the cashless wagering account from a gaming establishment retail account, and

responsive to a determination that the cashless wagering account associated with the mobile device application of the mobile device includes the requested amount of non-cashable credits, wirelessly transmit data associated with the requested amount of non-cashable credits being approved, wherein responsive to the requested amount of non-cashable credits being approved, an electronic gaming machine is caused to modify a credit balance based on the requested amount of non-cashable credits.

11. The cashless wagering system of claim 10, wherein when executed by the processor, the plurality of instructions cause the processor to:

receive data associated with a requested amount of cashable credits determined in association with the mobile device application of the mobile device,

determine if the cashless wagering account associated with the mobile device application of the mobile device includes the requested amount of cashable credits, and

responsive to a determination that the cashless wagering account associated with the mobile device application of the mobile device includes the requested amount of cashable credits, wirelessly transmit data associated with the requested amount of funds being approved, wherein responsive to the requested amount of cashable credits being approved, a non-cashable balance of the gaming establishment retail account is increased based on the requested amount of cashable credits.

12. The cashless wagering system of claim 10, wherein a balance of the cashless wagering account and a balance of the gaming establishment retail account are each viewable via the mobile device application.

13. The cashless wagering system of claim 10, wherein the at least part of the amount of non-cashable credits transferred from the gaming establishment retail account to the cashless wagering account is associated with a wireless receipt of data associated with a second amount of non-cashable credits determined in association with the mobile device application of the mobile device.

14. The cashless wagering system of claim 10, wherein the data associated with the requested amount of non-cashable credits is wirelessly communicated via a wireless protocol selected from the group consisting of:

a near field communication protocol, a WiFi protocol, a Bluetooth protocol, a Bluetooth Low Energy protocol, and a mobile device network protocol.

15. A gaming establishment retail system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive data associated with a requested amount of funds determined in association with a mobile device application of a mobile device,

determine if a gaming establishment retail account associated with the mobile device application of the mobile device includes the requested amount of funds, and

responsive to a determination that the gaming establishment retail account associated with the mobile device application of the mobile device includes the requested amount of funds, transmit data associated with the requested amount of funds being approved, wherein responsive to the requested amount of funds being approved, a cashless wagering server is caused to increase a cashless wagering account associated with the mobile device application of the mobile device by an amount of non-cashable credits associated with the requested amount of funds.

16. The gaming establishment retail system of claim 15, wherein a balance of the cashless wagering account and a balance of the gaming establishment retail account are each viewable via the mobile device application.

17. The gaming establishment retail system of claim 15, wherein the data associated with the requested amount of funds is wirelessly communicated via a wireless protocol selected from the group consisting of:

a near field communication protocol, a WiFi protocol, a Bluetooth protocol, a Bluetooth Low Energy protocol, and a mobile device network protocol.

18. The gaming establishment retail system of claim 15, wherein when executed by the processor responsive to a gaming establishment retail account balance triggering event, the plurality of instructions cause the processor to automatically transmit data associated with predetermined an amount of funds being approved, wherein responsive to the predetermined amount of funds being approved, the cashless wagering server is caused to increase the cashless wagering account associated with the mobile device application of the mobile device by the predetermined amount of non-cashable credits associated with the predetermined amount of funds.