Systems and methods for gaming from an off-site location

• US 20070072677A1
• Filed: 09/22/2006
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: James Lavoie, Robert Angell
• Original Assignee: James Lavoie, Robert Angell
• Inventors: Angell, Robert, Lavoie, James
• Application Number:
  US11/524,880
• Publication Number:
  US 20070072677A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3288 Betting, e.g. on live events, bookmaking

Abstract

Exemplary systems and methods allow a patron to play games from an off-site location via an online network. For example, a server may receive, from a client terminal, a purchase request for a plurality of wagers from a patron before a game play has begun. The server may determine the results of the plurality of wagers and store the results in a database before the game play has begun. Then, the server may adjust an account of the player based on the results before the game play has begun, and send the results to the client terminal before the game play has begun, in response to a request to reveal the results. Additionally, exemplary systems and methods allow a patron to play games using variable pay tables based on denomination amounts, number of wagers, amounts of previous wagers. Such systems and methods may, for example, establish a plurality of denomination levels and corresponding pay tables such that odds of winning increase as the denomination value increases.

Claims

1. A gaming method, comprising:

receiving, at a server, a purchase request for at least one wager from a player at a first client terminal before a game play has begun;

determining, at the server, a result of the at least one wager before the game play has begun;

storing, at the server, the result in a database before the game play has begun;

adjusting, at the server, an account of the player based on the result before the game play has begun;

receiving, at the server, a request to reveal the result; and

sending, from the server, after a predetermined period of time from receipt of the request to reveal the result, the result to a second client terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second client terminal is one of a group of devices consisting of:

a mobile phone, a handheld device, a personal digital assistant, a laptop computer, and a home computer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining comprises one of:

retrieving the result from a pre-generated group of outcomes, randomly generating the result, and drawing the result from a lottery.

4. A gaming method, comprising:

receiving, at a server, a purchase request for at least one wager from a player at a first client terminal before a game play has begun;

determining, at the server, a result of the at least one wager before the game play has begun;

storing, at the server, the result in a database before the game play has begun;

adjusting, at the server, an account of the player based on the result before the game play has begun;

receiving, at the server, a request to reveal the result;

sending, from the server, the result to a second client terminal; and

displaying the result at the second client terminal after a predetermined period of time from the sending of the result.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the second client terminal is one of a group of devices consisting of:

a mobile phone, a handheld device, a personal digital assistant, a laptop computer, and a home computer.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein determining comprises one of:

retrieving the result from a pre-generated group of outcomes, randomly generating the result, and drawing the result from a lottery.

7. A gaming method, comprising:

receiving a purchase request for a wager from a player at a first client terminal before a game play has begun;

associating a purchase amount with the wager;

determining a pay table based on the purchase amount;

determining a result of the wager based on the determined pay table before the game play has begun;

receiving a request to reveal the result; and

sending the result to a second client terminal.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

establishing a plurality of purchase amounts and corresponding pay tables such that odds of winning increase as the purchase amount increases.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the purchase request includes the purchase amount.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the purchase request includes a number of wagers and a denomination value.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

calculating the purchase amount using the number of wagers and the denomination value.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the second client terminal is one of a group of devices consisting of:

a mobile phone, a handheld device, a personal digital assistant, a laptop computer, and a home computer.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein determining comprises one of:

retrieving the result from a pre-generated group of outcomes, randomly generating the result, and drawing the result from a lottery.

14. A gaming method, comprising:

receiving a purchase request for a wager from a player at a first client terminal before a game play has begun;

associating a denomination value with the wager;

determining a pay table for the wager based on the denomination value;

determining a result of the wager based on the determined pay table before the game play has begun;

receiving a request to reveal the result; and

sending the result to a second client terminal in response to the request to reveal the result.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

establishing a plurality of denomination levels and corresponding pay tables such that odds of winning increase as the denomination value increases.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the purchase request includes the denomination value.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein associating further comprises:

selecting a predetermined denomination value.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein associating further comprises:

using a denomination value selected by the player.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein associating further comprises:

calculating the denomination value using the player'"'"'s previous denomination values.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein calculating further comprises:

calculating an average denomination value using the player'"'"'s previous denomination values.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the second client terminal is one of a group of devices consisting of:

a mobile phone, a handheld device, a personal digital assistant, a laptop computer, and a home computer.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein determining comprises one of:

retrieving the result from a pre-generated group of outcomes, randomly generating the result, and drawing the result from a lottery.

23. A gaming method, comprising:

receiving a redemption request from a player to redeem a prize amount from a previously placed wager;

receiving a purchase request from the player to use at least some of the prize amount to place a new wager;

determining a previous pay table used to determine the prize amount from the previously-placed wager;

selecting a new pay table for the new wager such that the new pay table has better odds of winning than the previous pay table;

determining a result of the new wager using the new pay table before game play has begun;

receiving a request to reveal the result; and

sending the result to a client terminal in response to the request to reveal the result.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

establishing a plurality of pay tables such that odds of winning increase as the number of redemption requests increases.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the client terminal is one of a group of devices consisting of:

a mobile phone, a handheld device, a personal digital assistant, a laptop computer, and a home computer.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein determining comprises one of:

retrieving the result from a pre-generated group of outcomes, randomly generating the result, and drawing the result from a lottery.

27. A gaming method, comprising:

receiving a purchase request for a plurality of wagers from a player at a first client terminal before a game play has begun;

associating a first denomination value with the plurality of wagers;

determining a pay table based on the first denomination value;

determining results of the plurality of wagers based on the pay table before the game play has begun;

receiving, from a second client terminal, a request to reveal modified results, wherein the request includes a second denomination value greater than the first denomination value;

dividing the second denomination value by the first denomination value to determine a number of modified results;

aggregating, at the server, the number of modified results into a total prize; and

sending, from the server, the total prize the second client terminal in response to the request to reveal the modified results.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the second client terminal is one of a group of devices consisting of:

a mobile phone, a handheld device, a personal digital assistant, a laptop computer, and a home computer.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein determining comprises one of:

retrieving the results from a pre-generated group of outcomes, randomly generating the results, and drawing the results from a lottery.

30. A gaming method, comprising:

receiving a redemption request from a player to redeem a prize amount from a previously-placed wager;

receiving a purchase request from the player to use at least some of the prize amount to place a new wager;

determining a result of the new wager before game play has begun;

receiving a request to reveal the result; and

sending the result to a client terminal in response to the request to reveal the result.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the client terminal is one of a group of devices consisting of:

a mobile phone, a handheld device, a personal digital assistant, a laptop computer, and a home computer.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein determining comprises one of retrieving the result from a pre-generated group of outcomes, randomly generating the result, and drawing the result from a lottery.