Method and device for implementing a coinless gaming environment

• US 20040219974A1
• Filed: 06/07/2004
• Published: 11/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lee E. Cannon
• Original Assignee: Lee E. Cannon
• Inventors: Cannon, Lee E.
• Application Number:
  US10/862,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20040219974A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes

Abstract

A gaming system for implementing coinless gaming environment having a central processing system interconnected to a plurality of gaming machines and a plurality of change machines. The central processing system includes a processor and a memory having a plurality of memory locations for storing data. Each memory location is identified by a unique address in memory. In communication with the central processing system are a plurality of gaming machines having an input for accepting encoded media and an input for accepting standard paper currency. The gaming machines also contain an output including a bar code printer for encoding and distributing gaming coupons to a player. The central processing is also in communication with one or more change machines having an input for accepting gaming coupons, an input for accepting paper currency and an output for generating and dispensing encoded gaming coupons and an output for dispensing value either in the form of paper currency and/or coins. By interspersing gaming machines and change machines in a gaming establishment, the gaming establishment can eliminate the use of coins or tokens.

Claims

1. A method for implementing a coinless gaming environment, the method comprising:

establishing a central memory having a plurality of memory locations each identified by a unique memory address;

accepting currency from a player;

storing a value for the currency in one of the plurality of memory locations;

returning the unique memory address for the one of the plurality of memory locations;

generating a coded media having a unique identifier encoded thereon, the unique identifier consisting of the unique memory address;

distributing the coded media to the player;

accepting the coded media from the player;

reading the unique identifier on the coded media;

accessing the value stored in the one of the plurality of memory locations;

providing the player with credit equal to the value;

storing a modified value in the one of the plurality of memory locations upon completion of play; and

redistributing the coded media to the player.

2. A gaming system for implementing a coinless gaming environment, the system comprising:

a central processing system including a memory having a plurality of memory locations each identified by a unique memory address;

a coded media having a unique identifier encoded thereon, the unique identifier consisting of a unique memory address; and

a plurality of gaming machines having an input for accepting the coded media and an output for distributing the coded media;

the gaming machine accepts the coded media, reads the unique identifier, and transmits the unique identifier to the central processing system;

the central processing system receives the unique identifier, accesses one of the plurality of memory locations identified by the unique memory address corresponding to the unique identifier, transmits a value stored in the one of the plurality of memory locations to the gaming machine, and, upon completion of a play, stores a modified value in the one of the plurality of memory locations, and

the gaming machine distributing the coded media having the unique identifier encoded thereon.