Methods of cashless gaming and player tracking
First Claim
1. A method of conducting a cashless gaming transaction comprising the steps of providing a patron with a gaming account and an ID carrier having an ID code that uniquely identifies the patron'"'"'s gaming account, storing a predetermined denomination amount for association with the ID code prior to conducting a cashless gaming transaction, providing at least one of a gaming machine and a gaming table with an ID carrier reader, reading the ID code from an ID carrier, transmitting the ID code to a remote network connected gaming account server and verifying that the gaming account associated with the ID code may be charged the predetermined denomination amount, providing the patron with the predetermined denomination amount of credit for gaming, and charging the predetermined denomination amount to the gaming account.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods of cashless gaming and player tracking use buttonless RFID technology at both gaming machines and gaming tables to transfer a predetermined denominated amount of credit from a remote network connected gaming account server to the gaming machine or table. Gaming machines have an Idle State, an anonymous credit state, and an identified credit state, each with specific methods for changing from one to another. Gaming tables have a keypad for the dealer, RFID readers at each seating position, and a transaction display visible to the dealer, the patrons, and an overhead security camera.
76 Citations
52 Claims
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1. A method of conducting a cashless gaming transaction comprising the steps of
providing a patron with a gaming account and an ID carrier having an ID code that uniquely identifies the patron'"'"'s gaming account, storing a predetermined denomination amount for association with the ID code prior to conducting a cashless gaming transaction, providing at least one of a gaming machine and a gaming table with an ID carrier reader, reading the ID code from an ID carrier, transmitting the ID code to a remote network connected gaming account server and verifying that the gaming account associated with the ID code may be charged the predetermined denomination amount, providing the patron with the predetermined denomination amount of credit for gaming, and charging the predetermined denomination amount to the gaming account.
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6. A method of conducting a cashless gaming transaction comprising the steps of
providing a patron with a gaming account and an ID carrier having an ID code that uniquely identifies the patron'"'"'s gaming account, storing a predetermined denomination amount for association with the ID code prior to conducting a cashless gaming transaction, providing a gaming machine with an ID carrier reader, reading the ID code from an ID carrier, transmitting the ID code to a remote network connected gaming account server and verifying that the gaming account associated with the ID code may be charged the predetermined denomination amount, providing the patron with the predetermined denomination amount of credit for gaming, charging the predetermined denomination amount to the gaming account, and maintaining a link between the future remaining credit balance on the gaming machine and the gaming account without the continued presence of the ID carrier within reading range of the ID carrier reader until the remaining credit balance is at least one of transferred back to the gaming account from the gaming machine and played down to zero.
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9. A method of conducting a cashless gaming transaction comprising the steps of
providing a patron with a gaming account and an ID carrier having an ID code that uniquely identifies the patron'"'"'s gaming account, storing a predetermined denomination amount for association with the ID code prior to conducting a cashless gaming transaction, providing a gaming machine with an ID carrier reader, reading the ID code from an ID carrier, transmitting the ID code to a remote network connected gaming account server and verifying that the gaming account associated with the ID code may be charged the predetermined denomination amount, providing the patron with the predetermined denomination amount of credit for gaming, charging the predetermined denomination amount to the gaming account, generating a cash-out request on the gaming machine while a credit balance from a provided predetermined denomination amount remains on the gaming machine, and transferring the remaining credit balance from the gaming machine to the gaming account.
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10. A method of conducting a cashless gaming transaction comprising the steps of
providing a patron with a gaming account and an ID carrier having an ID code that uniquely identifies the patron'"'"'s gaming account, providing a gaming machine or with an ID carrier reader and a currency validator, reading the ID code from an ID carrier, transmitting the ID code to a remote network connected gaming account server and verifying that the gaming account associated with the ID code may be charged a first amount, providing the patron with the first amount of credit for play on the gaming machine, charging the first amount to the gaming account, validating currency of a second amount while a credit balance from a provided first amount associated with the gaming account remains on the gaming machine, transferring the remaining credit balance from the gaming machine to the gaming account, and providing the second amount of credit for play on the gaming machine.
