Multi-level point accumulation for a player tracking system and method

• US 20030212597A1
• Filed: 05/10/2002
• Published: 11/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Ollins, Richard I.
• Application Number:
  US10/144,139
• Publication Number:
  US 20030212597A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0231 Awarding of a frequent usage incentive independent of the monetary value of a good or service purchased, or distance travelled
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements

Abstract

A player tracking system and method for tracking the customer activity of a plurality of customers at one or more casino establishments. The system includes an account manager device having a first customer account associated with a first customer and a second customer account associated with a second customer, in which the second customer is sponsored by the first customer. Each customer account includes an associated customer Identification (ID) and a respective accumulated point total. A monitoring device is configured to monitor the betting activity of the plurality of customers at the one or more casino establishments, and a point accumulation device is adapted to accrue primary betting activity points for the customer accounts, based upon their monitored betting activity. The point accumulation device is further adapted to accrue sponsorship points for sponsors of new accounts which may also be applied toward the accumulated point total. Thus, multi-level point accumulation is provided to encourage further patronage.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for tracking the customer activity of a plurality of customers at one or more casino establishments, said method comprising:

creating a first customer account having a customer Identification (ID) associated with a first customer;

monitoring the betting activity of the first customer at the one or more casino establishments;

accruing primary betting activity points in the first customer account relating to the betting activity of the first customer monitored at the one or more casino establishments;

creating a second customer account having a customer Identification (ID) associated with a second customer, said second customer being sponsored by the first customer; and

accruing sponsorship points in the first customer account based upon the sponsorship of the second customer by the first customer; and

providing at least one of complementaries and services to the customers based upon their accumulated point total.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein

said betting activity points have a greater weighting than the sponsorship points in the accumulated point total.

3. The method of claim 1, further including:

monitoring the betting activity of the second customer at the one or more casino establishments;

accruing primary betting activity points in the second customer account relating to the primary betting activity of the second customer monitored at the one or more casino establishments; and

accruing secondary betting activity points in the first customer account relating to the primary betting activity points accrued in the second customer account.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein

the quantity of secondary betting activity points accrued in the first customer account are based upon the quantity of primary betting activity points accrued in the second customer account.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein

the secondary betting activity points accrued in the first customer account are proportional to the primary betting activity points accrued in the second customer account.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein

said monitoring the betting activity includes tracking the level of gaming play of the first customer.

7. The method of claim 6, further including:

periodically updating a theoretical win profile for the first customer as a function of estimated winnings from the betting activity of the customer at the casino establishment over a time period, and

storing the theoretical win profile in association with the first customer account.

8. The method of claim 3, further including:

creating a third customer account having a customer Identification (ID) associated with a third customer, said third customer being sponsored by the second customer;

accruing sponsorship points in the second customer account based upon the sponsorship of the third customer by the second customer; and

accruing sponsorship points in the first customer account based upon the sponsorship of the second customer by the first customer, and upon the sponsorship of the third customer by the second customer.

9. The method of claim 8, further including:

monitoring the betting activity of the third customer at the one or more casino establishments;

accruing primary betting activity points in the third customer account relating to the betting activity of the third customer monitored at the one or more casino establishments;

accruing secondary betting activity points in the second customer account relating to the primary betting activity points accrued in the third customer; and

accruing tertiary betting activity points in the first customer account relating to the secondary betting activity accrued in the second customer account.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein

the quantity of secondary betting activity points accrued in the first and second customer accounts are based upon the quantity of primary betting activity points accrued in the second and third customer accounts, respectively, and

the quantity of tertiary betting activity points accrued in the first customer account are based upon the quantity of secondary betting activity points accrued in the second customer account.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein

the quantity of secondary betting activity points accrued in the first and second customer accounts are proportional to the quantity of primary betting activity points accrued in the second and third customer accounts, respectively, and

the quantity of tertiary betting activity points accrued in the first customer account are proportional to the quantity of secondary betting activity points accrued in the second customer account.

12. A player tracking system for tracking the customer activity of a plurality of customers at one or more casino establishments comprising:

an account manager device having a first customer account associated with a first customer and a second customer account associated with a second customer, said second customer being sponsored by the first customer, each customer account having a respective customer Identification (ID) and a respective accumulated point total;

a monitoring device configured to monitor the betting activity of the plurality of customers at the one or more casino establishments;

a point accumulation device adapted to accrue primary betting activity points for the first customer account relating to the betting activity of the first customer monitored at the one or more casino establishments, and for the second customer account relating to the betting activity of the second customer monitored at the one or more casino establishments, said point accumulation device further configured to accrue sponsorship points in the first customer account based upon the sponsorship of the second customer by the first customer;

wherein to at least one of complementaries and services may be provided for the customers based upon their respective accumulated point total.

13. The tracking system according to claim 12, wherein

said betting activity points have a greater weighting than the sponsorship points in the accumulated point total.

14. The tracking system according to claim 12, further including:

monitoring the betting activity of the second customer at the one or more casino establishments;

accruing primary betting activity points in the second customer account relating to the primary betting activity of the second customer monitored at the one or more casino establishments; and

accruing secondary betting activity points in the first customer account relating to the primary betting activity points accrued in the second customer account.

15. The tracking system according to claim 14, wherein

the quantity of secondary betting activity points accrued in the first customer account are based upon the quantity of primary betting activity points accrued in the second customer account.

16. The tracking system according to claim 15, wherein

the secondary betting activity points accrued in the first customer account are proportional to the primary betting activity points accrued in the second customer account.

17. The tracking system according to claim 12, wherein

said monitoring the betting activity includes tracking the level of gaming play of the first customer.

18. The tracking system according to claim 17, further including:

periodically updating a theoretical win profile for the first customer as a function of estimated winnings from the betting activity of the customer at the casino establishment over a time period, and

storing the theoretical win profile in association with the first customer account.

19. The tracking system according to claim 14, further including:

creating a third customer account having a customer Identification (ID) associated with a third customer, said third customer being sponsored by the second customer;

accruing sponsorship points in the second customer account based upon the sponsorship of the third customer by the second customer; and

accruing sponsorship points in the first customer account based upon the sponsorship of the second customer by the first customer, and upon the sponsorship of the third customer by the second customer.

20. The tracking system according to claim 19, further including:

monitoring the betting activity of the third customer at the one or more casino establishments;

accruing primary betting activity points in the third customer account relating to the betting activity of the third customer monitored at the one or more casino establishments;

accruing secondary betting activity points in the second customer account relating to the primary betting activity points accrued in the third customer; and

accruing tertiary betting activity points in the first customer account relating to the secondary betting activity accrued in the second customer account.

21. The tracking system according to claim 20, wherein

the quantity of secondary betting activity points accrued in the first and second customer accounts are based upon the quantity of primary betting activity points accrued in the second and third customer accounts, respectively, and

the quantity of tertiary betting activity points accrued in the first customer account are based upon the quantity of secondary betting activity points accrued in the second customer account.

22. The tracking system according to claim 21, wherein

the quantity of secondary betting activity points accrued in the first and second customer accounts are proportional to the quantity of primary betting activity points accrued in the second and third customer accounts, respectively, and

the quantity of tertiary betting activity points accrued in the first customer account are proportional to the quantity of secondary betting activity points accrued in the second customer account.