Financial gaming system and method
First Claim
1. A gaming system by which a player may utilize credits in a financial account to play a game of chance or skill at a gaming device within a gaming establishment, said system comprising:
- means for establishing the financial account for the player;
means for adding credits to the financial account, wherein an account balance for the player is stored in a central database;
means for issuing an identification device to the player, said identification device being utilized by the player to activate the gaming device and to input the player'"'"'s identification information to the gaming device;
means for retrieving the player'"'"'s account balance from the central database when the gaming device is activated by the player'"'"'s identification device;
means for updating the player'"'"'s account balance while the player plays the game on the gaming device;
means for determining that the player has finished playing the game; and
means for sending the player'"'"'s updated account balance to the central database in response to a determination that the player has finished playing the game.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A gaming system and method within a gaming establishment having a plurality of electronic gaming devices for a player to play games of chance or skill. A central database stores a financial account for the player. Each of the plurality of gaming devices communicates with the central database either directly or through a central accounting system. An identification device uniquely identifies the player and is utilized by the player to activate a selected gaming device. When the selected gaming device is activated, an account balance for the player is retrieved from the central database. The selected gaming device maintains a record of the player'"'"'s account balance while the player plays the game, and reports the updated balance to the central database when the player finishes playing. The player can then activate another gaming device and begin playing with his updated account balance. The account may be linked to external financial networks enabling the player to redeem his winnings at redemption devices external to the gaming establishment.
-
Citations
25 Claims
-
1. A gaming system by which a player may utilize credits in a financial account to play a game of chance or skill at a gaming device within a gaming establishment, said system comprising:
-
means for establishing the financial account for the player; means for adding credits to the financial account, wherein an account balance for the player is stored in a central database; means for issuing an identification device to the player, said identification device being utilized by the player to activate the gaming device and to input the player'"'"'s identification information to the gaming device; means for retrieving the player'"'"'s account balance from the central database when the gaming device is activated by the player'"'"'s identification device; means for updating the player'"'"'s account balance while the player plays the game on the gaming device; means for determining that the player has finished playing the game; and means for sending the player'"'"'s updated account balance to the central database in response to a determination that the player has finished playing the game. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A method of enabling a player to utilize credits in a financial account to play a game of chance or skill at a gaming device within a gaming establishment, said method comprising:
-
establishing the financial account for the player; adding credits to the financial account, wherein an account balance for the player is stored in a central database; issuing an identification device to the player, said identification device being utilized by the player to activate the gaming device and to input the player'"'"'s identification information to the gaming device; reading by the gaming device, the player'"'"'s identification information from the identification device; retrieving the player'"'"'s account balance from the central database in response to reading the player'"'"'s identification device; updating the player'"'"'s account balance in the gaming device while the player plays the game on the gaming device; determining that the player has finished playing the game; and sending the player'"'"'s updated account balance from the gaming device to the central database in response to a determination that the player has finished playing the game. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
-
21. A gaming system enabling a player to play a game of chance or skill within a gaming establishment having a plurality of gaming devices, said system comprising:
-
a central database for storing a financial account for the player; means for linking each of the gaming devices with the central database; means for uniquely identifying the player; means for retrieving an account balance for the player from the central database when the player activates a selected gaming device and the player is uniquely identified; means for determining the player'"'"'s winnings or loses while the player plays the game; and means for updating the player'"'"'s account balance in the central database when the player finishes playing the game. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
-
Specification