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11. A method of conducting a cashless gaming transaction comprising the steps of
providing each of a plurality of patrons with a gaming account and an ID carrier having an ID code that uniquely identifies each patron'"'"'s gaming account, providing a gaming machine with an ID carrier reader, reading a first ID code from a first ID carrier of a first patron, transmitting the first ID code to a remote network connected gaming account server and verifying that the first gaming account associated with the first ID code may be charged a first amount, providing the first patron with the first amount of credit for gaming, charging the first amount to the first gaming account, reading a second ID code from a second ID carrier of a second patron while a credit balance from a first provided amount associated with the first ID code remains on the gaming machine, transmitting the second ID code to the remote network connected gaming account server and verifying that a second gaming account associated with the second ID code may be charged a second amount, transferring the remaining credit balance from the gaming machine to the first gaming account, providing the second patron with the second amount of credit for gaming, and charging the second amount to the second gaming account.
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12. A method of conducting a cashless gaming transaction comprising the steps of
providing a patron with a gaming account and an ID carrier having an ID code that uniquely identifies the patron'"'"'s gaming account, locating the patron'"'"'s gaming account on a remote network connected gaming account server, providing the gaming machine with an ID carrier reader and a currency validator, reading the ID code from an ID carrier during a first period of time, validating an amount of currency during at least one of the first period of time and a second predetermined period of time after the first period of time has terminated, and associating the amount of currency with the gaming account only if the currency was validated during one of the first and second periods of time, wherein associating the amount of currency with the gaming account is one of a) transferring the amount of currency in credit from the gaming machine to the gaming account, and b) providing the amount of currency in credit for play on the gaming machine and maintaining a link between the future remaining credit balance on the gaming machine and the gaming account without the continued presence of the ID carrier within reading range of the ID carrier reader until the remaining credit balance is at least one of transferred back to the gaming account from the gaming machine and played down to zero.
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14. A method of creating and using a cashless gaming account comprising the steps of
providing a patron with an ID carrier having an ID code that can uniquely identify a patron'"'"'s gaming account, providing a plurality of gaming machines each with an ID carrier reader, reading the ID code from an ID carrier at a first gaming machine, transmitting the ID code from the first gaming machine to a remote network connected gaming account server, determining that there is no gaming account currently associated with the ID code, automatically creating an anonymous gaming account associated with the ID code, reading the ID code associated with the anonymous gaming account at a second gaming machine, and transferring credit between the second gaming machine and the anonymous gaming account.
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19. A method of creating and using a cashless gaming account comprising the steps of
providing a first gaming machine with a currency validator, validating a patron'"'"'s currency to provide a credit balance on the first gaming machine, generating a cash-out request on the first gaming machine, reading a predetermined ID code from an ID carrier and dispensing the ID carrier to the patron from the first gaming machine, transmitting the predetermined ID code to a remote network connected gaming account server, automatically creating an anonymous gaming account on the gaming account server associated with the predetermined ID code, transferring the remaining credit balance from the first gaming machine to the anonymous gaming account, providing each of a plurality of other gaming machines with an ID carrier reader, reading the predetermined ID code from the patron'"'"'s ID carrier at a second gaming machine, transferring credit between the second gaming machine and the anonymous gaming account, reading the predetermined ID code from the patron'"'"'s ID carrier at a third gaming machine, and transferring credit between the third gaming machine and the anonymous gaming account.
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25. A method of viewing a cashless gaming account balance comprising the steps of
providing a patron with a gaming account and an ID carrier having an ID code that uniquely identifies the patron'"'"'s gaming account, locating the gaming account on a remote network connected gaming account server, providing at least one of a gaming machine and a gaming table with an ID carrier reader, providing the at least one of a gaming machine and a gaming table with a numerical display, holding the ID carrier in proximity to the ID carrier reader for a period of time during which its ID code may be continuously read, requesting the credit balance of the gaming account associated with the ID code from the remote network connected gaming account server, and displaying the credit balance of the gaming account on the numerical display only if the period of time exceeds a first predetermined number of seconds.
