METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING INSURANCE POLICIES FOR GAMBLING LOSSES

• US 20070276705A1
• Filed: 02/20/2007
• Published: 11/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/1997
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: James Jorasch, Jay S. Walker, Michael Downs, Stephen Tulley
• Original Assignee: James Jorasch, Jay S. Walker, Michael Downs, Stephen Tulley
• Inventors: Jorasch, James, Downs, Michael, Walker, Jay, Tulley, Stephen
• Application Number:
  US11/676,722
• Publication Number:
  US 20070276705A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3234 about the performance of a gaming system, e.g. revenue, diagnosis of the gaming system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3237 about the players, e.g. profiling, responsible gaming, strategy/behavior of players, location of players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• 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 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/40 for devices for accepting orders, advertisements, or the like

Abstract

A method according to some embodiments of the present invention provides for a game server to receive policy requirements of a user for a gambling loss insurance policy from a terminal. The game server determines a premium amount based on the policy requirements of the user and transmits information concerning the premium amount to the user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

presenting information relating to a gambling loss insurance policy to a player at a device not operable to provide a game of chance;

receiving payment for the gambling loss insurance policy from the player;

identifying the player at a gaming device through a player identifier;

determining gambling losses at the gaming device for the player; and

determining a refund for the player based on the gambling losses and the gambling loss insurance policy.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing gambling results achieved by the player at the gaming device including gambling losses.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein gambling losses includes at least one of:

gambling loss amounts, net loss amounts, and gambling loss data.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein storing gambling results comprises storing gambling results on a network server.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein storing gambling results comprises storing gambling results on a smart card.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein storing gambling results comprises storing gambling results at the gaming device.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein storing gambling results comprises storing gambling results at the device not operable to provide the game of chance.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing the refund.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein providing the refund comprises providing the refund at the gaming device.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein providing the refund comprises providing the refund at the device not operable to provide the game of chance.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein providing the refund comprises providing the refund at a cashier'"'"'s station.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein providing the refund comprises providing the refund as a credit to an electronic account associated with the player.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the device not operable to provide a game of chance comprises a kiosk.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the device not operable to provide a game of chance comprises at least one of:

a personal computer, a portable computer, a laptop computer, a hand-held computer, a palm-top computer, and a personal digital assistant.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the gaming device comprises a mobile terminal.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the mobile terminal comprises at least one of:

a portable computer, a laptop computer, a hand-held computer, a palm-top computer, and a personal digital assistant.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the player through the player identifier comprises identifying the player through a player tracking card.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the player through the player identifier comprises identifying the player through a player provided keypad input.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the player through the player identifier comprises identifying the player through a player biometric.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting information relating to the gambling loss insurance policy comprises presenting information related to at least one of:

a covered loss limit, a payout limit, a period of coverage, a covered wager amount, a type of game, a type of gaming machine, a number of plays covered, and a refund delivery mechanism.

21. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing an insurance policy card to the player.

22. A system comprising:

a device not operable to provide a game of chance and adapted to present information relating to a gambling loss insurance policy to a player; and

a gaming device adapted to present games of chance and detect a player identifier from the player; and

a processor adapted to

receive payment for the gambling loss insurance policy from the player;

determine gambling losses at the gaming device for the player; and

determine a refund for the player based on the gambling losses and the gambling loss insurance policy.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the processor comprises a network server communicatively coupled to the gaming device and the device not operable to provide the game of chance.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein the device not operable to provide the game of chance comprises the processor.

25. The system of claim 22 wherein the device not operable to provide the game of chance comprises a mobile terminal.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the mobile terminal comprises at least one of:

a laptop computer, a palm-type computer, a personal digital assistant, and a hand-held computer.

27. The system of claim 22 wherein the gaming device comprises the processor.

28. A system comprising:

a user interface embodied in a mobile terminal; and

a processor operatively coupled to the user interface and adapted to;

operate a game of chance through the user interface;

present information relating to a gambling loss insurance policy to a player;

receive payment for the gambling loss insurance policy from the player;

determine gambling losses at the gaming device for the player; and

determine a refund for the player based on the gambling losses and the gambling loss insurance policy.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein the mobile terminal comprises at least one of:

a laptop computer, a palm-type computer, a personal digital assistant, and a hand-held computer.

30. A computer readable medium comprising software with instructions adapted to:

present information relating to a gambling loss insurance policy to a player at a device not operable to provide a game of chance;

receive payment for the gambling loss insurance policy from the player;

identify the player at a gaming device through a player identifier;

determine gambling losses at the gaming device for the player; and

determine a refund for the player based on the gambling losses and the gambling loss insurance policy.