Electronic payout administration method and system

• US 20060068904A1
• Filed: 11/03/2005
• Published: 03/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Binh T., Paulsen, Craig A., B-Jensen, Michael T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,517,823 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/207 Tax processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/123 Tax preparation or submission

Abstract

A payout administration method including automatically retrieving a plurality of electronic forms by a computer in communication with a gaming apparatus adapted to receive a wager from a player and to provide a payout based on the wager and a game outcome, at least one of the plurality of electronic forms selected according to a location of the gaming apparatus, retrieving stored data about the gaming apparatus and the player, and combining the plurality of electronic forms and the stored data to generate a plurality of completed electronic forms. The method also includes receiving an electronic player certification, and combining the electronic player certification and at least one of the plurality of completed electronic forms generated from stored data about the player to generate a certified completed player electronic form. A payout administration system operates according to the method.

Claims

1. A payout administration method comprising:

automatically retrieving a plurality of electronic forms by a computer in communication with a gaming apparatus adapted to receive a wager from a player and to provide a payout based on the wager and a game outcome, at least one of the plurality of electronic forms selected according to a location of the gaming apparatus;

retrieving stored data about the gaming apparatus and the player;

combining the plurality of electronic forms and the stored data to generate a plurality of completed electronic forms;

receiving an electronic player certification; and

combining the electronic player certification and at least one of the plurality of completed electronic forms generated from stored data about the player to generate a certified completed player electronic form.

2. The payout administration method according to claim 1, comprising combining at least one of the plurality of electronic forms and the stored data about the gaming apparatus to generate at least one completed gaming apparatus electronic form.

3. The payout administration method according to claim 2, comprising:

recieving an electronic employee certification; and

combining the electronic employee certification and the at least one completed gaming apparatus electronic form to generate at least one certified completed gaming apparatus electronic form.

4. The payout administration method according to claim 3, wherein the electronic player certification comprises an electronic player signature and the electronic employee certification comprises an electronic employee signature.

5. The payout administration method according to claim 3, wherein the electronic player certification comprises player biometric data and the electronic employee certification comprises employee biometric data.

6. The payout administration method according to claim 5, wherein the player biometric data and the employee biometric data comprise a voice print.

7. The payout administration method according to claim 3, wherein the electronic player certification comprises a player personal identification number and the electronic employee certification comprises an employee personal identification number.

8. The payout administration method according to claim 3, comprising distributing the plurality of completed electronic forms, including the at least one certified completed player electronic form and the at least one certified completed gaming apparatus electronic form, to at least one remote computer disposed at a different geographic location than the gaming apparatus.

9. The payout administration method according to claim 8, wherein the remote computer and the gaming apparatus are disposed in a building at different geographic locations.

10. The payout administration method according to claim 8, wherein the remote computer is disposed in a different city than the gaming apparatus.

11. The payout administration method according to claim 1, comprising obtaining the location of the gaming machine.

12. The payout administration method according to claim 11, wherein the location of the gaming machine is determined according to a phone number associated with the gaming machine.

13. The payout administration method according to claim 11, wherein the location of the gaming machine is determined according to an Internet address associated with the gaming machine.

14. The payout administration method according to claim 11, wherein the location of the gaming machine is determined according to a phone number associated with the player.

15. The payout administration method according to claim 1, comprising retrieving stored data about the gaming apparatus and the player from a database.

16. The payout administration method according to claim 15, wherein the database is a player tracking database.

17. A payout administration system comprising:

a gaming apparatus comprising a display apparatus that is capable of generating video images, a value input device, and a controller operatively coupled to said display apparatus and said value input device, said controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor,

said controller being programmed to allow a person to make a wager;

said controller being programmed to cause a video image to be generated on said display apparatus, said video image representing a game, and

said controller being programmed to determine, after said video image has been displayed, a value payout associated with an outcome of said game represented by said video image; and

a computer comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor,

said computer being programmed to retrieve a plurality of electronic forms, at least one of the plurality of electronic forms selected according to a location of the gaming apparatus,

said computer being programmed to retrieve stored data about the player and the gaming apparatus,

said computer being programmed to combine the plurality of electronic forms and the stored data to generate a plurality of completed electronic forms,

said computer being programmed to receive an electronic player certification, and

said computer being programmed to combine the electronic player certification and at least one of the completed electronic forms to generate a certified completed electronic form.

18. The payout administration system according to claim 17, wherein:

the computer is programmed to combine at least one of the plurality of electronic forms and the stored data about the gaming machine to generate at least one completed gaming apparatus electronic form.

19. The payout administration system according to claim 18, wherein:

the computer is programmed to receive an electronic employee certification; and

the computer is programmed to combine the electronic employee certification and the at least one completed gaming apparatus electronic form to generate at least one certified completed gaming apparatus electronic form.

20. The payout administration system according to claim 19, wherein the electronic player certification comprises an electronic player signature and the electronic employee certification comprises an electronic employee signature.

21. The payout administration system according to claim 19, wherein the electronic player certification comprises player biometric data and the electronic employee certification comprises employee biometric data.

22. The payout administration system according to claim 21, wherein the player biometric data and the employee biometric data comprise a voice print.

23. The payout administration system according to claim 19, wherein the electronic player certification comprises a player personal identification number and the electronic employee certification comprises an employee personal identification number.

24. The payout administration system according to claim 19, wherein the computer is programmed to distribute the plurality of completed electronic forms, including the at least one certified completed player electronic form and the at least one certified completed gaming apparatus electronic form, to at least one remote computer disposed at a different geographic location than the gaming apparatus.

25. The payout administration system according to claim 24, wherein the remote computer and the gaming apparatus are disposed in a building at different geographic locations.

26. The payout administration system according to claim 24, wherein the remote computer is disposed in a different city than the gaming apparatus.

27. The payout administration system according to claim 17, wherein the computer is programmed to obtain the location of the gaming machine.

28. The payout administration system according to claim 27, wherein the location of the gaming machine is determined according to a phone number associated with the gaming machine.

29. The payout administration system according to claim 27, wherein the location of the gaming machine is determined according to an Internet address associated with the gaming machine.

30. The payout administration system according to claim 27, wherein the location of the gaming machine is determined according to a phone number associated with the player.

31. The payout administration system according to claim 17, wherein the computer is programmed to retrieve stored data about the gaming apparatus and the player from a database.

32. The payout administration system according to claim 31, wherein the database is a player tracking database.

33. The payout administration system according to claim 17, wherein the computer is operatively coupled to the gaming apparatus by a data link.

34. The payout administration system according to claim 17, wherein the computer comprises a Personal Digital Assistant.

35. The payout administration system according to claim 17, wherein the computer is operatively coupled to the gaming apparatus by a network.

36. The payout administration system according to claim 35, wherein the network is selected from the group of networks consisting of a local area network, a wide area network, an intranet and the Internet.