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29. A method of managing credit value on a gaming machine comprising the steps of
providing the gaming machine with a currency validator for accepting a patron'"'"'s currency, providing the gaming machine with an ID reader for reading an ID code from a patron'"'"'s ID carrier in order to transfer credit between a gaming account associated with the ID code on a remote network connected gaming account server and the gaming machine, providing the gaming machine with at least an idle state, an anonymous credit state, and an identified credit state, accepting a patron'"'"'s currency to provide credit on the gaming machine when the gaming machine is in the idle state and then setting the credit state to the anonymous credit state, reading a first ID code from a patron'"'"'s ID carrier and transferring an amount of credit to the gaming machine from the gaming account associated with first ID code when the gaming machine is in the idle state and then setting the credit state to the identified credit state, setting the credit state of the gaming machine to the idle state within a predetermined period of time after the credit balance on the gaming machine becomes zero, and maintaining an identified credit state without the continued presence of the patron'"'"'s ID carrier within reading range of the ID reader.
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41. A method of merging gaming accounts comprising the steps of
providing a patron with a first non-contact ID carrier having a first ID code that uniquely identifies a first gaming account associated with the first ID code on a remote network connected gaming account server, providing the patron with a second non-contact ID carrier having a second ID code that uniquely identifies a second gaming account associated with the second ID code on the remote network connected gaming account server, providing at least one of a gaming machine and a gaming table with an ID reader for reading an ID code from a patron'"'"'s non-contact ID carrier, placing the first non-contact ID carrier within reading range of the ID reader and reading the first ID code, placing the second non-contact ID carrier within reading range of the ID reader while the first non-contact ID carrier still remains within reading range of the ID reader and reading the second ID code from the second non-contact ID carrier, verifying that at least one of a) both first gaming account and second gaming account are registered to the same person, and b) that at least the second gaming account is an anonymous account, establishing one of the gaming accounts as the surviving gaming account and the other as the terminated gaming account, and transferring all credit value from the terminated gaming account to the surviving gaming account.
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42. A method of merging gaming accounts comprising the steps of
providing a patron with a first non-contact ID carrier having a first ID code that uniquely identifies a first gaming account associated with the first ID code on a remote network connected gaming account server, providing the patron with a second non-contact ID carrier having a second ID code that uniquely identifies a second gaming account associated with the second ID code on the remote network connected gaming account server, providing at least one of a gaming machine and a gaming table with an ID reader for reading an ID code from a patron'"'"'s non-contact ID carrier, placing the first non-contact ID carrier within reading range of the ID reader and reading the first ID code, placing the second non-contact ID carrier within reading range of the ID reader while the first non-contact ID carrier still remains within reading range of the ID reader and reading the second ID code from the second non-contact ID carrier, verifying that at least one of a) both first gaming account and second gaming account are registered to the same person, and b) that at least the second gaming account is an anonymous gaming account, and linking the first and second gaming accounts into a single linked gaming account having a credit balance that is the sum of the credit balance from the first gaming account and the second gaming account and which can be accessed by reading either the first or second non-contact ID carrier.
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43. A method of conducting a cashless gaming transaction comprising the steps of
providing a patron with a gaming account and an ID carrier having an ID code that uniquely identifies the patron'"'"'s gaming account, locating the gaming account on a remote network connected gaming account server, providing the gaming table with a data entry means, a transaction display means, and at least one ID carrier reader, entering an amount of credit with the data entry means to be returned to the patron'"'"'s gaming account, visually displaying the amount of credit to be returned to the patron'"'"'s gaming account on the transaction display means such that each of the patron, the gaming table operator, and an overhead security camera can read the amount of credit, reading the ID code from the patron'"'"'s ID carrier to approve the transaction, and transferring the amount of credit to the gaming account associated with the ID code.
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47. A method of conducting a cashless gaming transaction comprising the steps of
providing a patron with a gaming account and an ID carrier having an ID code that uniquely identifies the patron'"'"'s gaming account, locating the gaming account on a remote network connected gaming account server, providing the gaming table with an acknowledgement means, a transaction display means, an ID carrier reader at each seating position at the gaming table, and a table system controller means for communicating with and controlling each of the acknowledgement means, transaction display means, and ID carrier readers, and for communicating with the remote network connected gaming account server, reading the ID code from the patron'"'"'s ID carrier at a seating position, verifying that a gaming account associated with the ID code may be charged an amount of credit, visually displaying the amount of credit to be drawn from the patron'"'"'s gaming account on the transaction display means such that each of the patron, the gaming table operator, and an overhead security camera can read the amount of credit, providing the patron with the amount of credit for play at the gaming table, acknowledging with the acknowledgement means that the patron has been provided with the amount of credit, and charging the amount of credit to the gaming account associated with the ID code.
Specification